Pressing On...

Reading this write up affirms that God has indeed been faithful. It is the very last day in this beautiful year and indeed only God is worthy of our praises. I am not sure how much of His goodness you have witnessed this year, but He has proven Himself in so many ways that I can not count in my life in this year.

 

As I was preparing this last write up for the year, I sensed God wants us all to come to the place of evaluation, that is bring all that He has allowed us to read into perspective. Many times there are reactions such as; "Wao, Word straight from the throne, Gbam, true talk, blessed by this, more anointing, heart of God for now and so on" to a lot of articles and write up that we read as well as messages that we hear. However, the word of God will only profit us when it mixes with faith in us.

 

When we read or hear the word of God, it is not meant to excite us alone, it is meant to transform, heal, enlighten,deliver, bless and do all that it is sent to do. Homes and marriages of believers still suffer needless pain and hurt because we refuse to allow the word of God to fulfill its purpose. For as long as you still engage human wisdom, trying to do things your own way, worried about opinion of others instead of practising the word of God totally, then you will constantly wonder why there is no difference.

 

Romans 2:13 The Message version states "Merely hearing God’s law is a waste of your time if you don’t do what he commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God"

Doing, attempting daily to put to practice even in the face of much difficulty is what yeilds the needed result. You have toiled, struggled, insisted on your own way and yet the result has remained the same, are you not willing to go an extra mile with Jesus in every area where human effort has failed you? The year ahead is loaded, blessed, however challenging for those who will choose to do things their own way, who will maintain status quo.

 

God answers prayers, He does not fail and He will be true to you only if you are true to yourself. God can not be deceived, it is time to be totally yeilded unto Him in all things and you will experience the newness He alone can bring as He has promised. Isaiah 43:19 NIV

 

"See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland"

 

Be expectant, be willing to step into new things, be willing to try humility, submissiveness, kindness and live the fruit of the spirit each and every single one. I am assured that God will channel a way in that desert, wilderness of confusion and He will cause streams that will satisfy your thirst and dryness to flow. You need to be able to perceive it to recieve it.

 

Let us Press on to higher heights in Christ in 2013!

 

May the Lord keep you and cause His countenance to shine upon you. Thank you for all the encouragements and positive feedback. God is set to do a new thing in your  life and He will do it. Wishing you a glorious year ahead in 2013.

 

Shalom!

I thank you all for allowing me to be a blessing in a way or the other.

Just Maybe...

I met a beautiful 93 year old woman a few days ago and we got talking. I was fascinated about the fact that she had been married for 60 plus odd years, you trust I was going to ask them the secret of the marriage... the old man told me"she is a great person and I try to be the best I can". I found them very pleasant and after a while, the woman came to talk with me, she leaned over my desk and I asked her if she was insured for eternity, she said, "that is crap, except you are a believer", I asked if she was but she did not respond. Then I told her I do not see a lot of people her age around and the few ones I see have either lost their health or mind or both...that being alive and still having all her senses intact was a great privilege,we continued our conversation until she left for the night.

I used an analogy for her and here it is; every time you buy a new car, you insure it, why? Is it because you are expecting to have a motor vehicle collision? Scarcely, no one leaves their house praying that they get into an accident just so they can benefit from their contributions to the insurance company. Yet, every month depending on how new or how much value you place on your car you cough out a decent chunk of money for coverage and yet you pray you do not have any opportunity to get that money back. The thought of "just maybe" or "just in case" keeps us working hard to part with our hard earned money and give to the insurance company every month.

Eternity is too long a time to gamble with. Do you recognize your being alive and healthy as a privilege?  If you are yet to know the Lord then you need to make a conscious decision to give your life to Him and allow Him to be the Lord and saviour. I do not refer to being a part of a church where you sing or carry out an activity or the other, but I speak about having a real and deep relationship with the Lord Jesus. Where you purposefully invite Him to take over the affairs of things in your life and be resident and President in your life. Every relationship requires a level of commitment and when you commit to Him, He too will have your back.

Acts 4:12 AMP
"And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved".

You were probably born into Christianity and you know and understand the lingo but does heaven have record of a day you came to the feet of cross to ask for a new management in your life? Have you been running your own affairs and almost to a grind? Perhaps you go to church just to associate with other but unless the Lord has a place in your heart, all effort of donating and participating in church activities might be a colossal waste of time. That is why you need to realize that you can not save yourself by being pious and self righteousness. Here are a few steps to establish a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and insure eternity:
Accept that you have sinned and that the natural man cannot please God
Confess your sins, repent and forsake them
Accept the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross of Calvary and confess with your mouth that you believe that He died for your sins
Ask Him to come into your life and reign as King, write your name in the Lamb's book of life, give Him glory and thank Him for accepting you into His own kingdom.

You can live your life rejoicing and knowing that come what may, you are insured. Even though the enemy comes to steal,kill and destroy, understanding of having an eternal insurance keeps your mind at peace and your joy intact. May the peace of God guard your heart as you go through your journey here and may your destination end in life eternal where we will rejoice and worship our King endlessly.

Blessings.

I Give You Peace

Without any doubt, peace is the only antidote to the many issues we face on a daily bases. Family issues, work related issues, our expectations and inadequacies, a seemingly impossible desire for one good gift and you may add to the list...When you are one with God, He gives you an unexplainable peace in the face of the storm, so therefore, it does not matter if the mountains relocate right into the midst of the sea, you are secure and solid where God puts you.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace, He helps you go through the curves and bends of life, ensuring you do not fail or get hurt. Jesus personally guaranteed our peace package, He explained in details what He was leaving with us and how we should perceive it. He articulates this in John 14:27 Amplified

"Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]"

Your situation is not as bad as it parades itself to be...refuse to be alarmed but hold on unwavering in all you do to God and you will see God's own salvation in your peculiar situation. Verbalize and believe what God's word says and watch it come true in your life. Romans 10:10 says; "with the heart man believes, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation". So when you are waiting for a test result, a response from a recruiter, you have submitted a business proposal, resume, or application, let the peace of God guard your heart. When you have proposed to a woman do not lose your sleep because she has said she wanted to clarify from God, let the peace of God saturate your heart when you feel pressure from the world, friends, in-laws, work etc. When doubts arise, answer with the word of God and you will soar on the wings of faith.

The Holy Spirit who is the Comforter given unto us till the coming back of the Lord Jesus is constantly nudging and assuring us of the love of the Father. Have you ever been in a situation, you thought there is no way of escape because of the things you see and then you just can't panic...hard to explain but that is the peace of God. Also, when you are expectant, waiting for an important thing, the thought consumes every minute of your day and life but you have this great assurance that you will have an answer of peace...then because God can not lie, you get exactly what you desire, but through the waiting period, you did not disintegrate, that is what the Holy Spirit does. He holds you together, assuring you and protecting you.

May the hand of the Lord be wrapped around you this week, may He comfort, surround you with His endless love and may you come back with testimonies in Jesus name.

Blessings,

Not Easily Discouraged

After setting your goal you need to make up your mind to face challenges and not be easily discouraged. A lot of us set out into marriage with a fairy-tale mentality; about the individual, their jobs, faith, family and so on. However, we find out that human beings are constantly changing. The in-laws who saw you as the best thing that ever happened to their child are the first to ask if the girl has been around town if she is unable to conceive on time. The young man who is described as an angel of God becomes irresponsible if he loses his job or if things are not loooking too bright for him. Parents will call you in confidence to find out if your spouse has ancestral problems if a certain trend is observed in him. Your commitment will help you fight your battles in the place of prayer.


When your spouse's attitude changes about all things and everything, she/he becomes lukewarm towards the things of God, commitment helps you exercise patience in encouraging as well as praying for her/him so that her/his zeal does not die. Commitment takes away the tendency to act like Job's wife in the face of trials and temptations. We all face our fair share of trials and they do not all come in the same flavour, so you hardly can apply someone else's medication to yours...



Genesis 29:22-25 articulates Laban's deception.
Jacob had commited to marrying Rachel, he had served with all his heart and mind and was looking forward to reaping the fruit of his labour by having his pretty wife wake up by his side the day after marriage, but lo, it was Leah, Rachel's weak and dull looking eyes he woke up to behold! Commitment makes you believe the best about your spouse even when it does not seem as if anything good will come out of there present situation. Or when you wonder where the person you fell in love disappeared to.


There are times in your marriage when the 'fire' might not necessarily be burning. Changes to a growing family; children who are too close in age, increasing finances sometimes make you wonder where the good old days of being able to afford whatever you wanted flew to, however, commitment with total trust in God will see you through the tough days.


Maybe you are experiencing deception in your marriage and you are thinking of ending it...if your husband started out on the right path and pressures are making him give up on God, you do not have to abandon him for the devil. If the wife you married seems to be wavering and you observe traits that do not exemplify christian virtues, what do you do? Do you leave them in pursuit of another angel? When your spouse struggles with life, in decision making, in knowing the next direction for the family do you dispise them and become discouraged? Yell at them and take over the reins of the family direction? I have come to realize that it is easy to lead or follow as long as you remember you are human. That means, we make mistakes, we take wrong decisions,some are costly but we need to stay together to clean up our messes.
You can attain whatever height you hope or plan for as long as you are commited to your set goals. Do not be downcast things can only get better.


Blessings.

Still on In-law Affairs...

Even though I find some issues amusing when it comes to Mother/Daughter in-law that is not to trivialize or discount the importance and impact this relationship has on the lives of those who happen to have not too pleasant relationships.

The bible is our reference point and we have to take our cues from it. Ruth and her mother in-law are a perfect example of how in-laws should relate. 

Ruth 2:11-12 NKJV
"And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. ¹² The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”


 Every mother wants the best for their sons, however, once your son is married, you need to evaluate how much involvement you need to have in his marital relationship. Every woman young or old must always try the shoe on the other foot so she knows how it feels. Some 25 - 30 years ago, you probably were a relatively young wife with challenges. Perhaps you had not too nice in-laws and your culture played a very important role in making your life miserable because of unreasonable demands and expectations from your in-laws. Now is the time to right the cultural wrong that makes the life of young women miserable with their in-laws. You do not have to make another person's life miserable because "I endured more than that when I was your age". Let love spread abroad in your heart and be a true example of a godly mother.

If you are a young woman married to another woman's son, do not approach your in-laws with a biased mind, negative attitude and wrongly preconceived notions. If you belong to the class of young women who want their mothers-in-law dead so they do not have to share their husband with her, then remember that you too have a mother, if you have brother(s) then expect what you sow...if your mother in-law is a notorious witch, you have to still be grateful to God and to her for not killing the wonderful man you are married to. Approach your mother in-law respectfully and treat her the way you would want your own mother to be treated by your husband or your brother's wife.


Women are known to be possessive of their sons and husbands you both want the same thing for this single individual you both love dearly. The way to handle your differences is not to make the man choose but to sincerely find a common ground where you will both work things out without making his life hell on earth. For every mother in-law; your son should not have to choose you over his wife because of your demands and expectations. Your role can never be substituted for, you are one in a million, your son can only have one Mother and that is the unique role God has given YOU. Your son is mature, he is married and he has his own life to live, you can not dictate how to run his home regardless of how inexperienced his wife is. God has given you the role to guide and pray for their success in their relationship and that is what you need to do. If you are physically able to be  a blessing to them by caring for their children, thank God for your life, if you visit them, do not frustrate another woman's daughter by being unreasonably difficult. You probably have your own daughter who is married to someone else's son, treat another woman's daughter the way you would appreciate yours treated. You should not have a rival in your daughter-in-law. Fulfill your role in such a way that your son, his wife and your grandchildren will constantly pray for you for being a graceful and blessed woman. My prayer to every mother-in-law is that you will reap the fruit of your labour, am sure you will be happy to say Amen if you have done well. Naomi, had lost her own biological children, yet she paved the path of a glorious destiny for Ruth, what will you be remembered for by your daughter in-law?

If you are a young woman who has issues with her mother in-law, remember Ruth, a woman who was willing to exercise her faith and link her destiny to the lineage of our Lord Jesus. From boldly leaving her people and culture and following a woman who had no future as it were, to gleaning in Boaz's field, she was a different woman with another spirit! Her mother in-law and all around knew how kind she had been, what is your goal and aim for treating your mother in-law the way you do? Why do you not put your best foot forward and let your good works be spoken of. If your mother in-law is in a village somewhere uncertain of where her next meal is coming from, and you are enjoying your husband's prosperity without any thought of her welfare, you need to rethink...If your husband has severed his link with his family in order to maintain peace, you are sowing a seed, in due time you will reap the reward. God has placed women in homes to be a positive influence, link and make a difference.

You know how to make your husband do what you want, set the right boundaries with your husband's help where his mother is concerned. If the right boundaries are in place and you are free from in-law oppression, do not push your own boundaries. Let posterity speak positively about you as well as bless you. If your mother in-law is mean and nasty, be nice and kind towards her, honor her as the bible has enjoined us and let God himself reward her every action. You too will grow old one day and I hope you will look back at this period in your life and be happy but if you have not done well, you would wish then...
If your mother in-law is overbearing, let your husband be the one to put her in her rightful place, never let a mother's heart curse you for your mischief. When your friends tell you, "you are too slow" let your pace be determined by God. You may need a good support system down the road and I hope your work will speak in your favour...

Relationship with in-laws does not have to be war-like;disagreements,misunderstandings, mean and negative attitudes especially in home where Christ is proclaimed. Do everything to be at peace even with your in-laws. I have seen women who have won over their difficult, hard to please and impossible in-laws. The devil will not gain a foot hold in your home, exercise wisdom and patience. God has called us to peace. For every one in a difficult situation unsure of how to navigate the path of peace, may Jesus the Prince of Peace reign in your home and grant you wisdom from above to handle every raging storm in Jesus name.