Sound of Rain

I looked at the couple as they entered into the church, the man treating his wife as if they are newly weds, yet they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary a few months ago. I was forced to ask myself; "what is this woman doing differently?" How come she or should I say they got it figured out and I have to manage, endure in my own marriage?. You do not need to hear them talk before you realize that God is in their home and granting them peace. I had to snap back to reality and carry on with my duty as an usher...

We, POSSIBILITIES DIVINE just had our Ist Couples Clinic this past Saturday May 25th and to the glory of God it was a huge success. It was amazing how everyone present opened up and was willing to share as well as receive, we spoke about personalities and communication, we touched on how sex could also be a tool for communication in marriage. One thing that I realize is that gender differences play a critical part in how things are perceived and received in homes. Do you think whatever you are struggling with is peculiar to your home alone? Sometimes you need to hear others... I am not trying to justify things like abuse, infidelity or violence, I am talking about the daily marital stressors that are avoidable.


A man who pursued you to marry you all of a sudden behave towards you as if you are bothering him when you are trying to show affection, all you want is for your husband to complement you or at least behave as if you are visible through his words, response to personal concerns, a woman makes you feel you are a pervert when you extend the hand of fellowship in intimacy and the list is on. The challenges we face in our homes are not unique in anyway. The people who are seen as success in marriage today have their own stories, mistakes, near misses, story of almost giving up and so on.

I remember the story of my mentor, Rev. (Mrs) Funke Adejumo, when her marriage was relatively young, God spoke to her about what she was doing wrong, she would weep and ask God for direction and guidance. Today with their marriage is about 30years old, they are like newly weds, treating each other with so much respect, dignity and love. She was talking at a meeting and said "even the devil in his insanity knows I am happily married" This line stuck in my mind and I like to say it too. Every time I say this, I notice I have such fierce disagreement with my husband about almost everything...lol and the devil will whisper to me "keep fooling yourself you are happily married indeed". 

As we were preparing for this last program, I said the same thing and what do you know, it was as if my husband and I spoke different languages. I said in my mind, "devil, in your insanity you know,I am happily married and it shows in all I do and in my home". I did not stop at the confession, I made up my mind to be patient, clarify anything that is not clear and be sacrificial. That means, when I have a valid point, I am willing to give up my right so peace can reign. I had to find humor in a lot of things and I made reference to this during the last program.

Have you noticed that even success in life is elusive? How much more every other thing that will attest and confirm your destiny? I mean no good thing comes easy, the secret is refusing to give up. You have to make up your mind to enjoy every blessing God has given you. There are some people trusting God for a life partner, there are others who are not in the right frame of mind to think about marriage, so for the man/woman that you complain endlessly about, there is still a reason to thank God.

Our text for today confirms the need to work to back up our faith. The great man of God Elijah made a declaration, he did not stop at that or fold his hands, he went into the place of prayer to sustain his declaration.

1 Kings 18:43-44 New International Version

43“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.
“There is nothing there,” he said.
Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
⁴⁴ The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.

After Elijah's servant had been checking for rain, seven times, "a cloud as small as a man's hand" was all that confirmed it was going to rain. To everyone reading this and thinking, I have tried, do not give up before the time of perfection comes. If you have been checking repeatedly, do not give up before the 7th time. Your joy shall be full, your miracle is around the corner. The devil does not want you to rise above misery, but you have to rise up and consciously work for what you want. So the next time the devil rears his head in your home, state with confidence "I am happily married, even the devil in his insanity knows that" and then make every effort required to sustain that statement.

There will still be disappointments, disagreements, arguments, there will still be the need to keep quiet, apologize when you are right, overlook offenses and those things you have repeatedly complained about over the years but believe what you say and you shall eat the fruit of your lips. God is waiting for you to help proclaim the message that marriage is His idea and it works. The best way to state that is by making a success of your own marriage. Is it going to be easy? No! but with God all things are possible.  The sound of rain will remain a sound except you are willing to pay the price to bring down the rain. Elijah prayed the rain into reality, he sent his servant to check 7 times and all he saw as confirmation was a small cloud. Refuse to be discouraged in your own home, declare that it will rain peace, increase, marital joy, respect, love that flourishes  and every other thing lacking in your home and pray it into existence.

I hear the sound of rain in your home, be prepared to be soaked.

Shalom!

At a Price

At a price...
Good morning precious people. If you are in my part of the world, I hope you are having a restful day. May God's peace envelope your hearts in Jesus name. 

I have noticed that there is a price that has to be paid for anything of value...
If you have a good job, you must work hard at it to sustain it as well as get promoted
If you are doing well at school, you must be burning the midnight out
If you are an acclaimed author, expert at what you do, there must be something that you are doing that is making you stand out. Extra effort into writing, experiments or research...
Every one who becomes an authority in a particular field must have paid a price.

So also, when you get married and you want to have a happy and blissful home, you must be willing to pay the price. Before you compare your spouse with someone else, are you willing to pay the price those ones paid or pay regularly? To the man whose wife literarily worships him, do you know the price he pays; loving, providing, accommodating her weaknesses, encouraging, building up her skills,    helping her to actualize her potentials, providing "pocket money" regardless of her income etc For the wife who looks like she does not have a care in the world, whose husband dotes over, supports and runs to the end of the world for her...there is a price. Her price probably is in her show of respect, validation, encouragement, submission, obedience, collaboration, godliness, hospitality, ability to humor, speaking the truth, making the man feel good and so on. 

The price I pay will most likely differ from the price you pay or have to pay in your home. Once you understand who you are married to and how to handle their idiosyncrasies, you might just be on your way to bliss. You can prayerfully find out the price of peace and gather enough grace to pay. All that you have lost to pride, ego, selfishness will be restored in Jesus name.

You just have to discover the price you need to pay, then what you desire in your home will come to you. What do you have pay; giving up your ego, selflessness, respect, love, awaking to your responsibility, hospitality. Nothing  good comes cheap, Jesus paid the ultimate price for us with His own life, what makes you think you can walk through life with a "gime-gime" attitude? We need to change our orientation to get the right results. Start with yourself and you will be amazed the impact you will have on your partner.

Blessed week ahead!

Lessons from the Cave

I was thinking about the kind of atmosphere in the Cave of Adulam when David hung out with 400 miserable men! David was anointed king over Israel and you would imagine that life at its best has just started. Far from it! He ran from one cave to another to secure his life from his relentless pursuer - Saul. His companions were not particularly noble people anyone would like to associate with.

1Sam 22:2 NKJ
"And everone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontended gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him".

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we are sorrounded by these categories of people and they are bound to bring out the worst in the best of people. Whether at home(spouse), relatives, co workers, church members, neighbours etc. We often find ourselves  in company of not too pleasant people and we wonder how we got there in the first place. God takes us through different routes to process and perfect His work in us so we can become what He has called us to be.

The cave of Adulam was as an asylum of some sort, however, David allowed himself to become disciplined and his heart tried. He emerged from the cave along side with men he whose lives had been transformed and positively impacted by the life of David. Another thing note worthy was that David's future was somewhat bleak as long as Saul remained king, never mind he, David had been anointed king over Israel. He was not distracted or embittered by this, he still impacted lives positively! You can not seek to make impact only when all is well and good with you. A life of impact is a life of sacrifice.

Life is in phases and men are in different sizes. If you refuse to pass the test of one class you will continue to go around in circles until you learn the lesson and pass the test. God expects us to shine as light in the world and wherever we find ourselves. So if there is an area that needs to be polished or smoothen in our lives, God brings individuals who will force us to learn tolerance, patience and love, God uses them to teach us in the areas of (anger, selfishness and greed)
So instead of always complaining about the people in our lives we can start impacting them. David was surrounded by miserable men, debtors and vagabonds but he raised commnanders and skilled men of war from them. He impacted their lives so much that they became committed, loyal and responsible men who were ready to die for David.

 I Sam 23: 15-16 NKJ "And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 16 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD".

You too can have a positive impact in your sphere of influence. So what lessons are from the cave again?

• Be  a light unto others
• Let your life influence someone this week.

Complain less and complement lives more! God is relocating you from the Cave to your kingdom.

Bid Me Come

The story was told of a young man who became a manager in a bank at a very young age. There was no doubt about the fact that he was smart and knew his onions. Attached to his position were perks; an official car, driver, travel allowance, and all other fun stuff. He worked very hard and had results to show in such a short time. Then one of his friends asked him why he does not socialize and join other friends to have fun, he told his friend his work was demanding. The friend told him "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". He agreed to socialize with his friends every now and then. First it was Friday evenings and later Saturdays and the more friends he had, the more popular he became and the more his friends told him he is the life of their gatherings.

This young man could afford to spend money which made people (friends?) swarm around him constantly. After a while, his weekend schedule became so packed that he was always very tired on Monday morning. This affected his job and in no time, his review showed that he was no longer capable of handling the requirements of his job. He was transferred to another unit in a lower position not because he was a bad person or incompetent. He failed to focus on what was pertinent!

We will consider Matthew 14:28-31 New International Version

28 "Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,”(W) he said, “why did you doubt?”

I am sure you have read about the story of Peter and his feat of walking on water, his audacity at asking Jesus to beckon him to come on water. We must have also wondered why he would doubt or be afraid at the end of the day when he had the master right in front of him....why would he be distracted? I asked myself a question  a few days ago as The Lord laid this topic on my mind "why do I still get agitated by the storm?" Regardless of our faith and God's grace, a lot of us still make the same mistakes Patriarchs of old made. Apostle Paul said, "Now all these things happened to them as examples and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come". 1 Corinthians 10:11 NKJV

When you and I agreed to heed the call of salvation, excitement, confidence and zeal propelled us to go any height for God and the things of God. We loved spending and being spent for God. However, storms arise at different times and in different forms; disappointments, discouragements, failure, lack, unfulfilled promises and they only have one purpose, to distract. When a man or woman promised you love and at the end of the day he/she disappoints you, it increases your tendency to take your look off the Master, doubt and sink. Work challenges could constitute a storm, you have been loyal and committed to an organization and yet you are denied your due promotion because you are not in on how others do it. Perhaps you get victimized because your uncompromising life style makes others uncomfortable. Are you are contemplating and doubting what you have always believed now?

Bring it home...how about in the church, has your leader, Pastor, HOD or other men or women of title discouraged you about the great race? Do you have records, examples and lists of hurts of how you have been used and perhaps dumped, offended and what have you? You can not dwell on those at the risk of the great call. Remember who asked you to come, these ones are just part of the storm so you must not get wearied or discouraged otherwise you are going to sink and if they repent of the wrong they have done to you, you will end up being on the losing end. Keep the eyes of the Master.

How many times have you attempted an examination and failed? Is the fact that you have applied for jobs and yet come short in interviews making your vision blurry because you can no longer see the Master but the effects of failure and disappointment? May be your spouse who used to be "honey" has lost all sweetness and now represents sorrow and bitterness in your life. You only co

ncentrate on revenge and getting back to the extent that you can no longer see the Master or remember that He has bid you come. After years of investing to train children in way of The Lord, it becomes a big slap, even dent on our pride/accomplishments when the children make grave mistakes; get expelled from school, get pregnant or drop out of school, join a bad group or totally derail from the path of righteousness. These storms hit us so bad that the rising of the waves and vehement beating on us make us cower and sink. The cruel remarks and comments from supposed friends  about how woefully we have failed make us bury our heads in shame even though the Master is right in front of us.

Have you suffered a job loss, totally unsure of how to meet the needs at home, church, among friends and even other dependents? Is the imagery of how sad and horrifying effect of depending on others for financial assistance driving you to do what is biblically, morally and ethically wrong? Have you lost your gaze, focus on the Master in a bid to figure out the way forward? Has your patience reached the limit because you are trusting God for the fruit of the womb? No one can fault you for getting frustrated, Abraham, the father of faith himself was distracted at a point...do you wonder if God can still come through at your age? God has a track record!

The storm rises when we are most vulnerable! If you are single, be sizzling for The Lord, settling below the standard of God because you have waited for long will only complicate matters. Regardless of the storms and distraction, Jesus has bid you come, when you shift your focus off the Master unto your prevailing circumstance there is a high risk of depression, loneliness, frustration, anger and worldliness. Is your home taking a pounding because there is disagreement, bitterness,disappointment and regret, sinking and destruction is inevitable except you keep your eyes on The Lord. Jesus says; "Fear not, why did you doubt?" Focus is the watch word. Here is my definition full words of the acronym Focus

Face set
On
Christ's
Unfailing
Sustenance

As you step into a new week, new challenges and new opportunities, let your focus remain on the Master, storms will come, but know who's got your back.

He will not let you fall!

Maranatha!

You Are Unique

Good morning precious people,  it is another Friday! Just thought I should let you know that God thinks highly of you, He had to find a way of making you realize this hence, the uniqueness you possess; your DNA and fingerprints...

I came across a teenager who overdosed on Aspirin some months ago, he did not look like the typical kid who would do that. After settling him down and getting his treatment started, his father remained unconsoled. I spoke with this young man and guess what his reason was for wanting to kill himself? "I am not like the other guys, I am always the quiet underdog, in the background, I am not popular"...

Is there not a bit of this young troubled man in all of us? When you see a couple looking perfect, the husband smiles lovingly at his wife, carries the baby, opens the car door, they seem to eat out all the time, they never argue or yell, they always end their conversation with "I love you honey", they both have fabulous jobs, active workers in the church, they drive your dream car, they both have a good sense of fashion, their children are cute...arrrrgggghh
Be not be deceived though, looks could be deceptive. Every single individual has his/her challenge.

You exist in the heart of God as an ORIGINAL do not make yourself a PHOTOCOPY of someone else because you think they have it all figured out. There is a uniqueness to your person, that is why you are who you are. When you look over and see what others do and get away with, if God has given you His spirit to guide you, then you run the risk of getting into trouble with God and man if you do anything short of that.

This weekend you are likely to come across seemingly perfect couples, do not beat yourself or your spouse down. Learn to be happy and that you alone can define. As a child of God, who do you associate with and what gives you a kick? Whatever you do make sure God is proud of you, as you depend on Him as the definition of your joy and peace, you will look back and see that those things that are "big deal" no longer matter in the grand scale of things.
You are unique!

It's not my fault.

"And the man said, "The woman whom thou gavest  to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat". Genesis 3:12...the blame game is as old as man himself. 

My husband is not supportive, my wife is not cooperative, I got married before I got born again, my parents did not send me to a good school, my siblings had better chances than I, my friends have rich parents, my boss is mean, my neighbour is selfish, my job is tedious, all because I am not as good looking, tall, pretty, shapely or eloquent as others......even God has His own fault in your predicament...hmmmmmmm.

Playing the blame game and giving excuses will never bring you solution. Sometimes your just have to get up, bite the bullet and let God. A lot of times, the next move might involve doing things that will hurt your ego or bring inconvenience.....receive grace to cross that bridge and move on to the next level. When you give excuses why things are not working, there are thousands of people who do not have a fraction of the opportunity you have and yet they still make things work out in their situation. 

Retraining, learning a trade, taming your tongue, accepting your fault, a heart of gratitude, positive thinking, willingness to go the extra mile might just be one of the things you need to get the needed change or transformation. A lot of wealthy and successful people I know did not come from a rich background...they just refuse to allow life to keep their back on the ground. Nothing good comes easy, not even a happy relationship! Get up, get going and accept some responsibility about your own life.

You are a child of God, you do not have an excuse or do you?