“Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel” – Genesis 49:4
Below zero degrees centigrade, water is a solid – strong, unmovable. Leave it to absorb heat and it turns to flowing liquid. You would expect it would continue flowing, but not at all. The moment it closes the hundred degrees temperature mark, it turns into vapour and flies away.
Such are some of us. Inside the church, we jump, we cry, we pray; and like the children of Israel we vow:
“All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” Exodus 19:8.
Outside the church, when the warmth of the world touches us, we melt in weakness. Like Demas, we start loving the world: its fashion, entertainment and the pursuit.
“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world…” II Timothy 4:10
And if the heat of trials and temptation should come our way, we turn our back to the faith we once professed. Like Jonah, we board a ship to Tarshish, attempting to go away from the presence of the Lord.
When are we going to be men and no more babies in Christ?
When is the Lord going to count on our integrity?
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong (I Corinthians 16:13); for without stability in your love for Christ, you will not excel.
okenna obi-igbokwe
I WRITE UNTO YOU, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
I WRITE UNTO YOU, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I WRITE UNTO YOU, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I WRITE UNTO YOU, little children, because ye have known the Father.
1 John 1:12,13
Suppose you grew up as an orphan in an orphanage and you never knew who your real parents were. In fact, you had always thought the people running the orphanage didn’t know, too. And then one day, you are called and told, “Here is a letter your parents left for you. They asked us to give it to you whenever we felt you were mature enough to appreciate it!”
Would you be interested in reading such a letter? I bet you really, really would!
Well, you’re no orphan, but the Bible is God, your Father writing to you. His expectation is that you will take its message just as seriously as you would take a personal audience with Him in which He literally speaks to you.
When you think about this deeply, you will have an ever increasing desire for the message of the pages of this book. You will be able to say with David, “… I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.” You will always approach your copy of the Bible with more excitement and interest, than our hypothetical orphan would open his letter.
– jide lawal
… and Hushai the Archite was the king’s companion: 1 Chronicles 27:33 (KJV).
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.1 Corinthians 1:9 (KJV).
God can be trusted, and he chose you to be partners with his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:9 (CEV).
We are not told what Hushai did to deserve this most noble title, “The King’s Companion”. The Old Testament is replete with tales of deeds of men who lived and died for David, those who were captains in his army and in his bodyguard, who risked their lives to indulge his whims and stood valiant in battle to slay his enemies, but there is not one mention of anything Hushai the Archite did to deserve David’s friendship.
This calls to mind the fact that the Father has called us to be companions to His Son. There are many honours God has bestowed upon the New Creature, but surely this is the greatest and the grandest of them all! Oh, He calls us no longer servants, ignorant and uninformed as to the intentions behind their Master’s orders and actions, but He calls us friends. He tells us what He wants to do. He tells us why He wants to do them. Where others stumble in darkness, our Friend’s Light shines upon us and within us and we see clearly.
In all of creation, we are the only ones that share His Nature. We have His Spirit and we can commune with Him. No wonder the Apostle John, in a picturesque to describe this intimacy declared, “He is in us, and we are in Him.”
We are His Partners!
– jide lawal
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1: 20,21
I attend church services regularly and its always a lovely sight to see the saints lifting up holy hands in the worship of God. Some songs we sing really stir me up emotionally as they call my attention to the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross.
But I wonder if the sacrifice of praise goes beyond what we express in singing. I wonder how many people in the Body of Christ would go as far as saying with Paul, “I don’t care whether I live or I die. I just want Christ to be magnified through whatever happens. And to make that a reality I’m going to adopt a lifestyle that lays my life on the line, repeatedly, for His Name’s sake!”
Let Christ be magnified in you.
– jide lawal
“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10.
I always got jitters whenever I came across this verse of the Bible or remembered it. Where would I start and where would I end? How would I be able to keep all these laws in my everyday life? I wondered if I would be able to make it.
But when I remember that: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8), my heart is gladdened. A quick word count in my Bible revealed to me that the word “grace” is used about 122 times in the New Testament compared with about 37 times used in the Old Testament.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin
My joy is no longer on how many of the laws I am able to keep in a particular day.
The peace of my heart is no longer based on the amount of good works I am able to do each day. Following the words of an American preacher, Paul Washer, my everyday joy comes whenever I remember the finished work of Christ on Calvary; whenever I remember that by that act of grace, my sins were washed away.
Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe;
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?
Why not join me float in grace!
– okenna obi-igbokwe
There are quite a number of things which we have reserved for the few but which ironically is the legitimate right of any one born of God i.e. anyone who has believed in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
One of such is the fact that we are anointed by God with the Holy Spirit.
2nd Corinthians 1:21 – 22 states “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”
The Christian is the anointed one. His anointing did not come through some cheap means. No! It was God that anointed Him. Realise that contrary to the old testament times, as many as simply believe in Christ Jesus have actually been anointed with God’s Holy Spirit. Now this speaks of you.
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified) John 7: 37 – 39
This is remarkable because even early in the ministry of Jesus he identified the fact that it is mere faith on his death and resurrection that guarantees this, and not our zealousness or the works of our hands.
Now let’s see Acts 2:32 – 33
“This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”
In the eyes of men, we are prone to excluding or including ourselves in some fair show of humility but God does not know such. What he has done for one, He has done for all. No man can be more anointed than the other.
Why is this so? This is because the object of our anointing is the Holy Spirit of God who is a person and not some measurable entity. If it were some other inanimate material we may understand but the scripture above says God has given the earnest of the spirit into our hearts. John 3:34; 1st John2:20,27
Let us read Ephesians 1: 13 – 14 together “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
See also John 14: 16 – 18 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
I get dismayed when Christians lose sight of what God has done. The Christian is anointed. If you deny your anointing then you are not born again. Then you can’t see the Kingdom of God which means you are still hell bound. This is the pitiable reality.
You have received this anointing from God.
Again we fail to realize that our anointing is not a ‘once in a while’ thing. Appreciate the expression “till the day of redemption”; see another one “forever”; or can you fathom “dwell”.
Reminds me of some friends of mine who love to travel light because they know they won’t be long where they are going to. But God didn’t come to stay awhile. The bible says He dwells in you by virtue of this same anointing.
I bring you Good news friends we have been anointed of God. You have God resident on your inside. His Spirit is at work in you even as we speak. You are not destitute of the presence of God neither are you of His power. You have His ability resident within you.
I leave you with these words from 1st Corinthians 3:21 – 23
“Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.”
I am tempted to add to the list above “that great man of God” and “that anointed man of God”. But you see the truth is – all things are yours.
God is at work within you my brother and sister. Paul understood this early when he said in Galatians 2:8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:). Not another one or another anointing, it was the same. We all have been made to drink of the same spirit.
Never look down upon your Christianity. God is at work in you.
Brother, sister, continue basking in the anointing you have received already.
– Dr. bolaji akanni
Matthew 19:26
Are you HIV positive? Do you believe your status can change to Negative?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Were your certificates burnt in a fire incident? Don’t you think you can get a good job without certificate?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Have you lost your womb? Haven’t it occurred to you that you can have a miracle baby?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
It does not end here.
Have you taken lives and committed so much atrocity? Is it not possible for all you sins to be forgiven and you are accepted as a friend again?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Is it possible you live your youthful life without immorality, not even a thought of it?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Do you doubt you can hit your sales target without lies or deceit?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Do you believe you can live a holy life in this present world?
With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Can one be perfect in this life?
“And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27
Is it breakthrough in our health, daily provision, our spiritual life; no matter how difficult it seems to be, God can do it. “…He hath done all things well:” Mark 7:37
Do not lose hope. Keep “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;” Hebrews 12:2
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of Christ:” Ephesians 4:13.
– okenna obi-igbokwe
Ever watched a race before? The sprinter thrusts himself forward and gathers momentum. In a moment he sprints in an amazing speed. He tries as much as in his power to increase his speed as he eyes the end-mark. Inside, his strength wanes. He keeps mustering courage, hoping that amidst waning strength, he would make it. At last, he gets to the end-mark. Whether he arrived ahead of his opponents or behind, one thing is sure – he is exhausted. His strength is almost drained. He pants and gasps for air. That is the law of nature, even the law of diminishing returns.
Not so with grace. The more a believer runs in the race of life, the grace accumulates even more. The more you need it, the more it is available. Grace is abundant. No wonder men of God wax stronger in the Lord even in their old age. Not so with a sprinter.
Afraid that hydrocarbon reserves would soon wind up, nations of the earth are scrambling for alternative energy, but the well of grace will never drain up.
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee” II Corinthians 12:9.
More wealth brings more care, increased wisdom increases sorrow, but the abundant grace of God brings steady joy.
“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:30
Believer, why not carve out time even in your tight schedule to spend time with your maker? Grace is here! What is stopping you from enjoying it?
okenna obi-igbokwe
| Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (Col 1:12)
No doubt we’ve all got different histories. Culture; described as a people’s way of life differs for each one of us. Various backgrounds. Sometimes however we fail to see beyond where it is we came from. This origin defines the core of our being. But it should not be so. The truth is no matter how diverse our culture may be all ends in that one man Adam. The one by whom humanity was brought into bondage. Today however I want us to reflect a little on how we seem not to go beyond the definition given to us by our earthly lineage. I know quite a lot of people who find it difficult to believe certain things the scripture says because truth is they always see everything from the view point of “this is where I came from”.
Dear friends, would you be as the legalistic Jews in Bible who Paul wept over because they found it difficult to accept the righteousness of God because of their culture built on the Law. Rom 10:1 – 4; Matt 15:6; Col. 2:8 Would you be as others who though realize they have been delivered from the powers of darkness yet find it difficult to walk free from the thought of ancestral curses? People who are forever held bound to illnesses and untimely death because of a fear taken away by the Cross. The question arises again friends that whose report would we believe? God’s declaration in love or the ugly picture the world tries to sell to us in a bid to make us walk short of who we have become in Christ. The Christian is a new man altogether. He is no longer defined in the physical because we know him no more by those terms. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God,… (2ndCorinthians 5:16 – 18a)
Christ came to save us from ourselves. Doomed to death we were but thank God for His mercy. When I see Christians held bound because of the thought that this is what my mom went through or Grandpa died because of so and so; this is what goes on in the town I came from. What I quickly settle in my mind is that this individual has not come to appreciate the new identity he has now in Christ Jesus. He is still walking in the mentality of the old man. The new man in Christ Jesus is not a myth. He is not a legend. He is real and this is who you are. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12 – 13)
He’s lineage and heritage is new. He is born of God and not of man. I love the way 2nd Corinthians 5:18a describes his newness. It says “all these things are of God”. Friends don’t be swayed into identifying yourself by the old man because the truth is you have been set free. Redeemed from the cords that once held you bound.Truly know we no man anymore after the flesh. Glory Hallelujah.
Dr bolaji akanni |
“I messed myself up in the interview. It was really a bad day for me.”
“Despite all my prayers, I still flunked the test. Never seen such a bad day!”
“My wife suddenly fell sick early in the morning. By the time I reached office after taking the kids to school, the meeting had already started. I had to answer a query after. Then, I got a call that Junior broke his arm in school. Only God knows what a bad day.”
The quote continues.
If you were to describe what you call your bad day, wouldn’t it be something like the above? A description of a disappointment to a day’s expectation!
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” Matthew 6:33.
Though a professing Christian, you have so much learned to seek first “all these things.” And when “all these things” fail to make headway a particular day, it is termed a bad day.
Why is your bad day not usually a day you were too busy to pray; a day you failed to tell someone about Jesus; a day you lied? What happens to a day when you talked so carnally as if you have never been a Christian?
“Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
I Corinthians 10:31.
If ever you should term a day “bad”, I think it should be a day you were unconscious of the above verse. God is willing to help you achieve this.
– okenna obi-igbokwe