Parables in Miracles....

It is so easy to see God’s power at work in one area of our lives and  forget it so soon when we are confronted by challenges in other areas. Have you ever experienced some supernatural encounter, “a wow, thank you Jesus intervention” or an answer to prayer that leaves you eternally grateful as you marvel at a miraculous provision, escape, healing, angelic visitation and then not too long after, you are faced by a seemingly huge challenge that you think God is incapable of solving?

Numbers 14: 2 –“And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness”

The people complaining in the verse above were the same set of people that saw the Red sea divide before their very eyes. They saw Pharaoh and his chariots drown in the middle of the sea and their bodies washed to the shores, yet because of a negative report of giants occupying their promise land, they lost hope in the same God of their salvation; The God who had brought water out of the rock for them. Tell me, which miracle is easier- The division of  a vast sea into two, with the Israelites walking on a dry ground in the middle of it whilst the waters stood tall on both ends OR God going with them to possess a land of promise presently occupied by  “perceived” giants? I am tempted to conclude that sometimes, first-hand witnesses of miracles or those who have seen God’s power in an immense way are the ones who forget His acts and slide into an unbelieving state so easily.

John 2:7-”Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom”. 

So my husband asked me a couple of days ago- Whatever happened to the servants who fetched the water that was turned to wine at the wedding of Cana?  They fetched the water, they heard Jesus give the magic instruction “draw out the water”, they obeyed the instructions, drew the water for the Master of the feast, and tasted the water themselves too. They were first hand witnesses of such a mind-blowing miracle of Christ. Maybe if I was in their position back then, after seeing that miraculous act, I would have just relinquished my job as a servant and followed Jesus wherever! Alas, only His mother, brothers and disciples left with him.

It is so easy to see God at work around us and we never get to understand what is happening. Do not take the miracles you see in your lives and those around you for granted. When He does it once, He is able to do it again and again; If God has done it for one, He is able do it for all. Celebrate people’s testimonies.  Moreover, just like someone said- When your friends are doing well, when good things are happening to those close to you, it shows God is in your neighbourhood. Don’t let Him skip your house because of envy. Plug into the flow, rejoice with them whilst you wait with an assurance that your own package will be delivered. The question is- Are we willing to go with Him all the way until change comes?

Never get too familiar with God, your pastors, church, God’s people and NEVER despise those whom God blesses. When good things happen, connect into it, tap into the flow, and sow your prayers into it as well, bearing in mind that whatever a man sows, that he shall reap also. 

There are parables, lessons to learn from every miracle and we should never let go of them.

The Pen....

Sarah: The Stunning Mother of Nations....

A beautiful day it is! This is just a quick thought for ladies and women in all age-categories. I was reading about the life of Sarah in the Bible and some thoughts came to mind about her beauty which was described in two outstanding incidents. Hmmnnn.......If we really are the daughters of Sarah, then we need to take a cue from her.

When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians took one look and saw that his wife was stunningly beautiful. Pharaoh’s princes raved over her to Pharaoh. She was taken to live with Pharaoh.Because of her, Abram got along very well: he accumulated sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, men and women servants, and camels. But God hit Pharaoh hard because of Abram’s wife Sarai; everybody in the palace got seriously sick (Genesis 12:14-17; Message version).

At Sixty Five (65) years of age, Sarah was very beautiful and was the toast of the whole of Egypt. The Princes of Egypt "recommended" her to the King. They didn't even bother "toasting" her for themselves; she was a King's material and truly, she was taken to his palace but was supernaturally rescued. About 25 years later, just before she was going to have Isaac (at about 90 years old), she was still very beautiful that Abimelech, the King of Gerar was going to take her as wife also. (Read the scripture below).

Abraham traveled from there south to the Negev and settled down between Kadesh and Shur. While he was camping in Gerar, Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She’s my sister.”So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her. But God came to Abimelech in a dream that night and told him, “You’re as good as dead—that woman you took, she’s a married woman (Genesis 20:1-3; Message version)

It's one thing to be beautiful, it's another to carry one's self in a beautiful manner. A beautiful woman who doesn't take care of herself and her looks cannot be described as being "very beautiful”. Sarah must have exhibited the highest order of elegance, stylishness and carriage.  Beauty is enhanced by our comportment, our accessories, our disposition and outlook. If Sarah had worn a hard, uninteresting face, she might not have been looked at for a second time. Even Abraham acknowledged her beauty and reasoned she might be snatched from him!

She knew the tricks of keeping her husband to herself; Needless to say she had a great and enormous challenge, which was enough to keep her depressed: No children yet and she was aging, past menopause, with little or no libido but she didn't allow that affect her life, her demeanour and her character. She was a head-turner and a people-stunner anytime. She must have beaten all the young ladies hands down if there was any "Most Beautiful Woman in Canaan" Pageant back then.  

During the time of Esther, young virgins were sought for the king from which he eventually chose Esther (Esther 2:2-Then the king’s servants who attended him said: “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king) ; however, here was Grandmomma Sarah;  looking so hot that kings were chasing her and wanting her as wife at such an advanced age. She was aged Ninety (90), yet looking sweet sixteen (16)!

Apart from her physical efforts at remaining ever beautiful, I want to share two scriptures from which we could glean some of her other secrets:

Secret 1- "Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God (Proverbs 31:30 Message version). The fear (reverence, awe, worship) of God makes us radiate His beauty continually: It makes us admirable. Prosperity, peace, beauty is promised to those who fear Him.

Secret 2-" Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. The holy women of old were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their husbands. Sarah for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as "my dear husband". You'll be true daughters of Sarah if you do the same, un-anxious and un-intimidated" (Ist Peter 3:5-6 Message version).

Respect, Love, Honour, Gratefulness, Hope, being Supportive were all part of the inner beauty she had, which endeared her to her husband and made her attractive, not only to him, but the entire world!

Ain't gonna let Grand-Momma Sarah look more beautiful than me! What say you?

The Pen....

Picture credit: netplaces.com

In the Right Hands, Everything is Possible!

Hello everyone! 

It’s been a while! I've been caught up in a couple of activities here and there. The middle of the year is usually a good time to revisit one’s goals and re-strategize in order to maximize the remaining days of the year.

So yesterday, I saw on the TV, an advertisement of Nedgroup Investments (one of the largest banking Institutions in South Africa) which featured Captain Chesley  “Sully” Sullenberger ; the Pilot of  the US Airways Flight 1549 that crash-landed on Hudson River on the 15^th of January 2009 in New York. Anyone remembers that story?  Let me give a quick summary of that incident. The plane had taken off from the LaGuardia Airport in New York heading to a final destination of Washington and was struck by a flock of birds just 3 minutes into the flight .The plane lost engine power and ditched into the Hudson River in Manhattan, New York with Captain Sully as the pilot in charge. Long and short; all 150 passengers and the 5 members of crew survived! Not only did the pilot do a mind-blowing job of landing the plane in the river, he monitored the process of evacuating the passengers and was the last person to come out of the plane. Bravo!

Back to the advert I saw yesterday, Captain Sully made a statement that made me smile. He said “I did what was necessary; I am not a hero, I am just a pilot who used 30 years of experience to do my job” and the advert ended with the phrase- “In the right hands, everything is possible” I instantly fell in love with that advert and I couldn't but pen something down from it. Needless to say the heroic act of Captain Sully is one of the most gallant and courageous acts of mankind with an astonishing testimony of no life lost in that incident! Now I call that a best seller story. Of course, many great things have happened to him after the incident; which included an invitation to the White House, a special resolution passed to honour him and his team amongst others but that is not the focus for this write up..

In the right hands, everything is possible. A man; with the interest of the people under his care, masterminded a successful landing of a plane in the eye of the most difficult circumstances and he did it well, attributing it to his years of experience. I want to talk to you about someone: The Almighty, Omnipotent, Omniscient and the Creator of all things who upholds ALL things by the words of His power. He has experience in everything you can think about; He is the Ancient of days who was not created and who cannot be eliminated. He has been from the ancient and will continue to be from everlasting to everlasting! Has anyone ever seen a star fall or the moon unable to stay in its orbit, there-by dropping to the earth? The entire universe of about 7 billion people, innumerable company of angels, those who have passed on to glory; just men made perfect are all under His care.

Deuteronomy 33: 26- There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, and in His Excellency on the clouds.27The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’

Friend, God’s hands are right under you, to keep you from falling, to uphold you when you are weak, to bare you safely to the place called destiny. Because you are in the right hands, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE UNTO YOU. Isaiah 48:13 says- My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together. God’s hands are so deep and wide that he could measure the waters in the hollows of His hands. Now that is serious! (Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?-Isaiah 40:12).

With the same hands, He satisfies the desires of every living being! (Psalm 145:16) and when He opens those hands, we all are filled with every good thing we desire (Psalm 104:28). That same hands are so long that when Moses asked to see God’s glory, He covered Moses’ face with His hands till He passed and Moses was only able to see his back (Exodus 33:22). With that outstretched hands, He created the whole of the universe and those hands still work wonders till date. I have seen those hands many times at work in my life, I see them in the life of those around me, I hear amazing testimonies and surely, you will experience the power of those great Hands of His in your life too!

Those Hands brought the Israelites out of Egypt, divided the red sea, drowned Pharaoh and his chariots, delivered Lot and his family from a perishing Sodom, struck down the walls of Jericho, shut the mouth of the lion for Daniel’s sake, wrought unimaginable and naturally impossible miracles! Above all, He upholds us by His hands!

Considering how gigantic and mighty the hands of our God are, I truly agree with the advert, that in the right hands, all things are possible!

The Pen……

The advert can be seen at http://www.ordinaryday.co.za/#prettyPhoto[iframes]/0/

 Photo credit: Google images

Sit and Dine with Him!

Have you ever been invited to dinner by a friend or have you played host to your family friends in your house for dinner? More often than not; either way, the hostess has got all the work and thinking to do. The guests never bother themselves or get apprehensive over the feast. They never get to worry about the food, how it would be served, how the foodstuffs would be purchased, how much time will go into the preparation. No, their only bother would be to get themselves to their hostess’s house at the appropriate time. They won’t even have bother on how to eat the food. Except when the hosts are very revered people, then in that case guests may be a bit careful to be well behaved so they leave a good impression on the minds of their hosts. Even at that, meal times are the most relaxing moments individuals could have!

Also, most times you are invited to dinner, you don’t dictate to the host what you want. Even if you are very good friends with your host, you many indicate some particular kind of meal you want by the side but maybe not on a serious note. However, you can be rest assured your hostess will go out of her way to give you the best!

Psalm 23 is a chapter in the psalm that most of us are familiar with and more often than not, we can recite all the six verses in it. Verse 5 reveals to us a role God plays in our lives which most times we are not aware of. Psalm 23: 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies ;( Message version-You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies).

God hosts us to dinner…He is our “hostess”! What a hostess does is exactly what God does when He invites us to dinner. He is the cook, the chef, the preparer of the table, the decider of the recipes and the determiner of the number of courses of the meals. Besides, did you notice the Message Bible’s version of that scripture quoted above? He prepares a six-course meal. Three courses meals sometimes could be inundating, how much more a six-course option! Needless to say that on God’s table, there are all sorts of varieties. The Omni-potent God, has the best culinary experience ever. He knows about starters, the main meals, the desserts and all; He is the one who has been making bread even before bread existed. (Remember how he rained manna for 40 years for the Israelites and how He fed Elijah with bread through the raven?) Name the bread recipes you can imagine- all sorts of delicious patisserie and bread ranging from Toasted Sunflower Bread, Soft Honey Oat Bread, Finnish Wheat Rolls¸ Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin Banana Bread with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and all. How do you think bakers get to do their thing? He gives the inspiration to them because He himself is the author of all wisdom and expertise!

Did you also think He gave ordinary quails to the Israelites to eat? They must have been seasoned and well made. Exodus 16:12 says “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. How about the different types of exotic drinks you will expect to find on the table? Have you forgotten how He made water come out of the rock and how also He turned water into wine? The wine was adjudged the best! He serves us and our cups run over; you can’t be afraid of food poison or constipation .Isaiah 25: 6 says “And in this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the lees”. God’s barn is unlimited; He opens his hands and satisfies the desires of every living being (Psalm 145:16). Malachi 3 tells us that there is a storehouse in heaven from which He meets our desires.  

The hostess makes sure the food is ready before her guests arrive. She wouldn't want to keep her guests waiting for long whilst she gets ready. Every preparation is done well ahead of time and the guests just come in to start to enjoy the lavish display of all manner of delicacies. Once the table is set, the hostess sits on the table (with her family) to enjoy the meal with the guests. God’s provisions for us have been made even before we came into the world; all we need to succeed in life!  Also, God is not the only one present at the table; Jesus our Lord sits at the table and the Holy Spirit as well. What a privilege we have as children of the Most High!

The other interesting thing about God’s gesture is the fact that He hosts us to this banquet right in the presence of our enemies. He doesn't chase them away. They need be present to see what He wants to bless you with. They are to be pitied because they cannot be a part of it. God did not chase them and they can only salivate as they watch you eat. Unfortunately, many of us, rather than sitting and concentrating to enjoy what God has set on the table for us, we focus on the enemies and we start to chase them... Come on! We are expected to sit as a royal partakers of the table and enjoy our meal; but many times we get up from the table and we start to game-hunt the enemies. Sadly enough, we go on and on without returning to the table to partake of our rights. We fall victims of the distractions of the enemy and just keep chasing shadows.

From today, may we begin to enjoy our dinner with our King in Jesus name. It is an overloaded, superlative and exceptional array of the highest order of delicacies that make the enemies envious; the reason they don’t want us to partake of it. They choke at the sight of that table! Hence they want to keep us depressed, unhappy, full of fear and unbelief. What are our table rights? Healing, Deliverance, Salvation, Grace, Favour, Mercy, Children, Abundance, Wealth, Good Success, Peace, Joy, Marital fulfilment and every good thing we can imagine ….The list is endless!

So sit down elegantly and let him play the perfect Host. Dine with your King and enjoy a table set with the highest level of exquisiteness, royal daintiness and eternal sophistication!

Enjoy the lyrics of the old time song titled "Come and Dine"

Jesus has a table spread
Where the saints of God are fed
He invites His chosen people:
'Come and dine'.
With his manna he does feed
And supplieth every need
Oh, it's good to sup with Jesus all the time.

Chorus: 'Come and dine', the Master calls,'Come and dine'
You can eat at Jesus' table anytime.
He who fed the multitude,
Changed the water into wine
To the hungry calleth now, 'Come and dine'.

The Pen......

Photo Credit: Google

Package Delivered!

I am usually thrilled when I place orders and I get the delivery of the order just at my doorstep. We all know how effective courier services could be especially in the western world. You have the option of placing an order and getting it the next day or in two to three days’ time as the standard is. The fact that you are able to track your order right from the point of purchase, all through the process until it is delivered makes the whole course very interesting. It is so delightful to watch your order move from state to state and city to city and then to your neighbourhood and finally to your door. The tracking even gives you an estimated delivery time! I so like the effectiveness of most of the courier companies and the dexterity with which they do their job.

Most times, we are excited to sign for the delivery of an order for an item we love so much. I’m usually ecstatic about such deliveries. When it is something I so look forward to getting, I peep from the window sometimes to see if there’s any delivery truck driving through the neighbourhood or parked at our entrance and more often than not , I get very eager to open the door when the bell rings( having counted days in anticipation of a delivery).

Out of curiosity I have checked the tracking online again few minutes after a delivery and most times, I have realised the records are updated few minutes after the delivery is made and the status immediately shows “Package Delivered”.The same thing applies when you drop a package for postage. In the same way you receive, you are able to track the status of the package as it goes through the process of delivery until it gets to its destination and it is signed for; with the name of the person who signs for it being indicated as well.

Friends, we can take a cue from this process as we “post” our package of prayers to heaven. This is tantamount to making online orders. Daily, we send packages and parcels of different sizes and shapes to God. There are the funny requests, the serious ones, the exhilarating ones, the ones borne out of fear and the requests mixed with pain. Heaven receives all sorts of prayers by the minute! However, we need to ask ourselves what courier company we use in sending our requests to God. Have you ever imagined that most times, a lot of us place orders, send requests to heaven, but we never track whatever happens to them? Most times we even forget about them entirely.

The most effective courier service that carries our request to heaven is FAITH, driven by the WORD of God. With that duo, you cannot be afraid of no delivery! Philippians 4: 6 says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”. When you send your request to heaven, do you follow up to ensure your parcel has been signed for by God? How do you know God acknowledges your requests? His word tells us that when we call, He hears….Hearing means, I acknowledge receiving your prayers. 1^st John 5: 14 says “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us”. Oh what a sweet confidence ( rooted in faith) that He HEARS us when we pray according to his will. His will is based in His word. You can’t pray amiss when you pray with the word. So we have an assurance that when we pray in faith and according to His will, our parcel is acknowledged: God Himself signs for it, because He listens to our prayers; He hears us.

However, we must not stop there! This is where many people miss out. You have sent your order to God, fine; you have prayed to Him according to His will.  It is his will for you to get married, to have children, to prosper, to be in good health, to multiply, replenish and dominate on earth. Yes you have prayed and He has heard…But do you expect to receive the delivery of your order; waiting earnestly for it? There are a lot of orders that have been processed in heaven but we don’t receive delivery of them why? We don’t look out for them, we don’t expect them, and we don’t track them. Most times, we get carried away by what we see in the physical and get discouraged. We worry and we are not able to follow through.  If we meticulously track our earthly orders, harassing the courier company if there is a delay or no delivery and they get us sorted out, how much more shall we get our heavenly packages sorted out and delivered to us?

I must let you know that a different courier company makes the delivery of our order from Heaven to us. It is called THANKSGIVING. Courier company Faith and the Word takes your order to God, but Thanksgiving transports your answer back to you. Philippians 4: 6 which we earlier read says ….”Make your requests known by prayer and supplication (borne out of Faith and enforced by the word) WITH THANKSGIVING”….. Thanksgiving is that final force that ensures delivery.

Needless to say that there are innumerable company of angels sorting out orders on a minute by minute basis. There is no basis for any mix-up. The world’s population is estimated to be about 7 billion people but angels are innumerable. (Heaven must be immeasurably big; with the Host of innumerable angels and Spirits of just men made perfect, the twenty Four Elders, Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant and God the Judge of All Himself: What a great congregation!). There is order and perfection in Heaven and your request can NEVER be forgotten or sent to another person. However, the process cannot be complete without you playing your part.  Are you tracking your package with thanksgiving from a genuine heart?

Do you offer praise to God constantly over your requests because you are certain He has HEARD YOU? Or do you complain bitterly about how things are even after you have prayed by faith? Thanksgiving MUST be a lifestyle and not a random act. Even when the devil makes an attempt to delay or divert your blessings, the angels will collaborate and come to the aid of your parcel  like angel Michael came to the rescue of the other angel when Daniel’s blessing was being withstood by the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia(Daniel 10:13).

1^st John 5: 15 says “And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him”. We know that He has heard and not only that He has heard, we will HAVE (receive) whatever it is we have asked of him.

So next time you place an order; the bells rings, and you sign for your parcel, be rest assured that in the same way, by PRAYERS AND PETITION WITH THANKSGIVING, your requests will be delivered from heaven….CERTAINLY!

Enjoy!

The Pen....

Photo Credit: Google images

Loose that Colt!

I am inspired all over again by the story of the colt (young donkey) in Mark chapter 11 and I thought to share some few things I learnt from it. Jesus was gradually nearing the end of His ministry and as usual, He had been going around with His disciples on foot and sometimes by boat from town to town. This time around, He needed to go to Jerusalem, however, in an iconic way. He wasn't going to enter into the city in His usual manner of walking, but he was going to go by a different means of transportation….Yes, He would ride on a colt! It must be a triumphal entry.  

Mark 11: 2 says “and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. 3.And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”4So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it”

There are some important life lessons we can garner from the life of this particular colt. If we are to liken the colt to the life of a human being, it would be easier to describe its circumstances.  The colt was tied, more like incapacitated by a force higher that her. We do not know for how long she had been subjected to this position, but it definitely wasn't a pleasant one. Sometimes in life, it looks as if we are not making a headway, we get stuck in the same position for a very long time and we wonder if there would be any respite.

None had ever sat on her. A colt was a means of transportation in those days , hence it should more often than not, be at work; fulfilling purpose. How can one fulfil purpose when she is being tied down for no obvious, reasonable reason? It is tantamount to buying a brand new car and the owner packs it in front of his house, day in day out.If you really need a car,you won't buy one  for the purpose of showcasing it. A car is to be driven and not parked, except for those who are in the showroom for display purposes.  Some people are so gifted, some highly educated and yet their giftings and talents have not found room for expression. As gifted as you are and as captivating as your proposals are, if there’s never any feedback and even when there are any, they don’t translate to money ; it could be exasperating and demotivating.  The colt must have had exasperating feelings like this too.

The most embarrassing thing for this colt was that she was tied by the door, outside of the street; visible to all people passing by. She must have become an object of ridicule, with nowhere to hide, under the sun and sometimes splattered by rain. When a lady is set for marriage and waits for many years with no meaningful relationships or in some cases, no suitors at all, people begin to say all sorts. You have gotten married for a couple of years and the children are not coming yet, people start to call you all sorts of names. You write an exam for a couple of years , with no success and it appears you are the one funding the examination body year in year out , it just looks like you are tied by the door on the road and are subject to public embarrassment.I have a good news for you!

Alas! the Game Changer comes in and we understand in retrospect the reason the colt had gone through all of those things. She had a sacred purpose, one which only time and Christ Himself would reveal. There was a higher calling for her.  She had been delayed, incapacitated for so long but she couldn't be stopped when the time came. She was going to carry the Saviour of the universe into Jerusalem and she definitely was going to be a partaker of the honour Christ would have. She was going to ride on the clothes people were going to throw on the floor, she was going to swing to the shouts of Hosanna and all the accolades bestowed on Jesus. The Saviour knew exactly where she was in that part of the world and He eventually got to her.She  was going to be shown forth to the world and mentioned in the Bible to be read about, from generation to generation! Hmmn……Now I understand better!

Even after Jesus ordered that she be loosed and let go to fulfil purpose, she was resisted by those around her. They had been used to seeing her tied up the way she was. They would have been part of those who castigated her for not fulfilling purpose, however, they couldn't lose her and yet they were resisting those who were instructed to free her.

5.But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?”6And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. 7Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. 8. And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

She got to the Saviour and pronto, her memories of years of failure were erased. What greater honour exists than being the one the Saviour would ride upon on his heroic entry into Jerusalem?  Do you know the most amazing part of it?  Many centuries, decades and years before this colt existed; there was a word that had gone ahead of her destiny!  Zechariah 9:9 says “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey…..

So even if it appeared she was been stopped from fulfilling destiny, that which God had said concerning her long before that time , (just like He has given promises concerning you and I and according to the volume of books written concerning us even before we were formed in our mothers’ womb)  MUST necessarily find  fulfilment! (Read my blog post on your Life as a Bestseller -http://myreadywriter.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-best-selling-story.html)

Anyone wondered whatever happened to the colt after Jesus finished riding on her? She definitely would have been taken back to the former owner as Jesus promised. However, a new level of honour has been bestowed on her and her life was entirely different now. She’s just had a stint with the Saviour of the World and never would she be tied again. There might have even been a rush for her services after that encounter. Many people would want to own such a priceless gem and she would have been celebrated for life.

If you currently feel incapacitated with no sense of fulfilment in life, turn yourself over to God. He’ll make fame out of your shame and glory out of your story. God is committed to those who seek and serve Him with a sincere heart of commitment and dedication.

Friend, you are too loaded to be frustrated! You have a connection that is greater than what obtains on earth. It is Divine and Supernatural; entirely out of this world. Jesus makes your life beautiful........

The Pen….

Your Seed takes Heed to a Set Course...

As I clock another year today, I can’t but give praise to God and appreciate Him for what He has done in my life so far. He is faithful and I can testify of His faithfulness over and again.

 So for some days now, I've been wondering about how I have come to be who I am today. Where did I actually start from? I know I didn't fall down from heaven into my parents' arms; there was a process, a period of metamorphosis and then as I pondered on this, the word jumped at me: I started as a seed! As grown as I am, with many more fruitful years to live on earth if Christ tarries, I started as a seed; so small, not able to be  seen with the physical eyes but here I am today- a bundle of talents! 

I once followed a friend to an IVF ¹procedure during which I saw how eggs were being extracted for the purpose of fertilization with the sperm outside of the body and I can't but ponder on that experience. It showed me the more, the awesomeness of God’s power. During the procedure, we were  seeing the eggs that were being extracted on a screen and I tell you, they only could have been seen by a microscopic aid...so tiny and small... Amazing, in-explainable  startling work of God. Yet, that was how I started, that was how you started- As a seed. From my Father‘s seed sown into my mother, the process followed a cycle that even though Medicine has tried to explain convincingly, it is a process that could only be achieved by an unfathomable ability of God. So I came into this world, and here I am, fully grown, gone through the reproduction cycle myself too.  It’s just a mystery!

Nature teaches us that no matter how small, infinitesimal and minuscule a seed may be, it always ends up enormous, incomparable to how it started.  The free dictionary simply defines a seed as a source or beginning; a germ.  You plant an orange seed, it becomes a tree. Every seed possesses the ability and capacity to multiply and become the full representation of what the seed represents. An apple seed becomes an apple tree and so does it apply to every form of seed. I read about the palm tree that on average a palm tree will take 3 to 6 months to grow from seed, but will take about 15 years to grow to an adult size. To grow to a potted sized tree it will take about 6 years .2

The summary is that every animate thing starts from being a seed. At all times, a seed is concealed, covered and buried because without that process of being covered, (just like a fetus develops in the womb or as a plant is buried deep into the soil), the seed’s growth and  germination may be truncated entirely.  When a seed is sown, sometimes for days or months, you don’t see anything. It looks like it is dead, or not visible and then all of a sudden it starts to sprout and germinate. The bible says in John 12:24-  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. Also in 1st Cor 15: 36-38 , the bible says-Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38.But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

So we understand that it is God that actually makes the seed grow, giving each of them their own body: plants, animals, human and everyone!

What we see around teaches us what obtains in the spiritual realm. Let me digress a bit. The spiritual realm actually controls the physical because that is where we all emanate from. Before I go further, let me explain that the real man is the Spirit of a man. A man is made up of the spirit, soul and body. When a man dies, he sheds his physical body but his spirit remains intact and that is why in heaven (or hell) people can recognise one another. Do you remember the story of the rich man and poor Lazarus? Both were dead but yet, they could recognise one another in the life beyond. In the beginning, God breathed His Spirit into mud and Adam came alive. Hence the real man is the spirit of man.

So if the physical seeds germinate and reproduce in the physical realm, it shows us that in the spirit realm, the law of sowing applies because that is where everything emanates from. So we sow seeds every day, physically and spiritually and they all germinate. Our words, prayers, commitment, efforts at work, efforts in relationships are all seeds that grow and bring forth fruits. Most certainly!

What are the seeds you sow on a daily basis? They grow to become huge, incomparable to the seed you sow, just like I earlier said.  Seeds grow, and grow big!  They may not sprout or become visible overnight, but be assured that there is a process and all seeds , irrespective of their kind will fulfil its due course. If you have been serving God and you think you haven’t got any thing to show for it, relax, your seed is growing. You will see it sprout and grow so big soon. If you have been sowing the wrong types of seeds as well, there is a “time for manifestation” Mark 4 tells us the process by which the course runs. There is no need for human intervention because God has set everything in motion both in the physical and in the spiritual realms. The blade first, then the head and the full grain in the head.  "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head".( Mark 4: 26-28)

Never forget also, as long as we are alive, seed time will never cease. We all keep sowing on a daily basis whether we are conscious of it or not. Genesis 8: 22-“While the earth remains, Seed-time and harvest, Cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.”

So it’s my birthday like I said….. Eternally grateful to God for another year, I am:

A Masterpiece design by the greatest Architect of the Universe; fearfully and wonderfully made..... 

-A Citizen of Heaven: with Access to all the nations of the earth..... 
-Assured of God's Eternal Love...
-Bestowed with authority over the devil and his cohorts..... 
-Blessed with all Spiritual blessings in the Heavenly Places. 
-Child of the Most High; saved by Mercy, preserved by Grace, upheld by Favour....
-Cleansed by the blood of Jesus eternally..... 
-Endowed with the most valuable Gifts in Heaven and earth ...
-Promised a crown and mansions in Heaven.
-Recipient of Grace; Redeemed by the most expensive gift anyone could give..... 

Surrounded by the most blessed people on earth....

What else can I ask for in this Life of mine...Tell me?
....and of His fullness I have received: Grace for Grace

I celebrate this Life given to Me and I celebrate the Giver!

The Pen!

1. In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process by which an egg is fertilized by sperm outside the body

2. Culled from yahoo

(Oops, ouch, ugh,um...)...He’s Pruning Me

It’s been a while I posted…. I know!

No excuses, just been caught up in a lot of activities.  God has been good all the same. It’s very imperative I leave us with these few lines to ruminate over as we shut down from work for the weekend.

John 15: 1- I (Jesus) am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser.  2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 

I will like to rearrange the passage in my own words and it goes thus:  

I (insert your name) am a branch (a part of a tree that grows out from the main stem; that has leaves, fruit, or smaller branches growing from it). I am a multi-dimensional being created in the image and likeness of God to show forth the praises of Him who has created me for His glory.  I am not just a branch, but I've got smaller branches, I've got leaves, I bear Fruits all to His glory. Jesus is the Vine (My source of supply of nutrients) and God is the Vine dresser (a person who prunes, tends, or cultivates grapevines).

This passage of the scripture highlights a three-dimensional relationship amongst God the Father, Jesus and I as an individual with everyone having a part to play. The moral of this analogy by Jesus can be summed up into Four Fs'

1.     FEED FROM HIM: He expects us to derive our nourishment from Him (through His word and constant fellowship with Him).  A branch that is cut off from a tree would soon wither away.  John 15:6 “ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned”

2.     FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM: You Fellowship with Him by being with Him on a continual basis. .John 15:3 says “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me”

 3.     FRUITFUL IN HIM: Bringing forth fruits; which is the whole essence of our being,  is to multiply the gifts and talents He has given us,  grow in  His knowledge and grace and reach out to others in the same way He has reached out to us.

 4.     FIXED BY HIM (To fix is to repair something that is broken or not working properly).God prunes, corrects, and fits us. We are in a fixing process continually. God seeks to fix us each time we go out of line so we can become better people.

Studies show that pruning entails cutting off some of the branches of a tree to make it grow better or to make something smaller by removing parts that you do not need or want.   Pruning is the most common tree maintenance procedure and the reasons for pruning are to remove dead branches, crowded or rubbing limbs, and to eliminate hazards. Trees and plants may also be pruned to increase light and air penetration to the inside of the tree’s crown or to the landscape below. In most cases, mature trees are pruned as a corrective or preventive measure.

The slight discomfort and challenges we face every day and especially in the Christian race are indicators that God is pruning us so we can bring forth more fruits. If we don’t experience some of these challenges, shakings and inconveniences, then chances are we are not bearing fruits and we might as well be cast away.

Hebrews 12:6-12 (Message Version)

6. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. 

7 God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training,

8 .the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? 

9 .We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live?

10. While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. 

11. at the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.  

12. So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet!  

Listen to this: All things belong to God and they are given to us as gifts and not a claim. There is no talk about human rights here because the Lord is the Sovereign Owner of all.  He desires that we have all we want and that we can handle them with maturity.  Give thanks for what you have and trust Him for what you don't. Never forget: A man can receive nothing, except it is given to him from above.

Oops, Ouch, Ugh, Phew, Um, er….. Look beyond your current inconveniences, God after all may be pruning you, so you can bring forth more Fruits.

The Pen....