"Do You Love Me?"

I love how we have landmark events scattered along the year’s pathway.  A few weeks ago it was Valentine’s day, a day supposed to bring to our remembrance the concept of love. People ran to the stores to purchase cards, flowers, or a gift, to express love to someone in their lives. Just in case you forgot, the media did not let up, pushing out adverts by the minute. Great was the commercialization of another sentimental event of the year.  I was appalled when I heard a line from one of the commercials that said  “This Valentine, make sure you get what you want!” I was left to wonder, “Is love truly about getting or about giving?”

These thoughts brought to mind a discussion we had recently at a couples’ meeting. The subject for consideration was; “How do I love my spouse?” The discussion had progressed to the point where we read the injunction to husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). Then we  began to consider “How did Christ love the Church?” A brother broke it down in plain English and said “You know you are loving your wife as Christ loved the Church when you are willing to give up one of your kidneys for your wife without stopping to think about it” To the utter amazement of everyone, another brother blurted out “I would willingly give both my kidneys to my wife!” A great hush fell over the room as everyone considered the import of those words. Well, that room must have been full of noble husbands because right after he said that, man after man declared “I will gladly take the bullet for my wife” “I will give my life to save my wife!” I imagine that those wives filled with a renewed sense of worth, secretly prayed against any situation that would test their husband’s love to that measure!

While it is praiseworthy that a man is willing to lay down his life for his wife, let us ask ourselves what little things we may also willingly give up to preserve and protect our cherished ones and  the relationships we hold dear. Little things like our rights, our pride, our time, our friends, or something so little as our money! In the midst of a conflict, you may find out that these seemingly “little things” are magnified in value when you are the one required to give it.

Consider the love story of Jacob and Rachel in the book of Genesis. Jacob had deceitfully obtained the blessing of the firstborn meant for his brother Esau. Out of the fear that Esau might kill him, his mother helped him flee to live with his uncle Laban. Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.  Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.  Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel. “Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.”  So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast.  But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.)  And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.”  Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 

 Jacob did a quick assessment of his situation. He ran away from home to flee the wrath of his brother Esau whom he had defrauded of his birthright. He had sowed deceit, he was reaping deceit. Jacob would not even raise his voice with Laban, or make a big case of his deception lest he loses the opportunity of ever marrying Rachael. It dawned on him very quickly that he if he really wanted the love of his life, he would have to work twice as hard! Any man could have given up at that point. However, because of the strength of his love for Rachael, Jacob put in another seven years of service for the woman he really wanted. We may not be able to go into all the cultural details of this account, or the deceit of Laban possibly  in conjunction with his people. What I find interesting is that Jacob put up with all that.  For another seven years. Jacob gave his energy, his time and his life to serve for the woman he loved. He put career dreams on hold, or slowed them down simply because having Rachel was important to  him.

If you are a woman and you are feeling that all you have to do is sit back and be a receiver of love, think about Ruth (Naomi’s daughter in-law) who gave up her gods, her people, and her father’s house to embrace a superior love and commitment. Perhaps you gave up your father’s name, you moved away from home, and you have given up many things since then. Whether you be a man or woman, boy or girl, when you think love, remember that the currency of love is giving. Now imagine a world where we learn to love like God!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

New Beginnings

The Month of Beginnings

Welcome to 2019! The year 2018 is gone, buried in the sands of history, never to be lived again! We have a brand new year; that is so awesome to me. God is eternal, He lives in a timeless zone. Time is for us, to help us organize our lives, to help us plan, to help us take stock of where we are in relation to where we are going.Without time, we would totally lose our bearing. So God gave us the gift of time and made provision for new mercies every morning. Thank God that failures, pain, and defeat do not last forever!  Whatever you cannot accomplish in one day, the sun goes down, you lay to sleep, and awaken the next morning ready to start again. In the same way, when a year completes its course, and a new one comes around, it is your opportunity to begin again.

January is the month of new beginnings. We must let go of the failures and disappointments of the past year and have faith in God for a better year. We believe that through every experience, God is working out His purpose in our lives. Some people have faith for a better tomorrow; they dream of achieving great things, but they do nothing towards it. We cannot continue to live in the future. Today is the time to begin living out those dreams and visions we have always put off for “sometime later.” I urge you to be urgent about executing your God given dream and purpose.

Take a step of faith, move in the direction of your dream. Make a commitment, put some money and time on it. If you have always dreamed of going back to school, go register for classes. If you dream of starting a business, draw up a business plan. If God has been calling you to Ministry in any capacity, go for it! Give God your best! If God is prompting you to get married, move forward by faith, Whatever the Lord has laid in your hands to do, do it with all your might.

The place to begin is the place of prayer. The word of God tells us, “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3). Then we must write out the vision or dream clearly. The Book of Habakkuk 2:2 says, “Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it.” We must begin to bring out those things that God dropped deep within us and communicate them with someone who is ready to run with it. The Bible says, “So that a herald may run with it.” Share your dreams with a herald, not a dream killer.

After the Angel Gabriel visited Mary and shared with her God’s plans for her life and for the whole world, Mary was perplexed by the information. Then she remembered that the Angel had pointed her in the direction of her cousin Elizabeth, a woman of God, of the same spirit. Mary girded up herself and set out on a journey to find Elizabeth. As soon as these two ladies met, there was an explosion in the Spirit and confirmation of purpose. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and began to make prophetic utterances in accordance with all the Angel had said.  Mary with her faith strengthened, broke out into a song of praise.  

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?…For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord’s word to her will be fulfilled.” Then Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:41-47). May God grant you discernment and wisdom, and lead you to those people He strategically placed in your life to help you achieve your destiny in Jesus’ name.

 “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee” (Isaiah 60:1)

The Christmas Love Story

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  A time to be merry, to celebrate the Savior’s story. Young and old alike sing the yuletide chorus, giving the Father glory. We recount the tale of shepherds and their flocks on a cold winter night. We celebrate the light that shined so bright in deep darkness. The Angels sang Glory to God in the highest as Love came down from Heaven, wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in a manger. Anyhow you look at it, Christmas is one big love story. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

God sent His son to the world through  a virgin betrothed to be married to Joseph the Carpenter. Joseph’s romantic dreams were shattered when Mary announced she was with child. Joseph loved Mary dearly, and he had held the conviction that she was the woman for him. However, Joseph was also a “just” man, a keeper of the law. According to the law “If there is a virgin pledged in marriage to a man, and another man encounters her in the city and sleeps with her, you must take both of them out to the gate of that city and stone them to death” (Deuteronomy 22: 23 -24). Also “If a man marries a girl who claimed to be a virgin, and then finds out that she is not, they shall bring the girl to the entrance of her father’s house and there her townsmen shall stone her to death” (Deut. 22:20). He knew the law demanded her public disgrace and even death.

 Many a man would say “if I cannot have her, I will ruin her for any other man” but not so Joseph! This man was far ahead of his generation! At a time when the law taught men to give an eye for an eye and mete out just retribution for sin, he extended grace to Mary from his broken heart. After much soul searching, he determined to put her away privately and spare her the drama of public disgrace. The Lord took notice and spoke to Joseph in a dream. But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” “She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20).

If like Joseph someone has broken your heart, betrayed your trust, or let you down, Christmas is a good time to extend the grace of forgiveness to them. Let us put away the thirst for revenge and let God be the judge. Sometimes we are so concerned that our offenders should get the deserved punishment for their sin that we lose our peace. The question is “How do you even know the just recompense for sin?” Do you know the exact measure of retribution appropriate for the hurt you received?  Joseph had a hard time determining an appropriate course of action because he tried to put Mary’s “sin” on a scale against the backdrop of who he knew her to be.  Alas! Only God knows what is in man! Only God is able to weigh the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  When we sit on the seat of the avenger we take the place of God. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:18 &19).

After much thought, Joseph found a place of temporary relief.  He would put Mary away quietly and protect her from public disgrace but God told him, “No Joseph, not so fast!” His life was deeply intertwined with the greatest Love story ever told. Joseph was instructed to take Mary in, and give her and the child a roof over their heads. God told Joseph he will have the honor of naming the Messiah; “You are to give him the name Jesus” What an honor Joseph had! I thank God that he swallowed his pride and went with God’s plan. Today, every time the story of redemption is told, his name is written in letters of gold. It is no wonder that the Apostle Paul admonishes; "If it is at all possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18).

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32)

In Retrospect...

 

 I love the month of November! Not just because it is my birth month, but also for what it brings. It is that time of year when people get to step back from the hustle and bustle of life, spend time with family and friends, and thank God for His many blessings. So often, however, we only get to thank God in retrospect, after we have been through the situations in our lives.  While in that moment, we are too busy seeing what “could have been” or “should have been,” to appreciate God for what is. 

I

Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”  “How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil (2 Kings 4: 1-2).  Like the widow in the story, when faced with a situation, our mind quickly goes to what we do not have; “I don’t have a husband, I don’t have money” The man of God was trying to redirect her by asking “What do you HAVE?”A  roof over your head? A jar of oil?  Some friendly neighbors?

I heard a preacher say recently “looking back now, I realize I had good children, but I didn’t know it then!” How sad that we should miss out of the pleasure of enjoying God’s blessings because we are too engrossed with our perceived lack or discontent. The Bible says God brought the first animals to Adam to see what Adam would call them. I picture a loving father sitting back to enjoy the child’s squeals of delight as he unwraps his gifts. At that moment, it’s all worth it! The thoughtfulness that went into selecting the gift, the money and time spent, the sacrifice made, all pale in comparison to the pure delight of a grateful child. We rob God of that same delight when we are ungrateful.

The book of Ruth tells a captivating bible story. There was a famine in Israel. Naomi and her husband Elimelech along with their two sons left Bethlehem, the house of bread, to Moab where they thought to find bread. They ended up dwelling in the land of Moab, and Naomi lost her husband and two sons there. Then she heard that the Lord had blessed Israel and there was food in her home country again. As she returned to the land with Ruth her daughter in-law, Naomi raised a bitter lamentation saying “I went away full, but now I return empty.” In retrospect, Naomi could say that she was “full” because even though she lacked bread or food at the time, she was blessed with a husband and two sons. Isn’t it interesting how we do not quite appreciate what we've got until we lose it? At this point, she would have gladly borne temporary pangs of hunger to have her husband and sons beside her again.

What do we learn from these stories? Be thankful for little things; a roof over your head, the love of family and friends, the oil (or money) in reserve, a neighbor that cares, and a God you can call Abba Father! He is the one who promised that He will never leave you or forsake you. He has assured you, “I have good plans for you, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope, to bring you to your expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11). Even for that alone, you can be thankful! Don’t wait to look back, thank God now!

Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Silent Whispers

Communication is a vital part of building and nurturing any relationship. I love to communicate by talking,  especially with the people I hold close to my heart. For a long time, I wondered why my husband just would not talk, or when he did, why he spoke only a few words. Being the super expressive talker that I am, I often found this very frustrating! Then I found out my second son was just like him! For the other two children, I sometimes have to tell them to stop talking for a minute so I can think. On the other hand, everyone in the house stops to listen with strained ears when my second son finally braces up to say something! It is this son that is the subject of my reflection today.

A while ago, as we had our shared family time,the light bulbs finally went off for me! I must confess that I was at a different place at the time. I had come to the place of quietness in my heart. I was reaching out to God to help me reach my children, and I was listening in my spirit for God’s leading.Then I saw it! My son who I thought rarely spoke a thing, was speaking a lot during the family time, he just was not using audible words.He was speaking with the arching of his eye brows, the snapping of his fingers, the nodding of his head, the shrugging of his shoulders.In that moment, I realized that he had been doing those things all along. Even though he did not say a lot, he spoke volumes! I was the one who did not understand his language! And you know what was funny? His siblings understood him thoroughly! In fact there was a dialogue going on! They would respond verbally to his non-verbal expressions with a laugh, a question, or a remark. At some point I had to ask them what the conversation was, and they graciously explained it all to me. I just sat there and wondered, how could I have missed this all along?

Perhaps like me, you are blessed with a spouse, a child, or someone dear to you heart that does not talk much, and you have come to your wit’s end trying to decipher what they have on their mind. Perhaps you should pray for the Holy Spirit to help you decode their language. God, being gracious, will open your eyes to see things about them you have not seen or understood before. He will help you to be tuned in to the frequency of their communication wavelength. Suddenly, you will see and understand the arching of the brows, you will hear the unspoken whispers, you will feel the desperate yearning of their hearts.  I never thought I would say this, but it is okay to respond to unspoken words. Who cares for words when the heart has spoken so loudly?

The Lord responded to Sarah’s unspoken doubts after He gave Abraham a sure word of promise regarding the birth of their son Isaac;   Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’…(Genesis 18: 11-13). Sarah did not share her doubts with Abraham, “she laughed to herself” But in asking that question, God made Abraham aware of what his wife was really saying . It was Abraham’s duty to take it up from there; For how can two walk together except they be agreed?

If you do not know how to proceed in communication with that person in your life, ask God. "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5). God is interested in our relationships and He wants to help us build lasting relationships, so that our human connections will be an avenue to allow His purpose ad His will to be done on the earth, just as it is in Heaven.

The heavens declare the glory of God;  the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech;  night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world (Psalm 19: 1- 4).

All Roads Lead Home

We live in a broken world with disintegration all around. According to Chinua Achebe, the great African writer; “Things fall apart, the center cannot hold!” The social construct is falling apart, governments are failing, the Church is threatened on every side, and family units are breaking apart by the day! The magnitude of the attack against the family is concerning, to say the least. Employers give bonuses for longer hours on the job, parents have no idea who their children really are, or what they are up to. Technological gadgets, gaming, internet entertainment, and the lure of the virtual world, pull the young and old alike farther away from the family table!

The Book of Nehemiah tells us how one man saw a need to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem, and took action to execute the burden God placed in his heart. God gave him favor all the way, providing and protecting, until the work was completed. Then God opened Nehemiah’s eyes to see that although the wall was built, something was missing; “Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families” (Nehemiah 7:4-5).

It is striking that God’s plan for rebuilding a nation involved bringing families together, strengthening the very fabric that weave the nation together. It was no coincidence that during Nehemiah’s building project, Benjamin and Hasshub built the section, which was right in front of their houses; and Azariah, the son of Maaseiah and grandson of Ananiah, built the next section, which was in front of his own house (Nehemiah 3:23). God is calling us back to our families and we must start rebuilding from our homes!

In another account, the book of Ezra reports a listing of families that returned from captivity. Some men had trouble providing proof of their genealogy. “These searched for their family records, but they could not find them, and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.” (Ezra 2:62-63). How many of us have been excluded from the holy things of God because of our inability to maintain wholesome family records? The Church can accomplish so much more, if the links within our families are stronger. A man of God put it this way "Before there ever was a church, there was a family"

Some of us have immediate family members that we are not on talking terms with. We harbor feelings of anger and bitterness against our own blood; yet we extend a hand of love to people we meet along the way. As I ponder on these things I am reminded of the Bible verse that says; “And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). God’s question to Cain is echoed to us today. Surprisingly, we may have answers very similar to the words of Cain. Yet we want God to draw us in, we want God to bless us, we want to enjoy privileges of belonging to God’s family while we ignore the family of our birth or the family that is ours by marriage. God is not pleased with this!

God spoke through the mouth of His prophet “ You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands. Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant (Malachi 2: 13 & 14). On the flip side, many wives grieve the Lord because they rebel against God's divine order in the home. Consider a woman who has no problem submitting to other men, but struggles with issues of submission to her husband, either because the man she married is not tall enough, not smart enough, or not man enough! Yet the bible says “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22).

As much as I believe in the unifying power of the blood of Jesus, I also believe that God placed us in our biological families for a purpose. We have to start building from our Jerusalem before spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. Husbands and wives must let God use their relationship to demonstrate Kingdom love on the earth. Parents must take their responsibility of raising Godly seeds seriously, and children must go back to honoring their parents, just as the Lord commanded. "Honor your father and mother, then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). This is an encouragement to rise up to the challenge of rebuilding the broken walls of family relationships. It may seem like a very daunting task, but with God nothing shall be impossible!

Jesus had performed an extraordinary miracle in the land of the Gadarenes, He healed a man tormented by demons who dwelt among the tombs. As Jesus was getting into the boat to leave, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Much to the man's surprise, Jesus turned down his request. Instead, He said to the man “Go home to your family, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how merciful he has been to you (Mark 5:18 &19). Some of us have noble dreams to work for God. Perhaps God would have you start from your home, ministering to your spouse, your children, your loved ones.



“But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve….But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).

Someone's Standing at the Door

Some years ago, it was common for Christians reaching out to others with the good news of salvation to ask, “Do you have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?” Then some people who do not have that kind of a relationship would shift uncomfortably in their seats, and become defensive. So in a bid to lighten up the air, the question was rephrased to “Do you go to church?” or “Where do you go to church?” Now, to be clear on this matter, going to church and having a relationship with the Lord are not the same thing. No, not at all! Empty religion is man’s effort or man’s rules to reach God. Some people engage in church activities without an active relationship with God in a bid to quench the emptiness in our souls. God is calling us into something deeper. He is calling us into a vibrant relationship with Him!

In the book of 1^st Samuel 3:1, we are told that Samuel had been ministering to the Lord in the temple. Yet verse 8 tells us that “Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him.” If you are engaged in service in the house of God, I salute you. There is no higher calling, no greater honor a man can have, than to be enrolled in the service of the Almighty God. However, we must know the God that we serve. His presence must abide with us beyond the church walls, His power pervading our day to day lives. We must receive God’s  love expressed through His Son, and respond with all we have within us. God came seeking Samuel in the dead of the night. He may be knocking at the door of your heart right at this moment. 

Religion without a personal relationship with the Lord is like trying to live without breathing! It is like licking the skin of a mango fruit without ever reaching its juicy pulp! To know the Lord is different from knowing about Him. The Apostle Paul sighed in prayer; “Oh! That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death” (Philippians 3:10). Have you ever felt a jolt of His resurrection power flow through you? Do you desire fellowship with the Lord, even in suffering? Are you willing to give up anything at all for the sake of conforming to Christ? Hard questions? Maybe. However, these questions are necessary as we stop to consider where we are in our walk with God.

Perhaps you are wondering, “How do I even initiate a relationship with a God I cannot see?” Or you say “My life is filled with sin, God would not want anything to do with me!” Well, quit worrying about that, God is the one initiating this relationship! He extended the golden scepter to you when He said, “Come now, let us reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). All you have to do is come to God in repentance, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and the finished work of the cross, and the burden of sin will no longer be yours to bear. Then you can get started with God on a dynamic and personal relationship that will affect every facet of your life, and make all things brand new.

Above all, entering into a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus, gives you the assurance of spending eternity with God. You then shift your focus from the fleeting things of life to the more enduring things. According to the Apostle Paul, "we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). When you have this understanding, life takes on a new meaning and you become purposeful in the relationships that you have. Our human affiliations can only reach their highest potential when we are building a lasting relationship with God in the hope of spending eternity with Him.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me (Revelation 3:20).