What is Love?

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Happy New Year!

    I know the peculiar circumstances of the year gone by put many of us in survival mode. Many people went into last year with great plans and goals to attain. March came around and our world simply froze. Planned events were postponed or canceled. Great projects canceled, hopes dashed. All we asked for was the luxury of staying alive! By God’s grace alone we have made it to the end of 2020. Entering 2021, some people have taken a different posture; “Hope for nothing, plan for nothing.” You may even have said, “Of what use is having dreams and expectations only to have them dashed?”  There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us (Psalm 4:6). The psalmist spoke about losing hope in man but turned to GOD-the only true source of hope.  

    First and foremost, let us correct the impression that some may have had, that there was nothing good about 2020. Without being insensitive to the pain and hurt all around us, I dare say that God never stopped working or being good in 2020. Indeed, I find the Word of God to be true “Out of the eater came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet” (Judges 14:14). Miracle babies were born in 2020. Ministries and businesses were birthed amidst the pandemic, many bagged a long-awaited degree or moved into their dream home, others wrote their first book, long overdue! Yet we continued to see human suffering, and pain all around. Disappointed, many chose to lower their expectation as a coping mechanism, or simply decided to have no expectation at all! That is the subject I want to address in this new year blog.

    In the book of Ruth chapter one, we read about Naomi and her husband who went from Bethlehem to Moab at a time of famine. They initially intended to stay “for a while” but ended up tarrying in the land. Unfortunate circumstances befell the family because Naomi lost her husband and two sons in the land of Moab. In distress and bitterness of soul, she returned to Bethlehem with Ruth, the daughter in law who refused to let her go. Moved by her story, the people of the City pitied her plight. Looking at them with eyes of hopelessness, Naomi said to her kinsmen, “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara (meaning bitter) for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.” Sometimes we make decisions to walk away from the place of God’s provision and turn around and blame God when things turn sour. Thank God that in Naomi’s life, there was a Ruth! This God-sent daughter in-law clung to Naomi and would not let bitterness prevail. She revived the hopes of her despairing mother in-law and brought sunshine and laughter back in her eyes. Together, they persevered through hardship and suffering until God brought Boaz Ruth’s way to preserve a generation that became included in the genealogy of Jesus. It is recorded that Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse and Jesse the father of David (Matthew 1:5-6). According to genealogy, Jesus is the son of David. The joy that Ruth brought into the Life of Naomi is multiplied through Jesus Christ to become a joy of many generations!

   I have been privileged to work closely with the elderly, and I have seen first-hand the destructive power of a loss of hope or expectation in human life. I remember looking into blank staring eyes that seem to say, “one day is no different from the other” Those same eyes light up with life at the expectation of a visit from a loved one, or something as simple as going out for a doctor’s appointment. Expect blessings, expect goodness, do not expect trouble. God has great plans for you this year. He says in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” Job was not entirely surprised when calamity came upon him, his words betrayed his expectations “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me” (Job 3:25). 

What are your expectations for 2021? Let your expectations light up your countenance, lean forward in hope. Increase your capacity in preparation of increase!

For surely there is an end; and your expectation shall not be cut off (Proverbs 23:18).

 

 

The Spirit of Christmas

                                                                                                                  

    Christmas has always held a special magic for me. As a young child I was one of those who would literally count the days from one month away, eagerly awaiting the 25^th of December. I looked forward to new clothes and shoes, I looked forward to rice and chicken, and I looked forward to going to the amusement park, the zoo, or wherever my parents chose to take us. I remember one memorable year. I had worked myself up in a frenzy of excitement and anticipation. When the day finally came, I was unable to unwind and enjoy Christmas. About 4 pm, I started to sob quietly. When my Mom asked what was wrong, I said through sniffing and nose blowing “Christmas day is almost over!” She was beside herself; “You got new clothes and shoes, you have eaten to your hearts content, you even went out to have fun, what more do you want from Christmas?” At the time, I did not know the answer to her question. I could not explain what I yearned for; it was abstract. It seemed to me that Christmas held the promise of something greater than my young mind could grasp or unravel.

Fast forward some decades later, I am a grown woman now. I willingly admit that Christmas is still the most wonderful time of the year for me. I love the glow and the cheer. I love the carols and bells that jingle. Above all these, I am enthralled by the ageless story of God’s love. God’s love for man pulled so strongly at His heart, that He sent Jesus Christ His Son, His only begotten Son; first to be born, and then to die in our place, so we can be reconciled to the Father.

Christmas is as close as we can get to seeing God in human flesh.  For a long time, God was abstract to man. The prophets spoke of Him but His people did not know Him. Jesus came to make God known. Personification is defined as the representation in human form of something abstract. JESUS IS GOD personified! In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 ) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). In one of his conversations with His disciples, Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:8-9).

So if anyone asks you what Christmas is all about, tell them it’s the greatest story ever told; The birth of Jesus the Christ who came to give us peace with God. One challenging issue in many reconciliations is this; who is willing to take the initiative? God took the first step in this reconciliation; God came to man so that we might come to Him. Joy has come to the world, salvation and peace to all mankind. If you have received Him, spread the love and the cheer!

For many years, in keeping with the Christmas tradition, I had a tall tree standing in my house at Christmas, surrounded by gifts for the whole family. Sometime during this year, out of a zeal to clean house, the tree was disposed of. I find an interesting turn of events happening in my home this year. We used to get a Christmas wish list and requests from my children. This year they took the initiative of giving. Despite the absence of the tree, I have seen gifts and presents clustered in the living room, right where the tree used to stand. As a parent, it brings me joy to know that the spirit of Christmas has taken a hold of them. Oh! the blessedness of giving!!

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).

       Merry Christmas and a Prosperous  New Year Ahead!

 

 

Simply Thankful

My birthday this year was not one of those “milestone” birthdays. But Lord! It was a milestone!

In my heart was a grateful song, God has been good to us. Amid chaos, He has preserved us. 

The keeper of Israel has kept His people. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed.

When my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I searched within my heart and said:

“To sing unto the Lord with the family” “To stop and enjoy the little things.”

Love, joy, beauty, and peace, that truly was all I asked. 

The day came, and it was a Sunday too! To date, still my best day of the week.

I awoke to a serenade as sunshine filled my room, the love of God, the blessings of family, 

I drank it all in, awestruck in praise, God is good, what more could I seek?

With much enthusiasm, I dressed up for Church humming a melody, “Thank you Lord!”

I felt a quickening as He spoke to my ears, prophecies of the King, a Father to His daughter.

Blessed upon blessings I knelt to receive, pressed down, shaken together, my cup runneth over.

Not deterred by distance or space, sisters from other mothers poured their love unto my bosom. 

Brothers, family, and friends sent a word, many a prayer raised on my behalf

Undeserving as I am, Heaven is drawn to earth, when two or three agree together in His name.

It was good already, but there was more! A promise to fulfil, a dream unfolding.

And so it was, at the cool of the day, we came together as a family and made melodies.

The keyboard, the guitar, the sax, our voices, all but instruments for the glory of our King!

As the praise welled up  I said to myself "This is probably the best I’ve ever had". 

This Thanksgiving keep it simple! Take joy in little things. Give thanks with a grateful heart, 

And the God of peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34

When Death is Only a Shadow Away

The Divine Shepherd 

A Psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;

he makes me lie down in green pastures,

 He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. 

He leads me in paths of righteousness

 for his name’s sake.

 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I fear no evil; for thou art with me; 

thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

 Thou preparest a table before me 

in the presence of my enemies; 

you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 

all the days of my life, 

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

We have seen death this year, in numbers we have not seen before in our lifetime. Many of those deaths were related to Covid-19, others were not. In recent times, almost everyone has lost someone to death, either a direct relation or someone remotely connected to you. Surrounded by such a high magnitude  of people exiting into eternity, we were forced to contemplate a subject usually shoved aside: life, death and the meaning of it all. The Covid-19 pandemic is a “noisome pestilence” that operated primarily by the spirit of fear, the fear of death. Unrelenting, fear would torment both the living and the dying if you let it. Wrapped in the piercing claws of fear, there is only one outcome for its victims: torment. 

The antidote for fear is love.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18). 

To know love is to know God, for God is Love (1 John 4:16). God demonstrated His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, God sent His Son, Jesus to die for us (Romans 5:8). 

Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not the angels He helps, but the descendants of Abraham.…(Hebrews 2:14-16). 

David in Psalm 23 could declare boldly “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil” only because of his assurance that God was with Him! Do you have that same assurance? Do you know Immanuel? – That is the name of Jesus prophesied by the mouth of the prophet;
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and she will call Him Immanuel which means, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14).

One reason some people may be so scared of dying is because they see death as a destination. Death is not a destination, it is a passageway to eternity. That is why the Psalmist says: "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." We are meant to walk through. If you do not believe in Jesus Christ, death opens the door to eternal torment. However, for the believer in Jesus Christ, it is merely a passageway to life everlasting. If you believe in Jesus, the power of the devil to torment you with the fear of death is broken. Then you can look death in the face and say “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

Hallelujah! Death is swallowed up in victory! The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!… (1 Corinthians 15:55 -57).

Have you ever woken up into a day and had everything that could go wrong go wrong that day? Have you ever wished you could just go back to sleep and wake up to a different day? Well, I have heard similar sentiments expressed about the year 2020! What a year this has been so far!


The world was awakened to a rude shock in the light of the corona virus pandemic. In January 2020 China reported its first death from the virus. Since then more than half a million people have died from Covid-19 related deaths, with over one hundred and thirty thousand of those deaths occurring in the United States. In the month of March, life as we knew it came to a grinding halt! We realized very quickly that we did not have it all together like we previously assumed. Some who thought they had no need of God changed their minds and cried out for mercy from the Almighty. Yet, others continue to persist in their pride and cling on to a false sense of security in a world of crumbling structures.


In the midst of the chaos comes a word of hope, “Out of the one who eats came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet.” (Judges 14:14) While it is impossible to minimize the loss of loved ones, financial losses, and the pains we currently face, it is comforting to know that God Almighty is able to bring something good out of any bitter circumstance in which we may find ourselves. And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). God’s word has not changed because of the corona virus. Everything else may fail, but God’s word abides forever!


King Uzziah was one of the notably successful kings of Judah. During his reign he built up the infrastructure of the nation. He refortified the nation, reorganized and reequipped the army, and prospered in agriculture. His reign which was marked with comfort and safety which lasted for fifty- two years. After such a time of peace and stability, you can imagine the chaos when King Uzziah died. Times were uncertain. The people of God felt vulnerable as they thought of enemies that surrounded them. It was amid such political and social tension that God appeared to prophet Isaiah revealing that the hem of God’s robe alone is big enough to fill the temple. Falling down in awe, the prophet Isaiah declared, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1).


There is political and social tension in the land right now. So many people are challenged with financial insecurities. As in the days of Isaiah, you can see the Lord amid this chaos. While the confession of many is that “there is a casting down,” your story can be that “there is a lifting up!” Testimonies are being recorded, even now! Determine that you will testify of the goodness of God and expect good to come your way, not evil.


As we enter the second half of this year, I encourage you to press on. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Wait on the Lord and be of good courage. Listen! Hear what His Spirit is saying to you. Do not wait for the year to end before you take stock. Pick up your dreams and visions. Trust God for new ways of doing things. Trust God for witty inventions. You would be surprised how much of new innovations have come out of this crisis. The Bible says the wisdom of God is manifold. Do not be limited by your own understanding and perception.


We continue to pray that the mercy of God will prevail. We pray for healing in our land. We pray for peace and justice. We pray for genuine repentance and a turning to the Lord.

I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize (Philippians 3:12).

A Father’s Affirmation

Did you know that as a Dad you have a powerful influence over your children’s lives? One area where you have the most influence is in the area of affirmation. Your affirmation builds confidence in your son or daughter to face the world like nothing else can.  Have you ever told your child “Son I’m proud of you!” or “Daughter, you make me proud!”? If you have, you might recall how it was an instant boost to their confidence and sense of accomplishment. That confidence serves as a reservoir of strength to tackle the next challenge that comes their way. A lack of affirmation from one or both parents may lead to emotional crippling and instability that will manifest as self-doubt, low self-esteem, inability to pursue goals or achieve potentials, and a myriad of relationship and social problems.  

According to the Webster’s Dictionary, to affirm means to assert positively; to tell with confidence; to declare

the existence of something; to maintain as true; to make firm; to establish, or to confirm.  

   Dedicated Love

    Approve, affirm

Discipline

God Himself demonstrated this principle to all Fathers 

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” (Matthew 3:16-17).  

It was a critical moment in the life and ministry of Jesus. He was about to begin the very thing for which He was born. The father did not leave Him by Himself. God demonstrated with a magnificent display of Heaven’s splendor that this Son had the Father’s approval. Later we will see Jesus drawing on the strength of his father’s affirmation when the Jews questioned him on his identity. 

 “If I bear witness of Myself, My testimony is not true.  There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the testimony which He bears of Me is true (Jon 5:31-32). 

“The Father Himself, who has sent Me, has borne witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form” (John 5:37).

God affirmed Jesus at other times. The gospels record the account of his transfiguration before the disciples. While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” (Mathew 17:5) 

If Jesus needed his father’s affirmation, so does your son or daughter!  Your children may be toddlers, teenagers, or adults, the good part is; affirmation benefits everyone. 

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones (Proverbs 16:24)  Happy Fathers' Day to all fathers and father figures!