The Magnificent House

One evening, as I walked down a very quiet street, I saw a magnificent mansion - so big and beautiful. "A wealthy man must own it", I said to myself. The edges of its windows were decorated with beautiful roses, its wall painting were as though they were laid with well refined gold. Its windows and doors glittered brightly.

At the front of the house stood a very attractive waterfall. While admiring its beauty, a man walked up to me asking if I would like a tour of the building. "Yes sir!”, I said excitedly and followed him in.

Overwhelmed by the beauty of the building's exterior, I longed to see the interior of the building, I just could not completely imagine the finesse and elegance of the interior. I admired this building so much, I wished it were mine.

When we got to the front door, I pulled off my shoes, not wanting to 'corrupt' this earthly paradise as I entered. ‘What!!!” I made a sharp exclamation. It was far from paradise. For a moment, I was confused. I tried to reconcile the ineffable beauty on the outside and this unwholesome sight on the inside.

"How can a building so wonderfully decorated on the outside be filled with heaps of rotten refuse, maggots and reptiles running around?", I asked myself. The sight was so disgusting, I almost puked. So, I shut the door and ran out.

Infuriated, I said to the man, "Sir, why is this house such a mess?", but the man gave no response. "Why did he ask me to come in? Did he not know?", I thought.

Now, his silence was more annoying than the putrefying interior I just saw. So, I inquired further, "Why did the owner of this house spend so much in beautifying the outside and leave the inside to rot and stink?". Again, there was no response. I knew I had to stop talking at this point, so, I kept quiet.

I was dumbfounded when he looked at me; called me by name: SANDRA! SANDRA!!

Then, he said; "this magnificent house represents your life: you have so much charisma, gifts and eloquence that impress men but your heart is full of anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy and unforgiveness. Sandra, your dispositions attracts men but your heart and character drives them far from you. You need to pay attention to your inner man because it is where God resides and he won’t stay in a dirty place."

Then I awoke! "It was a dream", I said "but could it just be a dream? It is so real", I said to myself. Indeed, it was a revelation of my life. God had come to show me my true self. As I thought on the dream, I wept sore that morning asking God to clean and purge my heart.

Dear reader, is your life like that magnificent house? Is your heart not rotten due to offences, bitterness, unforgiveness, pride and divers lust? Yet, you're going about your daily activities as though all is well? Are you not praised even among brethren yet your heart is so pungent to God? God is calling you today. He wants to purge you and give you a new heart so that you can offer acceptable sacrifices unto Him? Call on God today! Let Him purge you and make your life habitable for His presence.

God bless you!

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

2 Timothy 2:19-21

Thank you for reading. Don't forget to ask your questions and leave your comments below. We would give a quick reply.

God bless you!

FRESH START 2

 ...continued from Part 1

After thinking about the possible implications of any choice I make, I turned to my roommate and said to her that I could not do it. She rebuked me vehemently and reminded me of my predicament, but I was not moved by her words; my mind was made up.  I left for the hostel without turning back… with the sense of peace that I had done the right thing.

A few days later, I called my discipler to inform him. He then spoke with my father and pleaded with him. My father, now born again, was heartbroken because he never expected this from me but to my greatest surprise, he did not throw me out. Then I shared my situation with my friends expecting a cold shoulder from them but alas, they extended to me their right hands of fellowship.

I was able to push through my first year with my protruded tummy even though I ate and slept more. It was not a smooth sail though. There were times guilt overwhelmed me and I was worried about the future but somehow, I was able to find solace in God and He sustained me beyond my strength, helping me stay in faith.

Honestly, I was ashamed of myself. During the break, I could not go out. Then I was quite heavy and became the talk of the neighborhood. On several occasions, I looked at the mirror and hated myself because I was pregnant and not married. At certain times, my blood pressure increased.

It was indeed a difficult time and I realized that sin had cost me more than I was ready to pay for. But I made up my mind to move on with God.

Eventually, I was delivered of a male child and had to defer my studies for one year which meant that I could not resume the second year. I deferred because i wanted to nurse my son and take good care of him, at least, for his first year. Thank God for my parents that never gave up on me - they are a major reason I can tell this story today.

After the first year of nursing my son, I returned to school burning for God and living beautifully; not allowing my past to hinder my future. People wondered where I got such confidence from but the best answer I could give them was JESUS.

I really don’t know how far you have turned from God but going farther is not the answer. I may not know how ugly your scar is or was, or how badly the devil damaged you. The good news I have for you today is that you can start afresh with Jesus. He is loving and always ready to accept us if we will only come back to him in genuine repentance. The consequences of your past misdeeds might not disappear, there might be scars and challenges, but you will completely be forgiven by God.

Start afresh with God.

And if you have never had this beautiful walk with God, you can start now. God is also calling you saying:

‘’Therefore if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ (the messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come’’. 2Cor 5:17 Amplified version

Thank you for reading. Don't forget to ask your questions and leave your comments below. We would give a quick reply.

God bless you!

A Fresh Start.

Based on a true life event...

My name is Joy and I am the first child of my parents. I had an Islamic background, but was privilege to accept Christ at the age of 15 in a teenager’s program my school was invited for. Owing to my background, I could not go to church, attend meetings and or receive friends that could have helped me spiritually. The best I could do was to read my bible occasionally and pray.

I was inconsistent with Jesus, and entered into different romantic relationships in search of the satisfaction and love that can only be found in Jesus. Soon enough I started having pre-marital sex, which troubled my conscience a lot. Often times I said to myself, ‘I will not do this again’… few weeks after I went back to it.

I got admitted into the university and was ready for a fresh walk with God. I was privilege to have friends that were lovers of God. I joined a discipleship group and started growing in the faith. Few weeks into this new phase of my life, my ex-boyfriend visited me and persuaded me into another sexual relationship with him… again I fell into the act I just left.

I cried sore and told God to forgive me. I ended the relationship and said to myself again ‘Joy it’s time to start afresh’. Three weeks later, I observed that I was losing weight, feeling feverish and also had missed my last menstrual period…” Could it be? No!No!!It can’t be” I said to myself. My roommate insisted that I follow her to the hospital and be sure of what the problem was without making any costly assumption. “That was fine by me” I thought to myself. We got dressed and headed for the hospital. After series of test, the result stated that I was pregnant.

It was as though the ground should open up and swallow me. I was confused, terrified and frightened. My friend, trying to be good, suggested she would pay the bills for me to abort the child. I cried and thought of it over and over. I only recently began a fresh walk with the Lord. “Is killing my baby the right thing to do? ...What do I do? How will I tell my father? What will my classmates say? Will I be able to continue schooling? Will my ex-boyfriend take the responsibility? Will the church not laugh at me and condemn me? Will my father throw me out of the house? What will become of my tomorrow?My friend paying for the abortion is it a blessing in disguise?  The little my parents have is what they are investing into my education, even if they don’t throw me out can they afford to feed another mouth? What if I die in the process?” These were my lingering bitter thoughts…

To be continued…

Night Thoughts

I Die Daily Part Two

Photo Credit: https://www.slideshare.net/larrypasley/the-word-of-god-54342359

So we introduced this very essential topic at the last post and gave a background knowledge of what it means to die daily. We understood that dying daily is the only way we can live a victorious life as believers. Its the way we can live above sin and temptations.

In this post we would look at how a believer can die daily. 

Firstly, let me reemphasize that dying daily does not entail always answering the altar call, nor does it mean self condemnation, but rather it entails the total yielding of our selves to the Holy spirit.

A believer can die daily by: 

Studying the Word Daily: 

"Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" Joshua 1:8

The constant meditation of the word daily is the secret to daily victory over temptations. Read and meditate!!!  Reading lifts up the WORD into your mind but meditation takes it inside your heart, where it begins to produce faith.

I have hidden thy WORD in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11. Here we see the psalmist say he has HIDDEN the WORD in his heart. This is a great key. You see the much of the WORD you keep in your heart the more transformed your life becomes; the more you begin to obtain victory over temptations. A believer rich of the WORD is wealthy. Such has an ancient treasure that have proven to stand sure and true.

It takes diligence to HIDE the WORD in your heart. Why must it be hidden? Couldn't it just be on my heart or in my head alone? Seeds are hidden inside the soil for them to bring forth fruits. This is because the birds of the air can feed on seeds found on the soil, men can trample on seeds found on the soil. But that is not the same for seeds hidden inside the soil. 

It's easy to be swayed and discouraged by challenges and temptations, when the Word you have heard  or read has not yet sank into your heart. 

 Practically, when studying the WORD, come as a little child...come with openness. This makes your heart receptive to the WORD. Don't be in a hurry...be free to ask questions..That would help you engage with the Holy Spirit who will make meaning of every thing you read and ask.

       The WORD is meant to be inside your heart not just your head.

In the next post we would understand the importance of  Prayers in dying daily.

Don't forget to ask your questions and leave your comments below. We would give a quick reply.

Shalom!

I Die Daily Part One

So these thoughts inundated me............

"I assure you, believers, by the pride which I have in you in [your union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily [I face death and die to self]" I Corinthians 15:31 AMP.

The very essence of Christ's death was to repair a relationship long broken by the axe of disobedience, cunningly sponsored by the old serpent. God's mission was to raise up a new breed from the risen nature of Christ, that He can now, confidently call Mankind, such that every man takes up the similitude of the very nature of the One who began the new race...Christ Jesus. 

Apostle Paul in the text above reiterated the very fundamental process that transposes Man from his fallen nature into the redeemed nature. A sinner who accepts Christ is a new creature, that is, a new spirit has been given to that man which is the Holy Spirit, that sponsors a new life in him. Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. 2 Corinthians 5:17. AMP.

The Holy Spirit in that new man begins to awaken the consciousness of a reality of distaste to unrighteousness. Such that the man's sensitivity to sin is heightened. A new consciousness has now been sparked up in that mans' life.

These consciousness stirs up a contention between the new man and his sinful nature which has began undergoing transformation. "For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do." Galatians 5:17. AMP.

Then how can this new man in Christ overcome this battle against the very nature that Lorded him in time past? We hear Apostle Paul cry out "I die daily!" 

The nature of sin still dwells in the flesh. Such that any Man that needs victory over the flesh must be ready to die daily. This does not imply that we answer every altar call on Sundays, but that we sustain a tempo that enables us, after been saved to begin to grow  and obtain victory over the strength of self.

I know of a friend who held a distinction in fighting. This friend had cultivated the act of fighting such that, it became somewhat of an addiction. Anyone who got in my friend's way, was in for a lifetime scar. Shockingly this was a female friend. 

One of those days in school she had a brawl with a fellow classmate and everyone was expecting a wrestle at any moment. Soon my friend got a slap from this person....It dawned on everybody that two heavyweights champions were about to clash. But to the shock of the entire class and likewise the demons in hell, my friend gently walked away. How did that happen? Have you experienced that before? 

Upon questioning, she had recently got born again. This is an example of one whose life has been exchanged with Christ. Rather than retaliate, she sought peace because her flesh has been mortified. Saying No to the desires of the flesh daily practically means to die daily.

How can one die daily?

Lookout for the part 2 of this post, as the Holy spirit would help me point out how a believer can die daily. 

Don't forget to ask your questions and leave your comments below. We would give a quick reply.

Shalom!