MY RESPONSE🗣️🗣️

 Call: Remember how you failed the last time? Do not bother trying. Adulthood is a scam!

Response: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

Call: Remember how everybody hates you in your family? You do not have what it takes to give and receive love.

Response: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 Call: You are a terrible speaker. Public speaking is not for you. It's better you remain quiet, lest you become a laughing stock.

Response: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

Call: Remember that all of your sisters had delayed marriages, which was against their desires. You can’t escape it. 

Response: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

No matter what the situation of life that calls you, let your response be the Word of God that says "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me". It is not 'some things', rather it is 'all things', but do you believe it? Do you believe you can do all things not through your own strength, intellectual prowess, or skills, but through Christ who strengthens you? Do you know that the strength comes from Christ himself? When God strengthens a man, he walks in infinite possibility, unless he chooses to be his own limitation. 

David killed the lion and bear with his hands; Samson carried the city’s gate up a hill. 

Sarah bore a child in her old age; Peter preached and thousands repented. 

The blind received their sight; the lame walked.

Dear reader, you are the next on the list. It is your turn today. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Let that be your response from today.

-Precious Afolabi

ALL MEN

 

Photo credit: https://www.thenivbible.com/blog/key-terms-salvation-in-bible/

Echoes from 1Timothy 2:4

About happenings in the globe of late, particularly in my own nation, Nigeria; many times I told myself that if I were God, a lot of people would be long dead. Especially in light of the wickedness that we see throughout the world. I was perplexed as to why some of the world's most nasty and deadly people are still living. If they're all dead, the world might be a lot more peaceful. That morning, the Holy Spirit implanted this scripture in my heart: 

"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" 1 Timothy 2:4 (KJV)

From that verse, I discovered that it is the heart 'desire' of God that ALL men be saved. The "ALL" part terrified me the most. That "all" implies those that stoned and burnt Deborah Samuel to death lately. A part of me was angry. It couldn’t be ‘all’ I said to be myself. God's desire should be "some" rather than "all." 

Then I remembered the story of Uncle Paul when he was Saul, he held the clothes of those that stoned Stephen. He must have been cheering them on and encouraging them to stone him harder and screaming "get that bigger stone" I assume. Imagine if Uncle Paul was dead when he was Saul. 

I think I prefer the outcome of his salvation to having him dead and on this account, I would say I prefer the perspective of God’s desire "That all men..." rather than mine. The salvation of a wicked man profits the kingdom more than their death, provided they will accept the finished works of Christ. God desires that all men, both good and bad, be saved. He keeps stretching his hand of love to ‘all’ men. Although "all" men may not accept the call of God’s love, because he won’t force it on "all" men, anyone who rejects his love should await his judgment.

May we not kill Saul before he becomes Paul.

- Precious 'Tomi Afolabi

The greatest gift

Image from: Flower violet

The greatest gift ever given to mankind came in the lowliest of forms; in the most unusual times. No pomp on earth for heavens' best; a manger was the kings' first home. The situation surrounding His birth was risky, yet wisemen came to pay homage on the strength of revelation. For an ordinary heart can not contain the reality that heaven's best was born in a manger. 

Who would have thought that this reality can be palpable that even men testified "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life" 1 John 1:1. 

Sometimes I wish mankind saw his glory as he crept into Mary's womb. Maybe they might have understood whose son He was. Or maybe, I wish they had seen Him descend from heaven upon the temple on sabbath day with shinning lights surrounded by angels announcing His kingship. Maybe fragile hearts would have believe when he said he IS the son of God. 

In the euphoria of my wishes I remember HE said " For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isa 55:8-9.

When I remember this I keep quiet, because wisdom was in display. The Lord of the harvest who is the master-crafts man intelligently crafted this story to depict his wisdom as God. 

No greater friend than JESUS CHRIST, no greater companion than His SPIRIT.  Who's greatest strength is seen in my weakness. Oh how I love HIM. Oh how I want to love HIM more!

SHALOM!

Beautiful Feet

Photo by EVG Kowalievska from Pexels

                                                  

Whenever we see someone, the person's physique is usually the point of attraction. We pay attention to easily noticeable and endearing features like the face: the bluish or brownish pupil, maybe a pointed nose, pink lips, crystal white teeth, dimples and their broad-chest and thick muscles even to not so easily noticeable features like flat stomach and so on.

Rarely do we ever get attracted to the feet of another maybe because it is sometimes covered with shoes, which although can lead to smelly feet after awhile by creating a good breeding ground for bacteria, can be another point of attraction (I really don't think anyone gives second thoughts as to the feet not even the owner).

I, like many of us, didn't think much about my feet until I saw something quite interesting but maybe overlooked in Isaiah chapter 52:7 which reads thus:

‘’How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation…’’(OKJV).

It baffles me that for God, our feet seem to be quite important to the point of distinguishing between a beautiful, attractive and appealing feet and that which isn't.  

Do you know that when we preach the good news (i.e. the gospel) either by distributing tracts, personal engagements or via social media and as we extend generous hands to the needs of others for the cause of the gospel, God finds our feet beautiful. And I think whatever attracts God attention is worth pursuing, having, and doing.  

Can God see your feet and say it is beautiful? Have you not ceased from doing the work of an evangelist? Have you not left your pastor alone to share the good news of the Love of Christ? Are you not only concerned about being attractive to people? However, it is God’s utmost desire, especially in this moment, that everyone of us will not drawback in sharing the gospel with others and gain that which God beholds as beautiful.

God bless you!!!

Written by : Afolabi Precious

Absolute Surrender

 I was speaking with a friend the other day about some life issues. We spoke about different pertinent issues, one of which was about our struggles as young unmarried men hoping to one day walk down the aisle with our envisaged damsels. If you are a young single christian man you will agree with me that it can be quite a herculean task to pursue chastity especially with the unwavering trend of perversion these days. You do not go after it again but rather it comes to you even to your door steps. It takes tens of trailer loads of grace if I must say, to resist. Anyways, whilst he was speaking we delved into somewhat of an uncharted territory that led us into a doorway of spiritual insights. 

Apparently, I did not fully grasp the weight of this conversation initially, not until I began to feel burdened in my heart as he was yet speaking. He retold the creation story in such a way that sprouted flickering thoughts all over my mind, nevertheless I pondered on them hoping to find meaning from what he said.

The creation story poses as the framework by which all things were made. The reference to God as the creator of all things supersedes myths and superstition rather it is a reality that bewilders mankind even to this day. Such a deep mystery can not be fathomed by the limited ability of our human comprehension. But it becomes clearer when we see this through the lens of the Spirit. 

One of the greatest ordination that occurred in creation was the induction of Man ( for clarity the term "Man" as used throughout this piece represents both male and female) as the governing authority over all things that were made. Man's appointment was based on a system of semblance. Gen 1: 26 " Then God said let us make man in OUR IMAGE, according to our LIKENESS; let them have DOMINION over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth".  Man was made in the express image and likeness of God. Not only was there a physical resemblance, but Elohim also desired a complete semblance such that in all realms man was made to rule just as ELOHIM is the ruler and creator of all things. Man was made to be a complete replica of God. So therefore, it became imperative that the dominion mandate be handed over to that creature that was in the likeness of ELOHIM; which was Man kind.

Therefore, you have a mandate to have dominion. It is better understood like this, a king's son is automatically destined to be a ruler. He has the biological and hereditary rights to ascend the throne after the reign of his father is over. That is his birthright. The pilgrimage of Jesus upon the earth was aimed to restore man from the great fallout from dominance into kingship.

But, permit me to say that there was a condition upon which man's dominance was enacted. Because Man was made in God's likeness, he had his dwelling in God's presence so it was seamless for both Adam and Eve to have fellowship with God, they were in complete sync with the presence of God. The condition upon which they had dominance was absolute surrender. Man was absolutely surrendered to God. He knew nothing but the presence. He abode, ruled, named and had dominion in the sphere of God's presence. 

Absolute surrender entails complete yielding to God. Sin on the other hand hinders absolute surrender to God because it functions on the strength of flesh, such that man begins to think of himself as the compass of his life. That was the message the serpent passed across to Eve in Gen 3:1-4. 

We can only enjoy the full benefits of our dominance on earth when we fully surrender and yield to God. We have to come to the point where our hearts are completely yielded to God, where it is no longer you that live, but Christ that lives in and through you Gal 2: 20. 

Do you want to live out God's plan for your life, the dominion mandate? Then completely surrender your will to Him. We have struggled for a long time to give Him all of us. Maybe He has control of part or even a lot but He needs full control of our lives, that is the only way we can find relevance upon the earth and fulfil purpose.

Have you surrendered all of yourself to the Lord? If you haven't , I encourage you to do so today. It's a life long decision. It is something to be done every moment.

God bless you.