Accepting You and Them

ACCEPTING YOU AND THEM

​Hello friends! This blog is going to be a little different from my regular blogs. Nothing too too deep *when am I ever not deep though*. A couple days ago while taking a shower I went into deep thought about the people around me and how I think some of them perceive me. You see, when we meet people and associate with them they begin to form opinions about our character. Like say you meet someone in school and you guys become friends. Consciously and even subconsciously your minds have started forming opinions about each other.

​ Here’s my point. Whatever opinion ANYBODY you’ve EVER met has formed about you whether good or bad is NOT as important as what GOD has to say about you. People can come in very weird and hilarious forms. People that don’t know you could conclude that they don’t like you. Isn’t that something? People that have refused to understand you always find it easier to blame you for their lack of understanding. People are very loose with their mouths! I am guilty too. Can you count how many times you’ve bad mouthed someone you just met? You just assume that because of ONE thing he/shesaid, that’s who they are. 

​Now here’s what amazes me the most. How we allow people like that to affect how we see ourselves! I always say this, “know what you are capable of so when people say A or B about you, you know whether to take offence or whether you need to shut up, be quiet and ask God how to fix it”. So many of us get so worked up about what Johnny and Mindy have to say about us. Say no to people bondage! Johnny and Mindy don’t know your heart, Jesus does. Johnny and Mindy won’t judge you, Jesus will. So now whose opinion matters the most? 

​I used to be a big people pleaser. I mean, I always wanted people to be happy with me, or have good things to say about me.  But in 2016 I learnt something VERY important. You cannot control how people see you or even how they speak about you. You can try, but you will end up feeling exhausted mentally and even depressed. Let people think what they want. But ask yourself, is that me? Is that really how I am? Is that really how I wanted it to play out? Did I really set out with those intentions? Whatever those answers are, only God can give you peace. If you find out some bad things about yourself pray and ask God to help fix your heart because that’s usually where all the issues stem from. “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” Proverbs 27 vs 19 NLT. That verse is so good. Your heart reflects who you really are. Now,some people have perfected the art of reflecting something different from what their heart is. Let’s take a moment and say a word of prayer for those people. AMEN. I could write a whole book, preach an entire sermon on fake people but that’s not relevant right now. Fake people would get what’s coming to them, one way or the other. 

​Sometimes we need to forget what other people think and focus on what WE think. Let people think what they want to think. Anita thinks you’re annoying? Bet…say less Anita! Ask yourself are you annoying? There’s a 50% chance Anita was right. Apologize to Anita FROM YOUR HEART and if Anita still thinks you are so annoying that she can’t move past it. THAT IS FINE!!! My eyes are actually WIDE open right now. I repeat, THAT IS FINE!!! Can we please let people have their opinions? Can we? Can we please let people do what’s best for them? Because Anita can’t stand you doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It doesn’t even mean Anita is a bad person. It just means Anita might have some inward questioning to do. I just wish we could all stop bickering at each other, stop constantly talking trash, stop forming full opinions based on half-truths. If you don’t know that person you have no right to make any conclusions. I’m African, very African. I have to catch myself with the things I think and say sometimes, in fact plenty times lol. If God is pleased with who you are, then baby girl and baby boy, you better walk into that room and love on people!​

​Love conquers all guys. Yes, what they said might not be the best. How they reacted when your name came up, or when your shadow went by does not matter. Know who you are. Ask God to reveal your strengths and weaknesses. Master the art of peace. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” Romans 12 vs 18 NIV. Allow me to add two things:

​1. Learn to be at peace with yourself. 

2. Living at peace could also mean separation. Sometimes it’s best to love people from a distance.

It’s okay that you talk a little loud, it’s okay that you are reserved and quiet. It’s okay, YOU ARE OKAY. You’re not an alien. That’s just who you are. Whether you’re funny or you’re a no-nonsense person the people that are meant to be in your life will still love you and most of all God who created you will never stop loving you. Human beings might take a break, they can love you today and hate you tomorrow but that’s OKAY. They are PEOPLE. They aren’t perfect, they will hurt you, they will annoy you but don’t let that take you out of CHARACTER. I pray that God gives us wisdom and understanding and shows us how best to handle confrontation and difficult situations with people in Jesus Precious name. AMEN. 

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Temporary “fix”

What’s good in the neighborhood!?!?! *that sounded so ghetto* But for real what’s up friends, neighbors, acquaintances, crushes *I know you read my blog* (trying to shoot my shot while doing God’s work at the very same time *inserts moon face smiley*) Alright I’m done!!!! I want to briefly apologize for being MIA for the whole of February, I had a lot going on *The Holy Spirit says I have no excuse even though I feel like I do but okay* Tonight God has placed a topic I can completely relate to on my heart. I like writing from a place of understanding, and experience so this topic is pretty close to home. 

Temporary fix! How many things have you tried to “fix”temporarily? How many times have you tried to temporarily “fix” deep rooted issues? A classic example will be fasting from social media. Bruh, I am the Chief Executive Director of the social media fast. I could go for a month, weeks, days, in an attempt to “fix” certain issues, but then come back one week later and I’m back to struggling again. It’s a pretty exhausting cycle. Do you feel the same way with other aspects of your life? Dieting, Instagram stalking (don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about), relationships, friends, shopping and I could go on forever. How many times did you succeed for two weeks straight then fall right back into the same exact ditch. 

There are millions of reasons why we Christians could be trying to temporarily “fix” our lives. 

1. You could be on a crunch for time. For instance, you need to get that promotion ASAP so, you try to make your way right with God just so you can begin to plead your case. Haha can you see how ridiculous we humans are? I bet Jesus just sits on the thrown and shakes his head when we do certain things. 

2. You could be running from addressing the main issue, refusing to see yourself for what you truly are, or just simply looking for an easy pass. 

“So you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness” Luke 11 vs 39. I think sometimes we think we can finesse our way into being right with God. When I find myself doing things I promised myself and even God that I would never do I like to pause and ask myself “what is the REAL issue here?” Why do I keep coming back to ground zero? And as much as I encourage pulling away from social media, or whatever your besetting sin is, you actually need to get to a point where you have mastered the tricks of the devil. A point where you understand your stand in this Christian walk.

​The number one thing you need to understand is YOU CANNOT FIX YOURSELF. Simple and short. You can try. You can delete social media, you can block a billion people, the devil will simply test you some other way. Now, I’m in no way telling you to not take preventive measures. What I’m trying to tell you is, it’s not a one-month thing. You won’t abstain from watching porn for one month and suddenly be free from the temptation. The devil will try again and again and again. So, you need to be constantly guarded. Never for one second slipping away from the presence of God. More and more I’m beginning to see that Christianity is a LIFESTYLE. It’s not just 30 minutes of your quiet time, or 1 week of your television fast, it is every second you spend at the grocery store, it is what you said to that lady you knew you’d never see again. Every minute of your time makes your Christian walk what it is.

​Sometimes you have to remind yourself why you do the things you do. Why do you read devotionals, why do you attend choir practice, why do you even give offering? Sometime ago I found myself taking pride in my YouVersion Bible streak, I had 143 days straight of using the Bible app. So, in a little way I felt like I had my life together. Then one day I missed a day and I went back to “1”. Dear friends I was frantic, lol, I deleted the app and downloaded it again. I thought it was a glitch with the app. Right there and then the Holy spirit revealed my heart to me. I was simply counting days and forgetting my relationship with Jesus. In Philippians 3, Paul talks about how his achievement and accolades mean nothing compared to the “possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Jesus” vs 8. He speaks of “progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, of recognizing and understanding him more fully and clearly.” Philippians 3 vs 8 AMPC.

​You must understand that it’s not about checking off a list. “okay so I don’t fornicate anymore… check. On to fixing the next sin”. Paul goes on to say, “And that I may {actually} be found and KNOWN as IN Him, not having any {self-achieved} righteousness that can be called my own…” Philippians 3 vs 9 AMPC. I feel like I could write a whole page on that verse alone. Let us stop trying to temporarily fix ourselves while neglecting the reason why we actually need to be fixed and the real MVP that does the fixing. Philippians 2 vs 13 AMPC says “{Not in your own strength} for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you {energizing and creating in you the power and desire}, both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.” Emphasis on “effectually” that is, continuously. God is continuously working on us, giving us the desire and power to do what PLEASES HIM. Get this straight, it is all for Him. Not for you to brag about or take the glory. For our righteousness is but a filthy rag. Isaiah 64 vs 6. 

​I thought this was going to be a short one. Lol. Lastly, have this at the back of your mind, only God can make you righteous. Getting righteous involves the little things, it incorporates your everyday life and most of all, it is not so you can “feel” saved. It is for God’s glory. I want you to examine your every move, why do you want what you want? Why do you so desperately need to quit that bad habit? How do you quit? How do you stay above your flesh but still be in complete submission to God? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you know how best to please the Father. 

God bless you all.  

Utter Confusion

Millennials What's Good?

I was just listening to Great I Am by LaRue Howard and that song is VERY POWERFUL. Initially when I wrote the title for this blog post I was leaning towards writing about how confused millennials are right now. By confused I mean the search for identity, purpose, relationships, fame, power, love and so on. Bruh the struggle is REAL! Most young people around the world are confused and have no idea where their life is going; utter confusion! So many young people are going to class every week, studying for tests and exams, turning in pages upon pages of essays and research work with no genuine understanding or motivation to why they are doing it in the first place. Now, he who has no sin let him cast the first stone. I have not pieced out the pieces of the puzzle yet so somehow, I am also confused! Yes, I said it, I am confused. I struggle with identity issues, purpose and relationships like everyone else.

I find myself questioning my purpose on earth, my relationship with people and a million other things every single day. Like what exactly am I supposed to do Jesus, am I called to live a regular life? Have a successful career, get married to the best man alive *wink*, raise two wonderful kids (maybe three) OR am I supposed to do more? If I am supposed to do more, what is this “MORE” when will I find it? When will I start working on this “MORE”, WHAT DOES “MORE” EVEN MEAN SWEET JESUS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? *takes deep breaths*

Well I am glad to announce to you that I know exactly how you can figure out what your “MORE” is. Yupppppppppp! I know where you can find your “MORE”. Come closer, keep coming, yes open this door, yup keep coming, trust me keep walking. AHA! We are finally here! Now lean in so I can whisper your “MORE” into your ears *whispers* ‘YOUR MORE IS FOUND IN THE POWER AND THE PRESENCE OF THE GREAT I AM!’

Now I know you’re a little upset and disappointed but give me a chance to explain. You see the Bible said in Jeremiah 1 vs 5 “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you…”  MSG version. Here God is speaking to Jeremiah, trying to explain to him that all his doubt and uncertainty is kinda pointless. And I want to let you know that God is saying the exact same thing to you today. First of all, before God shaped you in the womb He already knew ALL ABOUT YOU. He knew that you will be 5 foot 2, He knew that you will have a big head, He knew that you would have a bad temper, He knew that you would struggle with finding yourself, He knew that your dad was going to leave you and your family when you were only tweleve, He knew that you will make mistakes, He knew that you will get frustrated, but that didn’t stop Him from bringing you to this earth. Despite everything He knew and saw He still made plans for you. He knew that one day you will have questions. He knew that you will need Jesus so He sent Him. He knew that you will need the Holy Spirit to navigate the intricacies of this world so RELAX.

Your purpose, the right career, the right man or woman can only be found in God and that happens when you key into who He is. Until you understand His unadulterated love for you, you will keep trying to answer questions he already has answers to. So, I encourage you to rest. Rest in the power and the presence of the GREAT I AM. Your needs will be met, “‘for I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” Jeremiah 29 vs 11 NLT version. I know it looks like disaster right now, I know you are in utter confusion but will you trust you or the one who made you? For we walk by faith and not by sight. So, go dust off your Bible, repent of your sin, stop trying to do things yourself, LET GO AND LET GOD. Maybe you need to stop trying to connect and network with people and start spending more time in God’s presence. Maybe you need to lay off those self-help books and ask the Holy Spirit what’s good. Maybe you need to stop making everything about you and start working in the house of God. Maybe you need to stop being so prideful and actually confess your sin to one another and break free from that besetting sin. I don’t know what you have to do exactly but I know that you need God, so if there’s anything stopping you from uninterrupted access to Him then you need to put that thing to the side and ask him for help. I pray that God strengthens you beyond your imagination and you begin to see Him as all sufficient, all knowing and all that you need. In Jesus precious name, and the people say AMEN! *my dad said that a lot growing up lol* 

USE THE OFF BUTTON MORE

Happy New Year guys. I know it’s been almost two weeks into the year and like most people I’m still trying to find my “funk”. Anyway, moving on! I decided last year that I would be more diligent and intentional about my blog by posting at least twice a month. I chose the second and last Friday of the month. By God’s grace I will be able to hold up to my end of the deal! While thinking of what to write about as usual I asked the Holy Spirit to lay something on my heart and He did. While sitting and thinking I heard a voice in my head say, “use the of button more”. So, at this point I’m wondering okay that was vague but then I thought about it and I begin to understand what the Holy Spirit meant. (FYI I’m gradually learning to stop saying stuff like “a voice in my head” “something told me”, that something and small voice is the Holy Spirit and I need to acknowledge that.)

Life can get really loud sometimes guys. I don’t know about you but sometimes I feel like my head is buzzing with loads of information and I can feel the stress of trying to make sense of it all. The WhatsApp group chats, the hilarious conversations, sending memes back and forth. We are a very busy generation but in all of this busyness are we yielding fruit? What are the benefits of these back to back, day to day, morning to midnight conversations? Are they helping you grow? Not just in Christ but in life as a whole. I must say I am completely guilty of this. At times, I’m having at least five conversations all at once, juggling between Instagram, SnapChat, Imessage, Facebook, sending memes, responding to memes sent, I bet reading this is giving you a slight headache! And then I wonder why I’m so tired! I didn’t do any physical strenuous activity, I certainly wasn’t lifting blocks or harvesting yams, all I did was sit and press my phone.

What are you giving your time to? No really, ask yourself, what exactly am I doing with my 24hours? Chatting away? Laughing away on Instagram? Listen, it is okay to turn off your phone sometimes. If you are expecting important calls leave your phone on but delete these apps that won’t let you have peace and watch how restless you will get! Just you and the YouVersion Bible app. We are so engaged that we don’t see how unnecessary most of the things we watch or listen to are. Get quiet and let the Holy Spirit whisper sweet somethings to you. I used to say I could talk to the Holy Spirit every second of the day, while I brush my teeth, while I’m on the train, walking home, or just sitting, but I have come to realize that it is not enough. It really isn’t guys. This world is literally fighting for your attention every second of the day through ads, tv series, movies, funny skits on Instagram, the devil didn’t come to play!

Some of us are neglecting important responsibilities and even friends all because we are too busy on our Instagram explore page. We are procrastinating, not giving enough thought to visions and dreams God placed on our hearts because we are too focused on what someone else is doing with their own vision, trying to make it look like theirs. And the Holy Spirit is just sitting on the inside of you saying, “if only you would speak to me and ask for my direction you would understand that there’s nothing good outside of me”. So, I encourage you to turn your phone off, turn off the music, turn down the radio or TV, bring out your physical Bible and talk to the Lord and watch Him talk back to you. I have so much to say but I would stop here.

PRAYER POINT: Sweet Holy Spirit forgive me for ignoring your voice, teach me to sit quietly and listen to you speak for your word is a lamp unto my feet. Help me hunger and thirst for you more than I do for social media or attention or physical things. For in Jesus precious name I pray. Amen.

SIN? Nahhh Not Today Satan, Not Ever!

"There are three different scenarios when it comes to believers and sin. First, there are professing believers who overlook sin because of hardened hearts. Second there are professing Christians who believe the lie that we are all by nature sinners, that the blood of Jesus is powerful enough only to free us from the penalty of sin, but not from bondage to it. Then the third group- believers who are in a struggle to get free from sin."  Killing Kryptonite with John Bevere.

           

           

            That is an excerpt from John Bevere’s “Killing Kryptonite” Bible plan on the YouVersion Bible App. Wow, just wow! He completely had me at the second part! I used to be a mix of the second and third type. For certain sins, I felt I could only obtain mercy but not freedom and then for others I kept going around and round the same mountain asking God when he will deliver me! I hope to make this a very short piece of encouragement and I also ask that you read the Bible plan (Killing Kryptonite) on YouVersion for yourself.

            First of all, there is no sin too big for God. Your sin does not in any way defeat the power of Christ! (I got that from the PIA Tour! *whoop whoop! *) We all struggle with various sins, from lying, to sexual sin and to major attitude issues! No sin is bigger than the other, they all carry an equal consequence, DEATH. And by death it could be spiritual death or even physical death.

            Now, many of us young adults are struggling with sin and the devil has made us believe certain lies about these sins. Lies like you’re the only one facing such struggles, that you are no better than the sin you are committing, that God’s mercy and blood makes no difference, that you can NEVER stop that sin and the list goes on. These are all BIG FAT LIES. We as Christians are called to live a Holy life and we CAN live a HOLY LIFE. Why? Because we have God Almighty. The one who sent his only son to come die for OUR sins, then gave us the sweet Holy Spirit to help us navigate this world of sin! It all takes dedication and discipline. First, you have to understand that everything in this world is craving for your attention, and without clear understanding the devil can use these very things to mess up our lives.

            So how do we go about this? By knowing more about God, from the fact that he is a Good Good Father to a consuming fire. The fact that His mercies are new every morning, His grace is forever and His love NEVER EVER DIES. God wants us in heaven. He is not that mean professor that sets trick questions on his exams waiting for you to mess up. He wants you to pass the trials of life so you can have eternal peace with him in heaven. So of course, he will forgive your sin. He loves us too much to leave us in our sin, the question now is, do you love him enough to flee and abstain from sin? And by the way none of this can be done through our own power but by His grace! Again, he wants to help! So, ladies and gentlemen, your porn addiction, bad attitude, negative thinking et cetra, don’t have power over you. We can overcome! (we shall overcome by the blood of the lamb and the words of our testimonies, everyone overcomesssssss… Song title: Overcome- Jeremy Camp, please listen LOL) 

            2^nd Corinthians 5 vs 21 says “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” I encourage you to read the whole of 2^nd Corinthians 5! God sent his only Son to take care of our sins hat we may have a clean slate! Sin has zero power over us, we need to stop focusing our eyes on what we are doing wrong and focus on what God has done right through His son Jesus Christ. Stop glorifying your sin! Repent and purpose in your heart to have a sound fellowship with God. God wants a unique relationship with YOU, HE wants to speak to you in a way you will understand.  

            The world is so full of CRAZY DISTRACTIONS! From Instagram, Snapchat, and dozens of apps purposed to do one thing which is entangle us so deep in the things of the world. The Bible says to separate ourselves from the world and as believers of Christ we cannot afford to be entangled in the petty things of the world. (Bible verses you can find this: 2nd Corinthians 6 vs 14-18 and 2^nd Timothy 2 vs 4-7). You have a charge to keep, there is something God wants to do THROUGH YOU so it’s time to lay aside every weight that easily besets you! (Read Hebrews 12 v2 1-2).

            Living a life of Holiness and complete consecration to God is very possible. Please say this prayer.  PRAYER: Lord Jesus I know you love me, help me love you more. Help me be so focused on you that my will is to please you. Help me get to that point where your word makes me feel good and your fellowship with me becomes my sole purpose. Lord please bring Godly friends my way to help me walk this journey. All this I ask in Jesus precious name. AMEN.

Three Daily Disciplines

The Three Daily Disciplines.

As a Christian, discipline is a must for smooth sailing in this present time. Now I fully understand that we are saved by grace and not by our works. This is completely true but the Bible also said in 1^st Timothy 6 vs 11-12

“But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life- a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.”

            Emphasis on the word “pursue”. For you to pursue something you must be completely sold out to it. For you to run hard in faith you need to discipline yourself, it takes discipline to live a life of wonder, love, faith and STEADINESS. So, I have three daily disciplines. If you can practice these things every day, apply them to every situation then your daily walk with God will have more structure. In no way are these three points rules or regulations, I’d say they are guidelines to help us stay rooted and grounded in Christ.

1. Capture all thoughts: 2^nd Corinthians 10 vs 5. Now I know I talk about this all the time and I do because I believe that before you can win a battle physically, you must win it mentally. What does your mind say about that circumstance? What does your heart say about that temptation? Have you continuously allowed the devil to whisper all sorts of things in your ear all day long? Have you allowed him to continuously tear down your spirit, telling you that you are a big nothing, or that your sin is enough to separate you from God’s love? In this verse Paul is telling us to bring EVERY thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. What does that mean? That means that if that thought does not go in line with what God says, if the thought does not glorify God, if it stands contrary to the Word of God then it must be brought under and subject to everything God has spoken over our lives. So, next time when the devil tries to tell you your prayers cannot be answered because of what you did or said two days ago, you need to remind him that he has NO RIGHT to speak where your affairs are concerned because you are a Child of the Most High. You need to remind him that he lost the battle thousands of years ago when God sent his one and only son to come and die for your sins. Therefore, sin has no power over you and you walk in the light of Christ. 

2. Let your conversations be seasoned: Colossians 4 vs 6. “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you know how you ought to answer each one.” *snaps fingers* Our conversations, our conversations, our conversations! I had to type it three times to show how important it is. Let our conversations be seasoned with salt, salt gives food taste. No one would like to eat food without salt, it would be tasteless. So, what is this verse trying to tell us? Avoid having tasteless conversations. An example of a tasteless conversation would be gossip, endless chatter about sex, tearing-people-down kind of conversations and the list goes on. The MSG version of this same verse says “be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.” If you stay constantly throwing shade, jabbing and discrediting other people then you need to sit at Gods feet and CRY OUT FOR HELP. (emphasis on CRY… lol for real). The spirit cannot manifest in you if you continue speaking wrongly about others or if you constantly talk dirty. Let no filth come out from your mouth. There are so many other important things to discuss.

3. Pray diligently and STAY WOKE: Colossians 4 vs 2 “Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.” MSG. The NLT version says, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” Prayer does things confrontations cannot. Pray, pray, pray. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to remain in prayer. Commit everything to God, take all your worries to God in prayer. I remember what my dad told me when I told him I joined a small group in my church. He said “remember to do more praying and less talking.” I literally had goosebumps, now I understand he is not telling me to lose my voice in the group or not speak out but he is telling me that more impact will be made if I remain in a place of prayer. Prayer does things your “advice”, “reprimanding”, “confronting” will never do. Do you feel a brother or sister is slipping? Instead of throwing stones, and giving out “your opinion” lift them up in prayer FIRST. In that time of prayer, you would be surprised how God will open your eyes to deeper issues concerning not just that person’s life, but yours also. Lastly, pray in the Spirit. The devil understands English, but he is completely clueless when we speak in the language of the Holy Spirit.

  I hope you could pick up one or two things from this long write up. Lord knows I tried to keep it short. (I really tried lol). I pray that as you continue to seek God and live in the light, that you stand firm and completely unashamed of this glorious life that we were called to live.

What Are Your Eyes On?👀

What Are Your Eyes On?

"Lately, I've been swamped with school work and work." yes, that's the excuse I would like to use to describe my absence from posting on my blog. The real truth is I have been focused on irrelevancies. We should all be grateful that God is not man! Nowadays, we focus so much on unimportant things than things that actually matter to the kingdom. God used a friend of mine a couple of hours ago to bring me out of what I would call "Spiritual Passivity" (is there a word like passivity? Lol oh well—I just googled, there actually is!) 

So this friend of mine had me tune in to a live stream on YouTube, it was being broadcasted by House on the Rock. On this live stream I listened to Bishop Mike Okonkwo preach. What a blessing! Unfortunately the live broadcasted ended and I was unable to finish it. However I picked up a couple of key things. 

I want to be clear on one thing, we cannot in anyway EARN God's love and hand. Trying to earn God's approval will slowly lead to spiritual passivity. Spiritual passivity is when you are not sinning (at least in your head you think you aren't, because you're not committing any of the "bigger sins") but you also aren't spending quality time with God. It's easy for any Christian to become a passive Christian. You could work in church and still be passive about the word of God. So the real question should be, how do you stay on course? It's very dangerous when you no longer get excited when you study your Bible, suddenly it has become a chore you mark off at the end of the day. It is almost the same as being lukewarm. You're not cussing anyone out directly, you're not stealing, you're not treating people badly, but you're also not drawing true strength from the word of God. If you're not careful certain sins will start to look "not so bad" to you. I encourage you to use the word of God to drag yourself out of that pit. 

Bishop Mike Okonkwo said "don't spend your time looking for what to do for God, spend your time trying to know what he's doing". This statement speaks volume. We get so occupied with church and youth group activities that we slowly start slipping into doing it manually. Stop looking for God everywhere and actually pick up your Bible and STUDY. What are you so focused on? Business? School work? Relationships? If they do not spring from Christ then they are a complete waste of time. Acts 17 vs 28 says "For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.''  we have no life when we are disconnected from God. He is our source, he lives in us and wants to speak through us. Get you gaze on the right thing today. Everything in this world will fade away, and we seem to forget that this world is not our home! We are sojourners, put on this earth to fulfill a divine purpose. So many of us are busy seeking out our purpose like a treasure hunt when God already said "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and every other thing will be added unto you." Matthew 6 vs 33. Your entire purpose in life is to know God... hold on let me repeat and rephrase that. Our entire purpose in life is to know God. 

When you seek the face of God he will reveal deep secrets to you, you begin to see things through his eyes. Your gaze is no longer on the things that can fade away but on the one who is and who is to come. Be kingdom minded! Be about your fathers business. I hear you saying to yourself right now "It's hardddddd" and I will say this, God is the only way, see seeking him as the only option for true life. Decide to intentionally read his word and he will begin to come alive in you. Flee from every appearance of the devil, capture all thoughts and subject them to the word of God. 1stThessalonians 5 vs 22 and 2nd Corinthians 10 vs 5. Feel free to meditate on these scriptures. 

Side Note: Do not get comfortable in your sin, sin is a sinker. Flee from sexual sins and fight daily to overcome the vices of the devil. I pray that God gives us all strength to stay rooted and firm.

Song Inspiration: The Master's Calling- Green leaf cast (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)