The Blood of Jesus.

There is power, power,
Wonder working power
In the Blood of the Lamb,
There is power power,
Wonder working power
In the precious Blood of the Lamb.

There are so many things that come to overwhelm us in this world that we live in today that without the protection of God over our lives we would not be able to stand. We are in the last days, and everywhere you look there is calamity, danger, pestilence, death, and sin. Even a Christian can fall prey to the traps of hopelessness that the enemy has laid out for people. We know in the Word that "the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10) and he is not willing to relent.

I can attest to feeling the oppression of the attacks of the evil one. There were days when it seemed like I couldn't make it and the more I looked around me, the more I felt like I was sinking in this dying world. Does that ring a bell? Remember Peter sinking after he had started walking on water? The suffocating feeling of helplessness, hopelessness and fear was unbearable. I was praying but even prayer felt like a burden. It got to the point where I constantly fought tears regardless of where I was. That's when I had a meeting with a very wise woman at my church, and she reminded me of the Blood of Jesus. From then on I have been pleading the Blood daily and I have watched as God's power subdued the attacks of the enemy.

You may say what has the Blood of Jesus got to do with anything. If you are a Christian, Jesus shed His innocent blood for your sake so that you can have forgiveness, deliverance and protection. There are two things I want to point out in the Word that let us know that blood is important. The first is the instance where God told the Israelites to smear the blood of a lamb with no blemish on their doorposts so that when the angel of death comes to attack the Egyptians, it will not come near them. If the blood of a lamb could be used in that manner, how much more the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God. Secondly, innocent blood shed is intercession before God. When the blood of Abel was shed, the Bible tells us that the blood cried out to God for vengeance. How much more will the Blood of Jesus make intercession for us?

Today, no matter what you may be going through know this: the Blood that Jesus shed for you on Calvary is well able to make you an overcomer.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (Revelation 12:11)

--image from virtuousplanet.com

Moving On...

They say old habits die hard. I think we can say old affections also die hard.
Just recently I had to deal with the old affections of my heart. I really thought I had forgotten them, killed them, buried them, never to see them again. But that was only a dream. A delusion of some sort. They didn't go away, they had only morphed into something else.

In case you're wondering, I'm talking about those fantasies, dreams of the type of man I always thought I'd end up with. I'm talking about the impressions old boyfriends and crushes have left on me. I think every daughter of Eve have them to some degree. I surely got my fair share of them. I fantasied and day-dreamt. I panted and crushed hard. I was border-line chasing these crushes if it came to it. As for the old flames, we were through but as with any experience we have in life, they inevitably left an impression on me. so what does a girl do with all these when she meets a great guy who wants to pursue marriage with her?

What I did was to just bury them alive. I just shoved them deep somewhere within my soul without asking God for help on what to do. The crazy thing is that these suckers know how to change appearance and come back to life so you won't even suspect. It starts out innocent but it's the little foxes I tell you! So instead of guarding my heart, I start to indulge in a little conversation here with a guy I had feelings for, or just a little imagination of what my life would have been without Mr. And that's how it starts. Until one day I'm on the verge of ruining a really good work that God is doing in my life.

Proverbs 14:1 teaches us that a wise woman builds her home but a foolish woman tears it down. I certainly was walking in the footsteps of the foolish woman by not watching what I dwell on. So what did I do? I asked God for help. What was the answer? Die to yourself. Check this verse out:

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives." John 12:24

So if I want a new life that will produce a plentiful harvest of new lives, I have to forget what is behind, die to myself and reach for what is ahead. What is your story?

A True Father

---Excerpt from Fathered by God by John Eldredge

Jesus kept coming back to this central issue, over and over, driving at it in his teachings, his parables, his penetrating questions. If you look again, through the lens that most of us feel fundamentally fatherless, I think you'll find it very close indeed to the center of Jesus' mission. "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?" (Matt. 7:9-10 NIV). Well? We rush ahead to the rest of the passage, but I think Jesus is asking us a real question and he wants a real answer. I expect he paused here, his penetrating, compassionate eyes scanning the listeners before him. Well? I hesitate. I guess you're right. I wouldn't, and apart from the exceptionally wicked man, I can't think of any decent father-even if he is self absorbed-who would do such a thing. Jesus continues, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (v. 11 NIV).

He is trying to speak to our deepest doubt about the universe.

Look at the birds of the air. Consider the lilies in the field. Are you not much more valuable to your true Father than they? (Matt 6:26, 28). Hmmm. I'm not sure how to answer. I mean, of course, there's the "right" answer. And then there is the wound in our hearts toward fatherhood, and there is also the way our lives have gone. "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?" (Matt. 18:12 NIV). Yet another question, pressing into the submerged fears in our hearts, another question wanting another answer. Well? Wouldn't he? "And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost" (vv. 13-14 NIV).Wherever you are in your ability to believe it at this moment in your life, at least you can see what Jesus is driving at. You have a good Father. He is better than you thought. He cares. He really does. He's kind and generous. He's out for your best.

All In God's Timing (Part 7)

Labake had to call Toke. There was just so much to catch up on, it had been a while since she spoke to her girlfriend. However, before she can do that she has to run a few errands. It's Saturday morning and she really doesn't feel like driving around town trying to do this and that. All she really wants to do is to curl up on her bed and gist with Toke. That would just have to wait. Right now, she has to: clean up the house (now that her mother is around), go to the post office, stop at the bank, and pick up groceries. Not a lot of things but very time consuming. Good thing she didn't make plans for this evening because she sure needs her rest. Speaking of plans, didn't she agree to go on a date with Osa?! She has nothing to wear! Didn't she realize that before agreeing to go out with a man, a prince for that matter. Oh brother! Now she has to add going to the department store to her list of things to do. And with that she dragged herself out of bed.

"Ah Akanke, you're awake? You children of nowadays sleep for long hours!" That was the first thing her mother said to her as she came into the kitchen. The woman was all showered and dressed for the day. She even had breakfast started. How does she do it?
"Mom, you always wake up early. It's only 9am!"
"Ok, I'll give you that one because it's Saturday. Will you like to eat?"
"Oh not now mom, I need to get to the bank before 12, and I still have to clean the house and do other things. What did you make?"
"I made ogi and akara. Enough of all this your onyibo food. See if you had woken up earlier you would have time to join me."
"Ah maami! I'm going to clean. see you in a bit."

The day rushed by and it was 3pm before she could settle on the couch with a hot bowl of amala and ewedu soup. It's such a blessing to have her mom around to make home-made Nigerian meals for her. She reached over to the side table and grabbed the cordless phone. Time to call Toke.
At the second ring, Toke answered.
"Ore, what's up?"
"hey love, I'm good o. Just trying not to let my mother drive me nuts. I love that woman though!"
Toke laughed. "You and your mother! I wish my mom would visit. The woman is too busy."
"Toke guess what."
"What?"
Labake giggled. "That was a brilliant answer. Why do we even say that. Anyway, Prince Osa asked me out on a date!"
"Whaaaat?! You're kidding right?"
"Why would I?"
"Wow, when and where?"
"Well, it's this coming Tusday evening. He's coming here."
"Omg, do you have an outfit?"
"Yea, I found something at the store, but I think I'll need help with the look."
"Don't worry I got this. Since I have to see momsie anyway, I'll stop by your place on Tuesday after work. I'll probably leave work early."
"Aww you don't have to... "
"Abeg the work go be alright."
"Aww ok... thank you Toksy... you're the best."
"You're welcome darling. Listen, let me run... I'll call you later ok?"
"Yeah sure no problem. Later love."
"Bye." click.

She really didn't know what to make of this date situation. Should she be excited or should she not be? She didn't want to get her hopes high just to have them crashing down again like many times before. Which is the main reason why she refuses to discuss it with her mother. That would only make matters worse. Her mother would be expecting a proposal immediately after the date meanwhile the man may not even be that into her. What is it with her? Why can't she be like Toke, who had all the men wrapped around her finger? Why can't someone just sweep her off her feet?

Those nutty things called relationships.

(image from: blog.thoughtpick.com)

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
...
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
-Romans 12:2, 9-10.

The verses above encourage us to not live our lives according to the pattern and culture of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then the author goes on to tell us that our love must be sincere. I'm sure you're getting my drift here. When we look around the world there'e so much hatred, bitterness, and truly the love of many has waxed cold. Even in my life. I allowed the enemy to come in and sow seeds of strife and bitterness that just sunk in and took deep roots. It took an emotional outburt on my part for me to realize how deep I had allowed this thing to grow.

See the enemy loves stife in the body of Christ, the more he cause disunity, the harder it is for us to walk in the fullness of what God has for us. In verse 2 it says, "then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is." When we're walking in strife we can't say we know God's heart because in His heart there is no hatred, no malice and no strife. Remember that admonishment that says, "Oh how wonderful and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity?" When we dwell in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ that is when the anointing and grace of God can truly flow down. Too many times do ministries break down because someone started a rumor and then the seed of deception and strife spreads, leaving many wounded and bitter.

God wants to do an awesome work in His body in these last days. I believe that we would be able to access some mighty breakthroughs spiritually in these last days even as in the natural many things that people thought would never happen are happening. However, to get to that place of knocking down obstacles and claiming the victory, the whole body of Christ has to be united in the effort. Every joint has to supply without murmuring or complaining. Enough of the bickering and back-biting. But this we should do: "Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer." (Romans 12:12)

Fathered by God.

As I type this post, I'm listening to a sermon about walking with the Father and getting our joy. The preacher said something that just stuck with me and reminded me that I'd been wanting to write about being fathered by God. He said, "busy-ness is the pain-killer of an orphaned soul." Very profound statement. Plainly speaking, this statement means that when a person is so busy they are only using that to deal with not having a relationship with Father God. I've been there.

Most of us, at some point in our journeys with God we're in the stage of being a servant to God. Either we're there when we first got born again or we got there after years of being in the Kingdom. You may ask is it possible to be born again and not have a relationship with the Father? The answer is an alarming yes. It is very possible. Often times people understand the concept of Jesus as Savior, as Lord, as our way to Heaven. We know He is Almighty, we know He is great and powerful and mighty to save but a lot of times most of us don't know how to deal with the reality of Him being our daddy.

Do you know it is possible to be in a family with both parents and not have a relationship with the father? Sure, he's your father, you're a product of his seed, you even look like him. He clothes you and feeds you, he disciplines you makes sure you have what it takes to stand on your own two feet but one thing is lacking. The thing lacking is relationship. That place of knowing your father intimately and him knowing you intimately. Where your relationship with him doesn't hinge upon whether you performed well in school or not, or whether you played really well on the field. You just enjoy your father and there's nothing he can ever do to make you doubt his love for you, and there's nothing you can ever do to make him stop loving you.

Now take that concept and apply it to God and multiply that by a gazillion. If you're like me you know it's hard because the standard of fatherhood the world has shown is really not that great. We live in a broken world where not everyone had a father figure so for many it's very difficult having a heavenly father. The good news is that it is very possible to be fathered by God. The thing is, He's already been waiting for us we just need to reach out to Him. Each person's relationship with Father God will be different just as my earthly father relates to his children differently. But know this: He cares soo deeply and He loves us more than we can ever understand.

Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, I call you friends." Let's be sons of God, and not only that, let's be friends.

>>> Have you ever struggled with being fathered by God?

Reflections

Hello Blogville!

Please forgive me for my hiatus. There's been soo much going on that kept me away from you. First it was the fact that I felt that I had nothing to share then it was the ban on all non work related use of the internet at work. Today though, I just had to come here by hook or by crook. I can't say I have a word from the Lord for you, so please bear with me.

So a week ago on May 11th it was birthday. My birthday cake had 3 candles on it so I am three years old if you need to know. I got a really nice gift from my Mr. God bless him! I took the day off and spent the first waking moments with the Giver of Life to reflect on how far He's brought me. And even now I'm still on the reflecting train. God has been so awesome to me. I remember times that I honestly thought I wouldn't make it through. That my dreams were nothing more than vapor that will pass away and I will be left with nothing. Through my fears, He's held me in the palm of His mighty Hands, proving to me that He is the keeper of all my dreams.

I reflect on how I used to be and how I'm not that way any more because I have new life in me now. The things I struggled with no longer have me bound, not that I'm perfect but because I now have the choice to not be bound. I can choose in the freedom that He shed His blood for.

I can go on and on, but I won't make your eyes sore from reading. The main thing is that He has brought me from a mighty long way. What about you? Where has He brought you from?