Reflections

As we enter into a new year, the year of 2020 vision (the only year we’ll get to use this), I can’t help but be grateful to God for the gift of life, friends, family, health and many more. Through the course of the year, we all experienced ups and downs but through it all, the Lord brought us out stronger. In preparing for the new year, I thought it best to look back at some of our popular posts of the year and don’t worry, we won’t turn into a pillar of salt. First off, I’d like to say thank God for the inspiration to finally start my own blog and for each article that has been posted and thank you to all my faithful readers (special shout out to Champs and FemT).

We started of the blog with a post titled ‘Still Rolling Stones’. In the post, we talked about the grace of God. Just as a rolling stone gathers no moss, so does grace cover us and ensure that our sins and mistakes do not stick to us. Just as Romans 8:1 says: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. As we go into 2020, keep this in mind!

Next up was a post on ‘Capacity Building’. The essence of this post was about the need for us as Christians to constantly build our capacity in anticipation of the next level God is taking us to. After all, the bible itself asked us to study to show ourselves approved unto God (II Timothy 2:15). As we go into 2020, be intentional about building your capacity.

Next bus-stop? One of my favorite things about being a Christian, faith! The post was titled ‘Faith:the currency of the born-again Christian’. As we go into 2020, there will be things that will test our faith. Situations that will look impossible! But remember this, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you will move mountains (Matthew 17:20). The post was inspired by a message titled ‘It’s about the faith, stupid’.  Sticking with the topic of faith, is another of our posts titled ‘Sustaining Faith’. This post looked at the life of Job and all the trials and tribulations he went through. The phrase was gotten from a Joel Osteen devotional. When you are in the middle, that point between when the excitement of starting has faded away and the joy of finishing or winning, we need sustaining faith; to ensure we never give up.

Who is in your room? Weird topic for a blog post, right? This came at a time when I was experiencing writer’s block but we thank God for giving us a word through Pst. Steven Furtick on IGTV lol. This post looked at the story of the girl Jesus brought back from the dead. In life, people will always leave us or reject us but the most important thing we can do is to ensure that no matter what, Jesus is in the room with us. How? By letting Him in. He already told us, that He stands at the door knocking, waiting for you to let Him in (Revelations 3:20).

Then came the Easter period and with it, Easter turkey and a hot post titled ‘He is Risen’! Through the course of 2019, there are goals that we may have written down for the year, resolutions that we made and were never met, dreams that faded away for one reason or the other; this post is there to remind you that the same God that rose Jesus from the dead will bring every dead thing or desert back to life again. Go into 2020 believing that God has resurrected all our buried dreams, hopes and aspirations and trust in Him to bring them to pass in Jesus name. Amen!

As we wrap up 2019 and reflect on it, I'd like to ask: what is your perspective? Life is all about perspectives. This is one of my favorite sayings! Why? Because as we go through life and face different situations or disappointments, it is important we keep the right perspective. In 2020, as we chase our goals and dreams and hang on to the promises of God which are Yes and Amen, it is important that we keep the right perspective. Jesus is our Lord and Savior and not a single word that He has spoken will return to Him void. Keep this in mind as you go into the New Year!

As we go into the New Year, the charge is simple, remind yourself that in God there is no condemnation, have faith, build your capacity and keep the right perspective; after all, His promises are Yes and Amen! Happy New Year everyone.

Photo Cred: New Year

Actor No Dey Die for Film

In the immortal words of Brymo on MI2: “I be actor for this action film”!

This post was inspired by a message preached at my church (Waterbrook) on Dec. 15^th, 2019 titled Fearless Finish by Pst. Jerry Eze. For those of us that are fans of action movies and are also Nigerian, at some point in your life, you would have heard the phrase ‘actor no dey die for film, if actor die, film don finish’ (warning, this phrase was coined in the ‘90s (I think)); it simply means that as long as the actor is still alive, the film hasn’t ended. When you think back to one of the biggest blockbusters of the decade, Avengers, Tony Stark only died when the film was about to finish. Why? He still had a purpose to fulfill, a mission to complete.

Using this analogy, we are all actors (protagonists) in the movie called Life. And in this movie, just as in any movie we watch on TV, there are ups and downs, twists and turns, comedic situations, drama, horror etc. Despite all this, there is one constant, You, the actor! One man (who I can probably call the greatest actor of all time) that faced all these was Jesus Christ. He was born in a manger (Luke 2:7), grew up as the son of a carpenter in a town (Bethlehem) that was looked down on, stunned scholars at the synagogue at a young age (Luke 2:46-47) and was baptized by John the Baptist; a dove even descended on Him after He was baptized. His life was on the up and up until He was betrayed and bada bing bada boom, it took a downward spiral. Betrayed by Judas (Luke 22:47-48), denied by Peter (Luke 22:54-61), tried by Pontius Pilate, made to carry His cross to Calvary while people beat Him and spat on Him. Got to Calvary, had His hands and feet nailed (imagine the pain) to the cross and was made to wear a crown of thorns (Luke 23, John 19:2). This was as down as anyone can get. One minute He’s been hailed as the Son of God, had a crew of 12 disciples, next minute He was betrayed for money (how many of us have been there?) by one of His disciples (Matthew 26:14-15) and it was all down from there. Or so the devil thought! He thought that by killing Him, the movie of Redemption would end there. But like all action movies, actor no dey die for film! Just when you think the actor is dead, a hand reaches out from the rubble, you see some movement and BOOM! the actor pulls himself out, picks himself up, dusts himself, renews his strength and determination, goes after the bad guy and emerges victorious. When the devil thought he had killed Jesus, Jesus was just starting. Why? Jesus had a purpose to fulfill and until it was fulfilled, He couldn’t die or leave.

We all have a purpose in life and until we achieve that purpose, nothing life throws at you will kill you. It may make you sad, even knock you down but it will not kill you! Whenever you are knocked down or rejected, do like David, renew your strength in the Lord, get up and pursue the enemy (ISamuel 30:6-19). You will not only catch up, you will defeat the enemy and recover all. As we enter Christmas, the charge is simple, always remind yourself that you are the actor in your movie and all things work together for your good (Romans 8:28). You will emerge victorious!

Wish you a Merry Christmas

P.S.: Our final post for the year 2019 will be published on the 30th of December

Photo Cred: Avengers: Tony Stark

The Promises of God...Yes and Amen

Oh, I'm not losing hope

Cause I know that my God is faithful

Do you know that Your God is faithful?

All Your promises are "Yes and Amen"

The Christmas season is upon us, which means that a new year is just around the corner. In this instance, the new year ushers in a new decade. As the sun sets on the second decade of the millennium, it only feels right to remind ourselves that our God is a faithful God. As He once said, His words never return to Him void and whatever He says will be accomplished (Is. 55:11). From the dawn of mankind, God has been faithful to every single one of His promises. God once told Abraham to count the stars (of course it was impossible for him to do so) and He promised to make his descendants as numerous as the stars (Gen. 15:5). At that point in time, Abraham did not have a single child to call his own, yet God made him a promise that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars. Despite not knowing how it will happen, Abraham believed God (Gen. 15:6) and it came to pass.

I count on one thing

The same God that never fails

Will not fail me now

You won't fail me now

In the waiting

The same God who's never late

Is working all things out

Since that promise was made, God has made many more promises to us. One of such promises was that by His stripes, we are healed (Is. 53:5). Recently, someone dear to me had a health challenge. I remember getting the news and how downcast I felt. The initial scan was worrying; the doctors gave different interpretations to the results from the scan. In the space of 4 days, four scans were done, each with its own result. During this period, I reminded God of His promise of healing, glory to God, the fourth scan came back and all was well. The issue that one of the doctors said could not be healed was completely healed! Praise God! Unknown to me, just a few days to this, a song by Vertical Worship titled “Yes I will”, kept ringing in my head over and over again. On my way to work, I would have it on repeat; little did I know what it was preparing me for. During this period, all I had to do was believe, remind God of His promise, do what David did (strengthen myself in the Lord, I Sam. 30:6) and keep repeating the song.

Do you know that for every situation you are facing, there is a promise in God’s word for you? Search His word! Is there any promise God has made to you that is yet to come to pass? Are you aware that the promise can come to pass suddenly (Is. 29:5-6, AMPC)? Whatever the situation you find yourself in, there is a promise from God for you, all you have to do is search for the promise, remind God of His promise to you, hold on to it and have faith (Hab. 2:4, Heb. 11:6). All His promises are yes and amen (II Cor. 1:20), meaning He has answered yes and it is so. Even if that promise was made years ago, God is never late and a very present help (Ps.46:1)! He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8)!

PS: Before writing this post, I prayed to God for light, and in less than 2 hours, it came. God never fails!

Photo cred: Zammie

Song: Yes I will by Vertical Worship, Yes and Amen by Housefires