Dry Bones and Prophecies

¹¹Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Eze. 37, NIV.

The end of every year represents many things to different people. One constant across each person is that we use the end of the year to take stock of what has happened (achievements, failures, disappointments, opportunities etc.) during the year and plan for the New Year. 2020 has been a year like no other for billions of people and when taking stock of 2020, it is easy to see all the dry bones Ezekiel saw when he was in the Valley of the Dry Bones.

⁴Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Eze. 37, NIV.

But as we take stock, I want us to prophecy into every dry bone (loss, disappointments, failures, sickness, barrenness etc.) in our lives. The bible says we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony (Rev. 12:11). So I urge you to trust in God’s immutable word and prophecy into every dry bone. There is no dry bone too great for God that He would need backup to overcome. God has never and will never lose a fight. As Pastor Joel Osteen always says “God has not brought you this far to leave you. Just because you don’t see a way doesn’t mean God doesn’t have a way. Right now, God is working behind the scenes in your life. You wouldn’t be alive if He didn’t have something amazing in front of you”.

¹²Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

¹³Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.

¹⁴I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” Eze. 37, NIV

As we enter 2021, the charge is simple: trust God, have no fear, believe in His word and speak to every dry bone in your life. It will come to pass! His promises are yes and amen (II Cor. 1:20)! 2021 will be your greatest year yet and just as the Lord told Ezekiel, your hope will be restored in Jesus name. Your time is coming! Happy New Year!!!

 

P.S. Take time out to listen to the testimonies from the last Lakewood Church Sunday Service of the year (Start from 1:10:47)

Enjoy this song by Tauren Wells- Famous For

Photo Cred: YouVersion Bible App

A Christmas Miracle

Like the song goes in Home Alone 2, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Among the many holidays that exist around the world, the Christmas Holiday tends to come with a little extra on the top that makes it stand out from the rest. And why shouldn’t it? It marks the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of this world! His birth was a miracle in every sense of the word. Starting from a one-of-a-kind conception (Luke 1:26-38) to a one-of-a-kind delivery (Luke 2:1-7) that was marked with a heavenly choir! After the many prophecies about the birth of a King whose reign will never end (Is. 9:6-7), it was only right that there would be fanfare around His birth. This birth marked the first ever Christmas Miracle known to man.

The year 2020 has been a year with more lows than highs for a lot of people but despite the topsy-turvy nature of the year, it has also been filled with miracles! In the history of medicine, the Covid-19 vaccine is the fastest developed vaccine the world has ever had. In second place is the mumps vaccine that was developed in 4 years. The development of a vaccine within the space of one year is a miracle in and of itself! On a personal note, my Christmas Miracle is the fact that as someone that lives in a developing country that has almost no public health infrastructure, it has indeed been a miracle that till date, none of my family members have been infected by this virus. Also, many babies were born this year to people in my circle and to His glory, they are all doing well. Finally, after almost 3 – 4 months of dealing with De Quervain's tenosynovitis, I have been fully healed. When I think about these things, I am grateful to God for my Christmas Miracle and I know more are on the way.

2020 has been tough, yes I know. But you know something else? Your Christmas Miracle has arrived! The charge I leave with you is simple: Keep the Faith! (just like Mary and Simeon (Luke 2:25-35) did). And when it manifests, remember to give God thanks.

I’d love to hear about your Christmas Miracle, please share them via the comments section.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone and remember, Jesus is the reason for the season.

 

P.S. I live you with these Declarations for Everyday Living

Photo Cred: Santa

Be Strong....Keep the Faith!

 

Editor’s Note

Final month of the year 2020. As we close out the year, it seemed appropriate that I brought back one of my old posts (initially titled ‘Candy Crush’) that I wrote for a friend’s blog with a few edits. As I thought of the ideal article to brush off the cobwebs that had gathered on my blog, I stumbled on this. Considering the year many have had, it is easy to say “Cancel 2020!” but do you know that even in the midst of a crisis, there are blessings and like Pst. Joel always says: “your setback is a setup for your comeback”. So take a few minutes to read and be encouraged to hold the faith no matter the obstacle. Vitoria e certa, meaning Victory is Certain!

 

Welcome to a new week people! Thank God for being faithful to His word (Is. 40:8). There are times we get inspiration from God from the weirdest things. Well so it proved while playing Candy Crush. Being the OG that I am, I’ve always been prejudiced to people that play the game and dismissed it as a waste of time, till I downloaded it and played it. I’m still an OG! While playing the game, I began to understand the addiction behind the game. When you look beyond the surface, it’s a game that teaches you about faith. Strange right? Well the essence of the game is for you to crush the candy. It seems simple until you begin to encounter obstacles that are designed to make you give up! As I developed my interest in the game, I began to learn about faith. About not giving up no matter the obstacle. About holding on till the end because victory awaits those who do not give up!

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” II Chronicles 15:7 NKJV.

In order not to give up, you need to be a person of faith. Knowing that regardless of the circumstance, we will be victorious but until the manifestation of what we’re praying for, you must hold on. You must be strong (Joshua 1:9). You must faith till the end (2 Tim. 4:7). Remember, without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6).

As we go into this new week, the charge is simple, be strong and live a life of faith (Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38). Regardless of the circumstance, declare that you are an overcomer! Search God’s word for a promise concerning your situation, meditate on it and remind Him of His promise to you. The bible says that His promises are yes and amen (2 Cor.1:20) and He is faithful to His word. Vitoria e certa!

Stay blessed!

 

P.S. Listen to this awesome song by Travis Greene titled ‘While I’m Waiting’: https://youtu.be/bNVC_dLVDkQ

Photo cred: Faith

Kung Fu Panda

 

Who are you? Do you know who you are?

We are a chosen generation

We've been called forth to show His excellence

All I require for life, God has given me

And I know who I am

The above quote is the opening of the powerful song I Know Who I Am by Sinach. It is such a powerful song of declaration. 12 years ago, I watched Kung Fu Panda for the first time during a flight. When I first watched it, I only paid attention to the surface, meaning the entertainment value of the movie. I didn’t know the movie had a meaning and a lesson which we all need to learn. The plot follows the journey of a Panda from been a noodle server at his dad’s restaurant to becoming a mighty warrior and defeating an adversary that even his Sensei aka teacher (Master Shifu) could not defeat. Quite a remarkable journey if you ask me; the zero to hero stories we all like to hear about/watch. But what was the key to unlocking his power? He was trained by his master and learnt from watching his seniors (the Furious Five) but he didn’t come into his own until he knew who he was. The Big Fat Panda! He went from been worried that he was a big fat panda to knowing that he is The Big Fat Panda.

Scene 1

Po: How can I beat Tai Lung? I can’t beat you to the stairs

Master Shifu: You will beat him because you are the Dragon Warrior

Master Shifu: I can turn you into the Dragon Warrior

Po: How are you gonna change this, into the Dragon Warrior

 

Scene 2

Tai Lung: You’re just a big fat panda

Po: I’m not a big fat panda

Po: I’m the big fat panda

What changed in Po between Scene 1 and Scene 2? He entered a place of knowing. Turned out that the Dragon Scroll didn’t have any magical incantation that held the key to unlimited power. All it had, was a mirror, that reflected you to yourself. It was a way of saying in order to become the Dragon Warrior, know yourself and you will have all the power you will ever need.

As Christians, one of the ways the devil attacks us is by creating an identity crisis. That was what he did in the garden of Eden. In Genesis 3, the serpent created an identity crisis for Adam and Eve by telling them in Gen. 3:5 (NKJV): For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Unfortunately, Eve did not know who she was (Ps. 82:6, John 10:34) and as it turns out, neither did Adam; if only they had read the Minutes of Meeting in Gen. 1:26, they would have known that they were already like God because they were created in His image.

In our journey of life, it is important that you know who you are and never let anyone create an identity crisis. There is power in knowing who you are! As you start a new week, the charge is simple, know who you are. How? Read the bible and believe what God says about you and when next you face an identity crisis, repeat these words: I am a chosen generation, I am called forth to show God’s excellence and He has given me all I need, to do what I need to do. I know who I am, I am what He says I am. I am a child of God!

Movie Title: Kung Fu Panda

Photo Cred: YouVersion

Song Lyrics: AZ Lyrics

Declarations for Everyday Living

The Lord bless you and keep you

Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you

The Lord turn His Face toward you and give you peace

May His favor be upon you and a thousand generations

May His favor be upon your family and your children and their children and their children

May His presence go before you, behind you and beside you

May His presence be all around you and within you

He is with you in the morning and in the evening

He is with you in your coming and your going

He is with you in your weeping, and rejoicing

He is for you and will daily lead you in triumph

Amen!

Song: The Blessing by Elevation Worship

Lyrics: AZ Lyrics

Photo Cred: YouVersion

The Heart of a Champion

Editor’s note: This is an old article that I wrote 2 years ago (17^th July, 2017) for my friend’s blog MyssLafunky. During the One-year memorial service of my Uncle (Sgt. Dapo Tella) earlier today (via zoom), we talked about him and how much of a warrior he was. The Holy Spirit then reminded me of this post and I thought I’d share it again with some tiny additions. Earlier this week, I wrote about the need to Never Back Down and it’s only apt that it is followed up by a post like this. So read and enjoy.

 

This has been quite a roller coaster week. Where to start from? First off, hope you enjoyed our post last week? During the last weekend, there was a crazy flood in Lagos, Nigeria. One guy is spending almost a million to fix his car because he needs to buy a new engine. I saw it on Twitter and ended up going to the same workshop because I also had to replace something in my car. The cost of mine is like 2% of his cost but mhen, it was so unplanned I had to go to my favorite spot and step down with Coke and lime on ice. I also want to pay respect to Bradley Lowery, a young boy that died at the young age of 6 from cancer, my friend’s elder brother, whom I’ll keep anonymous, but was a Warrant Officer in the Nigerian army and members of the armed forces all over the world. Thank you for protecting civilians like myself. I’ve always dreamt of being in the military, an organization that represents something greater than myself and comprises those that I call the best of us.

What does it mean to have the heart of a champion? Quite simply, it means believing in our ability to succeed and overcome regardless of what our current circumstances may say. It is not an easy thing to do but as believers, it is what we must do. If you think about it, that’s what faith entails (Heb. 11:1-3). In order to have faith, you need to have the heart of a champion. Faith is us saying: I am rich even when the present circumstance says otherwise; I am healed even when the sickness is terminal. When I think of this, Bradley Lowery comes to mind. This was a kid with the heart of a champion. Despite the fact that he had terminal cancer, he was seen smiling, playing football, having a bed party and not allowing his sickness stop him from enjoying life and putting smiles on the faces of people. Our hero in the Three Musketeers, D’Artagnan is another person with such a heart and this is one of the reasons I love him so much. Even when facing the enemy with the threat of being overcome by bullets, you'll only hear one thing from him: "CHARGE!" There are so many examples in the bible of men who had the heart of a champion. One of such people is King David; a man after God’s heart. No matter the situation, he faced it headlong believing that he would overcome the obstacle. A bear came, no problem. A lion? No problem. Goliath? 

"Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God." I Samuel 17:36 NKJV

Imagine the heart of such a man, imagine what faith he had! However, even when we have the heart of a champion, from time to time, things will happen that either discourage us or make us want to give up. What then do we do? King David gives us a perfect example:

"Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God." I Samuel 30:6 NKJV

He and his men returned back to their city and their families had been taken captive. This is an example of when life gives you lemons. His men spoke of stoning him. Imagine being the leader of a team and you hear your team members plotting to get you fired. But what did he do? He strengthened himself in the Lord, sought God for direction on what step to take and went after the enemy. That is what is expected of us. Make lemonade from the lemons life throws at you. How? By going to the creator of the lemon, God, and strengthening yourself in Him. Afterwards, do like D’Artagnan, face the obstacle and scream CHARGE!!

The charge therefore this week is to have the heart of a champion (by having faith), face your obstacle and scream charge! Even when you get knocked back or rejected, strengthen yourself in the Lord, pick yourself up like David and go after that thing without fear. Never lose your fight! Never back down! Remember, fear is the opposite of faith. Also, as you face that obstacle keep smiling and enjoying life like the hero Bradley Lowery did in his great but brief lifetime. RIP Brad, Warrant Officer M. and Uncle (Sgt.) Dapo. Gone but never forgotten!

 

P.S. Wars come and go, but my soldiers stay eternal

Photo cred: Champion

Never Back Down

A few years ago, I stumbled on a movie titled ‘Never Back Down’. The movie told the story of a teenager who moved to a new city, his struggle to fit in and his drive to keep getting up regardless of the number of times he was literally laid on the floor (either by life or by getting a thorough beat down). Because He kept getting back up, he was eventually victorious. Like Einstein said, “you only fail when you stop trying”.

2020 has been a year of beat downs for so many people; job losses, salary cuts, cancelled contracts, strained relationships, you name it. But I’m here to say to you “never back down”. Why? The most straightforward answer is because if you back down, you will never taste the victory that is in store for you. The bible also says (and I love how the MSG translation puts it) “In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade (II Cor. 2:14, MSG)”. Imagine the experience of being led in a perpetual victory parade. When you look at the heroes in the bible, what stood them apart was that they never backed down even in the face of adversity. Imagine if David had backed down when he faced Goliath or if Esther had backed down when she had to face the King. They faced great odds, the kind you face when you play the Game of Thrones (“When you play the Game of Thrones, you either win or die. There is no middle ground”- Cersei Lannister). They didn't back down, stood strong and eventually emerged victorious.

At this point, you may be thinking ‘Sage, this is all well and good but it is easier said than done’ and I agree with you. As such, whenever you feel down, beaten, broken or defeated, do like David did: strengthen yourself in the Lord (I Sam. 30:6, II Chr. 32:7-8) and trust Him for the Lord is with you and has already fought the battle on your behalf (II Chr. 20:17). Last I checked, in the entirety of human existence, God has never and will never lose a battle. God has already won the battles on your behalf, He will give you beauty for your ashes and joy for mourning (Is. 61:3). The charge from me to you is very simple: Never Back Down! The best is yet to come!

 

P.S. As Pastor Adeboye said in his prophecy for 2020: this year will be a year of joy and victory. Victory after victory, shouts of joy after shouts of joy

Photo cred: Victory

Can I Get a Drink?

While listening to a podcast by Steven Furtick titled ‘Tired on the Inside’, a part of his message jumped out to me. During the sermon, he was discussing about the time Jesus went to chill by a well in order to ask a woman for a drink and it occurred to me that this was a question that had both a physical and spiritual meaning.  

Looking at it from a physical perspective, at different points in our lives, our body prompts us to get a drink and we instinctively respond by getting a drink to quench that thirst. Imagine yourself on a long walk in the blistering heat (the 45⁰c type of heat), as you approach the end of the walk, you see a familiar friend or maybe an aboki kiosk; you instinctively ask for a drink and you get your request fulfilled. The problem with this type of drink is that within a few minutes you will get thirsty again, after all, according to mayoclinic.org men and women require an average of 3.7L and 2.7L respectively of water per day. Yet, no matter how much water you drink, you’ll still end up thirsty. That was what Jesus was trying to tell the woman of Samaria at the well (John 4:5-26). In vs.7 when Jesus asked the woman for a drink, she responded just like anyone of us would. Based on the assumption that the requester was looking for water (H₂O). But when Jesus asked her for a drink, He was really prompting her to ask Him for a drink: Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:10, NKJV)

As you would notice from the verse, Jesus didn’t just say water, he said “living water”. At this point, the woman responded just like any one of us would, by asking where He would get that living water. She went as far as asking how there could be any water better than the water that could be gotten from the well of their father Jacob (John 4:12). Unknown to her, she had met the son of God and his question had a spiritual meaning. There are times in our life when we get thirsty and we long for a way of quenching it and in doing so, turn to the wrong well and drink the wrong water. All through life, we see people turning to all sorts of things to quench their thirst or asking the wrong source for a drink. And the water can come in many forms: money, porn, prostitution, alcohol, cocaine, weed etc. But one thing you would note is that everyone that drinks from these waters still end up thirsty. Isn’t that strange? If you want your quench to be completely sated, then you need to turn to the one who gives living waters and ask Him for a drink; and you know what? He will gladly give you a drink (Rev. 3:20).

As we go into the rest of the week, the charge is simple. Ask Jesus for a drink. Whenever you find yourself turning to the wrong source to ask for a drink, turn back to Jesus and ask Him for a drink. He will never leave nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5) and you will never be thirsty again (John 4:14).

Photo cred: YouVersion

You & God Are A Majority

I just realized that a whole month had gone by since my last post. I have a lot of work to do to make this more consistent and not a once in a while thing. I know I can do it because greater is He that is in me. The idea for this post came while reading my Joel Osteen devotional for the 7^th of June titled “Don’t Talk Yourself Out of It”. The devotional referenced the scripture about Jesus’s encounter with the woman of Samaria at the well (John 4:1-26). In the course of the devotional, there was a line in there that got me thinking “you and God are a majority”. As I thought of this, my mind went to sports, specifically the game of football. In every football match, there are meant to be 22 players (11 players per team) on the field at any given time. However, there are instances when one team becomes the majority; either due to a player injury after all the substitutions have been exhausted or the dismissal of a player (the more likely scenario). Whenever a player is dismissed, all of a sudden, the team with the numerical advantage begin to try to assert their authority in the game and exploit the other team’s weakness and more often than not, secure victory. Why? Because there is a mental edge to having the numerical superiority. Or think back to your days on the playground, the kids with the larger numbers more often than not called the shots on the playground because they believed no one would dare challenge them or their authority.

This was the situation with Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6:14-17. Elisha’s servant had just woken up from what was likely a good night’s rest, stepped out to do whatever it was that took him out and behold, he saw his city surround by an army of horses and chariots. In those days, having an army of horses and chariots gave you an instant advantage over your enemy. Now, based on his knowledge and understanding, the situation was lost, right? That’s when Elisha dropped one of the baddest lines of all times “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (Vs. 16). I can imagine the facial expression of Elisha’s servant when his master told him that. Was Elisha lying? No. Was his servant’s vision limited? Yes. And Elisha prayed for his eyes to be opened and they were and behold he saw that those that surrounded them were also surrounded by a superior force (Vs. 17). What do you think that knowledge did for his courage? Definitely bolstered his courage.

As we go through circumstances in life, it is important that we keep this in mind. You and God are a majority. Regardless of the mountain or obstacle, you and God are a majority. Even when life gives you a red card and you feel like you’re a man down, you and God are a majority. The charge is simple, never forget who is in you and that He that is in you is greater than anything or anyone that is in the world.

P.S. We live in interesting times and it is easy to get overwhelmed by the uncertainties and the insecurities all over the world but remember this, “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world”.

Bless the Lord Oh My Soul

As a new age beckons, I am reminded of the many times God has been faithful to me. There are times I look back on the last decade of my life and indeed it could only have been God. Like a friend of mine and I say “thank God say God dey”. For some reason, as I crossed into the final day before my birthday, the song 10000 reasons by Matt Redman sprung to my mind and inspired this article.

In this last decade, I have known the heights of success and the depths of disappointments and heart break. But despite it all, God saw me through. In the midst of my darkest hours, He was there. In the midst of my success, He was also there. Every experience I went through: be it working as a cleaner or as a newspaper boy in Birmingham City Center, was for a purpose. Each of these experiences molded me into the man I am today and in a way put my character to the test to ensure it was strong enough for the journey ahead. Like the bible said of Joseph, “His feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in chains of iron and his soul entered into the iron” Ps. 105:18. I remember the first time I ever read that verse, it blew my mind away. Not just because it pointed out the fact that Joseph went through trials and tribulations but that despite it all, he stood on the promises of God and in doing so developed a supernatural strength that couldn’t be taken away by the problems of this world. Regardless of the situations we face in life, remember that whatever the situation it is you’re facing, it is for a purpose and at the end of it will produce perseverance, character and hope (Rom. 5:3-4). Put your trust and hope in God (Jer. 17:7-8).

The charge is simple: Do your best to stand strong on the promises of God (they are yes and amen) and when you feel faint or weary, approach His throne (Heb. 4:16) and remember that He is a very present help (Ps. 46:1). Most of all, remember to bless the Lord (Ps. 103) for He is a great and loving God and His thoughts towards you are thoughts of good, to give you a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11).

Bless the Lord oh my soul! Looking forward to the next decade of my life!

P.S. Thanks to every single person that has supported me and never given up on me. I love you all

Photo cred: YouVersion Bible App

Hope: The Easter Message

This Easter finds us all in a strange place. One that nobody could have predicted as we joyously wished each other a Happy New Year. That was just over 3 months ago, yet it seems like a lifetime. Reminder, it is still the year 2020! In the midst of the doom and gloom of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is important to remember that there will always be light at the end of the tunnel. To never give up hope! In the midst of the outbreak, we still see news of people getting married and others giving birth. Through technology, people are using innovative means to stay in touch and keep their lives moving. I’ve seen two weddings that held online (one on IG and another on Zoom), a naming ceremony and two baby dedications. When you see stories like this, it warms the heart and encourages us to remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

This Easter period, we celebrate the death and the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ (Matt. 27 – 28). Just like it was, over 2000 years ago (since I can remember, for some reason, we all use 2000…don’t ask me why), when Jesus was crucified, it seemed all hope was lost. Imagine what went through the minds of His disciples as they watched their teacher, the man who had performed so many miracles, been crucified like a common criminal (Matt. 27:38)! At that moment, it was easy to give up, to lose hope; His disciple, the one we know as The Rock (not Dwayne Johnson) even denied Him three times (Luke 22:54-62). But like every good story, it was not the end (and as we all know, actor no dey die forfilm)! It was not over and on the third day, He rose again.

So as we celebrate this Easter, let us remember why it is worth celebrating, why it is a period of joy all over the world. The charge is simple, take this thought, plant it deep in your heart and make yourself a prisoner of hope: knowing that the thoughts He has towards you are thoughts of good and not of evil, to give you hope and a future (Jer. 29:11); knowing that He shall restore double what you have lost in this period (Zech. 9:12); knowing that the valiant right hand of God shall never fail (Ps. 118:15-16)! Keep living, just like those mentioned at the beginning of the post. After all, this too shall pass.

Happy Easter and remember He is risen!

P.S. This Easter, remember that God can resurrect that thing that looks dead in your life, it’s not over till God says so. God is not finished with you. Whatever it is, there is a resurrection coming! The best is still yet to come- Joel Osteen

P.P.S. Remember to obey all instructions issued by the government (Rom. 13:1-7)

Photo cred: Life goes on