I remember the story of a man who lived a riotous life, with excess drinking, partying and womanizing. One day as he left his club at 2 a.m., barely sober, he got into his car and started the engine. Suddenly a dark demonic being appeared in the seat beside him and said, “I have come to take you, it’s time.” The man’s heart thumped erratically at the deep fear that filled him. But somehow he had the presence of mind to resist – “Noooooooo…..” he shouted and the demon suddenly disappeared.
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
He didn't consider his dead body
After school, I had a dream job. I worked hard at the ones I had at hand but I knew where I was going. I prayed and had the assurance of God’s promise that He would show up. He did and I was excited when after 2 years, I got an invitation to attend the interview.
I prepared for the d-day in everyway I knew how, but alas I fell sick one week before. I decided to attend the interview anyhow, because I couldn’t afford to miss such a once in a life time opportunity. As I sat before the panel, my eyes shifting here and there from the fever; I knew I was doing badly, as my answers to their questions were clearly incoherent. In the end I had to tell them I was ill, just to save face.
As I left the office, I screamed to God in my heart. “Why? God I prayed and you promised me this job. Such a golden opportunity and I had to fall ill and mess up. I have lost it.”
I was stunned, when the response in my heart sounded clearly, “Where is your faith?”
“I can’t bring myself to believe that anything good can come out of this. I have failed woefully, why would they hire me?”
Silence.
Somehow I felt much stronger, when I got home, so I decided to go for our evening home fellowship. I was late but as I entered and sat down. I caught the preacher reading from the book of Romans Chapter 4 and verse 19-20:
“And Abraham not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body already dead (since he was 100 years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith giving glory to God.
And being fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to perform.
No one had to tell me – That was God speaking to my situation. The interview process was ‘dead’ but God was able to fulfill his promise. So I decided to believe. “God, I don’t know how you are going to do it, but I decide to trust you.”
You guessed right - I was called for another interview and I got the job.
But that is not the end of the story. A month or two after I settled down, I got talking to one of my supervisors who was on the interview panel. He was curious as to my relationship with one of the interviewers – Mrs X.
Clearly I told him that I had never met her before the interview.
He didn’t quite believe me as he explained. “The reason I ask is - Mrs X stood her ground vehemently against every other person’s opinion and insisted that you be given another chance and called for the second stage of the interview. We couldn’t understand why and so concluded that you must be related to her.”
As he left me, I took time to thank God. He had showed me once again, that if he promises, then he will do it and he knows how best to.
I prepared for the d-day in everyway I knew how, but alas I fell sick one week before. I decided to attend the interview anyhow, because I couldn’t afford to miss such a once in a life time opportunity. As I sat before the panel, my eyes shifting here and there from the fever; I knew I was doing badly, as my answers to their questions were clearly incoherent. In the end I had to tell them I was ill, just to save face.
As I left the office, I screamed to God in my heart. “Why? God I prayed and you promised me this job. Such a golden opportunity and I had to fall ill and mess up. I have lost it.”
I was stunned, when the response in my heart sounded clearly, “Where is your faith?”
“I can’t bring myself to believe that anything good can come out of this. I have failed woefully, why would they hire me?”
Silence.
Somehow I felt much stronger, when I got home, so I decided to go for our evening home fellowship. I was late but as I entered and sat down. I caught the preacher reading from the book of Romans Chapter 4 and verse 19-20:
“And Abraham not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body already dead (since he was 100 years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith giving glory to God.
And being fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to perform.
No one had to tell me – That was God speaking to my situation. The interview process was ‘dead’ but God was able to fulfill his promise. So I decided to believe. “God, I don’t know how you are going to do it, but I decide to trust you.”
You guessed right - I was called for another interview and I got the job.
But that is not the end of the story. A month or two after I settled down, I got talking to one of my supervisors who was on the interview panel. He was curious as to my relationship with one of the interviewers – Mrs X.
Clearly I told him that I had never met her before the interview.
He didn’t quite believe me as he explained. “The reason I ask is - Mrs X stood her ground vehemently against every other person’s opinion and insisted that you be given another chance and called for the second stage of the interview. We couldn’t understand why and so concluded that you must be related to her.”
As he left me, I took time to thank God. He had showed me once again, that if he promises, then he will do it and he knows how best to.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
DON’T ASK HIM HOW
When you need a miracle, have you sometimes wondered how God will do it? Does your inability to see the how, dampen your hope and your faith?
The ‘how’ of a miracle belongs to God alone! God is eternally creative and is never limited by the how. He is able to come up with the right way, every single time; even sometimes beating his own records.
Yesterday, at evening service I learnt something new.
When the Israelites needed to cross the red sea urgently, God parted it – absolutely amazing and mind boggling.
When they wanted to move into Canaan through the Jordan, He asked the priests to stand in the waters on the shore and it parted again.
At another time Elijah struck the waters with his mantle and by the power of God it parted. Elisha didn’t think twice before he did the same thing.
In the old testament parting the waters soon became, no longer unusual.
One day many years later, Jesus wanted to join his disciples in the boat when they had left him behind. A narrow mind would have thought that His only option was to part the sea again; but that wouldn’t work this time because the disciples in the boat would have experienced some upheaval.
So Jesus did something new; - he walked on the water - and after numerous strides He caught up with them. He easily did something a bit more creative to solve the challenge at hand.
God’s power and ways are unlimited. Maybe if we start by having a bit more faith in his creativity, we could experience more of His power in our generation.
Don’t ask God how; just ask in line with His will and believe...
Romans 11:33 O! The depths of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.
The ‘how’ of a miracle belongs to God alone! God is eternally creative and is never limited by the how. He is able to come up with the right way, every single time; even sometimes beating his own records.
Yesterday, at evening service I learnt something new.
When the Israelites needed to cross the red sea urgently, God parted it – absolutely amazing and mind boggling.
When they wanted to move into Canaan through the Jordan, He asked the priests to stand in the waters on the shore and it parted again.
At another time Elijah struck the waters with his mantle and by the power of God it parted. Elisha didn’t think twice before he did the same thing.
In the old testament parting the waters soon became, no longer unusual.
One day many years later, Jesus wanted to join his disciples in the boat when they had left him behind. A narrow mind would have thought that His only option was to part the sea again; but that wouldn’t work this time because the disciples in the boat would have experienced some upheaval.
So Jesus did something new; - he walked on the water - and after numerous strides He caught up with them. He easily did something a bit more creative to solve the challenge at hand.
God’s power and ways are unlimited. Maybe if we start by having a bit more faith in his creativity, we could experience more of His power in our generation.
Don’t ask God how; just ask in line with His will and believe...
Romans 11:33 O! The depths of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
WHAT YOU WANT IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT YOU NEED
The 40 year old man was quite comfortable in his position. It was no longer a big deal that he was lame and he was no longer ashamed that he was a beggar. He no longer flinched when he sat in the sun and his complexion became increasingly darkened by the day. The heavier the rain, the better because it made up for the times when his people were too busy to help him with a bath.
His finances were improving by the day. Everyone knew God’s commandment to give to the poor. Everyone knew he was a genuine cripple not like some other frauds who pretended they were blind but were somehow able to burst into a sprint whenever there was a riot. His income was good; enough to support his wife’s earnings from her petty trading and enough to take care of their children.
Today, the sun was kind to him. Probably because it was the Sabbath, when men showed their pious side and maybe had greater access to God’s mercy.
He took up his position beside the beautiful gate and as expected the coins began to drop into his plate. He looked up and saw two men walk towards him. What grace, What elegance. There was something different about them. He stared but couldn’t place what it was. Well, all he needed was their money, so he donned his most pitiable voice, “Please, have pity on a poor needy man like me….
He expected Peter to put his hand into his pocket but rather Peter gave a command … “Look at us.” That sounded strange but he gave them his whole attention.
Hear Peter in Acts 3: 6, “Silver and Gold, I have not, but what I have I will give to you, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk…”
The rest is history; the lame man walked. His life could no longer remain the same.
The lame man expected money but received what money can never buy. He wanted a few coins but needed a miracle. He got one.
May we pray that God should daily lead us to find what we need and what will make a difference to our lives
His finances were improving by the day. Everyone knew God’s commandment to give to the poor. Everyone knew he was a genuine cripple not like some other frauds who pretended they were blind but were somehow able to burst into a sprint whenever there was a riot. His income was good; enough to support his wife’s earnings from her petty trading and enough to take care of their children.
Today, the sun was kind to him. Probably because it was the Sabbath, when men showed their pious side and maybe had greater access to God’s mercy.
He took up his position beside the beautiful gate and as expected the coins began to drop into his plate. He looked up and saw two men walk towards him. What grace, What elegance. There was something different about them. He stared but couldn’t place what it was. Well, all he needed was their money, so he donned his most pitiable voice, “Please, have pity on a poor needy man like me….
He expected Peter to put his hand into his pocket but rather Peter gave a command … “Look at us.” That sounded strange but he gave them his whole attention.
Hear Peter in Acts 3: 6, “Silver and Gold, I have not, but what I have I will give to you, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk…”
The rest is history; the lame man walked. His life could no longer remain the same.
The lame man expected money but received what money can never buy. He wanted a few coins but needed a miracle. He got one.
May we pray that God should daily lead us to find what we need and what will make a difference to our lives
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
God Moves in Mysterious ways
Never ever limit God by your own wisdom or your idea of possibilities. This story told by the G.O of The Redeemed Christian church of God is funny and insightful.
Pastor Adeboye has known poverty and his stories are not complete until he mentions the fact that he wore his first pair of shoes when he was a teenager. Meanwhile, this story is about a day in which he was hungry and wanted to eat something nice for a change.
He decides to pray, “Lord, I am hungry and I have no good food to eat. I am tired of soaking Gari…Pls give me good food today.” He hung the prayer on the hook of faith.
Sometime in that village afternoon, a young girl walks into his home with a basket????
She greets him. “My mother asks me to bring this food to you sir.”
He wonders aloud. “Who is your mother?”
“Mama Lagbaja.” She responds.
He is still perplexed. “Young girl, I do not know any Mama Lagbaja, you must be at the wrong place.”
“No sir. My mother asked me to bring the food here.” He argued with her for a while but when she insists, he backs off. It wasn’t unusual in the village for people to send food round when celebrating one great event of the other. “Put the food on the table and thank your mother for me, very well.”
Immediately she left, he remembered his prayer earlier in the day. “Thank you Lord,” he whispered. He drew the table close and examined the food. It was his favourite – Pounded yam with steaming hot Egusi soup and Bush meat. “God you are too good,” he murmured again. Within a short while he had savoured every morsel of the meal. He leaned back and soon he was fast asleep.
A knock on the door woke him. It was the same girl. She must have come back to collect the plates. But why the frown on her face….
“I made a mistake." the girl lamented. " The food was for someone else. My mother said I should come and collect it back.”
“Ah, my dear, that is a costly mistake. The food is no longer available. Please apologize to your mother…..
God works in mysterious ways! So don't limit Him!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Imitating God
Ephesians 5:1 – Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
We discussed this tall order of a scripture in teen’s church yesterday.
‘How can a mere man imitate God?’ was the question on everyone’s lips “He’s too Holy, Powerful, Glorious …”
But eventually we settled down to decode the scripture
1) First it is a commandment so it is possible. God will not command you to do something you cannot do…
2) “Dear Children” is at the end of the verse for a reason. We are called to walk in His steps just as a child does with the parents. True children don’t balk at being like their parents!
3) We have never seen him so how can we be like Him?” someone asked…. The answer is that he has revealed himself to us through
· The Bible
· What we have heard about him and
· Jesus …
4) “But we haven’t seen Jesus…,” someone else was quick to ask. “But we have read about him and we have full details of how he lived,” someone else was quick to answer.
5) And More importantly we have the Holy Spirit of God who is willing to live in us and – ; reveal God’s will, guide us into all truth and help us to live right.
6) The Christians in Antioch are a good example: They were so much like Jesus that they were called Christ-ians
Our Conclusion: We can pursue this commandment and live for God alone on a daily basis. We cannot do it by our strength alone, we depend on Him and the one who gave the commandment will also make it possible.
Stay Blessed
We discussed this tall order of a scripture in teen’s church yesterday.
‘How can a mere man imitate God?’ was the question on everyone’s lips “He’s too Holy, Powerful, Glorious …”
But eventually we settled down to decode the scripture
1) First it is a commandment so it is possible. God will not command you to do something you cannot do…
2) “Dear Children” is at the end of the verse for a reason. We are called to walk in His steps just as a child does with the parents. True children don’t balk at being like their parents!
3) We have never seen him so how can we be like Him?” someone asked…. The answer is that he has revealed himself to us through
· The Bible
· What we have heard about him and
· Jesus …
4) “But we haven’t seen Jesus…,” someone else was quick to ask. “But we have read about him and we have full details of how he lived,” someone else was quick to answer.
5) And More importantly we have the Holy Spirit of God who is willing to live in us and – ; reveal God’s will, guide us into all truth and help us to live right.
6) The Christians in Antioch are a good example: They were so much like Jesus that they were called Christ-ians
Our Conclusion: We can pursue this commandment and live for God alone on a daily basis. We cannot do it by our strength alone, we depend on Him and the one who gave the commandment will also make it possible.
Stay Blessed
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Faith is ...
Faith is when you turn to God and tell him how big your mountain is.... Then you confidently, stand with God, turn to your mountain and tell it how big your God is.
Stay Blessed
Stay Blessed
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