WILLING BUT WEAK

I don’t know how long this post will be, or how it ends. This is just me, putting my thoughts into words. For your sake and mine, I do hope at the end of it all, this piece makes a lot of sense🙈🙊.

When Jesus was at His lowest point, and called on His inner circle for support, they failed Him…but that’s not the point of this piece -He said something to w)fa Peter which astounded me, and got me thinking paaaa…He said “watch and pray, lest ye fall into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

I have read that portion countless times, and thought about it small bi,but it has never made me think paaa.

This is what got me thinking…so many portions of scripture tell us to live our lives in such a way that the flesh is weakened. So if the flesh is already weak,and the spirit too is willing on top, then what again? Why is there a need to watch and pray anti-temptation prayers, and what do those prayers bring to the table?

It took a couple of days and the teaching of the Holy Spirit, but this is what I learnt:

Let me pause here for a disclaimer…Please ooo, this is what I LEARNT. It’s okay if you disagree, please feel free to share your thoughts. There may be more answers, and by this I do not in anyway claim to know it all.

Okay,back to what I learnt…
There is a difference between will and strength. If you doubt me, ask bro. Sampson how he felt when he wanted to escape but couldn’t, after sister Delilah had them cut his hair.

The weakness of the flesh doesn’t mean it takes second place to a willing spirit…yeah, the flesh is that powerful. Why do you think we are entreated to flee youthful lusts and other temptations? Me thinks no matter how willing your spirit is, it will always succumb to your weak flesh. Unless of course, you empower and strengthen your spirit. That is where the prayer bit sets in.

Depending on the fervency and intensity of your prayer life, you know that prayer fills you with some strength bi. If you haven’t experienced some before, call on the Holy Spirit to help you out there. He is exceptionally good at it… I ask him for help all the time, cos I have a lot of work to do in that department.

Why then did Jesus not just say “pray”, but said “watch and pray?” Because it is very easy to pray amiss. If prayer is supposed to build your spiritual muscle, you gotta watch so you build muscle I the right place, at the right time, in the right place. Not everyone falls for the same temptation. We have different weaknesses, and our weaknesses can be indications of the temptations that come our way ( ref: James 1:13-14).

The devil will not tempt you with things that don’t appeal to you ooo…no no no no no! He will bring the one that will make you engage in a monologue..”to do, or not to do; that is the question.”

The devil is SEEking whom he may find and devour. If he is looking for you, you should also be looking for ways and means to dodge him. How? By not being ignorant of his devices. How? By praying that you see all his attempts at getting you in some corner, after which he will sing “mi trap no akye beela.” Rather, you can escape and sing “mi di mi nsa aw) bonsam ani” 😂😂.

The bible teaches us to pray that we be led not into temptation, and informs us that in the presence of temptation, there will be a way of escape. That escape is for us to be able to endure it ooo, not to escape it (ref: 1Cor 10:13).
While we endure, we are assured that God’s strength (which works on our spirit) will be made perfect in our weakness ( of our flesh).

In our Christian walk, temptations will come- no two ways about that. It takes more than a willing spirit to resist temptations. The willing spirit must be strong, and the spirit is strengthened through prayer.

How is your prayer life? If you just pray for the sake of praying, you might end up building muscle in all the wrong places. Call on the spirit of God to strengthen your inner man…Shalom.

 

 

w)fa: The word for “uncle” in some Ghanaian languages

SOLDIER ON!

The first quarter of the year is gone. For many people, the future looks 🤷🤷.
As children of God, we take solace in the fact that God has “got” us, even if it doesn’t look like it. Someone shared this pic with me, I’m sharing it with y’all. Picture it as the road you are on now. May these lessons help you on your journey.

1. STRAIGHT DOESN’T MEAN SMOOTH
You can draw a straight line from the start to finish, doesn’t mean the road in-between will be level. There will be lows and highs, but He is still leading through it all

2. IT MIGHT GET LONELY N QUIET
We all have different paths God has called us to. If you decide to follow the masses rather than God, the masses will be fulfilled, and you will be complaining about how God has helped people and your life seems not to be going anywhere. It’s going somewhere…just not where God wants you to be

3. NOT EVERY GOOD THING IS A GOD THING.
The green grass and trees look more lush and comfy than the road…if you decide to go and follow lush, you will get lost. Little is much when God is in it. Of what use are lush resources when you are lost and trying to find your way? But the little bread and water you have for your journey, if you stay the course, will satisfy like Elisha was satisfied…and who knows what would be waiting at the end? Perhaps, a deed giving you the land, and a map showing you how to work in and through the lush. But first things first, else what should have been a blessing becomes an albatross

So don’t lose hope… Stay the course. Remember, God has “gat” you. He knows the end from the beginning. He doesn’t promise a stress-free, problem-free, pain-free journey… He does promise to be with you EVERY step of the way. You are greatly loved!

If my people…

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.
2 Chronicles 7:14‭-‬16 NLT
http://bible.com/116/2ch.7.14-16.NLT

A) what does it mean to be “God’s people”, and what does it mean to be called by His name?

He is our Lord, and we are His followers. We are His offspring, made in His image and likeness. We are the instruments through which He effects change here on earth.
When we believed in Him, we were stamped with His seal. Virtually every title has something God related in it… Christian, son, child, servant, friend of God

B)What does it mean to humble ourselves, and pray and seek His face?
Remember the story Jesus told about the Pharisee and the publican? Sometimes when we come before God, there is a need for humility. We are who we are because of grace alone. We have what we have because of His providence alone. At some point in time, we must realise that it’s not always about calling things into being…we must seek the face of God and find out what He would have us do. We, we just have authority…He has the power from which we get our authority.

C) what does it mean to turn from our wicked ways?
There are so many things that we as children of God do that He considers wicked. Time and space nti, I will not go into ask that. I will say this much though. We are not the standard…our neighbors are not the standard… Your friends (saved and unsaved) are not the standard. Society is not the standard. God and His word are the standard. It doesn’t matter what the next person says… It doesn’t matter how relatively better you are than the next person. If God says it’s a no, then it’s a no. And oh, His standards have not changed, and they are not archaic either.

True repentance is not just about talking of what is wrong and how to rectify it…it’s about turning away from sin (wicked ways) and turning back to God.
It’s not enough to be humble pray, seek His face…we must also come back to Him (that and turning from wicked ways virtually happen concurrently).
We cannot continue to live in sin because grace abounds. We can not continue to live anyhow because Christ paid it all on the cross. Do you know how much it cost Him? And you want to treat His blood like a common thing. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God…turn from your wicked ways and come back to him

Hallelujah, we serve a good God. He is gracious, merciful and loving. If we come to Him, truly repentant, He will forgive us, and restore/heal our lands.

Kindly note that though the forgiveness is for His people (who confess) the restoration is for the land and all who dwell in it.
I strongly believe that if the body of Christ in this country would turn back to God, he would heal and restore the land and all the things in/on it. This is not just a call to pray for forgiveness… Is also a call to live right, according to God’s standards
While these words were said by God to Solomon in response to His prayer after dedicating a physical temple, they still apply to us, because we are God’s temple… He dwells in us. He says every word we utter, He will hear and see. He is paying attention to what goes on in His temple. Do you know that God is listening to all you do and say?
He says He has called you out, to be holy (set apart) for Him. To bring Him honour always (are you doing that?).
He will watch over you, because you are dear to His heart. But remember…there is a certain standard He expects of you.

To those who are not (yet) His people, no worries… He is ever willing to accept you. Just believe His son died (to pay the penalty for sin) and resurrected (to give you hope of reconciliation).
To His people who are living wickedly, this is a call to turn back to God. He is waiting with arms wide open
To His people who are living holy lives, keep up the good work and stay humble… It’s grace alone
To us all, remember…God loves us dearly. No sin is so dark that the blood of Jesus can’t cleanse.
SHALOM

 

Who Will You Let In?

Sin is crouching at your door, its desire is for you…               Jesus- “I stand at the door and knock. if you will let me in…”

Sin and Jesus are at the same place, looking for the same thing- access to our hearts.

There is only room for one, and we get to make the pick. Gentle Jesus is knocking, patiently waiting for us to open up and let Him in to dine with us. Sneaky crafty sin is crouching, waiting for a loophole to be able to jump right in, totally uninvited.

Sin is not just a violation of the 10 commandments. It is anything that is unrighteous in the sight of God. How do you know if its unrighteous? If you know that if God were beside you, and if you could see Him, you would not do it, then you already know- it is unrighteous. You may not be able to see Him, but know He can see you, and very clearly too!

It’s not a big sin, we say. It’s just a little sin. But big sin or little sin, all sin is the same in the sight of God. It will always cause someone to get hurt. We may know the hurt pseron, and we may not. Perchance, we might even be the victims of our actions or inactions. No matter how small we consider a sin to be, it will always separate us from God untill we come to Him in repentance, and that is where Jesus comes in.

He stands at the door, knocking, waiting. Will we let Him in? His desire is to dine with us. To give us life and hope in this world and the next. Christ’s entry is not only to bring us salvation, but to conform us to the ways of God by working in us to renew our minds and refining our actions. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we are conformed to the likeness of our maker. We are equipped with the power to rule and reign over sin.

Sin will destroy us, break us…but Christ- He will give us life in abundance, and make us just like He wanted us to be before the foundations of the world were laid.

WHO WILL YOU LET IN?

REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE

And Jesus said, “Remember Lot’s wife- Whoever would save his life would lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Sometimes, we try too hard to cling to certain tins in a bid to save our lives. However, the mere fact that we are clinging to those things spell our doom.

What could they be…?

… A certain paradigm?

… A person?

… A possession?

… A job?

These things may seem beneficial, but are they really?

There are certain things that ensnare us because we hold on to them for too long, and for the wrong reasons too.

Christ is always calling on us to let go of what we have, and trust Him for something better. This is not always easy, seeing He calls us into the unknown.

Remember though, that it is unknown only to you. To Him, it’s not unknown- hey, He knows the end from the beginning!

Trust Him…let go and let God, for perhaps, what you are holding on to is could very well spell your doom.

When you do let go, don’t look back. Challenges would come, no doubt. But don’t give up, keep on keeping on. Keep trusting the one who is faithful to complete what he started.

The journey between what was left behind and where you are going may be so rough that you may wonder whether it is worth it. But do not be discouraged. Persevere. Do not lose hope, for your latter glory shall be greater than the former.

Longing for what you have left behind may lead you to make wrong choices which may cut short what could have been a glorious story.

Don’t allow looking back and wishing for “the good old days” change your story from “what is” to “what could have been” – REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE.

No More Fear

Fear. That sickening, sinking feeling in your gut you experience when you don’t know what is going to happen in the future, near or far. Or that emotion you feel when you do know what is going to happen, but don’t know if you are prepared enough to handle it. Or that feeling you feel when you anticipate that there’s some danger lurking round the corner, ready to pounce on you. Yes, fear. We have all felt it at one point in time or another. 

A few days ago, I felt fear creeping in…and I was reminded of 2 Timothy 1:7, “for God has not given us a spirit of fear,but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” This got me thinking about how fear robs us of so many wonderful things.

Fear robs us of power and courage. When stared in the face by fear,even the most valiant soldiers become weak-kneed. It cripples and rids us of the power needed to face it head-on. Our seeming inability to react in a helpful way further increases the feeling of fear, and thus a vicious cycle is started.

Fear also makes us unable to love-not ourselves, and definitely not others. Fear eats away at our insides, creating a void which is hard to fill. More often than not, we tend to hate ourselves because of this void. With time, we start to love people less and less. It is common knowledge, it is close to impossible to love others when we do not love ourselves.

Again, fear robs us of a sound mind. Having studied psychology, I can say confidentiality that mental health issues that have a social rather than neurological basis can most, if not all the time, be traced to fear. The stressed people are afraid that if they don’t “do more,” things will not go as expected, and they are likely to be held responsible. The anxious are afraid that an unpleasant situation is about to occur,which they cannot handle effectively. The depressed fear that they do not have what it takes to move on because they have lost too much. Fear can rid us of these and so much more,yet it stares us in the face almost every day.

The bible is said to contain enough “fear thou nots” to last us the whole year if taken one a day. If true,then I believe God is so aware of the crippling effect of fear that He gives us a constant reminder to not  fear. Question is, if we are not to fear,what are we to do when fear stares us in the face?

The psalmist said in Psalm 56:3 “whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you.” One sure way to deal with fear is to shift focus from the object of our fear to the object of our faith,Jehovah. God encourages us to not fear because He is with us every step of the way. Like Peter, who was able to walk on water when his gaze was fixed on Jesus,but started to sink when he shifted focus to the sea around, we are also likely to sink and drown in fear when we shift focus from what God says about our situation unto that “fearful” situation. He has promised to keep us at perfect peace if our minds are stayed on Him. He has promised to uphold us with His righteous right hand. He has promised to be our comfort, our shelter, our defence. Most importantly, He has promised to be our God. If the creator of this whole universe is on our side, can circumstances, no matter how difficult, overtake us? Certainly not!!! Fearful situations are bound to occur, but when they do, we only need to remind ourselves that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind. We need to shift focus from that circumstance to our awesome God, and to trust that no matter what, even if it doesn’t seem like it, He has our best interest at heart. Fear tends to keep us soo focused on the what ifs, that we tend to forget about, and as such are unable to enjoy the what-is.

But no…not any more. ..NO MORE FEAR!!!

Dare to be a Rhoda

So I once heard of a story, I wanna share it with you.

A certain town had seen no rain for years. As a result, the people came together to pray, trusting the good Lord to open the windows of heaven and send some rain to their dry, parched land the following day.

The following day, everybody went out, going about their usual routine. Only one little boy stepped out with an umbrella.

Many people prayed, only one person acted like he expected an answer to a prayer.

Whether this story is true or not, I cannot say. I do know that so many of us behave like this…I do too.

We know that our God is a prayer answering God, so we do not hesitate to run to Him when we are in a fix. (well, most of the time, that is after we have realized that we cannot do much about our situation. We have made the One who is supposed to be our first port of call our last resort 😦 )

But after the prayer, what happens? What do we do while we wait? Do we even wait?

We have so many responses…either we keep talking so much that we do not hear God speak into our situation,..or we have our sights so fixed on a particular answer that when God is asking us to look elsewhere, to the answer he has prepared for us, we start rebuking devils for shifting our focus, or complain bitterly about how God has disappointed us(as if He said He was going to do something but did not)…or we try to help God to answer our prayers. Sometimes, we act like we have forgotten we prayed a certain prayer, and go about our usual activities as if we are expecting no change.

We hardly ever look to Him with expectancy, fully trusting in His ability to give us an answer that is best for us, at that moment.

We hardly ever keep in step with Him as He prepares us to handle the answer to our prayers, and so the answers He brings our way find us totally unprepared, and we get very very overwhelmed..

Here is another story…

Paul was in prison and the church came together to pray. They did not want him to be murdered, and kept praying for his release. As they kept praying, there was a knock…There was this girl, Rhoda…she heard and went to listen. She heard Peters voice, and went back to tell the church. “You are mad!”, they said…”It is his angel,” they said. Rhoda did not give up, but kept on insisting. They went to check, and true to Rhoda’s words, it was Peter at the gate.

My words seem to have run away, and I do not know if any of this makes much sense…in short, all I am saying is, Dare To Be A Rhoda:

When faced with challenges, run to God… He is the only one with the solutions you need

When you go, keep looking up to Him…keep trusting Him to lead and prepare you for your answer

Keep an ear on the door, so that when your answer comes knocking, you will hear and answer

And when you hear the knock, and you know deep down (gut instinct) that your answer is in, do not doubt just because those around you cannot see what you see or hear what you hear…keep believing, keep trusting, keep rejoicing, for indeed, your answer is in…

DARE TO BE A RHODA 🙂

 

 

 

WHO IS GOD?

So you are thinking to yourself..life sucks. You look back at your past..and perhaps your present… and wonder “why did I go through all that? Where is God? WHO IS GOD??”

I can’t say I understand what you have been through, because I do not. I sometimes wonder why God allows bad things to happen to people who have done nothing to deserve it. I have not come up with an answer to that yet.
I do know this for sure. God is a good God, in good times and bad. He is my most faithful friend, and He loves me in ways that blow my mind. Life is not always smooth sailing, but He holds my hand through the dark days and oh! what peace He gives me.
Personally, I think the question “who is God?” is fairly vague, because people have a lot of versions of the answer to that question (I don’t buy into the whole every religion is the same idea. God without Jesus Christ is not very complete, because it is in Jesus Christ that the fulness of God is revealed to us.)
The more difficult questions to answer are is God real?
What does having a relationship with God mean?
If God is as good as we say He is, why is there so much hurt and pain in the world?

 

My experience has taught me that God is more real than the realest thing I know. Having a relationship with God means that I get to call Him my very cool dad, because He really is cool. He loves, protects and provides for me in amazing ways. Even when I can’t see it, in my heart of hearts, I can feel Him..I know He is doing His “thing”.
There is so much hurt and pain because some people have decided to turn away from God and do things their own way. God may not always prevent unpleasant occurrences, or take away the pain, but He does provide the strength to go through it. It may not seem like it at the moment, but when you look back, you will know you made it through because of God.
To answer the question “Who Is God”, I would say God is this amazing dude who created the human race, and loves us soo much that even when we rebelled against Him, He sent His son Jesus to come and die for us, so that we could be reconciled with God.
God doesn’t promise a problem free world…at least not anytime soon. He does promise to give us the strength to face each challenge, and to get back on our feet when we fall.

 

I pray God Himself teaches you as you try to find out more about Him

God Bless

Finally…

Yup..I did it! Finally created a blog where I can pour out all my interesting thoughts…for future reference..looolz.

I look forward to unleashing the writer in me…talk about the crazy, the funny, the inspirational, the motivational, the kinda personal, did I mention the crazy?

Anyway, my thoughts are censored…at least they will be before they come outta my head onto the screen 😉 😉 , thanks to the Spirit of God at work in me 🙂

#andthebloggingbegins!!#