Tag: Life

By Their Fruit…

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…You will recognise them.

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Before I say a word to you, let’s read these verses;
“By their fruit you will recognize them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

My question to you is, what will you birth this year?

And I’m not necessarily talking about new creations or ideas or businesses, but actually when the 31st December 2019 comes around, what will the summary of your character be for this year?
In the last post, we discussed how special this year will be.
We embraced the great news of 2019 being a year in which many things will unravel in our lives and bring forth purpose and meaning to our very existence.
We’re now in the second month of the year, (by God’s mercy and grace), and hopefully many of us are still working on the various plans and goals that we set for ourselves for this year.
I want you to think of those plans/ideas/resolutions, and ask yourself – how much of what I have planned involves God?
Reflect on your desires for this year and just check – is God at the forefront of all this, or have I left Him on the back burner?
Did I focus my plans around me, my pleasures and my will, or have I put God centre stage, for all eyes to be on Him, and for His glory to shine through?

 

When God planted Matthew 7:16 into my heart, He gave me a message for you and I, saying that in this year (and always) we ought to ensure that God shows through in absolutely everything that concerns us!

The King wants us to be intentional about showing Him forth.

So here are a few specific things this means:

(But this list isn’t exhaustive)

1. Our decisions must minister Christ.
That is, the things we actively choose to do by ourselves.
E.g. Abstain from sexual immorality, pay the correct public transport fare, obey laws of the land that others may commonly seek a loophole for, attend church more often, engage in more kingdom-directed activities (fellowships/bible studies/evangelism) (Galatians 5:13-26, Romans 13 particularly verse 6). The list goes on.
We need to take our spiritual walk seriously, align our will with the instructions we find in the word of God, and really cultivate habits and behaviours that will affirm our love for Christ, rather than do the opposite.
Going back to our plans for this year – I’m asking that we go to God and find out what He wants, find out how we can be used by Him for His name to be praised, find out what His agenda is for us in this year, and then ask how we fit into all that, rather than the other way round.
In being intentional about showing God forth in our lives, we need to actively set out to do, or equally, refrain from doing, certain things. These intentional and purposeful decisions will set us apart within our environments, and thus minister to the world that there is something different about us, and indeed it is Jesus!
Let us be mindful of our decisions; making sure that we’re choosing the options that will more and more display that we truly do have a heart for God, ultimately causing people to draw onto us to get to know this God!
2. Take up a voluntary task/charitable deed to benefit the less fortunate.
Matthew 25:31-40 – read it.
We’re 41 whole days into 2019 – how many of those days have been spent selflessly?
Often times, particularly at the beginning of the year, and especially if it wasn’t one of our ‘resolutions’, many of us get so stuck and fixed and focused on achieving these sparkly new goals, that we neglect the needs of the community around us.
We’re head strong, we’ve got the eye of the tiger and we really want to achieve all the ME goals that we’ve set, that we forget that we have a world of people around us that God has both directly and indirectly put under our care. This includes those we know personally and those we don’t.
Where do the homeless, poor, needy, and underpriviledged come in our plans for this year?
I’m asking that we go back to those plans and ask God where they fit in. Tell God that we WANT them in our plans, and that He should give us a mission to HELP those who are in need. Let it become a regular activity in our lives, by God’s grace.
This also includes those friends or family members that require our emotional, financial or just any kind of support too! Let us factor them in, take some time out to really be there for them and see how we can be a blessing in their lives, in accordance with God’s will.
3. Manage ill situations graciously.
Yep! I’m talking about our  R E A C T I O N S  here.

I’m talking about us never REacting, but rather always maintaining our Christ-like character irrespective of what is being thrown at us.

What fruit are we producing when we respond to unpleasant situations?

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When we find ourselves in that complex, conflicting issue at work, home or school – who are we in that moment when our emotions are flying REALLY really high?

It could also be in terms of personal trials, hardships, let downs.
We all face disappointing and displeasing scenarios in life – but my question here is in these moments – what and who do we look like?

As a representation of Christ, who is God, who is Love, and so therefore we are Love, I believe one of the key elements in our walk is maintaining our cool when things get shaken and stirred up. We have to remember to LOVE first.
God is calling for a consistency in us, which means that we keep our peace at all times!
It doesn’t make you foolish, weak or a loser to walk away from a situation if it means maintaining your attitude and not acting out.
In situations that test our emotions, be it heat of the moment type scenarios, or even longer-term difficult ones, we must remember that we are STILL children of the Most High God. We are still children of grace, who ought to speak with words seasoned with salt always (Colossians 4:5-6), build others up with our words always (Ephesians 4:29), and bring light into situations rather than darkness.

 

Now let’s round this up and makes sense of it all.
You may notice that in the verses we read at the beginning of this word, I put Matthew 7:21 on its own, even though it’s the immediate continuation of the preceding verses.
Well that’s because this verse is special.
It helps to put everything into context.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Often times, we speak of Jesus, but we aren’t really living out Jesus.
And essentially that’s what this word is all about – at the end of the day, will God be able to search your heart and find that you were intentional and proactive about really promoting the gospel and the things of God with your life? (Jeremiah 17:10 NLT)
When Jesus said ‘by their fruit, you will recognise them’, He was talking about distinguising the false prophets from the true believers of the gospel.
In the same light when God gave me this word and pointed me to this verse, He was asking; Are we really for Him wholeheartedly, ready to align our hearts with His will, and press in deeper, into His Spirit to get to know Him better? 
Or are we dipping our toes in and out of the water every now and then, and in fact masking mediocrity with colourful words and empty actions that sort of look Christ-like, but actually we lack a firm foundation and are easily moved by winds of the world?

Matthew 7:21 says ‘only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’ will enter the kingdom of heaven – therefore we need to go to God, and:

  • Seek out what His will for us is, in EVERY area of our lives?
  • Ask that He enables us to live a life that truly and genuinely shows forth all of His glory and goodness, where the focus is on Him and not us!
  • And ask that He works on our hearts and perfects our hearts, so that all in all, everything concerning us will birth fruit that show we are children of God, and the light of the world.

 

I pray that your fruit will show forth great things about you, and will display your true desire to walk and work in the perfect will of God, in Jesus’ name. Amen

 

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God bless you.

 

#ByTheirFruit
#HisTruthWithLove

Love With a ‘No’

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From a young age, for many of us, ‘No’ has probably been one of our least favourite words to hear.

Usually associated with refusal, rejection and denial – ‘No’ is almost always seen as a bad word, that stimulates negative emotions.

But have you ever realised that we can also Love with a ‘No’?

Did you know, that sometimes,

No can say – ‘You’re not ready’

No can say – ‘I want you to learn’

No can say – ‘I want you to grow’

And ultimately, No can say – ‘I want you to depend on God’.

Today I want us to understand that as friends/siblings/parents/partners – whoever we are to the people in our lives, we each have a responsibility of knowing when to say ‘No’, for the right reasons.

I get it – we would do absolutely anything for our loved ones, just to see them smile and just to make sure that everything is alright for them.
I mean we literally just spoke about being our brother and sister’s keeper on Sunday, and ensuring that we’re always there for them, so why would we now be discussing the concept of denying them of what they may request from us?
Well, what God is telling us with this post, is to ensure that we get the right balance.
Loving and caring for someone goes beyond giving them what they ask for all the time, but actually sometimes requires us to be tough and disciplined, in order to produce the best them they can be. 

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness
and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
[Hebrews 12:11]

Whilst this word can sometimes have negative connotations, what the bible attributes to discipline are good things like self-control, wisdom, knowledge and growth.
Therefore without making the other person seem inferior, our ‘No’ can serve as good discipline, which is important in order for them to grow and learn from their situation.

Now let’s be real, some of us will struggle with this.
Particularly those of us who have fallen into a cycle with a friend or family member who keeps finding themselves in the same situation as a result of poor decisions. Each time they cry for help, we run to their rescue.
Firstly, God bless you for your diligence in supporting them all the time. And please don’t entertain any feelings of guilt as you now read this post, but rather be encouraged and led by the Holy Spirit to know that one day you will have the strength and wisdom to say ‘No’, in order for them to benefit from the crucial lesson that awaits them in the midst of that circumstance.

Yes it will hurt.
In fact the bible already says it will be painful, and this can be true for both us and them – we may feel like we’re letting them down, whilst they may feel unloved/rejected.
But let us not lose focus on what really matters…

You see, though our intentions our good, we fail to realise that sometimes we may end up depriving people of the growth and development that God has purposed a situation for in their lives. And this isn’t at all a post to blame us, but it’s just to make us mindful of the fact that in some cases, we ought to take a step back, and let God be God in their lives.
Let them remember that they ought to always depend on God.
And rather than us trying to take over His role, let us ask Him for the wisdom for us to know when not to intervene, so that He can take control and His perfect will be done.

Looking at the verse again, it says discipline produces a
H A R V E S T  of  R I G H T E O U S N E S S,  which means that our timely ‘No’ can positively contribute to the building of good and proper character – a man or woman that seeks God’s heart, and whose ways are pleasing in God’s sight.
Whether knowingly or unknowingly, some of us have fed our friend’s bad habits for so long, simply because we haven’t said ‘No’.
With this verse in mind, we ought to make the conscious decision to refuse to encourage any detrimental behaviour, and instead be a light in their lives by saying ‘No’, in order to push them to break away from every practice that doesn’t glorify God.

Now I know some of you will be thinking, ‘But a ‘No’ from me doesn’t necessarily stop them from seeking help somewhere else, which could be even worse’.
This is where we remember the importance of prayer and taking everything to the throne.
After seeking wisdom of when to say ‘No’, we must remember to pray that they will receive the ‘No’ with love and will appreciate the training it eventually provides.
Most importantly, our prayer should be that they shift their focus away from man and unto God, and that they seek guidance from Him alone.

Before we go, let us take note of this for ourselves too…
We also must learn to be open to receive a ‘No’.

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but whoever hates correction is stupid.“
[Proverbs 12:1]

In loving discipline and knowledge, and taking into consideration what we’ve discussed above, when we find ourselves on the receiving end of a ‘No’, let’s first remember that this isn’t because the person doesn’t love us.
Let us be reminded that we should depend on God, seek His hand in every situation, and pray not to miss the lesson.

With the promise of God in Romans 8:28, we can be confident that whether we’re saying it, or it’s being said to us – the right ‘No’, will surely produce good fruits in our lives.

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.

 

#LoveWithANo
#TrueLoveSaysNo
#MoreThan100PeoplePraying

I’m Not Finished Yet!

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“I’m not finished yet!”

This ought to be our bold affirmation when we find that situations have worked ‘against us’ or ‘haven’t happened in our favour’…

“I’m. Not. Finished. Yet!”

So the other day my pastor called me over randomly and asked how I was doing, and by my facial expressions and body language you could tell I wasn’t ‘me’.
So I explained that I was feeling a little under the weather etc, a little tired etc, and somewhere in that conversation, we got to a point where, as pastors do, he began encouraging me.

Here’s a bit of the dialogue;

“When things don’t go as planned, don’t beat yourself up.”

How many of us need that reminder today?

How many of us sit and think over and over again about what went wrong, and dwell in the regret of not doing things differently?

Instead of reflecting on what has transpired and figuring out ways to move forward, we sit moping around with an attitude of ‘if only’.
We sit down in the dumps with a downhearted and let-down spirit, and rather than channel the thoughts we have regarding all the things we didn’t do, into constructive criticism for ourselves, we simply use all those faults and mistakes that we’ve acknowledged, to knock ourselves further and further into the ground.
We don’t realise it, but the only thing we’re doing at this point is paralysing and distracting ourselves from making our next move!

The bible says this;

“Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.”  
[Proverbs 17:22]

Another translation reads;

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Now understand this, not only does this verse refer to our physical health, but it is speaking to the health of all the different aspects of our lives too!
Our finances, our relationships, our careers, our education – whatever it is that didn’t go according to your plan that is causing you to think negatively – please look at this scripture and understand that your positivity, your joy and your confidence in the strength you have in the Lord, is what can revive and turn that situation around!
Your attitude has the potential to bring  L I F E  back into something that you deemed as being ‘all over’.

So anyway, this chat with pastor continues; he goes on to say,

“In fact, we have to be very careful that we don’t fall into a habit/cycle of self-pity; feeling sorry for ourselves.” 

And at this point, in my head I’m like ‘Yooooo pastor, I’m not actually going through anything sour right now, like I’m good!’ (Thank You Jesus), but at the same time I reflected back to my attitude and reaction to certain circumstances I had experienced in the past, and in that moment I decided never to do the whole self-pity schpiel again!

Why are you feeling sorry for yourself?

No, please, tell me why?!

We do it to make ourselves feel better about it all.
We figure that when we really really channel and fully assume that role of ‘the victim’, that it will allow us to feel better about the fact that the misfortune has had its way.

Do you know what, in some cases, maybe you actually were a ‘victim’, and maybe you actually did suffer from an extremely traumatising experience – I’m not taking that away from you, or daring to undermine your emotions.
I don’t think anyone has a right to say you’re ‘assuming a role’, because, in the technicalities of the situation, you were the ‘victim’ – by definition, you were the individual who was harmed by the other party, and made to feel helpless and passive – be it an actual person or an issue.

But that’s just technically speaking yeah, so let’s get to scripturally speaking…

Yes, you faced misfortune or ill-treatment, however no, ‘victim’ is not your name! Because the word of God says,

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
[Romans 8:37]

You – are more than a Conqueror!
Yep, I personally think Conqueror suits you better.

Another translation reads,

“No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!”

You – have  C O M P L E T E  victory! Because Christ loves you, is for you, and will ALWAYS be for you! (Please read Romans 8:31-39).

Therefore I plead with you to stop the self-pity, stop thinking ‘why me?’, stop asking what you did, or who you offended for such a bad thing to happen to you, and understand that what has happened to you has not been designed to break you!
It’s simply part of your story, to make the victory sweeter and to bring greater glory and honour and exaltation to the name of God.

So then pastor left me with this, and that’s why it’s the title of this post, he said,

“You see when things happen to us in life, you have to tell that thing,
‘Oh no, I’m not finished yet!‘ 
Whatever has confronted me and tried to bring me down has not seen the last of me. 
I will rise above it and conquer it!” ~ Pastor Stephen Akinmosa. 

I’m demanding that you snatch these words as your own and apply it when you need it!
Tell those nasty situations that yes, they tried hard, but they didn’t succeed!
Laugh in the face of that circumstance, flick your hair (if you have any) and with an ample amount of sass, tell it that “I [insert name here], am Not. Finished. Yet!”

Mate, I’m just getting started!

 

Keep the Faith Don’t Stop Believing
Keep Being Selfless #SelflessWeek #SelflessAlways
Keep Praying for our youth #MoreThan100PeoplePraying
And as always,
May God Richly Bless you and yours.

 

P.s. Yep, this is definitely a PFP 🙂

A Prayer for our Youth

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I woke up yesterday, and I could overhear my younger sister’s conversation.
I could tell someone else was gone again…

Immediate emotions were heartbreak, fear, sadness for the young boy’s family, but then it struck me that we can’t sit in silence, when God has given us a weapon – P R A Y E R – which has the power to destroy every evil plan, at the mention of the name of Jesus!

You see, the youth of today are often referred to as the future of tomorrow, because they ARE! But if their lives are all cut short now, there simply will be no tomorrow!

So this is what I ask of you today;
That you’ll stand with me and say ‘Enough is Enough!’
And I hope that you will believe with me, that as we connect our hearts and our spirits as one body to pray this prayer, that heaven will hear our cry and attend onto our prayers.

In Jesus’ Name,
Let us pray: 

For Guidance

Father Lord guide each and every one of Your children as they go in, as they go out.
Direct their footsteps and do not allow them to go where Your glory doesn’t lie!
Help them to be led by You, and to not be led astray by the tempter in Jesus’ name.

For Friendships

Every friendship that will lead them to destruction, Father bring it to an end in Jesus’ Name.
Help them to move with the right crowd and be influenced by people who will lift them up, rather than bring them down.
Help our youth in fact, to be a light onto others, rather than the darkness people are running from!

For Families

Every youth coming from a home that is troubled or broken, Father give them peace in Jesus’ Name.
Be the Peace that completes them and fills their void in Jesus’ Mighty Name.
Father though it may be difficult, please allow them to see their struggle, misfortune, or difficult beginning, as motivation to do, and be better for themselves, and for their own future generation to come after them.

For Education

Every Spirit of dropping out and giving up, Father we rebuke and come against it in Jesus’ Name.
School is not impossible for them, therefore we pray for every single youth we know, both closely and distantly, that You will enable them to always remain passionate about furthering their learning and broadening their horizons in Jesus’ Name.
Every limitation that teachers/professors/advisors may have placed upon them is broken today in Jesus’ Name.
And those who lack belief in them shall be put to shame in Jesus’ Mighty Name.

For Relationships

Father, we pray for romantic relationships, platonic relationships, relationships with siblings, friends, parents – that You will give Your young people an ability to love and treat others with respect.
Help them to honour one other and look out for those around them, whilst being led by You.

For Lives Lost Already

Father, we pray for those who have been snatched from us so early – whether it happened 10 years ago, or 2 days ago – we pray for comfort, strength, and peace for their families and friends in Jesus’ name.
We pray that every bitter heart towards what has happened, will be taught how to love again.
We pray that You will soften the heart of every person wishing to seek revenge, and give them peace and wisdom to know that judgement and vengeance is Yours alone.
Help them to hold firmly unto You, and never ever let go in Jesus’ name, for their true help, comes from You alone, Lord.

For a True Love of You

Above all things we have prayed for Father, we pray that each soul will run after You, long for You, and desire You more than ever before.
As they seek You, Lord, let them find You, and never let You go!
We pray that they will love You and be people after Your own heart.
Let them develop a relationship with You, and let them fear You and honour You with their whole lives.

Father Lord,
We trust that as our hearts connect with one another, You have heard our cry and have heard our prayer, in Jesus’ name.
We ask that the  T R A N S F O R M A T I O N  of the youth of today, across the world, begins now, and becomes a permanent triumph over the enemy in Jesus’ Mighty Name.

We pray that the helpers of our Youth, the people whom You have put in a position to lead the change and encourage Your young people, will never be discouraged or fearful or fed up in Jesus’ name.
We pray that those who are praying for our young people, and fighting for them to come to church, come to Jesus, find Salvation and so on, shall never get tired of fighting for their souls! We pray that You will keep a fire burning in them, that will never give up until Your work is fully accomplished, in Jesus’ name.

We pray that parents will no longer mourn their children.
We pray in Jesus’ Name, that we will celebrate our youth more, rather than grieve and cry over them.

We seal our prayers with the blood of Jesus.
We thank You for the privilege to even remember that we can pray and speak to You.
And we know that all this is done, as we have asked and prayed,
in Jesus’ Mighty Name.
A M E N.

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.