He’s not here; He’s Risen!
Happy Easter!
Matthew 28:5-6 NIV
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. [6] He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
Jesus, the savior, is not a dead man. He’s no longer among the dead. He is among the living.
You cannot find Him here, the angel said. Why?
Because He has risen! Hallelujah!
The disciples and those whose hopes are displaced initially now can rejoice the lamb that died is alive again. The power of resurrection brought Jesus from the grave. And now, we can live again.
Now, we have hope, not only in this life but in the life to come. We are not miserable people wandering this world, but we are confident that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead will work in us and quicken us into glory, and this world will have no place in us anymore.
We will live together with our risen God forever and ever.
Amen!
Talking to God Like a friend– there are levels
In my last posts, I made it clear that anyone can approach God. Anyone can talk to God at any time. You can use simple words and communicate your minds and feelings to Him.
God listens to every word, and you need not be careful to say what is on your mind when you go to pray.
Remember Hannah when she asked God for Samuel. She prayed passionately, expressing her thoughts and feelings. So, do not forget to tell it all when you pray.
However, there are levels to this approach. Different people approach God in different ways.
Some spend few minutes talking to God, and some spend hours and even days talking to God. God deals with individuals differently.
Moses spent days on the mountain talking to God one on one. Jesus often woke up early before others to pray, and Paul spent days praying, admonishing the believers to keep on praying.
The takeaway from this is that those who spend more time talking to God acquire depths of His understanding and His ways and must be respected and revered. The reason is that they represent God and are often His messengers.
Therefore, I believe it is foolishness to disrepute His messengers and shepherds.
If indeed they are called by God, they’re most likely operating at a different level than you are, and when you disregard them, you are simply saying that God, I disagree with what you are doing.
The way a one-year-old toddler communicates is different from the way a full-grown man does.
There are levels to talking to God.
Talking to God as a friend
God is not a mysterious being that you cannot approach neither is He hidden in a place that you cannot come near.
God has appealed several times that we should talk to Him. Moses was so close to God that he “saw” the rear back of God. He talked to God directly.
God is a Spirit which means He is everywhere because He is Omnipresent. Therefore, He can hear you whenever you call.
We miss a lot when we do not talk to Him about our needs and desires. We can talk to God about anything and everything because the bible says “make your request known unto God.”
You can use the same energy you use in whining and complaining to talk to God the same way you talk to a friend. He is near to hear you.
The Blessings 4.0
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
An incredible God, capable of doing incredible things, will perform abundant works in our lives abundantly because of His power that is at work in our lives.
Amen!
Peace–Evidence of right choices
When God created the world, He saw that He did the right thing. He saw that all He had made were good. He was happy.
The evidence of peace is not the absence of problems or chaos, but it is an indication that you are moving in the right direction.
We make choices every day and every time.
We do not need to experience Peace at every decision, but we need this indication especially when we make major decisions in our lives.
Sometimes, we just need to be at the right place at the right time. We do not need to make a decision for this to happen.
When you make the right choice, you can know. Watch out for the presence of inner peace. Yes, it is “inner peace” because it comes from within.
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
If your heart and mind are troubled, then something is wrong with your choices and decisions.
Sometimes, you might need to pray about it to God.
You also need to wait after praying because you cannot rush a decision after you have prayed.
Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.
At the end of the day and time, God might just drop something on your mind, and instantly, you will know that you are on the right track.
If you are on the wrong track, God may cause you to suddenly lose interest.
This is not holistic as God speaks to people differently, but Peace of mind is one of God’s methods of communicating His will to man.
Most of the time, it is in a still small voice.
The Blessings 3.0
Psalm 23:
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
The Lord is capable of taking care of my needs. He is the Shepherd, and I am the sheep. He will take care of (me) His sheep.
“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”
The Lord has the best intentions. He put me in the right, perfect place. I have the Right Placement.
“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
I am at rest. There is Peace because God is in control.
“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.”
I know I might have troubles, and there might be problems all around, but I am confident that God will not leave me nor abandon me.
“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.”
Do I need to worry about what other people think about me or my status?
I’d rather quake for lack of God’s presence in my life than the presence of a man with contempt.
“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.”
God’s blessings come to me naturally every day of my life. His blessings follow me.
Yes, it follows me.
Amen!
The Blessings 2.0
“So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take away sickness from among you. No woman in your land will miscarry or be barren; I will fulfill the number of your days.…
Most of God’s promises required obedience for fulfillment.
Although man likes to cut corners, God always has the best intentions.
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
“In his kindness, God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.”
Troubles do not last, but God’s promises of Restoration, Support, Strength, and Right Placement is assured.
Be blessed!
The Blessings 1.0
“May the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’…
Oh God, may we enjoy your favorite look upon us. Regardless, may we still find favor in your eyes.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Peace, Peace, and Peace is all we all need for every situation and every time.
I pray that we will have His Peace in abundance all of our days, Amen.
Happy new year!
Welcome, 2021! Help is on the way
Happy new year!
Last year was, perhaps, most challenging for all of us, but a new year is here, and help is on the way.
Yes, God will help us in 2021.
Look up and see. Sure, your help is from God.
Your best prayer might be, God, please help me through 2021, and He will.
Usually, you do not ask for assistance when you have the capability and capacity to handle any issue, but when you cannot, asking for a hand is the way out.
We often rely on others for help, but they fail not because they are wicked. They fail because, most times, they do not have the means to render assistance.
Below is an example of a woman asking the king for help during a famine in Israel.
If you know 2021 very well, then you should be fine, but if you are naive and have not gone through 2021 before, then you need God’s help to go through this year from the beginning to the end.
Your reliable help is not from man but God.
Surrender 2021 to Him, and He will handle each moment for you with certainty and assurance.
I pray that the new year will be full of good surprises and positivity for you in Jesus mighty name.
Happy new year!
How to stop The Falling From Grace 5.0
In my final post on this series, I will share a few strategies for staying afloat and avoiding falling from grace to grass.
I emphasized that Prayer is not just about the usual talking to God or asking that we all do. I am talking about pleading or begging for a cause, not for a short time but a continual or consistent, intentional act that draws the grace of God to move in a given direction.
The secret strategies you can use to stay from sinking are as follows.
– do not ignore the prompts.
– even after falling into sin, go ahead and pray to your God.
– ask God for help
-ask your mentor or counselor for assistance (if you have one)
– if you do not have any mentor or guidance, consistently talk to God both loudly and in your heart.
– you will get out of any trouble if you maintain a cordial relationship with God (remember David and his sinful relationship, and Peter with his denial of Jesus).
– There are times that your flesh is so appealing that it is pushing you to sin against God, and it may overwhelm the weary soul that you give in.
The secret to overcoming this is to keep talking to God in your heart.
The tactic of the devil is to create a guilt feeling. This feeling is so overwhelming that you think God cannot accept you nor listen to you.
It is not true. It is another lie from the enemy to keep your relationship with God strained.
If the devil can get you to think that you are not acceptable or worthless, he has succeeded in keeping you away from God.
If he succeeded in keeping you away from God, then he has succeeded in making your communication with God a difficult one. Once this sets in, you lose your confidence to approach God, and you are on the cause for a steep and deep fall.
If you can kick out this lie, you have overcome it.
The devil plans to cheat us, but God’s plan for us is of peace to give us a beautiful ending.
We will win and overcome by God’s grace.