tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7818647557620099672024-03-12T22:10:39.146-07:00LIMITLESSObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-55135292742629264812018-11-18T14:21:00.000-08:002018-11-18T14:22:47.178-08:00In His Image<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">One of the
challenges I faced when I began to lead fellowships was the issue of preparing
for meetings. I would read several passages in scripture searching to know
which one God was going to lead me to teach on. On so many countless occasions,
I would go up and not even make a single reference to my notes obviously
teaching on an entirely different topic. After a while, I stopped reading the
bible to look for what to teach and just continued studying the bible to learn
for myself and whenever my Father permits me, I share some of the things I have
learnt with others as I intend to share with you today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Recently I have
been stuck on the book of Colossians. When I say recently, I mean for about the
last three months or so. And a portion in chapter 3 has been tugging at my
heart to share.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB">Colossians 3:12-14 (NKJV)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span class="text"><b><i><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">12 </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="text"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness,
longsuffering; </span></i></span><span class="text"></span><b><i><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span id="en-NKJV-29531" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">13 </span></span></span></sup></i></b><span class="text"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">bearing with
one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against
another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. </span></i></span><span class="text"></span><b><i><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span id="en-NKJV-29532" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">14 </span></span></span></sup></i></b></span><span class="text"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><span style="color: purple;">But above all
these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.</span></span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">Now my
experience with a large majority of people who profess to be believers has not
been reflective of the content of this passage of scripture. Actually, the
world the way it is wired now will call you slow, a fool, mumu/maga (Nigerian
slang), if you were to exhibit these characters consistently in all things and
at all times.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">I tell
people that; to follow God is a choice, a hard choice but one that is
completely worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"> <img alt="Image result for created in his image" src="https://rlv.zcache.com/created_in_his_image_christian_quote_compact_mirror-r339c1d6b8fd642efac5fe9fb2e29aa86_z2hah_307.jpg?rlvnet=1&rvtype=content" /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">Scripture
admonishes us as children of God, new creations in Christ Jesus to put on
tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one
another and forgiving one another. Not until I read this scripture did it dawn
on me that there is mercy and there is tender mercy. The way the Holy Spirit
explained it to me is that mercy is a pardon that is granted based on the law
whereas tender mercy is a pardon that is granted regardless of the law.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">These
attributes (humility, meekness, kindness, tender mercies) are unpopular in our
world today. In the circular world, if you are not “tough enough” it is
difficult to rise to some certain positions. The belief is that you have to be
able to make some “tough” decisions and there is no room for softness. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">When
you hear some believers talk to people both in the work place and even in
church, you can’t help it but wonder what impact the word of God has had in
their lives. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">In a
conversation the other day, I was telling a friend that I think church people
hold the highest grudge and are very unforgiving. There are people who
fellowship in the same assembly but have been in a silent feud for months. Church
goers are slow to forgive and even when they claim to have forgiven, they
almost never forget. Sinners are more willing to receive a Christian who goes
back to his sinful ways than believers are to receive a believing
brother/sister who fell into sin and is restored.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">Before
you call me out on my last statement, think about this; what do you think the
response will be in your local assembly if you were to find out that your head
usher who is a single lady is pregnant and your choir master is responsible?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">I am
not condoning sin, very far from it, I am only saying that if we were made in
the image of our Father after His likeness, then we must strive to be like Him
in <b>ALL</b> things.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><b><i><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></sup></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="text"><b><i><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">12 </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="text"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender
mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; </span></i></b></span><span class="text"></span><b><i><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span id="en-NKJV-29531" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">13 </span></span></span></sup></i></b><span class="text"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">bearing
with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against
another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. </span></i></b></span><span class="text"></span><b><i><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span id="en-NKJV-29532" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">14 </span></span></span></sup></i></b><span class="text"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white;">But above all these things put on love, which is the bond
of perfection.</span><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-89806390184986102892018-07-09T16:53:00.003-07:002018-07-09T16:53:31.789-07:00DO YOU BELIEVE?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">A few weeks ago,
I was at an event and kolanut was broken and shared by one of the elders
present at the event. It wasn’t a huge crowd so the elder broke the kola and went
round serving everyone. I collected a piece of the kola and took a huge bite
out of (as Nwafor lolz).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">An uncle sitting
close to me looked at me with dismay and utter shock on his face and asked; ‘and
you say you are an Igbo boy and even grew up in the east?’ He shook his head in
disappointment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I genuinely was
in shock as I had no clue what he was on about. The harder I tried to figure
out what he was talking about, the more confused I became. After a little
while, I gave up on wondering what just transpired. And in a bid not to further
aggravate my Igbo brother, I decided not to ask him what I did wrong as that
may just worsen the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Somewhere in
between the party, I sensed the Lord laughing at me. When I paused to check
what that was about, He said to me; “and you claim to be born, bread and
buttered in Aba” and He laughed again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">At this point,
my curiosity was completely aroused as I just needed to figure out what was going
on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The Lord said to
me; a stranger gave you kola and you accepted it and took a bite just like
that? He said this but I could still hear the stifled chuckle in His voice like He was taunting me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Then it hit me. You
see, growing up, we were warned against accepting things from strangers and as
one began to attend functions with elders and learn the way of the elders, one
of the things I also learnt was that it was very risky to go to any meeting of
any sort both family meetings and otherwise and just eat kola anyhow or leave
your drink open without close observation and still drink it afterwards. People
have died for less.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">As the realization
hit me, I turned to the uncle and smiled a big smile. I wanted to walk over to
him and tell him that I was a different specie, a new breed, that I am a new creature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The Lord
reminded me of this incidence a couple of nights ago. He was sharing with me
how His children have more trust in tradition and customs much more than they
trust in Him. And this breaks His heart. Some people have even taken it a step
further and brought in their traditions into the church such that some do not
even see the lines anymore as tradition has been properly mixed with worship of
our Father.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Scripture tells
me that I shall trample on snakes and scorpions, and they will not hurt me and I
believe it completely. I don’t operate from a position of fear, I am not even
conscious of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">So the question
was; when My children read the scriptures, do they actual believe that I can do
what the scripture tells them that I can do? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Do you actually
believe God?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Do you actually
believe that He’s got you?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b>Do you actually
believe the things written in His Word?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I need you to
pause and reflect on this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Selah!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-31269863172517964432018-06-19T00:03:00.001-07:002018-06-19T00:03:18.670-07:00UNSUCCESSFUL SUCCESS <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">“What will
Success look like?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">This is a
question that is often always asked by coaches or instructors while setting
goals. Some call it the big picture but this usually describes what the end
should look like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Unfortunately for
those who do not have a strong imagination or are yet to train themselves to
visualize and see beyond what the physical eyes can see, describing the big
picture can be some sort of a struggle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">A few weeks ago,
my wife sat beside me and asked me a question that birthed this post. Her question
was; ‘what does success mean to you and what would it look like for us?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">She usually doesn’t
ask these sort of questions (that’s my forte) so coming from her, I knew there
was more to it. So instead of giving her a normal general definition of what I thought
success was, I paused and reflected on it for a very long time (and she didn’t move
an inch which confirmed to me it was serious business) before responding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To help me gain
some more insight, I consulted the Webster dictionary and it gave me two
interesting definitions for the word success:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>the gaining of wealth, respect,
or fame</li>
<li>satisfactory completion of
something</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Now the
unfortunate thing is that the first definition is what a large majority of
people have adopted as the only definition of success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The more I stayed
on the first definition, the more convinced I was that this wasn’t what the
Lord needed me to see. This was also coupled with the fact that my wife was
demanding to know what SUCCESS meant for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="color: yellow;">2 Timothy 4:7<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB"><b><span style="color: yellow;">I have fought the good fight, I have finished the
race, I have kept the faith.</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">This was Apostle
Paul’s success story and it did not comprise of the things he has (possessions).
Unfortunately, we live in a world today where even believers measure success by the possessions they have. Where success in ministry is measured by
the size of the congregation. Where your packaging and bank account balance
means much more among believers than your character and the fruits of the
spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">And the Lord
began to open my eyes to see so many people going about doing things and “prospering”
in those things but the things they were doing was not what He has apportioned
for them to do and the score sheet in His hands showed they were failing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I then remembered
the vision a sister once shared with me how she was driving out in the morning
and she saw droves of people trooping out in a hurry heading out to their
various “places of work” and the Lord was showing her that He did not send
these people on the vocations they were pursuing and how most of them have
never even asked Him what He apportioned to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">We prayerfully did
a check and confirmed that we were exactly where God needed us to be, more
responsibility was coming and we are currently being positioned for it and we
gladly accepted the responsibilities in faith trusting Him to provide all that
we need to execute all He commands us to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">So my question
to you reading this post today is; Are you doing what God created you for? Are
you fulfilling purpose? Can you really say with no iota of doubt that you are
running your race and you are right on course?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Food for thought…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-85890264435169976022018-04-29T16:45:00.002-07:002018-04-29T16:46:54.337-07:00GUARD YOUR HEART AGAINST TOXIC WORDS<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Words are
powerful, they are so powerful that they frame the world we live in. wars are
started by words and nations are built by words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Some folks have
mastered the art of using words to frame their world while others are still
learners in school of using the word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I have also
learnt that the company one keeps to a large extent influence the words that
the say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">You may have
total control over the words that you say, but it is difficult almost
impossible to have control over what people will say to you. My
background growing up did not expose me to the use of vile hurtful words, so I used
to think that people generally should use words that sooth as against toxic
words. But adulthood and interacting with all manner of people has since changed
that orientation for me. I have witnessed tears as a result of spoken words. I have
had to talk people (more than one person) out of committing suicide rising from
words that were spoken to them by someone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">The unfortunate
thing is that some people who are Christians do not have Colossians 4:6 in
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: yellow;">Col 4:6<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: yellow;">Let your speech
be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to
answer every man.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">When you hear
some believers talk to other people even sometimes to their children,
I can’t help but wonder what or rather who really lives on their inside because
if Jesus was the one living on their inside, I am certain He wouldn’t spit out
such venom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">So, if I cannot
control what you say, I can control how I choose to respond to what you say. We must master
the art of dealing with the toxic words that others speak to us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">How do we do
this you may ask? By following what the Word has instructed us to do which is
guarding our hearts against them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: yellow;">Prov 4:20-25<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: #fdfeff; color: yellow;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="color: yellow;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: #fdfeff;">My son,
attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.</span> Let them not depart
from your eyes; keep them in the middle of your heart. For they are life
to those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart
with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from
you a fraudulent mouth, and perverse lips put far from you. Let your
eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you. </span><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">So for every time
someone tells you or calls you something that does not align with what the Word
of God has said concerning you, just shut the gates of your heart and remind
yourself who you are in Christ Jesus. Keep your eyes looking straight on at what God has said about you, completely ignoring they have said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">And I beg you
not to be angry at or mad at people who use vile words at you, people can only
give what they have. You can pray for them but always ensure that you guard
your heart against their toxic words by standing on God’s word about your life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">God Bless You!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-54459223962987507782018-04-04T22:22:00.004-07:002018-04-04T22:22:59.819-07:00THE DAY OF SILENCE<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The Easter weekend has come and
gone and for many it marked the remembrance of Christ and what His death and
resurrection signifies for us as the body of Christ.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I do not assume that this is same
for everyone as it only provided another opportunity for some to either rest,
hangout with friends and family or make more sales depending on which category
one chooses to fall into.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For me, it was another
opportunity to reflect. I sat there thinking about the silent day…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Good Friday is celebrated as the
day Jesus was crucified on the cross. That was the day He was nailed for a
crime He never committed. Easter Sunday is celebrated as the day Jesus rose
from amongst the dead and handed us the keys and power over death. However, not
much is celebrated about the day in between.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As I sat meditating, I could see
the disciples in the upper room mourning the loss of their Master. I could hear
the anguish in their voice. Most of them had even forgotten the promise that He
will rise again on the third day. Some of them were wondering how such a thing
could be. They had witnessed Him raise the dead, even remembered the case of
Lazarus who was brought back to life after four days but the question kept
playing in their minds; ‘how can these things be?’. Some of them strongly
believed that something would happen, but they just kept trying to play out
several scenarios in their minds about how the resurrection was going to
happen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And then I saw Jesus doing
battle. It was a serious heated battle but He was fighting it alone and He was
winning. He was winning in grand style, sweat dropping off His face, arm and
shoulders. The sheer strength with which He fought was just lovely to behold.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It then appeared like the screen
split and I could see both pictures at the same time. The screen on top had the
disciples in the upper room silently mourning the loss of their Master with
their heads cast down in sorrow and anguish while the screen below had Jesus
winning the battle over sin and death for as many that will accept and
acknowledge Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I could hear the Lord say to me;
the silent day in between was when the battle was fought and won. He said to
me; imagine if the disciples had spent that whole day in thanksgiving
remembering that their Master had promised to return on the third day…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
He said to me; same thing still
happens today. I have made numerous promises to My children, they hear it,
receive it, but during the silent day, while I work, instead of them staying
thankful in anticipation of what I am doing and await my promise to them, they
worry and complain and murmur amongst themselves completely ignorant of what I
am doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The silent day is a day of
rejoicing in thanksgiving and anticipation of the victory of the promise. It
may not look like it on the outside, but the Lord is working out a great
victory on your behalf. Stay expectant and hold fast unto the Promise. It may
tarry, but it will surely come to pass.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Amen!<o:p></o:p></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-70307608989595848472018-03-26T16:06:00.001-07:002018-03-26T16:06:37.389-07:00CHRIST OR YOUR LIFE?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
About two weeks ago, the Lord
asked me a question which I didn’t answer at the time and as days passed by, it
became more difficult to actually answer that question and I want to throw the
same question to you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The Lord asked me; “Obinnaya, are
you willing to give your life for Me?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
You would think that the answer
to that question should be a swift YES in caps. But being that it was my Father
who was asking, I knew He was not just asking another question.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In response, I said; Lord, You see
my heart and you know what I can and cannot do for You Lord.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A few days later, someone sent me
a post on WhatsApp, an excerpt from God’s Generals. The excerpt was on how most
of the martyrs died. Now if I had not had the conversation with the Lord a few
days earlier, this would have been another very good read, but that
conversation had me woke and alert. As I read those stories, I kept putting the
scenarios side by side by what is obtainable with the church of today and we
fell short by a very wide margin. I don’t know how many pastors now that are
willing to be stoned to death for Christ. I’m not sure how many pastors are
willing to be boiled in hot oil. I don’t know how many pastors that will choose
to be hung upside down rather than be nailed to a cross in the exact same
position as Christ. I am not even sure how many pastors are willing to be
tazzed for Jesus. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And I am careful to use “pastors”
cos we are the ones that are supposed to be equipping the saints and I am
convinced that the Lord is saying something.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I read the stories of these
martyrs and a burden came upon me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As if that was not enough,
someone sent me a message saying that one of the Dachi girls that were
kidnapped in Nigeria refused to deny Jesus. The moment I heard that story, I leaped for
joy in my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I was not happy the girls were kidnapped
(whether or not it was a real kidnap is a deliberation for another day) I was
excited that what the Lord was speaking to me about, He had gone a step further
to get my attention and someone was proving that some people are still standing for Christ.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As Easter draws nearer, I want to
ask you child of God; are you willing to lay your life for your belief in
Christ? When the chips are down, will you deny Christ or stand for Him? Are you
going to compromise or stand for Christ? Are you going to sleep with him/her or
stand with Christ? Are you going to alter that document or stand with Christ? Are
you going to tell that lie or stand with Christ? Are you going to keep that
malice or stand with Christ? Are you going to take/give that bribe or stand
with Christ?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Jesus left all His divinity just to
come lay down His life to reconcile us to Himself, yet we are quick to deny Him
both in our words and most times by our actions. Most of us don’t even wait to
resist talk less of to the shedding of blood and we are very willing to give in
rather than stand for Christ.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The days ahead are going to be
demanding for true sons of God as He will be passing His own through an
alignment test. There is a separation going on for the advancement of the
Kingdom. The men who shook the world as stated in scriptures were not in the
multitude.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Will you stand for Christ? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Will you
give your life for Him? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Can He find you worthy?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I eventually answered Him...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But
what is your own answer to that question?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Are you willing to lay down your life for Christ?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Selah!</div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-19994530223083455882018-03-04T12:31:00.003-08:002018-03-04T12:31:49.611-08:00WORKER OR FOLLOWER?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The general idea I used to have
about walking with God was that if I wanted to follow Him, I must serve Him.
Now based on this ideology, the moment I came to Christ, I quickly started the new
believer’s class and upon graduating from that class I quickly started the
workers training in order to join the church workforce.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Anyone who can still remember how
they felt when they came to Jesus can attest to the zeal and fire to just do
any work that is available in the house of God.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My dad was a pastor in a
Pentecostal church in Nigeria and this resulted in us being the first to arrive
church and often last to leave. This for me was so much fun, it gave me an
opportunity to do so much work for my Father (both heavenly and biological).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As I grew in the faith, whenever
I lead people to Christ, I also encourage them to join a foundation class to
grow them in the knowledge of Christ and introduce them to the workforce. The
idea for me was that proximity to “church” is a great elixir to building a
lasting relationship with God and the level of commitment to working in church a
pointer to one’s level of commitment to God. This ideology however has birthed
so many church workers who in reality are no different from unbelievers…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Then recently, the Lord caused me
to stumble on a scripture that has turned everything right side up for me;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>John 12:23-26<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>23But Jesus answered them, saying, <span style="color: red;">“The hour
has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25He who loves his life will lose it,
and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. </span></i><b><i><span style="color: red; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">26If anyone serves Me, let
him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves
Me, him My Father will honor.”</span></i></b><i><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This passage literally left me
shook especially verse 26. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Let us read the portion in bold
highlight again; Vs 26 <i>If anyone serves
Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone
serves Me, him My Father will honor.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Apparently all this while, I had
it backwards. My love for Jesus had driven me to work for Him and was the basis
for me driving others to work within the workforce. And I must state it
categorically at this point that your love for Christ will propel you to
action. However, Jesus was saying that if anyone will serve Him, they fellow
must ‘<b>FOLLOW</b>’ Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And as I spent time meditating on
the implication of this, then I understood why Jesus told Martha that Mary had
chosen the more important thing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Please permit me to liken the
“activities” of working for God in church to the busyness Martha was burdening
herself with whereas the desire in the heart of the Father is that we follow
Him just like Mary did by seating at the feet of Jesus. Jesus said; “where I
am, there my servant will be also”. Remember Mary sat with Jesus while Martha busied herself in the kitchen with 'seemingly' important hosting activities. It is interesting to note Jesus' comments that Mary had chosen the important thing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Please may I ask you child of God, right
now as you read this, where is Jesus and what is He doing/saying right now? Do
you know? If you don’t, may I admonish that you check your followership status.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It is when you follow Him that
you will know what He requires to be done. He will instruct you Himself and
when He instructs you, He is counting on you to execute to the letter every
instruction you receive. I love the way verse 26 ended. It says; ‘if anyone
serves Me, him My Father will honor’. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This means that God the Father
will honor you only if you serve Christ Jesus. And the only way to serve Christ
is to follow Him. I pray God that He will expand this insight for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As if the flogging above was not
enough, He then said to me; Son, Disciples aren’t formed from crowds.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Selah!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-38032139647962626502018-02-18T16:17:00.000-08:002018-02-18T16:17:05.037-08:00THE FIRST COMMANDMENT<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Over the last week, people all
over the world celebrated St Valentine’s day and there was a lot of “love” in
the air.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For most people, it was another
regular day either by choice of election or by situational circumstances but
all in all, February 14 is a day that most people (females mostly <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>) look forward to with
much gusto.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A passage of scripture occupied
my heart for most of that week and formed the basis for my meditations for the period
and I would like to share some portion of that passage with you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><b>Matthew 22:35-38 (NLT)</b><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: yellow;">35One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this
question: 36"Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law
of Moses?" 37Jesus replied, "'</span><span style="color: red;">You must love
the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind</span>.'
<span style="color: yellow;">38</span><span style="color: red;">This is the first and greatest commandment</span>.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For the sake of this write up, I will
stop at 38.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Most of us are conversant with
the “ten commandments” but is it not rather interesting that Jesus when asked
which commandment was the greatest, responded with an answer that is not
captured in what we all grew up to know as the ‘ten commandments of Moses’? an in-depth
review of this will make a great topic for another day. But for today, let us
stay on the subject matter; Love.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Love according to Jesus is a
commandment. According to the Oxford dictionary, a commandment is a rule to be
observed strictly. Meaning that going by Jesus’ words, we are under a strict
mandate to love God with <b>ALL</b> our
hearts, <b>ALL</b> our soul and <b>ALL</b> our mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Permit me to ask you to pause at
this point and read Matthew 22:37 again but please do so in slow motion with a
3D view of yourself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While you are digesting that
passage, I would like you to ask yourself; do I love God with ALL my heart, ALL
my soul and ALL my mind?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When you love someone or
something, the thought of the person/thing consumes you. The thought of a loved
one literally consumes you. You go to bed thinking about the person, wake up thinking
about the person, you even see this person in your dreams and most times, spend
a very good part of your day daydreaming about this person. Every person that
has ever had a huge crush on someone would understand what I am saying. And this
doesn’t come near to describing the expectations of the feeling of love.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
How much of you has God consumed? Does
He have ALL your heart, your soul and your mind or have you allocated just some
part to Him? As a child of God, the commandment is
to ensure that all of us is geared towards loving God. We must be lost in Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
February 14 has come and gone,
but the question that still lingers in my heart is this; based on my evaluation
of myself, can I really say that I have loved the Lord my God with all my
heart, all my soul and all my mind? Everything I am doing currently, every
thought in my heart, every action that I have taken and will take, are they all geared
towards expressing my love for my Father? Can I truly say that I have strictly
observed the rule to love my Lord my God?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I have spent some time answering
these questions for myself but I want to pose the same questions to you; have
you really obeyed the first commandment?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Selah!<o:p></o:p></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-26270783666127287792018-02-04T14:51:00.002-08:002018-02-04T14:51:28.901-08:00CHOOSE JOY<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I had the opportunity to teach
last week and I shared from a hymn in the book of Habakkuk and for some reason
even after that meeting, the word kept growing in my heart and is still doing
so. I thought to share some part of that message with you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>Habakkuk 3:17-18<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: yellow;">17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though
the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls… 18
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I know most of us grew up in the
name it and claim it era of Christianity and financial prosperity is a major
sign of a thriving relationship with God in our times. Unfortunately what this
has resulted in is a breed of Christians who have little or no tolerance for
adversity. So at the slightest emergence of anything that may seem like an
adversity, the response of many is to seek the easiest route out which most times
is one of compromise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The scripture reference above
from the book of Habakkuk depicts a man in an agrarian society. The cycle
explained in verse 17 of chapter 3 of that book speaks to a year of absolutely
no harvest. His fields did not yield, his trees did not blossom, there were no
fruits from his vine and to crown it off there was no flock in his fold. Now let
me paint this picture in the light of our current day reality; imagine going to
work every day for a year and not receiving a single wage/salary in that year
despite all your effort/input/transportation to and fro work and you don’t get
paid at the end of the year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I don’t know how Habakkuk did it
in his day, but I can tell you that the default reaction of most people will be
severe rage. Actually, I doubt the individual will still be coming to work
after 6 months of no pay.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
However, look at Habakkuk’s
response in verse 18; he said; Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in
the God of my salvation. I think it is the NIV version of verse 18 that says
Yet, I choose to rejoice… the prophet Habakkuk <b>CHOSE</b> to rejoice. He chose to joy in the God of his salvation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I underline the word <b><u>CHOOSE </u></b>because this means that
circumstances were demanding a different response from him, but his reaction to
the circumstances on ground was a conscious one from his end, he chose to
respond in joy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I don’t know what situation you
may currently find yourself in, I don’t know how grave that situation is, no
matter how bad it is, I call on you today to choose joy. Look that problem in
the face and consciously laugh out loud at it in joy. Let your joy be born out
of the knowledge of the salvation you were saved with in Christ. God saved you,
you are His and He is yours. He has promised that He will never leave nor
forsake you. The psalmist puts it this way; he said though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for You God are with me. Let your
joy be in God, He is with you watching over and keeping you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So I compel you to choose joy
today. The word choose presupposes that you have an option how to respond to
your situation. You either respond in fear which in turn leads to depression et
al or you can choose to respond in JOY.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I choose JOY, what about you?<o:p></o:p></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-15198665832712555012018-01-31T07:11:00.001-08:002018-01-31T07:11:10.817-08:00HE IS PRUNING YOU<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>John 15:1-2<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: red;">I am the true vine and My Father is the
vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; <b>and every branch that bears fruit He prunes</b>,
that it may bear more fruit.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I believe that The Lord will have
me instruct someone and correct a notion that has been brewing in your mind. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
He said that every branch that
bears fruit, The Father prunes. A number of believers are going through
situations that has them both confused and in battle mode. For some, you have
embarked on major fasting and prayer to “sort out” the issues you are currently
going through.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But The Father will have me tell
you that He is the one that is pruning you so that you can bear more fruit. He is
cutting out some things which were hitherto relevant and important and played a
major part in your life. You are not under any attack, I am the One pruning you
that you may bear more fruit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Allow Me to finish and perfect My
work in you and you will yet rejoice says The Lord.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Selah!<o:p></o:p></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-14295174628351359052018-01-04T23:10:00.001-08:002018-01-04T23:10:12.147-08:002018 IN FOCUS<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This morning, I had a stirring in
my spirit and the Father began to talk to me on some matters some of which I will
share with you in this post.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Being my first article in 2018, I
want to welcome you to this new calendar year and pray that Christ will be
formed in you more and more this year, Amen & Amen!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A major characteristics of the
beginning of every year is that people are more willing to make life
adjustments and set goals/directions for their lives in the coming year. And as
I observe this phenomenon over the years, I see that most of these actions are
geared towards knowing who we are and finding one’s self and as such living the
best possible life that one can within the context of what the world’s systems
define as a good life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
All around us, the world is
teaching us to know who we are. So there are self-discovery, self-mastery, self-definition,
self-evaluation etc tools, books, conferences, sermons everywhere and all of
that brings a scripture to mind 2Timothy 3:1-5<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>1But know this, that In the last
days terrible times will come. 2For men
will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive,
blasphemers, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unthankful, unholy,
3unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of
good, 4traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God, 5having a form of godliness but denying its power and from such people
turn away!<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
All this self-education and
self-equipment will in addition to its many benefits lead to the type of person described above or a hybrid
version with some varieties (more or less) than described in the scripture
above.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And I know that there are so many
people who have innocently walked into this error in their quest for God. People
who have been led astray by business schools, psychology houses and
motivational centers. If you fall into such a category,
I want to encourage you with a scripture from the book of Acts 17:22-31<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>22Then Paul stood in the midst of
Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very
religious; 23for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your
worship, I even found an alter with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore,
the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24”God, who
made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does
not dwell in temples made with hands. 25Nor is He worshipped with men’s hands
as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all
things. 26And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all
the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the
boundaries of their dwellings, 27so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope
that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one
of us; 28for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own
poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring’. 29Therefore, since we are the
offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold
or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30Truly, these
times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to
repent, 31because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in
righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to
all by raising Him from the dead.”<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The desire of the Father for His
own is that we know Him as He is known. His desire is to lead His own to know
Him. To know that it is in Him that we live, move and have our being. There is
literally no way you will not be able to discover your true self if you seek
Him to know Him and grow in Him and draw closer to Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I challenge you therefore to seek
God this year like you have never done before in your entire life and press
into deep realities in Him. And I can assure you of this; as you seek Him, you
will definitely find Him and so much more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Shalom!<o:p></o:p></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-30896195455747191722017-12-28T23:13:00.000-08:002017-12-28T23:13:01.649-08:00AS YOU PLAN<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As the year 2017 gradually comes
to an end and plans are in high gear to usher in the New Year 2018, one of the
things I know that most people do in preparation for a New Year is make New
Year resolutions and set goals for the New Year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For me, this is usually a time to
step back and retreat and seek the face of the Father on what is in His heart
at this point in His season of life. God works in seasons and those seasons
usually do not necessarily follow our calendar years so an understanding of the
heart of the Father will aid a child of God walk right with Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The Lord drew my attention to a
passage in the book of Romans 8:5;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="color: red;">For those who live according to
the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh but those who live
according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.</span><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So as you prepare and plan for
the New Year, I have a question for you. If I look at your goals and plans for
the New Year and gauge them, will I confirm that you live by the Spirit or
according to the flesh?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For those who live according to
the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh… <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Mind you, the flesh is in
constant enmity with God. So anything that does not bring you closer to God but
draws you away from Him is flesh.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I want you to think on these
things and adjust your plans/life accordingly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
God bless you and Compliments of
the Season.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
OluwaObinna.<o:p></o:p></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-41951299182208407592017-12-11T22:32:00.004-08:002017-12-11T22:32:48.702-08:00AS YOU GIVE
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love Christmas, I can’t say for
sure exactly why I love it, but I do. My wife has even made it a more
interesting season for me with all the drama around decorations and carols et
al and like the good student I am, I am catching the bug quickly and every year
has been better than the last. Even when I try to dull her, it is never a dull
moment with Meemeesola. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay, this post is not about my
wife and how much I love her though I am sure you know that already.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the things I love about
Christmas is that it is a season when you don’t have to prompt people a lot to
do good. People are more willing to give both to charity and to friends and
even enemies as well. There is that giving grace during the Christmas season.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This year for some reason I decided
to pray about what God will have us give this period. I had some plans in mind
as giving back to my community is up there in my list of priorities. I am one
of those people that believe that the body of Christ should be assisting ease
the burden on society in the areas of quality education, health, accommodation and
feeding. If we can’t make it free (which I don’t see why we can’t), we should at
least make it as subsidized as possible. On a later day, maybe I will share my
plans around this and you are free to chat me up privately and I can share my
thoughts on this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But as I prayed along those
lines, God pointed me to a scripture and asked me to be guided by that. I know
most of us have amazing plans for this period and some of us have even
commenced executing those plans. But as you do and go ahead in life, I will
like you to read this scripture, meditate on it and keep it at the fore front
of your mind in all your giving and doing good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I pray that the Lord will expand
this scripture in your hearts and open the eyes of your understanding to see
what is in the heart of the Father, Amen!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Matthew 6:1-4(NKJV)<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1“Take heed that you do not do your charitable
deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your
Father in heaven. 2Therefore, when you do your charitable deed, do not sound a
trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,
that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their
reward. 3But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what
your right hand is doing, 4that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your
Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly".<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Selah!!!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-29669604173576829672017-11-16T23:40:00.000-08:002017-11-16T23:40:05.447-08:00AFTER YOUR SUFFERING<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love Jesus and have made
following Him my life’s work. As fun and amazing as it has been, it has also
been an interesting journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know various things brought us
to Jesus. For some it was a promise of a mansion in heaven, for some the
solution to their problems, for some divine healing, provisions etc. bottom
line, we all came to Jesus through various routes but by one Spirit. And per
adventure you are reading this and you are yet to give your life to Jesus, I
want to invite you to open up your heart to Him today, He stands at the door of
your heart and is very willing to come in if only you will invite Him in and
profess Him with your mouth as Lord and Saviour over your soul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I thought to encourage someone
today. Someone who is in Christ and has been steadfast in Him. You have prayed
and studied the word and given your tithe (no matter what some may think
#topicforanotherday) and given offerings. You may have also in addition to all
of these sown seeds and blessed you man of God and done good to both the needy
and the poor. Never missing hospital/prison visitations, always in church for
all church meetings, always available to serve in one capacity or the other
whenever/wherever required. But still things don’t seem to be what they should
be. You find yourself struggling to have your basic needs met. Things that
should come easy are constantly a prayer point. The only reason you haven’t
lashed out at God yet is because you have the fear of God in you. For some, you
have even lashed out at Him but yet it seems nothing has changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From time to time, you receive
this warm assurance in your heart that things will be fine and you make the confessions
that ‘all things are working out for my good’ even when a part of you doesn’t
completely see how that is even possible. You are still here and barely just
hanging on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you find yourself in any of
the categories I mentioned above or maybe I didn’t mention your case but you
can relate with what I am saying, I want to share a scripture with you and
encourage you today;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1Peter 5:10<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But may the God of all grace, who
called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, <u>after you have suffered a
while</u>, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want you to know that our walk
in Christ comes with a measure of suffering. But the good news is that after
you have suffered but for a while, my God will Perfect (ie make completely free
from faults or defect, having all required or desirable
elements/qualities/characteristics; as good as you can possibly be), establish
(ie set up on a firm or permanent basis, achieving permanent
acceptance/recognition), strengthen (ie make or become stronger, reinforce,
buttress, toughen, intensify, heighten, fortify, bolster, vitalize) and settle
(ie reach an agreement, pay a debt, adopt a more steady/secure style of life,
sit or come to rest in a comfortable position) you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You are coming out of this just
the way the Master wants you to be. So hold on and stand firm in faith. Resist
the devil and he will flee from you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>God Bless you!</strong></span></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-40243528475488539842017-10-28T02:17:00.003-07:002017-10-28T02:17:23.459-07:00DO YOU KNOW?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A couple of days ago, a scary
event occurred in my life and though I could have written about it on the same
day, I took a few days to write this piece because I knew there was way much
more in the event than just the occurrence in its self.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was at the bus stop on a rainy
morning waiting to join the staff bus to work. I had called the driver to
notify him that I was waiting and had just stood for what seemed like a few
seconds and that was all I could remember. One minute I was standing at the bus
stop, the next minute I was back in my house drenched in water and sand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have read stories of people dying
and seeing white light at the end of a long tunnel and all that stuff, but that
wasn’t the case here. I collapsed at the bus stop and I have no recollection
whatsoever what transpired in that blank out period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I thank God for my wife, for Tosin,
my family everyone who made it easier for us on that day. My God will reward you
for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I lay in the MRI machine and
was being examined, I couldn’t shake off the thought that if this had been my
last day on earth and the Father was examining me to see if I completed the
work that He sent me to do, what would be His conclusion?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Apostle Paul’s words to Timothy
in 2 Tim 4:6-7 flashed on my mind and stayed there; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For I am already being poured
out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought
the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He knew! He knew that he had done
his job and that he did it well. He knew that he had finished his race. He could
see his crown of righteousness. He could hear the well done My son. He was
handing over to the next generation of guys that will take the world because he
knew his time was up. He knew!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But I didn’t know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Though still in the race, I had
strayed off the course. I was pursing business, career and acquisitions and
things that actually don’t matter to my Father nor the Kingdom. I was pursuing
status and prestige the things that make you stand out in this earth that is
passing away. I was pursuing vain knowledge of the systems of the world with no
proper grasp of how our Kingdom works. I look around me and I also see men,
people even churches pursing the same things. How to master the systems of this
world with no idea whatsoever how the Kingdom of our Father works. Forgetting that
though we are in this world, we are not of this world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Apostle Paul was saying that
there are things that he knew that were not lawful for him to utter. If you read
the things he wrote, you will know the guy knew what he was talking about. He had
learnt the ways of the Kingdom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">God had to take my life briefly
to shake me into this reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You don’t have to die to know
that you are not fulfilling purpose. Right now sitting or standing or lying
where you are reading this post, you know whether or not you are accomplishing
heaven’s mandate for you. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">YOU KNOW</b>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Please don’t get me wrong, this
is not a cry for evangelism or any of those activities (that may be a part of
it if that’s what your purpose here on earth is), this is a call to personal
evaluation especially for believers who profess Christ Jesus as their Lord and
Master.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have over the last couple of
days experienced a weakness in my body but yet such strength and resolve in my
spirit to get it right and get it right I will.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I also learnt that life will go
on. People may mourn your passing for a little while, but life will go on. The office
will not shut down, at best one minute silence to recognize the dead (during
which some people will still be sending emails) but that’s it, life will still
go on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So spend time with the people you
love who love you. Reach out to the people who hate you and surprise them. Help
someone who has no capacity whatsoever to return the favour. Live life today
with no worry about tomorrow because tomorrow is not a guarantee. Actually,
sufficient for today are the evil thereof. Know this, your Father in heaven has
an idea of ALL the things you will possibly need and has made provisions for
them all. All you need do is to ensure that you are walking in the path of His
purpose for your life and you will meet His provisions on that path. You only
struggle when you are off course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I leave you with this
question; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DO YOU KNOW YOUR PURPOSE ON
EARTH AND IF YOU DO, ARE YOU LIVING IT?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">#GratefulForLife<o:p></o:p></span></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-19177062895069043162017-10-11T23:44:00.000-07:002017-10-11T23:44:18.121-07:00Musings<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had an interesting conversation
with my mum some nights ago and its plain disturbing the direction things are
heading to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They have a target to double
their number (ie attendance per service meeting) within a specific time and the
leader in their region was offering financial reward every month for the
individual(s) that bring the most number of people to church every month. My
mum who is also a regional leader spoke up against this and it almost turned
into a war of words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I share insights with her
whenever we have the opportunity to have those our very long talks and its fun
sharing Jesus with your mum (some ladies will now come and want to bring their
daddy into this discussion now lol). And as the years go by, we are beginning
to agree on most of those things I have been pointing out to her about religion
and denomination and the rot it is causing in the body of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From what I gather, some of the
pastors have begun to doctor their books in order to meet up with this target.
Everyone that came for first service is counted as part of the headcount for
second service and combined you have a huge number <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">#ridiculous</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Attendance in house fellowship
meetings, eatery hangouts, even people that read the sign posts are tagged as
‘members’ of the church to meet up with ‘target’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I paused at this point and prayed
for the pastors that were involved in this that God will save their souls as
they need to repent and come to Christ. But beyond that, my question was; what
has God asked them (the pastors) to do? I know that God sets up every
commission for a purpose and if you are pastoring people, there has to be
something that God has told you is the intention of His heart over that
assembly and that’s what you should be complying to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is the place for respecting
constituted authority, but it has to be in the Lord (if you get what I mean).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then I remember the passage of
scripture in the book of Acts 2:46-47;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">So
continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house
to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising
God and having favor with all the people. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And
the LORD added to the church daily</b> those who were being saved’</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I am wondering that something
is then not right if it is no longer the Lord that adds to His church and
people now have to be paid to add people to the numbers. People are heading in
the wrong direction fast and they are being led there by people who should know
better. The sooner Sons rise up and take their rightful place, the better for
the Kingdom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My conclusion is simple, “Thou
shalt have no other god besides Me. Thou shalt worship the Lord Your God, and
ONLY Him shalt you serve”. Know this God for yourself lest you be led astray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Selah!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-8225985813561638242017-09-06T14:49:00.003-07:002017-09-06T14:49:30.251-07:00WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Very recently, I
shared that the world intends to keep you entertained so that you do not have
time to focus on the thing that is really important. The funny thing is that
majority of the people that folks sit down to watch on TV don’t even have the
time to watch TV themselves. But that’s not what I am discussing today.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The advent of
the internet has brought the private lives of so many people into our bedrooms.
Such that by the flick of a page, you can go from knowing what Sikira had for
breakfast to where Kalu is vacationing and all the weddings that will be coming
up this weekend. Literarily everyone’s life is out there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now I don’t have
a problem with this as I do not necessarily have a control over what you decide
to put out there. But as I observe the content that most people put out, I am
prompted to ask the question <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Who are
you following on social media?”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">If you are not a
follower of Jesus Christ, you can stop reading this post at this point and move
on to other things. But if you are, please get in here and let’s be frank with
each other.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">If we are to run
a check on the people you are following on social media, what will we find? What
godly value are the people on your timeline adding to your life? Apostle Paul
said; ‘follow me as I follow Christ’, the people you are following on social
media, are they following Christ?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I hope you know
that you become what/who you follow. You are a sum total of all the people you
are following because they deposit a part of themselves in you. Like it or not,
these things matter.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I banned the
watching of some TV shows in my house because they are not of any eternal value
to either me or the children I am raising and it is not entertainment in any
form. What value is KUWTK adding to the life of a son of God?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">These things
might seem trivial to some, but remember that scripture admonishes you to guard
your salvation. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">See, it is possible for
someone to lose their salvation. </b>There are many people parading themselves
as Christians, but in the reality of it, they have lost their salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You have to be
careful who and what you follow on social media. But while doing that, you also
have to be sure that you are not part of the danger on social media.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever
things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue
and if there is anything praise worthy – meditate on these things. The things
which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do and the God of
peace will be with you.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Amen!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-57164689660698777242017-07-31T14:04:00.003-07:002017-07-31T14:04:24.908-07:00A CHARGE TO SONS
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Very recently,
God began to instruct me to send people (new converts, friends, mentees et al)
to some certain assemblies as He directs me while speaking with me. Now as a
pastor over a growing assembly, this is a very hard thing to do. On the one
hand, I am looking at the size of the congregation and asking that God grows
us, but on the other hand, I am sure that He is asking me to send some of these
new converts and friends to other ministries as instructed.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">One of the guys
kept asking me for the direction to our assembly and I knew where God needed
him to be, so I gave him the directions to the assembly that God was leading
him to and told him that it was a branch of our ministry. I’m sure he was
shocked as the ministry doesn’t bear the same name as the one I pastor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">More than ever
before, I know for a fact that the Father is seeking for a body that is unified
in purpose not divided along the lines of denomination or religion, but a
unified body of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There are things
that we have received both individually and as an assembly as pertains to the
heart of the Father in this season and it is amazing to know that all across
the face of the earth, many are receiving the same instructions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Father has
stepped out by Himself and the barriers of denominations are broken. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So I committed
myself verbally to Him and agreed that for every time we go out and men are
drawn to the Father, we will commit them unto worthy sons within that vicinity
to disciple them and trust God the He will lead the men whom we are to disciple
to us. So far, the results have blown my mind. Our numbers within my local
assembly are not yet what the Lord showed me, but we have built a network of
brethren all across the nation such that if we were to gather, it will be quite
a big family gathering and the love shared amongst these men is just beyond
words.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I believe that a
new breed of people need to arise, sons whose main drive is to seek the Father
and to do the will of our Master.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Selah!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-46584444092462029202017-07-02T13:43:00.002-07:002017-07-02T13:43:22.813-07:00MY JOURNEY<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Recently the
Lord began to deal with me on timidity. It didn’t make sense to me at first
because I thought I always said my mind at every point in time however, you
don’t argue with God when He is at work in your life so… I jejely kept learning
my lessons.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">First I got into
someone’s office and was talking and the guy kept straining to hear me (now in
my mind, my voice was high, apparently it was only in my mind). The guy had to
ask me to speak up or leave his office (you can imagine the embarrassment).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I left that
office that day wondering what just happened and the Lord pointed me back to
the lessons He was trying to teach me. If you are going to be My voice to the
Nations, times are going to arise when I will need you to confront
issues/people/institutions bigger and greater than you and I will not have you
get there timid.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Thus my journey
to overcoming timidity started, I have been on that path for a while now, some
progress has been made, but that is a journey I may or may not share in the
future however I thought to share one aspect of that journey today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Remember I said
in one of my recent posts that I have been introspecting. Well, I thought to
trace the history of the timidity and I was surprised by what I found.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Most people in
my generation can relate with being beaten for any and every reason. Some of us
could have been fantastic footballers earning big money if not for the rod of
correction that kept us shielding our skills. I personally was flogged for
everything, just think about it and it was reason enough for my dad to flog
you. My second sister Oma and I had the better share of the beatings. I
remember asking my mum who my dad was as I was convinced that for my dad to
flog me as much as he did, then he wasn’t my real dad.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The cane from
those days partly made me the reasonable man I am today, but it also left some
scars. I realized that the timidity only shows up when there is an authority
figure before me hence anyone that stands in a father figure or office of
authority over me, I tend to stay away from them. This didn’t change the love I
have for them, however an experience from the past had framed the way I viewed
fathers/authority figures. For me, they were to be observed from a distance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There are some
people in my life, when people hear me talk about them, they wonder how that
can be possible as they never see me around those people. Even I didn’t know
the reason why until God revealed this to me recently.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So, I remembered
a conversation I had with my dad before he went to be with the Lord and he said
to me “Nna, I am so proud of the man you have become. I am convinced that you
will lead many people to Christ and nurture them in the true knowledge of God.
Religion and denomination will draw many away from Christ but if Christ remains
your focus, you will journey farther in Him. Forgive me of my excesses, that
was the only way I knew how to raise you but I know that you now know that I
did all of that in love”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I remember
telling him that I had forgiven him of all the supposed wrongs he did me and
that I loved him. He held my hands and prayed for me before I came back to
Lagos.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">God had to bring
me back here to show me that the thing I was afraid of had a lot of respect for
me. Wow!!!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So today, I
raise a glass to the new bold me, not cowering away in the face of authority,
challenging the things I think should be challenged within limits that I will
set for myself. Saying those things that some are afraid to say, taking up the
assignment that has been laid before me.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Today I present
to you….<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">THE BOLD ME<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-12818570884594001012017-06-27T14:08:00.001-07:002017-06-27T14:08:09.025-07:00HE IS WAITING<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">For a while now,
my prayer has been that God will redeem and save His church. It has been and
still is a burning desire in my heart that the state of the body of Christ
becomes more like what the Master instituted it to be other than the charade it
currently is in most aspects. I have met quite a number of people who are
dissatisfied with the current state of things and have resorted to seeking out
God for themselves and I must confess that fellowshipping with these people, I
can tell that they are indeed finding God. I have also met quite a few people
who are dissatisfied with the current state of things, but for one reason or
the other, are unable to make a move towards discovering what the Truth really
is. You see, scripture wasn’t kidding when it said that you shall know the
Truth, and the Truth shall make you free. Freedom being the key word here.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I for one have
been on a long journey of both self and God discovery, and I understand that it
can be a precarious journey if you travel that path alone. God graciously sent
me men at every turn to either pray with me or fast with me or study with me or
just stay there in the place of worship and soak in His presence. We learnt
together, journeyed together, taught one another and grew (still growing)
together in Him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I began to
understand the love of God which passes all human understanding. The meaning of
“fellowship of brethren” which must not be forsaken became clearer and more
distinct. We would bump into one another by the roadside or after a meeting and
would spend another 2 to 3 hours sharing and dissecting the word and after each
meeting, there is a burning desire to go back and spend more time in the place
of prayer, study and meditation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I sense that
there are a couple of people out there who are dissatisfied with what they are
currently being fed in their local assemblies and there is a burning desire, a
yearn in your heart to know more of God. Constantly you try to reach out to Him
and sometimes, He does show up in your local assembly but He’s cut off cos’ the
allotted time for worship is 15mins and the counter has buzzed red and you are
thinking ‘but the Father was just about to step in…’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I know that
feeling, and I would like to help you work through it. By the grace of God, I
discovered platforms and created some platforms that has helped and is still
helping dissatisfied, hungry believers discover God on a whole new level and I
am willing to share information with you if you are willing to reach out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Please note that
this decision will pull you out of your comfort zone and challenge most things
you have known at the core of your believe system, but it will draw you closer
to the Father and you will discover Him for yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">My favourite
scripture John 4:23 But the hour is coming and now is, when the true
worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father is
seeking such to worship Him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There are depths
in glory that are only open to those whom the Father seeks to worship Him. The
burning desire for God in your heart was put there by Him because He is seeking
for you to draw nearer to Him. Come out from the outer courts where the masses
are and enter behind the veil.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Master is
waiting…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-89748790714767609492017-06-08T13:31:00.003-07:002017-06-08T13:31:50.855-07:00END OF THE ROAD<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I took a few
days off work to just lay back and evaluate things. You see, it is very easy to
jump from task to task and end up not actually living life. I have had discussions
with a few people who are done with their active work life and are completely
clueless as to what next to do with themselves. Some of these people were high
flyers during their time in active service but right now, in the real world,
they are nobodies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I sat back
evaluating myself. I love to write, I love to teach and I love to speak. These
three things light me up whenever I’m doing them. Someone once said to me; you
can talk for Africa and I responded that so long as I am talking about Jesus and
the things He has done, then yes, I can go for days doing that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sad thing is, as
much as I love to write, I have not written as much as I would have loved to
write. I realise now that I have written more over the last four days than I
have all through this year put together and this drove me to a resolve.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I will write a
minimum of one article every week going forward and speak at least once every
week about Jesus Christ and or other matters as the Lord grants me unction.
When I stick to this, it would mean that in a year, I would have written at
least fifty two articles and spoken to people at least fifty two times. In
doing this, I would also be horning my writing and public speaking skills and
most importantly, I will be living life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">My life’s work
is to help people be the version of themselves that God created them to be and
so help me God, in keeping to my resolve, I will be fulfilling my own purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Think about your
life, where are you today and where can you possibly be?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">What can you
commit to today that will bring you closer to where you see yourself to be?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">How willing are
you to commit to your resolve?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">What will
success look like at the end of the road?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You can share
with me either privately or on this post and I will help you get to the end of
the road by the grace of God.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">God bless you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-18727356830320945392017-06-03T04:02:00.001-07:002017-06-03T04:02:20.433-07:00LIKE CHRIST
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A few days ago,
a woman my wife and I really have a lot of respect for came by our home to visit
and see the latest member of the Onyekwere clan. You know there are those
people that every time you see them, they are either churning out revelations
or they are drawing out depths of God from you that are not the norm… bottom
line is, she is an amazing woman after God’s heart and a dear friend of the
family. She shies away from the lime light a lot though the Lord has a way of
always setting her up lolz so I won’t mention her name.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We began to
discuss along the lines of Jesus and His love and what He means and the things
He did etc. and before we knew it, it was almost 2hrs and there was yet so much
more that I knew had been left unsaid.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As she left, I went
back into my closet and began to meditate on the love of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I know that we
all have a concept of what Christ’s love means to us individually and
collectively, but the more I think about it, the more I really come to the
understanding of what John meant when he wrote “for God so loved the world…”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The love of
Christ is unsearchable, the depths of it is unimaginable, it stretches from
eternity to eternity. And as the reality of the expectations from me in Christ
Jesus begins to dawn on me some more, I realize that I had missed it not
walking in love.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You see, people
will always be people, but I am the one who determines how I respond to people and
truth is I have failed to consistently respond in love. I have responded in
anger, fear, hatred, hurt, disappointment, sadness, happiness and sometimes
love but I have failed to consistently respond in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOVE</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Christ is love
and as He is, so also should I be. Imagine that all who profess the name of the
Lord were to respond consistently in love every time, what a body of Christ we would
have!</span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So today, I am just
reaching out to as many as are like myself who have realized that they have not
constantly responded in love to re-evaluate themselves and realign to the
nature of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">But it is only natural
and human to respond to your emotions you may say. Well, I have news flash for
you, if you are in Christ Jesus, you are not “human”, you are a life giving
spirit for as He is so also are we in this world… Selah!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I went back to
the Father and asked Him to help me Love unconditionally and He reminded me of
something I heard a while back and I applied that portion of scripture as a
confession over my life. It’s a confession from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8;<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya suffers
long<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya is kind<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya does
not envy<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya does
not parade himself<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya is not
puffed up<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya does
not behave rudely<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya does
not seek his own<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya is not
provoked<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya thinks
no evil<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya does
not rejoice in iniquity<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya rejoices
in the truth<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya bears
all things<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya believes
all things<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya hopes
all things<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya endures
all things<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Obinnaya NEVER
FAILS<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I constantly
declare these words over myself and I can assure you that I have become a
better version of myself over time. There has been numerous tests to my resolve
to be like Christ always and I can’t tell you that it has been very easy to
stay true but this one thing I can say, it has completely been worth it. The look
on people’s faces when I respond in love even when they have utterly hurt me is
priceless.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Master is
seeking representatives here on earth, can you become one for Him?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Think about it….<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-80053367421762460812017-05-06T03:18:00.000-07:002017-05-06T03:18:00.985-07:00WALKING WITH GOD?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A couple of days ago, the Lord demanded that I spend more time with Him. To me, He literally sounded like a jealous lover and this had me thinking. You see, I spend an average of 2hrs minimum in His presence daily and to me, that was an above average quality time (all things being equal) but I heard Him say to me that for the depths I’ve begun to touch and enter, much more was required. My schedule has since changed and I cannot even begin to share with you how amazing it has been, it almost feels like floating on thin air #storyforanotherday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This demand from my Father got me
thinking; on an average, how well does the average professing Christian know
their God? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are some insights that the
Father will give to me and my question to Him always is; “Lord, what have I then
been doing all this while?” and He just chuckles and continues teaching me. I have
been taught so much of the Lord, yet it still feels like I know so little. The depths
in His glory are sooooo deep and vast, leaves you searching and thirsting for
more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have a passion for believers so
when I receive some insights, I most times look at it in comparison to the
average professing believer. So a little question pops in my head; How much
time are you investing in the knowledge of God and fellowship with Him?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Matt 6:21 Luke 12:34 tells us
that where a man’s treasure is, that’s where his heart will be. I belong to
this investment group and I observe with utter amazement (pardon my French) how
driven and hyped up these guys are about making money and I always quietly
wonder if their relationships with God receives half as much of that sort of
attention and ginger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A look at the things you are
gingered about gives one an insight as to where your treasure really lies.
Jesus in Matt 19 instructed the rich young ruler to go sell his possessions,
give the proceeds to the poor and follow Him. The man walked away sad,
scripture says because he had many possessions. He weighed the option of
walking away from his possessions for Christ and considered it too much a price
to pay so he decided that he rather have his possessions that have Christ. I am
sure we often read that passage and think ‘what a foolish guy’ however, so many
of us today by our actions are doing the exact same thing. When last did you
take a vacation just to spend time with God? Can you cancel a business meeting
just to spend time with God? Can you walk away from your well-paying job just
because God asked you to? Can you shut down your business which you built from
scratch just because God asked you to?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What does this walk with God even
mean to you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As you go into this new month and
for the rest of your days, I want you to ask yourself; how well am I walking
with God?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Selah!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-78173072875444405572017-04-09T23:27:00.007-07:002017-04-09T23:27:55.165-07:00MIND SHIFT
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I spent two
weekends in March with my siblings and it gave us some time to gist, catch up
and bond again. One of us was getting married and there is nothing like a celebration
to get us going. Like my wife will say, we too like play.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In all of that
play, I noticed the week before that one of my siblings was sounding a bit
deeper than her usual self. You see as the first of five amazing children and
the “father” of the house as it were, I keep praying and asking God that He
grounds us all in His perfect will for our lives and cause my siblings to
develop the sort of relationship I have with Him or preferably something
deeper. So hearing one of them sound deep drew my attention and caused
something to leap on my inside, I could recognize that there was a change going
on somewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As the
conversations kept going on, we eventually delved into church and allied
matters and then I found out what had changed.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">My sister said she
currently never looks forward to Sunday service. That for me was a flag but her
next comments affirmed something that had shifted in me a very long time ago.
Now mind you, she worships with one of the very large assemblies in Nigeria
that have been very instrumental in getting the body of Christ in Nigeria where
it is today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">She said that
however there is this smaller group of people who meet sometime during the week
and she never would miss those meetings for anything in the world. She went
ahead to describe a meeting she missed and how it pained her that she was only
able to attend just one day of the three day meeting. She described with joy
how God gave her a word for the lady beside her and that as she wrote the word
down to pass to the lady, she was not even sure what she was doing as this was
something strange to her.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">My dad was a
pastor and we grew up in a Christian home, so we were schooled in the “things”
of the spirit as it were. However, she had prior to this time not really walked
in the fullness of the workings of the gift of the spirit and here she was
giving a word from God to a total stranger. She said that after the service,
the lady came back to hug her and greet her and thank her. You can imagine her
joy and elation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I can tell you
that my sister is not the same person I hung out with in December for my other
sister’s wedding. The babe is deep now mehn! Something shifted.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As we talked
some more, it became obvious that there was a thirst in her heart for more of
God which wasn’t being met in her local assembly and God decided to fill that
vacuum Himself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I am aware that
there are so many people out there like my sister who have a burning desire
within them for more of God. People who know that there is more to God than
what is currently obtainable in their local assembly and have been crying out
to God for more of Him. I want to assure you that God sees your heart and will
order your steps aright.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Like I shared
with some folks who met me privately with these questions, some of you want to
leave your local assembly to somewhere else because you feel you are not in the
right place. Before you make that move, ensure that that you should even be
moving in the first instance. Has God instructed you to leave? If He hasn’t,
you MUST stay put until He instructs you (I know how you must feel, trust me
I’ve… been there). David had to stay with Saul though attempts had been made at
his life on several occasions because it wasn’t yet time for him to be crowned
king over Israel, so like David, I advise you stay put.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">But some of you
like my sister need to run away from where you currently are. I mean like
seriously run. And don’t give me that nonsense about it being your “family
church”, run for your dear life. There is an assembly where God is looking to
grow you, find them and grow or stay put and die.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I connected with
an assembly of brethren and have made tremendous progress ever since. The
church of God will continue to march on and the gates of hell cannot prevail
against it. You and I are the CHURCH, the assembly we decide to fellowship in
should be aimed towards growing the CHURCH. If you are not growing, then
scripture likens you to the heir who due to him still being a child is under
the care of servants until he/she attains the level of development where they
are able to handle what is rightfully theirs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As leaders of
assemblies, your major drive should be to grow the CHURCH. When I say grow I
didn’t mean drive to increase number or attendance, NO. I meant growth as in
the people themselves growing.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I am proud of
the people my siblings are becoming and I pray that my God who has led them
this far in Him will continue to grow them Himself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I love you guys!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-781864755762009967.post-22986722287861498112017-03-21T10:19:00.002-07:002017-03-21T10:19:48.024-07:00SISTER SLAY QUEEN<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I pastor an
assembly of predominantly young adults and both from observing people and my
personal experiences, I understand the desire and pressure to fit in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">As a teenager, I
received numerous lectures about peer pressure and its effect and I think one
of the reasons I seriously looked forward to growing a beard was to join the
league of men who were big enough to take their own decisions without the influence
of others or being tagged as a small boy; little did I know that it’s a continuous
cycle…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">As I grow in God
and become more aware of my environment, I begin to question things around me,
judging them to affirm their alignment with the word of the God. This has
become a favourite past time of mine and its quite interesting spending hours
with God debating on things that I used to know as against how God really sees
them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">That’s not what I’m
writing about today though, but it was on one of such occasions that the Lord
pointed me to the subject of my post today.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">For some reason
during one of my quiet times, I picked up my phone and on my timeline I saw the
word <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Slay Queen”. </b>The word stayed
with me for a while and since it was my quiet time, I needed to discard the
carnal thought immediately to enable me focus on deep stuff.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I know that slay
queen is a phrase that some ladies use to describe themselves these days and as
hard as I tried, I couldn’t shake off the knowing that the Lord was trying to
tell me something about it. So since my quiet time is for communing with the
Father, I thought that if it was females that He wanted us to discuss today,
then…. So be it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">He asked me to
turn to a passage in scripture:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB">Proverbs 7:1-27</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB">1</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"> My son, keep my words, and
treasure my commands within you. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2</b>
Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3</b> Bind them on your finger; write them
on the tablet of your heart. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4</b> Say
to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your nearest kin, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5</b> That they may keep you from the
immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6</b> For at the window of my house I looked
through my lattice, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">7</b> And saw among
the simple, I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">8</b> Passing along the street near her
corner; and he took the path to her house <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">9</b>
In the twilight, in the evening, in the black dark night. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10 </b>And there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot, and a
crafty heart. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">11</b> She was loud and
rebellious, her feet would not stay at home. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">12</b> At times she was outside, at times in the open square, lurking
at every corner. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">13</b> So she caught
him and kissed; with an impudent face she said to him: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">14</b> “I have peace offereings with me; today I have paid my vows. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">15</b> So I came out to meet you,
diligently to seek your face, and I have found you. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">16</b> I have spread my bed with tapestry, coloured coverings of
Egyptian linen. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">17 </b>I have perfumed
my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">18</b>
Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us delight ourselves with
love. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">19</b> For my husband is not at
home; He has gone on a long journey; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">20</b>
He has taken a bag of money with him, and will come home on the appointed day.”
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">21</b> With her enticing speech she
caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">22 </b>Immediately he went after her, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">as an ox goes to slaughter,</b> or as a
fool to the correction off the stocks, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">23</b>
Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, he did not know
it would cost his life. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">24 </b>Now
therefore, listen to me, my children; pay attention to the words of my mouth: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">25 </b>Do not let your heart turn aside to
her ways, do not stray into her paths; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">26</b>
For as she cast down many wounded, and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">all
who were slain by her were strong men</b>. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">27</b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Her house is the way to hell, descending
to the chambers of death.</b></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Permit me to add
SELAH!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I read this
passage and I was weak. I immediately understood why the phrase stuck with me. The
person that used the line probably was trying to say that she looked
exceptionally beautiful that day, however, because she felt the need to use a
slang that is currently in vogue, she had roped herself into something that had
far much more reaching implications than she was aware of.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I paused and began
to think of all the other things that have either recently or in time past come
into vogue that people have no clue where these things emanated from and for a
need to fit in, people just join the band wagon and blindly follow the trends. What
is a dab? Where did it originate from? What’s a mannequin challenge? To what
end was the usefulness of that challenge? (Let me not go into that one today).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">My dear sister,
the next time you consider to address yourself as a slay queen, quickly do
check, Proverbs 7 describes in clear terms the SLAY QUEEN. You could either be
a slay queen or a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">VIRTUOUS WOMAN</b>
(Proverbs 31), but it is impossible to be both at the same time, so choose!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">A word they say
is enough for the wise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB">SELAH! </span></div>
ObiSpeakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760525172535532402noreply@blogger.com0