You are a MODEL!

@stburnish

Model {mod-l}: "A small object, usually built to scale, that represents in detail another, often larger object." 

Have you ever come across (be it on TV or actual contact) an expensive artwork that just did not look like it was worth the price placed on it? Every day, many thousands of dollars are spent on one-of-a-kind’s that may not seem appealing at all to the average man. With wrinkled hands, a strange woman in a little village somewhere stooped into dirty earth and mud in order to bring forth a creation – one that ended up costing so much that it could only be owned by nation states.

Many of these artworks only cost so much for one of two major reasons: on the one hand, it may have to do with the renown of the artist who created the work, while on the other hand, it almost always has to do with the originality of the product, the fact that it is the only one. Do you realize that God feels the same way about you?

Our individuality makes every one of us a model – an extraordinary masterpiece – fully representing God in our looks and functionality. Regardless of how your nose, ears, mouth or eyes are, you are the only one of you that God has, created to “model” Him. God was well aware of your looks before He boldly declared that you were made in His image and likeness – to look and act like Him. Our value is not in how appealing we look in comparison to the other person; our value relies on the fact that we cannot truly be compared with anyone else. You are in a class of your own; you have no real competition, because no one looks, acts, thinks, talks or is created exactly like you. You are the only you God ever had and will ever have.

Even in this season where everyone is seeking to lose a few pounds here and there and a great number of people are also looking to gain a few pounds, you should never forget that you are a model. You model God, a different dimension of Him that no one ever saw before. Of course, you may have done some things to the exterior of the model that is “you,” but don’t be mad at yourself. You have God in you to show you how to get your model to the optimal standard, but you MUST start by believing that you are one-of-a-kind, not to be compared with anyone else.

For a while, I tried so hard to lose a few pounds in order to get to a certain BMI that I felt would be healthier, but the more I tried, the more it failed. When I gave up on my own ability to make it happen and started enjoying liberty through the Spirit of God, He Himself taught me habits that caused me to get to a weight that did not just look great on the scale but felt good on me. I have learned to never measure how “good-looking” I am in comparison to anybody else. I am the best looking ME there could possibly be, so I walk with my shoulders square, knowing God is proud to show me off to the world – a truly divine, handsome, rich, healthy, blessed and favored representation of HIM!

The Scandal of Grace

Sitting here on my bed, I still feel the presence of Jesus so intense that I said to Him, “how do I express how I feel right now?” The thoughts are overwhelming and His love is palpable. A lot of things happened today, but the most of it is that I saw Jesus clearer and now love Him more.

In the evening, I set out for some of my friends’ house for a hangout, not knowing what to expect. I like to consider myself as a spiritual person, and I am proud of it, but I don’t feel the same way about being referred to as “religious.” So, the main thing for me tonight was that nothing was religious. Everything was simple, fulfilling and pleasurable. At the house, Yinka Karis and I began to watch Pastor Chris Online clips and the presence of Jesus was so strong. We laughed and almost fell out under the power; boy, were we DRUNK in the Spirit.

Shortly after that, we heard Pastor Joseph Prince was ministering LIVE from Lakewood Church, and we decided to watch. WOW!!! It was a gathering of kings, and I believe heaven watched intently with excitement. I STRONGLY believe Jesus couldn’t contain Himself anymore; He DANCED! Boy, did JESUS dance tonight, while the devil cringed in fear and shame. As we watched, we celebrated Jesus, and we celebrated Him with so much joy. One of the highlights of Pastor Prince's message for me was when He talked about how Jesus decided to go hangout with Zaccheus, the tax collector, and the religious folk immediately took offence against Him. Pastor Prince said it was the beginning of “the scandal of grace.” Those words caught my attention, causing me to make up my mind to be a proud bearer of Christ’s grace message. I hope to write a book with that title, the Scandal of Grace, sometime in the future; it’ll be lovely.

Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed a great time with the people I call “friends.” I tend to pay a lot of attention to people’s eyes, and tonight all I saw was a lot of love being communicated - so much love it was impossible for Jesus to have been absent.  In everything we did, you could tell that Jesus was there. Now, I’m home, full of exuberant joy. I never stop being impressed by Jesus’ sacrifice for me. He bore it all. Now, all I have to do is look into His eyes and become more like Him as I do so. I’m not sure how to best communicate it, but I am convinced that HE LOVES ME!

P.S: Suggest a song for this post, please. Thanks!

"Woman, I Charge You, Give Your Heart to Christ" :: A Vision - 10/29/2011

It looked like the room I now type this note from. I got up from my bed with the sound of people coming up the stairs. I wondered who they were (mind you, I thought it was real life). Two gentlemen walked in with kids and a caterpillar (yes, the animal, as a pet, crawling in with them). They said construction was going on at their place and they needed somewhere to cook. I agreed reluctantly for them to come in. They got excited and started bringing out the food. "Jesus, Lord have mercy," I thought, when food of different types started showing. I ate and ate and ate rounds of it. I just couldn't have enough. Before long, I saw people trickling into the house, in tens, then looking like hundreds, but there was SPACE I never knew of before. 

Unknown to me, those men had planned an outreach - an opportunity to preach to people - after feeding them. I got excited about that too. Then, I started working with them. I'll skip the details, but by the time the merriment was over, those men did not minister. It was our responsibility. Yinka Karis ministered first. Some believed and some did not. He wasn't discouraged (none of us was), because the ones that didn't believe had left. We were now with those who believed but needed more teaching.

Yinka called on Chukwuemeka Obiaka to minister to the rest of the people that we had left with us. Yinka made sure to make it clear to "Obi" in a stern manner that "all these ones have to give their hearts to Christ." Then, Obi started to minister (strong and powerful) and right when we were confessing our salvation, we heard the voice of a rather short lady demanding that everyone moved out of the field. So, both we and the people we were ministering to, began to run in a certain direction. It seemed like the short lady had some clout, like she was a teacher we feared. It looked like she felt insulted that she had been trying to get our attention but everyone was listening to "a small boy" (referring to Obi) and ignoring her.

In stead of running with everyone, I ran toward her and began to explain. I said, "We were not listening to a small boy, ma'am. We were listening to Jesus. It was Him standing there, talking through that young man." With deeper conviction I said "He [Jesus] could have won many to Him tonight, but you stopped Him (at this point, almost in tears)." Her colleagues (strict women of power like herself) spoke harshly, encouraging her that she made the right decision to protect her reputation by dispersing the gathering, even though at this point, I was sure she was questioning her reasoning.

"Woman, I charge you, give your heart to Christ," I said pleafully. By now, I could see tears in her eyes. Then, I went on to say "I assure you He [Jesus] is real, and one day you will stand before Him and your whole body will shiver; everything in you will respond to Him and you will have to give account of what you have done in your body." Her colleagues tried to dissuade her, but I could tell that she knew what was at stake. It was simply now a choice between her ego and the reality. 

Next, I felt a call - a need to go and join the believers where they were, so I left her. It was a dining room - a huge one. We all wore purple apparel, everyone with a different face and name. The food was DELICIOUS; in fact, it looked like it was alive because it did move. It was like nothing I was aware of existed on earth. Every bite was satisfaction. I declared proudly to my comrades in Christ that I had made an attempt to win the woman over, and now I only hope that my words would win her. The room we were in was like a sort of waiting area before we went to the real place, but it was gorgeous in there.

We began to share the reasons why each of us had believed. One of the guys in the room (I got the impression that I didn't "like" him before then, but now, I loved him) talked about how he believed because of the food. He said he loved food in general, so when he heard about this one, he wanted to try it out. It was at that time that I noticed my food was extremely delicious and ALIVE. 

** JESUS is REAL. If you know Him, wear Him proudly. He died for everyone, and He is coming some day very soon. Believe me, He's worth it ALL. **

NIGERIA

TY Bello...another Nigerian artist committed to the growth of the nation.

Telling people about Nigeria remains the hardest thing to do for both our natives and tourists, simply because we just never know what part of the story to tell. Calling one faction to memory and neglecting the other would translate into another nation’s story – not ours. The truth is that we have such a fair share of the best of both worlds. Nigeria is an intrinsic juxtaposition of vigor and debilitation, the glamorous and the grotesque.

That look in the eyes of the Nigerian that only tells you beautiful stories when asked about his country is simply an expression of hope, a deliberate and beautiful denial of what is, an attempt at erasing a confusing history. That young man or woman just wants you to journey with them into the good memories, the ones they hold sacred, the ones strong enough to overshadow the wrongs.

Still, the look in the eyes of the other Nigerian that only talks about horrendous acts of corruption and discouraging spurs of violence is not one of disdain towards flag and country but an expression of frustration, having considered so much of our worse half. He or she only desires to paint you a picture of what they consider the truth, the memories that continue to tear deep into the scars of yesterday, forbidding them to heal.

Truth be told, Nigeria is beautiful, and Nigerians are some of the most hospitable and joyous people on earth; it is TRUE. And, truth also be told, Nigeria could be the ugliest place and some of its people most brutal; it is TRUE. Pardon us; we’re just never sure of what stories to tell. We have tales of extended families that love with all their hearts, stories of abundance and joy, yet we have the other stories.

I remember my mother falling into a pit and getting injured in the process of going after debtors in order to appropriate her business’ worth into the education and well-being of her kids, but I also remember having more than I ever needed or wanted as the years went by. What story would I rather tell you? We have stories of senseless riots (religious or tribalistic) – Biafra and the likes – yet we have stories of a strong sense of unity (Nigeria ’99 FIFA Soccer Competition comes to mind).

Whichever way, be glad to hear any side of the story. When you hear the good, appreciate the reality of much that still needs to be done to make it closer to a 100 percent grace, and when you hear the grassy dirty narratives, appreciate the breath-taking beauty of which you were not told. I personally prefer to tell the better stories more, yet I understand that someone else has to tell the other side. Whichever one you choose, there’s hope; I AM THAT HOPE!

Play the video above and read the post one more time as you listen; the heart of the message may be communicated better.

A Mother is a Priceless Jewel

A Priceless Jewel!

As I thought about the many things that people said about their mothers in church today, the sum of it all was expressed in the words of a brother that said “mothers are the epitome of selfless service.” As my Pastor began to explain, none of us could do anything by ourselves as children. We were invariably helpless; we had to be fed, clothed and carried. If those three chores were the only reasonable things a mother did for her child, she is still worth the honor.

Most people have more than one mother, in the sense of the saying “it takes a village to raise a child.” So, I am very appreciative of all my spiritual mothers and my physical mother (who happens to be very spiritual in her dealings too). There is an instinct within mothers that preserves, protects and nourishes. My mother has sacrificed more than I can possibly remember or count. She has loved and continues to love like nobody else can. As imperfect as she may be, her beauty grew ever so strong with every sacrifice that she made for me.

One most remarkable thing I learned today is that mothers deserve honor whether or not their actions were the best. But, if you have (or had) a mother  who demonstrated her love toward you, you are the better for it and should be very appreciate her. I also learned that reaching my highest potential in life depended greatly on the honor I accrue to my parents and those in authority over me. So, once again, many thanks to my mothers!

To wrap it up, I think it is most remarkable that God is referred to as El-Shaddai, the Strong and Breasted One. He amazes me all the time. He can protect you like a Father would and turn around to nourish and love you like only a Mother would. If you never knew your mother or she has passed, appreciate her and keep her in your heart in whichever way you can, but remember always that you have a father and a MOTHER in God.

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

-- @stburnish

P.S: I just think the song below speaks a lot concerning the HolySpirit (my first mother) and my other mothers (especially Ye ‘Lubusi – my mother).