What is that to you?

"let it help you bring up imaginations that pertain to your life and situation"

“All scripture is given…for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished in all good works.” [2 Timothy 3:16-17]

Every so often, we read scriptures about God, ourselves, human beings, the past, the present or the future. But, many don’t know what to do with God’s Word. The Word of God has the inherent ability to excite you when you’re filled with the HolyGhost. However, the excitement in itself is not the goal. Take for example, you read “the hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth” [Psalm 97:5] and began to run amok with excitement at the awesomeness of God. After all the excitement – jumping, crying, standing in awe, etc. – my question to you is: what is that [scripture] to you?

It is too easy to be excited about ‘nothing’. The children of Israel sang songs in excitement after God showed one sign after another, yet they exposed their inner unbelief at the next sighting of a challenge. What God needed was not their excitement; He wanted them to mix the awesomeness of His wonders with the reality of His Word in order to know Him better. He wanted them to be able to trust Him the next time an obstacle, like a voracious wolf, bared its ravenous teeth at them. Meditate on the Word that you’ve received. Let your excitement stem from some revelation, and not just something that looks nice by religious standards in the Word.

Take that Psalm 97:5 for instance; someone who reads that and receives it through meditation will immediately understand that it is talking about God’s greatness, but beyond just mouth-gaping awe. Such a person understands that the one who causes hills to melt like wax lives in him/her and is on his/her side, so there is no need to fear. If that person were to be attacked by armed robbers the next day, he/she should be confident in the Lord that causes a huge hill to melt at his presence (that is, just because He’s there). That can only happen if the excitement came out of a place of revelation. Let’s take the same example a step further; if that person were in a situation where people in authority were resisting him/her unjustly and he/she understood that hills in the scriptures prophetically refer to authorities, such a person should also be confident that the resistance will not stand. See that?

The Word of God was written for your edification. It was inspired of God for you. Learn to appropriate it to your life. See results of the Word in your life. Be able to list the areas in your life where the Word has worked. Don’t just receive scripture religiously. Find out through the HolySpirit what that scripture ought to mean to you, and begin to apply it in that area. You can only achieve this if you learn to take out time to churn the Word in your mind. Think on the Word; let it help you bring up imaginations that pertain to your life and situation. That’s the way to drive the Word into your spirit and cause it to mean something to you.

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Morning Call – 15th of September, 2010

"Laughter doeth good like medicine!"

Good morning to you wherever you are on this vast earth! It’s a new day, and God is waiting for you to fulfill His dreams in it. He has seen this day in Him as beautiful and glorious for you, but you still have the authority to determine whether it’ll be so. Dear brother or sister, make sure to impose God’s word on your circumstances today.

Here are a few things that you can do to have a great day:

• Read Rhapsody of Realities: If you don’t have a copy of Rhapsody of Realities, get one immediately, preferably in electronic format. It is a trusted great way to set yourself up for a day in God. The no. 1 daily devotional by Pastors Chris and Anita Oyakhilome is also currently on the Amazon Kindle along with many other ministry materials. So, get a Kindle and get a Rhapsody of Realities September Edition!

• Follow Pastor Chris Oyakhilome on Yookos: Though believers around the world cannot gather in a single location to pray, Yookos - the father of all micro-blogging and social networking sites - has created an alternative avenue for us to pray together. By following, you join over 900,000 Christians (irrespective of denomination) across the globe, who pray for many different things on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for 15 minutes together at the same time. We have prayed in times past about topics ranging from the safety and protection of nations to the safety and protection of pregnant women around the world. If you pray at all, don’t give any excuses or ask too many questions, just join the largest prayer program on the face of the earth. 

• Learn to Laugh: “A merry heart doeth good like medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” [Proverbs 17:22] Regardless of what anyone has done against you to break your heart, choose to be joyful and merry in your heart. Give the word of God a little time to work on your heart. That scripture [Proverbs 17:22] lets you know you can stay in health just by maintaining a merry heart. Now, will you allow someone else’s actions rob you of your health? I didn’t think so!

There you have it. I sincerely hope and pray that you have a great day!

Much love,

St. Burnish 


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Blissful Tears of Joy

What can separate us from God's love? Nothing!

Today is the 14^th of September, 2010. I woke up this morning to something that was supposed to be good news but began to tend towards thoughts of worry and anxiety on decision-making as though I am in this world alone. Well, the next thought was “let’s fellowship with the Holy Ghost,” and so I got on my knees to start praying. In the beginning parts of my prayer [while speaking in tongues] I was still entertaining those worry thoughts. Now, all these happened within the space of 45 minutes.

All of a sudden, the Spirit of God reminded me of the song you are about to listen to – How He Loves by Kim Walker. I never heard it fully before; in fact, the first time I heard some part of it, I didn’t really like the rhythm, but I was still able to pick out a few words that I thought were interesting: “if grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.” I really liked that being the grace-obsessed person that I am. That’s another day’s topic.

So, I began listening, and within a few minutes, I was in tears, experiencing the awesome billows of God’s tangible love that can only be best described in human words as blissful! In beautiful worship, like the song expresses, I simply forgot about any worries and focused on the fact that “He loves me…oh, how He loves me!” With that, anxiety was turned to joy unspeakable and complete confidence in my future. Glory to God!

My prayer for you right now is that, as you listen [please, listen to all of it even if you heard it before], all your worries and fears will be washed away by His awe-inspiring love. I pray that your heart will be open, even if you never experienced the love of God before. And, I pray that He causes your knees to tremble and that He ultimately sweeps you off your feet as you fall in love with Him like I did 5 years ago and still continue to do every new day [in a new way], in Jesus’ name. Amen!

The Essence of Diligence

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“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” [Proverbs 22: 29]

 Diligence is an indispensable virtue which every Christian must possess. A diligent man is one who pays attention to detail, one who is precise in all he does, thus making him efficient and effective  in every task he is engaged in.

Diligence causes one to excel where others have failed. Many times, people are engaged in various tasks, but the desired result often eludes them because attention is not paid to the details of the task. The bible says, “the hand of the diligent shall bear rule” [Proverbs 12:24 KJV]. Other versions say that the hand of the diligent tends to plenty. To be diligent, you need to learn to see what others don’t see.

A diligent man is in charge, well organized and exudes the sagacity of the Spirit in all he does. This is the quality of the new creation in Christ Jesus. God begat us of his own will that we should be the first and the best in all that we do [James 1:18 KJV]. Refuse to be the Christian that is disorganized and doesn’t get things done the first time. Just as you exhibit diligence in the house of God, have this virtue stirred up in you all the time.

Let men be at peace when things are committed to your trust. Also, not forgetting that a diligent man would not stand before obscure men, for as the bible says “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” [Proverbs 22: 29 KJV] This is one sure way to excel and be the best of you. It may have to do with a project, tidying your room, organizing your books, arranging files or reports on your computer - whatever the task is, be diligent at it. No one may be watching you but always remember that it is an investment in your personality that would count for all times. Make up your mind to be diligent in all things you do from now on and trust the Holy Spirit who is the Father of all good gifts to strengthen and help you.

As you ponder on these thoughts remember that “... he who comes from heaven is [far] above all others [far superior to all others in prominence and in excellence]” – John 3: 31 (Amplified Version). Considering that you (as a Christian) are from above, because as He is so are we in this world [1 John 4:17], it means you have a head-start – an advantage – over others. And, like Pastor Chris Oyakhilome PhD says “work on being and not on having because when you are, you will have”.

Coming Soon!

St. Burnish

First, it is with great pleasure that I say this hearty “thank you” to all the faithful readers of Burnivine’s Blogoscope. With thousands of views so far, several testimonies I’ve heard, and many new friends I’ve made, I am more than grateful to God and to you for this opportunity to be a blessing to the world. So, once again, thank you!


Shifting focus to a very important issue, we have been away for about a month now, and I sincerely apologize for that. As you may already know, we were working on a project that I’m mega-excited about – The Pastor Chris Online Transcripts Blog. It’s the written (transcript) version of the online question and answer forum of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome called Pastor Chris Online. Make sure to visit the site; there’s a ton of information 0n it. And, if you’re already acquainted with the original Pastor Chris Online, you’ll still find this site helpful, because it categorizes all the questions that have been answered under labels like Christian living, prayer, and such topics, making the blog a topical compendium of some sort.
 Burnivine’s Blogoscope has officially returned as of today, however, with a slightly different strategy. Instead of weekly posts, you can expect more frequent posts (up to one post per day) with shorter (ultimately fresher!) content. But, the longer posts (like those we’ve had before) will still be coming up, only every two (or so) weeks – less frequently. In addition to those changes, you can also expect stories, poems, and informative posts, all still under the Christianity (and lifestyle) genre.

So, how can you participate? Tell, tell, tell people! If you’ve been blessed by this blog, then you’re its no. 1 publicist. Under every post, there are buttons (though tiny) through which you can share the post through Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, and other means. Also, make sure to post comments and reply to other people’s comments. Your support is needed and appreciated.


Finally, we may be moving the blog to WordPress soon; you’ll hear about that if it does happen. But, whichever way, remember that “the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” [Proverbs 4:18], so whatever changes we’re making will only result in greater glory and more impact.


Thank you once again, especially to the readers that have ‘bugged’ me with questions concerning our inadvertent period of hibernation and those awesome readers I was blessed to meet at the Higher Life Conference with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome in Houston, TX.


I love and appreciate you! God bless you!


-- St. Burnish

At Trust's End

"At trust's end, we cease to be humans"

“Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” [Matthew 10:16]

Expressions of regret, remorse, care, compassion, and love, amongst other emotions, cease to mean anything when we stop believing them. The day we stopped comprehending sincere emotions, that day, those very emotions stopped existing. Caring is what it is, only because it is understood by everyone – or at least most people. Anger can only retain its meaning when the one you express it towards understands it. Ever been furious at a baby and he/she just kept laughing? Your anger meant nothing to that baby; that emotion was simply not recognized by the child at the time, because that child had not grown enough to master the elements that make up the human person. Little wonder as to why your relationship with that baby is so limited.

We live in a highly polarized generation – one most easily explained by the idea encapsulated in Jesus’ statement: “because of the increase of wickedness, the love of men shall wax cold” [Matthew 24:12]. Due to so much wickedness in our world, many have lost love. Today, it is harder than ever before to believe the sincere people but much easier to believe the dishonest folk. We watch infomercials discussing opportunities to help children, nations, and our world, but the first thought that comes to many minds is how the man on the television is only seeking his own gain. We are quick to think that everyone’s after our money. Though we often think we’re being smart, we’re actually truly expressing the state of our hearts – what our humanity has become.

Imagine a world at trust’s end. Imagine a world where every truth is a lie, love is hate, caring is selfish, and hope is foolish. Imagine our world at trust’s end. Imagine a world that didn’t believe your tears at the death of your father just because he was rich and left you a will, forgetting that a father’s a father no matter how good or bad of it he is. Imagine a world where the poor and needy reject the pure no-strings-attached help of the rich and powerful [no matter how caring they truly are] for fear of that rich one returning to them later in future to get his payment or returns-on-investment. Imagine a world where your love was misunderstood for an attempt to take advantage of the one you love, where your concerns were misunderstood for an opportunity to mock those in trouble, a world where every emotion of yours you can think of – platonic care, brotherly/sisterly love, and motherly/fatherly affection – was confused with evil beyond your conception.

Don’t be too small in your heart, too closed in your mind, or too myopic in your sight to understand the danger of a world at trust’s end. As seen in the opening scripture, the idea is not to abandon all caution, ditch discernment, or throw out wisdom; rather, the imploration to us all is that we make room for trust - just a little more room to believe the man crying over his daughter’s grave, the child claiming it was rape and not consented sex, the rich man desiring to change the lives of many impoverished fellow human beings, the preacher who believes he has a gospel that can change men’s lives. Let us believe them just for a second; after all, it is said “innocent until proven guilty.” Don’t be quick to assume that everything on television is fake [though a lot of it is]. Good will always overcome evil. It has to be so.

When we question motives, disbelieve sincere emotion, reject help through a belief of the worst concerning the helper [when we do all these], we lose ourselves. We lose the bond that holds us together when we don’t deem other human beings as capable of genuine emotion, the same emotions we express and expect others to believe. At trust’s end, we cease to be humans – we become babies – limiting our potentials to love, communicate, and create the world in which we live. 

Life's Soundtrack

Ever wished that life had a soundtrack? That you could walk in the sunshine, smell fresh flowers, love and be loved [just like in those movies], and most of all have a soul-stirring melody playing in the background. Or, for the less artistic person, have you ever desired that action-packed always-on-the-move kind of life that your favorite actors portray? No time for unnecessary dialogue…just plain action-productivity? Or, do you [like myself] want both? Alas, “if wishes were horses?”

In human reality, life has no soundtrack. It just doesn’t happen that way, no matter how badly we wish it to be. Yet, God tells us [Christians] something very important; He says “Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” [Proverbs 4:23] What that says to me is that everything I need to live the life I desire is on the inside. Simply amazing! Science has proven that man has not begun to explore the half of his potentialities. Purely objective observation of science, therefore, proves that it supports the Word of God according to the Bible, since the previous scripture lets us know that all we need to enjoy life is in our hearts; Jesus also stated concerning believers in His Name that “whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do.” [John 14:12] What an enormous capability we carry!

It is time we begun to reach into ourselves and pull out all we need. God made my house [or home] to be my body. So, I never have to look outside for anything, be it joy, peace, or that lovely soundtrack. The Bible teaches me that I can make melody in my heart to God and sing spiritual songs [that have never been penned] all by myself, in my heart. Something interesting the Bible also says is that, by doing that, I’d be filled with the fullness of God [Ephesians 5:18 - 19]. Wow! What a life! I create my own soundtrack of life now. So, when you see me walking, smiling, and enjoying the sunshine while meditatively producing an action-packed day, don’t think I’m trying to live the movies. No, the movies only showed a shadow, a mirage, a yearning; I am living the real deal. In those movies, we’ve been shown what man [as a spirit] knows is achievable. But, in God’s Word, we’re taught how to achieve that deep craving.

In January 2009, I heard my Pastor [Rev. Chris Oyakhilome] say, “I hear a different song”, and he went on to explain that the song he hears is not from this world. Ever since then, I have determined to hear Zion’s songs in my spirit – to soundtrack my life with songs from the Holy City of God in my heart. Nobody can teach you how to do it. As you pray in the spirit and worship, just reach in. I am still learning as well, but I am enjoying the whole process. Have the instruments in your heart; reach musical notes that are not humanly possible. Create new instruments. See! Be inspired! All around us there is creativity and inspiration. Just take a look around you, no matter how horrible, or on the contrary, exquisite where you are seems to be, and translate it all to a song of worship or intercession from inside you.

There’s a topic we’d discuss sooner than later. It’s nostalgia - and its beautiful, yet entrapping and paralytic effects. Have you ever had that song that reminded you of “way back when” and all the feelings came rushing back? That very song could keep you in way back when and steal the moment you could use to meditate on “way up there” in your future. Be more excited about the songs you’ll hear in the future of success that you’ve painted for yourself. Believe that those songs are definitely deeper and more captivating than the ones of yesterday. Look forward to them; meditate on them. And, even, create them. The past loves you very much and wants you back. But, you have to determine for yourself that the golden soundtrack before you is way better than the silver [no matter how shiny] that you have passed.

God bless you, and have a fruitful weekend!

P.S: Loads of answers to very popular contemporary questions [by my very own Rev. Chris Oyakhilome] currently available on Pastor Chris Online in video format will soon be available in readable written format as well on the Pastor Chris Online Transcripts blog. Though you can view the blog now, it is still “under construction”.

Choose Your Friends!

“I choose as my friends everyone who worships you and follows your teachings.” [Psalm 119:63 CEV]

 Who are your friends? Did you take time out to select them, or did you just take those who circumstances brought your way? Man is a spirit, not the outward body that we see. The body we see is only a housing for the real you. God has a destiny for that spirit-man; therefore, it is important to God who your friends, confidants, and trusted ones are. I have come to find that the nature of friendship is that of influence with parties changing, molding, and re-molding one another. As someone said, it is not possible to have a relationship where the parties are not effecting a change in one another at all; whether or not you believe it, if you do not noticeably see your friends becoming more like you, then you are certainly becoming more like them. The problem is not in you becoming like another person – that part is inevitable; the real concern is with the kind of character or mindset you are gradually, subtly, and progressively being influenced by.

Paul gives us a New Testament picture of the same thing in 2 Corinthians 6:14 & 16 where he says “be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness...what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God.” In the early days of mechanized farming, two animals were attached together using an implement that forced them in the same direction. Those animals were ‘yoked’ together for such purposes as plowing and generally increasing productivity on the farm. In those days, only animals of the same kind were yoked together - for example a bull and another bull; to yoke a bull with a dog would be referred to as unequal yoking, and as you may imagine, it would not work so well. As Christians, we are of a different breed [James 1:18] – a new type of beings – different from the ordinary human person, because the life of God has been put in us through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus [1 John 5:11-12].

Therefore, God is concerned about who you call your best friends. Learn to define your relationships. The fact that you go to class together with someone else does not make you their friend or companion; you are simply classmates. You may do school work together, but that is as far as it goes. An unbeliever could not possibly be your best friend by God’s standards. Don’t get me wrong! You may be found in the company of sinners like Jesus was, but don’t be found in their companionship. Let your purpose in their midst be clear; you are there to be a witness of Christ to them. As such, you cannot be found with them all or most of the time. Otherwise, before long, you’ll find yourself thinking, talking, and acting like them. It is just one of the laws of life.

There are characteristics of a godly friendship that you must cultivate with your Christian friends or seek when choosing your friends. Some of them are:

Prayer: God wants you to hang around those who love to pray and know how to pray, such that if you are ever faced with a challenge, you would have friends who know how to take care of it according to the Word. Also, when you pray with your friends, you strengthen your friendship and purify it of all forms of hate, envy, and bitterness that eat into people’s hearts. Agree with your friends in prayer often [Matthew 18:19-20]!

Love for the Word: The Word of God is God [John 1:1]. You and your friends have to be people who desire to have more of God in you. The Bible says “be ye therefore followers of God as dear children” [Ephesians 5:1]. How do you follow God? It is only through His Word. Understanding that your friends will be of influence in your life consciously or unconsciously, it is best that they are themselves people who are being influenced by God’s Word continually.

Regardless of how you have been so far in life or how you started out, you can determine today how you want to end up. If you are one who wants to fulfill his or her destiny in God and be a success in life, you must begin NOW to make changes regarding your companionships. Pray to God to synchronize you with his plans and purposes for you especially with respect to those you hang around with. When you pray like that [like I did years ago], you’d find that the right people come your way and the wrong people just naturally drop out of your life. Your relationship with those wrong friends should not end in a fight; when you commit your destiny to God, they’ll leave peacefully, if they have to.  Otherwise, the Spirit of God will help you to win them to Christ quickly! But, whichever the case, until they confess Christ, limit your time spent with them.

David said in Psalm 1:1 & 3, “blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful…whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”. If you want to be a successful man or woman, you have to discontinue relationships with those who hate the Lord. Never find yourself laughing together with people who mock the move of the Spirit or speak against men of God or the body of Christ. Begin programming yourself for success by surrounding yourself with God’s children today.

The Foolish Things

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” [1 Corinthians 1:27]

Is God’s Word too simple? Are His methods unbelievably straightforward, so much that they become increasingly difficult to yield to? I heard a story once of a Christian who had been through severe hardship in his life. After enduring for a rather long period of time, he decided to confront his Pastor for a solution after a church meeting. The Pastor, full of wisdom and the HolyGhost, listened attentively to the young man. Upon the troubled Christian finishing the story of his ordeals, the Pastor recommended that he purchased, listened to, and meditated on certain Christian materials [books, tapes, CDs, etc]. To the Pastor’s amazement, the young man, looking rather disappointed said to him, “you don’t understand”. With those words, the young Christian Brother was attempting to convey to his Pastor that it could not be that simple; the young man must have been thinking “this man [referring to the Pastor] must not know how serious my case is for him to be asking me to go and listen to some sermons; didn’t I just listen to a sermon?”

Many of us Christians are like that today. God’s Words and instructions seem too simple to hold any weight. Moses made the same mistake and it cost him dearly. God had instructed him to “take the rod…and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water” [Numbers 20:8], but Moses in his anger looked lightly upon the Lord’s instruction and struck the rock instead of talking to it. Maybe if he had known that the rock represented Christ which was only to be struck once [representing his death] after which words [confessions of faith] would produce results in His name, he may have not disobeyed the Lord. As simple as the instruction was, it was very important to God that it was carried out precisely.

We, as believers, need to be more conscious of the fact that God, in His infinite wisdom, has chosen to confound [stun, amaze, and leave speechless] those that are wise in this world by making the “foolish” things contain the most power. Consider the foolishness of meditating on the Word of God in order to see tremendous progress and prosperity in your life [Joshua 1:8, 1 Timothy 4:15]. You may also examine the foolishness of prayer. God does not require you to pray a powerful prayer; you do not have to shout down the heavens. He needs you to simply “ask, and…receive” [John 16:24]. Finally, consider the foolishness of giving or sowing seeds of faith into the lives of men of God, brethren, and the poor; as foolish as the giving of your money is [to the wise people of this world], it is the key to true unending prosperity [2 Kings 4:1-7, Luke 6:38].

The man I referred to earlier may have found it easier to believe if his Pastor had instructed him to fast for 21 days and eat only veggies for another 21 days after that, while praying for two hours at noon and at midnight all of those days. Funny, isn’t it? Yet, that is the way many believers are. We find it easier to believe more in a complicated process, when God said it has been made simple. Whatever deliverance you need is in the Word of God; the knowledge of it will literally cause your eyes to be open to see that you were never bound [Proverbs 11:9].

Salvation came as simply as saying that you believe Jesus was raised from the dead and confessing His Lordship; if the most important thing in your walk with God came that easy, why should anything else be harder [Romans 10:9-10, Romans 8:32]? Focus on the Word of God, enjoy fellowship with God in prayer, and give with a heart of love. 

While you post your comment, here's a beautiful song [originally written, composed, and sung by Frank Edwards of LoveWorld Records] covered by a dear friend and sister of mine - Chidimma. The chorus is in the Igbo language from Nigeria. Enjoy!

Not Mine

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” [1 Corinthians 6:20]

There was a certain man [a Christian] whose story became popular amongst believers several years ago. It was said that he, while on a train, was asked by a group of men to play a game with them aboard the train. Apparently, the other men required one more person to complete the team that was needed to play this game. To the men’s surprise, the Christian Brother on the train replied their request with the words “sorry, I did not come with my hands.” The other guys, looking at him in utter shock and disbelief, considering that he looked in perfect condition to them, asked him [pointing toward his hands] “what about these?” Without hesitation, this believer on the train said “oh no, these are not mine!” At this point, the men on the train thought that there must be something wrong with the man to whom they had made a request; who knows, they may have thought to themselves “why, out of everyone on this part of the train, did we choose to ask this crazy man?”

However, the Christian Brother began at those words - “not mine” - to preach to them the life in Christ. He went on to explain that Jesus had paid with His own life for him, so the life that he lived, he lived as unto the man [Jesus] that purchased him with His own blood. Paul knew this same thing and so he could say boldly “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” [Galatians 2:20]. It is high time we believers began to recognize that we were bought by Jesus and for a very high price at that. There is a popular picture that many Christians have of a sinking man who Jesus came and rescued. But, no brothers and sisters; He did not rescue us like that from the water by throwing us a rope or sending in divers. The right picture is that we were legally condemned to be drowned for our wrongs, but He came and surrendered Himself in our place. He did not just rescue you and me like that; He was drowned in sin, condemnation, and judgment in our place.

Paul in Acts 20:28 referred to “the church of God, which He [Jesus] purchased with his own blood”. For that high price, there is a kind of life we ought to live. Since we owe Him our lives, we ought to now live as unto Him, fulfilling every desire of His. Let us stand up and begin to submit our goals, ambitions, aspirations, relationships, and decisions to Him. Let us be truly lost in Him. Understand that He is the Only Wise God, and He did not bring you to the world to run men’s programs [men’s programs = birth, elementary school, middle/high school, college, work, marriage, bear kids, more money, and death]. Life can be more fulfilling than what you are currently experiencing or what those before you have experienced. There is something special and unique about YOU and ME. We need to yield ourselves to the HolyGhost in prayer and study of the Word till He makes His vision as clear to us as it was made to Paul in Acts 9. First, however, we need to stir up a desire. Let us begin NOW to develop a strong desire to be who God planned for us to be – that man that God so badly wanted us to be that He didn’t mind giving up His only Son for a chance that we would become that man.

Please, kindly share with us your comments and thoughts, but most importantly, testimonies of things, habits, persons, relationships, goals, and dreams that you had to give up in order to permit God’s will in your life. Someone somewhere in the world just may be encouraged by the strength of God that you demonstrated.

My Walk With God: A Motive Assessment

“Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” [Luke 10:20]

In walking with God and growing in the things of God, many times it is easy to forget what exactly everything is about and start focusing on the wrong things [actually, the right things but in the wrong manner]. Many believers are acquainted with the verse before the opening scripture where Jesus said to His disciples, “I give unto you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” [Luke 10:19]. As important as Jesus’ words in this verse are, the knowledge of the words after “notwithstanding” in the next verse is equally important. He told us where our joy should be; He was giving us words to direct our motives. Praise God!

As we grow in God, we need to remind ourselves of the initial source of our joy in the early stages of our Christian walk, because it is possible for other motives to creep in unnoticed. Some people find that they only study the Word of God more because they want to manifest more of God’s power. There are also some who are leaders in church who have found that their study of the Word is for the members of their church group; the Word of God has ceased to be personal to them. Now, it’s about what they [the group members] need to hear – mostly about their sins and wrongs. When such people hear a message about punctuality, they immediately think about another brother or sister who is always late that needs to hear the message. They find it hard to take it for their own selves.

This reminds me of something interesting Jesus said right after praising the church of Ephesus in Revelations 2:1-7: “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” [verse 4]. Think to yourself, “have I forgotten my first love?” This is very important, because in verse 5, Jesus told them that the consequence of them not repenting and turning to their first works was that He would “remove thy candlestick out of its place”. Now, that’s big! After praising their patience and their laboring for the gospel, the church of Ephesus could have lost it all for forgetting their first love.

When you do what you do, do it out of a love for Jesus. If you forgive someone who did you wrong, let it not just be because you want to be known as a good Christian. If you accept “tough” correction from your leaders [especially in church], don’t think “I’ll accept it, but I know God will punish him/her for speaking to me like that!” Does God have to punish everyone that does you wrong? Must they receive a negative payment or suffering because you chose to do what was right? Can’t you think that they may have spoken that way for your own good and accept it? When Sarah, Abraham’s wife, began unjustly maltreating their servant Hagar and she ran away, the Angel of the Lord appeared to her on the way and told her to return to her mistress and be obedient to her. God told Hagar that, if she did that, she [Hagar] would be blessed. But, interestingly, God did not go after Sarah to punish her as some people may have thought He would since He acknowledged that Sarah was doing something wrong [see Genesis 16]. Understand that God loves those who may seem to be your enemies. Think like God; they [those seeming enemies] don’t have to receive a payment for their wrongs. Didn’t Jesus already receive that payment in death? Let your love for the Master motivate your actions.

Finally, here is one that really got me today. When you choose to love the Lord and serve Him with all of you, never think of it in terms of reward first. Of course, there is reward involved, but is that all there is? I thought to myself today; what if after I have finished living my life on earth for the Lord and in His purpose, I don’t seem [in men’s eyes] to be as successful as my contemporaries, should that mean anything to me? And, then, another thought came, “well, you’ll receive your reward in heaven and who knows, maybe those other guys will not receive as much of a reward”. And, I thought again to myself, “there is no sorrow in heaven and regrets will be wiped away”, so it is not as though anybody will wish in heaven that they had made the choices I made on earth. Yes, for a moment they may feel that way, but it’ll be replaced with the joy of heaven for all eternity. So, if you have lived your life making God’s choices for the sake of that one moment of regret for others, it’ll have all not been worth it and the Master may not even accept your works.

Your walk with God is your walk with God. Nobody else needs to regret anything, because they did not do what you did, just as you never have to regret anything because you did not do what another person did. Your love for Jesus is your choice; let it be founded on the realization of the Truth that He paid a heavy ransom for your life. He paid with His own life for you. Learn to love Him for Him. Thank Him for the opportunity to know and love Him the way you do, because it is a grace that not too many can boast of. That is why I have decided that my walk with God is my walk with God and no one else’s! 


Enjoy glorious worship moments with the following video even as you share your thoughts on the subject. God bless you!

How Beautiful Are You?

“Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined” [Psalm 50:2]

I remember being on a bus some time ago, and the Spirit of God began to make some things clear to me that I will try as much as possible to explain in this post; I look forward to seeing your response to the subject!

Have you ever thought to yourself that how exactly is beauty measured? Another good question will be who sets those standards? Is it not interesting that what is considered beautiful in one nation may be regarded as the exact opposite just a few miles away from that territory? From that simple observation, it is easy to come to the conclusion that there is no generic idea of what beauty is. In fact, we are trained to recognize and respond to certain qualities that we eventually consider ‘beautiful’ or ‘attractive’ in others. Through observation, young children begin at a very young age to appreciate certain qualities and abhor some others. Hardly do you see a very young child who discriminates based on some of the subtle physical qualities that adults dislike or want in ourselves or others.

Knowing that man’s understanding of beauty is in a sense not reliable since it is based on standards created by cultural ideologies, we should go on to find out what God’s idea of beauty is. But, before we even get to that, many of us at some point have met people that had all the qualities that the world considers beautiful, yet it was hard to appreciate those qualities possibly because of those people’s characters. On the other hand, you may have also met the “not-so-model” person that you just considered most beautiful for reasons you may have not even been able to explain at the time.

True beauty is a quality of the human spirit. Jesus said something striking to the Pharisees of His day: “ye are like whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness” [Matt. 23:27]. The jewelry, apparel, fragrances, and everything else we wear can only be any good if the man of the inside – the real us – is beautiful. When you got a small cut somewhere on your body, the cut did not change your name, your environment, or your disposition to life in general. That is because the real gentleman or lady is on the inside. Before considering how to beautify the body that houses you, consider beautifying you first.

Certain things make an ‘ugly’ spirit, with which you can never really be appreciated by yourself, let alone others. Some of such things are anger, bitterness, pride, fear, and envy. For as long as you hold people in your heart for revenge or never to forgive, you are more or less carrying “dead men’s bones” around; there is no way you will appear beautiful to anyone including yourself. Get to God’s Word; accept the person of Jesus Christ. Allow the Word of God [in the Bible] to teach you how to put love, joy, and grace in your heart so much that you cannot go by unnoticed anywhere you go, because that is the way Jesus was and is. Be humble, appreciate others with a simple “thank you” as many times as they do good to you. Never consider “sorry” as a word only used by the weak, because the most beautiful people on earth use it a lot. Care to join them?

The word ‘winsome’ is a word that perfectly describes that person that’ll be considered most beautiful by God Himself and the world. It means “charming, often in a child-like or naïve way”; what that means is that your words always build those around you up. It means you are not so quick to conceive a conspiracy-theory of how the whole world is against you. You believe and expect the best of others. And, you come to everyone expecting to find something loveable in them. Have you ever seen children fight? They hardly ever have to apologize before they are back playing together. Jesus said “let the children come to me and don’t try to stop them! People who are like these children belong to God’s kingdom!” [Matt. 19:14] Nobody can ever know God as much as a ‘winsome’ heart can.

This kind of character is what God desires in you, and its rewards far outweigh the fear you may have of being trampled upon with a character like that. Yes, people may try to take advantage of you, but as long as you maintain that character, God will see to it Himself that He continually promotes you far above them. You’ll never be at a loss or disadvantage; someone may take something away from you physically, but what is it compared to God’s grace that helps you acquire all things? But, who can exhibit that character except one that belongs in God’s house – Zion – out of which God shines all of His beauty.

If you are a Christian, true beauty is on the inside of you. It only needs to shine more brightly; if it has been shining before, exhibit more of the same character that made it shine at first, and it will shine so brightly that kings [notable people in the world] will come to the brightness of it [Isaiah 60:2-3].  Henceforth, stand up tall, square your shoulders, and walk like the king or queen that you are [Revelations 1:6]. You may not have the best eyes, nose, legs, height, or weight by societal standards but Jesus considered you beautiful enough to pay with His own life for your freedom and life. Respect the blood of Jesus by appreciating everything about yourself, because God knew those things were there and loved you all the same.

Let us know how beautiful you are in your comment; but, in the mean time, enjoy this video!