Forgetting the Past

First, I’d like to appreciate everyone that reads this blog, puts up comments, and sends in ‘thank you’ messages. Your response to what I share reminds me every day that this blog is a ‘God idea’. Most importantly, I am appreciative of the person of the HolyGhost that is with me every day; He blessed me through men of God like Rev. Chris Oyakhilome with the information that I now share with you heartily.

“but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 3:13-14]

I think it is good to mention the importance of who we are receiving most of the information on this topic from – the man, Paul. If there’s anyone that ought to know a lot about forgetting the past, it should be Paul. This man, prior to his conversion, not only resisted the gospel vehemently, but he also went forward to arrest many Christians. He was, in a sense, an “enemy of the Christ”. After receiving the gospel, he said in 1 Corinthians 15:8-10, “am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But…his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain.”

Paul had to become confident in the grace of God; in fact, so confident that he is currently regarded as one of the greatest Apostles in the Bible, though he never dined with Jesus. From the opening scripture, we see how he achieved his success – by forgetting the past. Testifying of himself, he said in 2 Corinthians 12:11 “for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing”; he had learned to look beyond his past and embrace God’s grace. That grace is God’s word to you telling you that your past does not count anymore. All these I mentioned so you know that Paul is a worthy instructor in the subject of forgetting the past. With that, here are three points to consider on the matter: 

Old things are passed away. Have you ever been tempted to think that your past is greater than the cross? Do the mistakes of yesterday have you reconsidering the feasibility of success? In 2 Corinthians 5:17, God speaks through the same Apostle Paul saying “therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. Being born again is a big deal! It means that God has forgotten the man you were before you accepted Him. Why? Because that man died together with Christ; that very man was judged on the cross, so you will never have to be judged for those wrongs again. Many of us find it hard to accept this truth, because we live in a world where we pay for everything. “Nothing is ever truly free”, we are encouraged to think. But, remember that God called Abraham righteous because Abraham believed Him. Abraham believed in one of the most physically impossible feats – that God would cause Him to have a child at over hundred years of age with a wife well over menopause. If God was thrilled by Abraham’s response in faith, He will surely be thrilled by yours. Believe God that the past is not an issue, and move on! Until you do this, you will go around in circles, calling God a liar by not accepting His truth. 

God is greater than your conscience. Have you ever found yourself constantly remembering a wrong, even after you have asked God for forgiveness? Religion and the world have taught us that the discomfort we feel after sinning (even after asking for forgiveness for the offence) is the HolyGhost convicting us. But, I have evidence to the contrary. I was elated on the day I found the scripture that I now share with you, taken from 1 John 3:20: “if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart.” Let the word of God that says that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us” be greater than those nagging thoughts of condemnation. Except you want to be God to yourself, you’ve got to accept that it’s okay when He says it’s okay. In Luke 9:62, Jesus made His position on the importance of forgetting the past clear when he said “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” You should never worry about things you did before you became a Christian. In fact, you need not ask for forgiveness for them; accepting Jesus and becoming born again took care of those actions. But, for the wrongs we may now do, it will behoove us to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy.” [Hebrews 4:16] 

The path of the righteous is as a shining light. Solomon highlighted something that ought to get every Christian excited every day in Proverbs 4:18: “but the path of just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day”. We have been made righteous by God through the sacrifice of Jesus. As such, this scripture is describing the mentality that we ought to have. The issue with many of us is that we think our minds and our bodies are us. No! No! A thousand times no! The real you is your spirit – that’s the one that got born again. Your body is your house and your mind is your library of information that you have gathered through mass media over the years. Though God has changed your human spirit, your house and library may remain the same. It is up to you to “be…transformed by the renewing of your mind” [Romans 12:2]. Part of that transformation is expecting that every new day will be better than the last. Endorse that truth in your heart so that no matter what happened yesterday or some minutes ago, you say “my path is as a shining light; I’m getting better.”

Remember that God lives in the NOW! He is I AM, not ‘I was’ or ‘I will be’, but I AM. Though He lives in eternity, God actually dwells in your present – the NOW of your life. He is not ever so concerned about what you did last week or the week before. Paul gives us strong words in Hebrews 12:2 Amplified Version “Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith.” Your past is a distraction that may not want to let you go. Like Paul said in the opening scripture, forget the things that are behind and press on toward the mark. Even your past successes could be a distraction if not approached with the mentality of outdoing them. It is no other person’s responsibility but yours to forget the past.

I am always so blessed by your comments, and I do appreciate them. Please, listen to one of my favorite songs of all time as you bless others [including me] with your comment on the subject. God bless you!

Hearing God

Quite recently, I saw a question on this blog from a dear brother asking about hearing from God. I initially wanted to write a reply immediately, but I thank God for an opportunity to share my mindset with everyone. First, I’d like to appreciate Rev. Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy for teaching me the word of God. Many of the things he has taught me, I sometimes wish I had known earlier, because they are capable of setting a man up for unending success. Well, here are five important things that every Christian who desires to hear God consistently needs to know [of course, assuming this Christian has already received the HolyGhost]:


God wants to talk to you. This is so important, because we are tempted to believe that God is some extremely strict personality that reveals Himself to a select few without any reasons. No! He is a rational being, and He created us to be in fellowship with Him. In fact, I believe the first and most important thing to know is that God is more interested in talking with you than you could ever be. In Genesis 3:8, we see Him “walking in the garden in the cool of the day”; He was out to have fellowship as usual with Adam. Notice that He was the one that went looking for the man. If God wanted that kind of relationship with Adam [who was not born again and could not be], then how much more you who contains His very life and nature? So, get the monologue idea out of your mind; quit thinking you are so desirous, yet God is so resistant.


Get to the Word. This is critical because it is a part that many of us miss. To hear from God consistently, you need to be able to recognize His voice; however, how do you know His voice except you train yourself to do so by studying His only literary work? When you read an author’s writing, you learn a lot about His personality. Jesus said unequivocally “search the scriptures…they are they which testify of me.” You need to search. I believe this is a good place to let you know that there’s no formula for hearing God – no 2 plus 2 equals 4. Absolutely not! You’ve got to train yourself to hear Him. John 1:1 says “and the Word was God”; when you read the bible under the HolySpirit’s tutelage, God is unveiled to you. You learn His communication skills and preferences. It’s a lifelong experience that only gets better, so don’t seek to learn it all in one day.


Have expectations. I think this is a pivotal opportunity for Christians to be different. People of different religions around the world pray all the time, yet do they get a response – or, better still, do they expect a response? You may have been so used to praying without answers that you cannot imagine even hearing from God. Well, that mindset has to change. Proverbs 24:14 says “so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul; when thou hast found it…thy expectation shall not be cut off.” Here, Solomon speaks of the knowledge of wisdom. Wisdom is the word of God. As I share these thoughts with you, you’re receiving the knowledge of wisdom. The next thing Solomon says for you to do is to have an expectation. Then, he promises without an iota of doubt that your expectation will be realized. So, expect God to talk to you! And, don’t hear Him once and think “oh, glory…that’s okay for me.” Expect to hear God every time you talk with Him.


Don’t seek the spectacular; focus on the supernatural. Romans 9:8 lets us know that “they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” The senses in this verse refers to your five senses (of touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell), while the promise refers to the Word of God. To be a child of the flesh is to rely completely on how you feel. It is to live based on your physical senses – to be instructed, guided, and controlled by them. However, the children of the Word, as we know, do not live by their senses “for to be carnally (sensuously, fleshly) minded is death” [Romans 8:6]; rather, we live by the Word. As such, you do not have to feel a certain way when God is talking to you or hear a roaring sound, thundering, and such things. If you thought you never heard God before, who do you think reminded you recently that you had not yet studied the Bible? No, it was not your mind! You thought it was your mind, because you have trained yourself to look out for the spectacular. God is not always in the spectacular; but, He is surely in the supernatural. If God says something as simple as “go and read your Bible” to you, it’s supernatural, because natural men do not experience such reminders. I am sure you were not reminded to pray when you were an unbeliever. So, though that experience may not be spectacular, it is very well supernatural. You ought to cherish it and obey the voice; in that instruction, God is training you for greater future conversations.


He is Lord! In one of my favorite scriptures of all time, Revelations 1:17, Jesus said to St. John the Divine “Fear not; I am the first and the last.” My question to you is “is Jesus the Lord of your life?” If He is, why then are you worried about failure? Why do you think it may be getting too late for Him to speak to you about your future? Why do you feel constrained by time? Be patient; He is Lord! If He is Lord of your life, you can be rest assured that He wouldn’t mess your life up. He never destroyed anyone’s life, and yours will not be the first. So, don’t feel like He’s taking too long to answer; while you wait for instruction about your career, listen to instructions about being courteous, studying the Word, and praying. Let those “simple” instructions prepare you for the big ones. The Lordship of Jesus is more than a casual declaration; it means that your life is His responsibility. He said He is “the first and the last”; that means He lives in eternity. So, do not be concerned about time. It is the exact reason He said “fear not”. Trust in His Lordship.


Remember, God wants to talk to you. Just study His Word, expect His voice in your spirit, and look at the right thing – not the spectacular but the supernatural.


I am eager to read your comment and suggestions about the blog; so, make sure to bless me and someone else out there with your thoughts. While you comment, enjoy the following worship song; you'll be blessed by it. God bless you!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

As it is said “love is in the air”! That statement is even truer today.

Just before you begin thinking about the thousand-and-one things that could be wrong with Valentine’s Day, think about what could be right with it. As Christians, first of all, we know we do not just love or celebrate love on Valentine’s Day, because love is our nature. But, I encourage you to view this day as an opportunity to let those who you love know how much they mean to you. Just like we don’t celebrate Jesus only on Christmas Day, but we have picked out December 25^th to specially celebrate Him, you can make today a day to specially appreciate those who love you as well as those you love.

It’s time to celebrate our fathers, mothers, siblings, co-workers, friends, and ‘foes’. Think about how they have improved your life. Show them that you care, just in case they are not sure or the idea needs emphasis in their hearts. Remember Jesus asked Peter “do you love me?” three times over [John 21:14-17]. If Jesus needed Peter to declare his love in that way, I am sure those you love would like for you to show it. And, if you have any faulty relationship, there is no better time than now to do something about it.

With that, I’d like to appreciate certain people. I want say “thank you” to my parents – Mr. Emmanuel & Mrs. Beatrice Olubusi – for raising me up in the word of God and providing for me; I love you very much! Also, to my siblings – we’ve been through it all together; I love you all very much! To some of the most special people in my life, the leaders and members of BLW Morgan State, you all know you have salted my life a lot, and I love you! To my Pastors [Rev. Chris, Pastor Aloy, and Bro. Soji], thank you for teaching me God’s word which is the material with which He has changed my life. To all BLW brethren and Christians from other ministries, especially my U.K., Nigeria, South Africa, and North America brethren that I met on Facebook, I sincerely do love you guys.

To all my Morgan State University friends, classmates, and acquaintances, you have made the experience an exquisite one; therefore, I appreciate you as well. To my K.C. besties – the seven; you guys are just too cool. You all are a different breed, and I love you just the way you are! To my primary school friends that I am still in touch with, especially Seun Olalekan, much love!

Very special thanks to you the readers of Burnivine’s Blogoscope. Even though the HolySpirit has been my constant strength and supply, without you all, there would have been no one to write for. So, I appreciate YOU! Many thanks also to the editor of this blog [who was hitherto unknown to readers] – Emeka Obiaka; you have been a great encouragement. And, to my publicist – ThisGokeBoySef Olubusi – you’re super-cool!

Finally, I appreciate my standby, helper, strength, guide, peace, joy, and righteousness – the Spirit of Truth and Grace Himself. Thank you, precious HolyGhost, for your love and faithfulness. I love you very much!!!

Go ahead and celebrate those you love right now! Also, write a shout-out comment!

The Purpose-Driven Life

“let us run with patience the race that is set before us” [Hebrews 12:1b]

Purpose is an ever so deep and immense subject, especially when we deal with God’s Word. In fact, I believe that it is one of those defining attributes that separate the Christian from the unbeliever. As such, something would be terribly wrong if a Christian did not have a working knowledge of the rudimentary aspects of this subject. Thus, the theme of this week’s blog post!

In the opening scripture and some other supporting passages, Paul made it clear that each one of us has a race that is set before us. There is a God-given purpose for everyone on the earth’s surface which was handpicked by our sovereign Father, God. However, due to culture, media, and other societal influences, some of us have thought certain purposes or career paths to be more prestigious than others. In a sense, we have taken it upon ourselves to find out what we would like to do for God or man, that purpose which will be esteemed by men. More or less, we have written our own source code, blueprint, or master plan for our lives. But, does the potter not have power over the clay? [Romans 9:21]

In 2 Timothy 2:20 – 21, Paul recounts the same story of the potter and the clay that he had mentioned in Romans 9. One thing it took me a long time to understand in those passages is that the idea was not in what the vessels were made of – gold, silver, wood, or earth – it is up to God to determine what he would make us into. Instead, the focus is on the next part of that same 2 Timothy 2 which says “if a man purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor…meet for the master’s use.” I had grown up thinking it would be terrible to be a vessel of wood while some people were vessels of gold. But, I’m sure that thought was not restricted to me alone. Many have thought the same thing without recognizing it. Oh, how much better it’ll be to be a doctor than a teacher, they may think to themselves. On the outside, being a doctor looks more glamorous [depending on where one lives], so we can count it as that vessel of silver or gold. On the other hand, teachers may be looked down upon or regarded as poor where we come from, so automatically they are vessels of wood. But, Paul was trying to stress the fact that, regardless of what material you were made of, as long as you purge yourself, you’ll be fit for the master’s use. Sadly, many people are not concerned about the master’s use or fulfilling His purpose; instead, they would give all to have men’s fleeting praise.

Look at John the Baptist and Jesus, for example. It was, or so it seemed, that Jesus had a more glamorous ministry than John’s. However, it was the perfect will of the Father for both of them to fulfill their ministries the way they did. According to what men could observe, John came fasting and Jesus came eating; yet, it was God’s will for it to be so [Matthew 11:18-20]. In our eyes today, some people may prefer the Jesus-ministry to the John-ministry. You may even think “who wants to eat locust and wild honey?”Happy are you if you have either ministry. Rejoice with great joy, but refrain from criticizing those with the other ministry. Say for example, you have a Jesus-type calling into something seemingly prestigious like becoming President of a nation, refuse to look down on other believers who have been called to clean the nation’s inner cities. They may be fulfilling their calling as well as you.  John was trained by God and filled with the HolyGhost from his mother’s womb only to carry out six months of ministry, after which he was beheaded. And, it pleased the Father [and John] that it should be so.

When time came for John to leave the limelight as the Prophet of the time for Jesus, he did not argue or act in pride, but he said “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” [John 3:30]. There was not much written about John in the Bible, but he fulfilled His purpose so well that he received the Master’s commendation – “among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” [Matthew 11:11]. I am convinced that if people knew that the commendation of Jesus is more valuable than what any man could give, they’ll work towards His commendation alone. But, many people are too fleshly (ruled by their physical senses of sight, touch, and so on) to relate with a spiritual purpose in God.

Jesus did nothing that God had not planned for Him by prophecy. In fact, He said "Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God" [Hebrews 10:7]. In Gethsemane, he restated His desire to fulfill the will of the Father even against His request to the Father to let ‘the cup’ pass from Him. The Apostle Paul, also, knew that He was sent to preach to the Gentiles [non-Jews]. He was so sure about it that no one could have convinced him otherwise. The Master specifically said concerning Paul “he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles” [Acts 9:15], and Paul himself said “unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” [Ephesians 3:8]. That is why Paul could later say that he did not fight as one that beats the air [or fights aimlessly], but as one that knows his purpose.

With all that has been mentioned, you need to find out your own purpose and run with it without looking back. Talk to God by yourself; the moment you say “yes” to His purpose, He’ll begin to show you glory that you never thought possible. He’ll take care of whatever challenges or setbacks you may think you have. Clean your mind of all your preconceived notions about what purpose is best, and allow Him to fill you with what was written in ‘the volume of the book’ concerning you. Don’t be absorbed in someone else’s calling. When Peter tried to find out Jesus’ purpose for John, the answer was simple – “what is that to thee”? Jesus was telling him that it was not his business. More than ever before, in our generation, we need to run with purpose. If we are to carry out prophecies concerning us that we will cover the earth with the gospel of Christ, everyone must stand in his own position – without breaking ranks. Imagine an army where everyone thinks he or she is the commander. What confusion that would be?

What do you think about this subject? I’ll be expecting your comment. God bless you!

True Worship

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the father seeketh such to worship him.” [John 4:23]

Worship is more than an experience; it’s a lifestyle. Jesus expressly showed us where our worship ought to come from – not from our minds (the seat of emotions, thoughts, and decisions) or from our bodies (though we offer our bodies as well according to Romans 12:1), but from our spirits – the real US. As interesting as the topic of a lifestyle of worship is, it is my desire to focus (for the purpose of this blog post) on the art and experience of worship.

When we consider worship as an art, it speaks of something we make for God – something from the depth of our hearts uniquely given to Him by us. Paul said “by him let us therefore offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” [Hebrews 13:15] in attempt to explain the New Testament approach to worship whereby we offer sacrifices of a different kind. Instead of looking for a lamb that is spotless of the best of our cattle, we are made to understand that we can offer the calves of our lips unto God [Hosea 14:2] or the fruits like Paul said. WOW! Isn’t that exciting? He refers to our praises as the calves (or bulls, goats, lambs, etc) that we offer in the New Testament. But, that’s not just it. King David, the man after God’s heart, spoke the heart of God also when he said “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock” [Psalms 69:30-31]. Though David lived in times when animal sacrifice was instructed by God, he had a deeper revelation of the actual desire of God. Little wonder then that God called him the man after His heart.

On a certain day, I thought to myself “if God’s desire was not bulls and goats, why then did He ask for it?” And the Spirit of God shared a thought with me. He let me know as softly as He mostly speaks, that the idea was not in the animals. Rather, the worship was in their obedience to His word. It was the actual obedience (which should have been carried out in love) that was supposed to bring the Father joy. The few people that knew what God wanted and celebrated the law as life (like Moses and David) are the only ones who enjoyed a better relationship with God in the old covenant. So, your understanding is very vital to God in worship.

In considering worship as an art, we look at our action viewpoint of this all-important spiritual activity. However, another more beautiful aspect that in turn makes the art of worship easier and more exciting is God’s response to us as we worship – worship as an experience. As we worship God, He does something to our spirits. Have you ever noticed that when you sincerely worship the Father, there is no doubt in your heart about the existence and reality of God and the spiritual realm? At that point, your faith is refined by the Master to an optimal level. A dear sister shared a secret with me a couple of weeks ago; she said that every time you say “I love you Jesus; I appreciate you Jesus”, He responds by increasing your faith in Him. If you did not believe as you ought to initially, He would supply your spirit with more ability to believe. Ever since, I have not stopped practicing uttering those words. In the place of worship, you are filled with joy indescribable and bliss immeasurable. Frankly, there are no words in any living language good enough to express how you feel. It’s a spiritual high of some sense that only edifies you every time.

The experience of worship changes throughout our lifetime – it gets richer and more beautiful every day, because the Bible speaks of the manifold (many-sided) wisdom of God that is unveiled to us from glory to glory. In the experience aspect of worship, we see Jesus as He is and we are transformed into the same image. Someone rightly said that those who look at the Sun do not see the shadows. As we worship, we see God and everything else immediately becomes small – the challenges, worries, sorrows, and impossibilities are transformed into laughter. Oh GLORY!!! The Amplified Version of Hebrews 12:2 reads “looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith”. For God to break all the walls in your life and remove all impossibilities, He seriously needs you to turn away from those obstacles and focus entirely on Him.

With all that has been mentioned, it is my desire that we will all make our worship a place of art and experience. The Spirit of God said something to me today that will be beneficial to you. He said “give me your own worship; know that your worship experience is different from anyone else’s. So, enjoy and cherish it.” Don’t try to worship like anybody else in using their words or songs. You can learn from their attitude towards worship, but be inspired by God to give your own worship. God wants to hear what you have to say about Him. And, He wants to speak back to you as well. So, always worship with an expectant ear, ready to hear from God. You’ll notice your words and God’s responses improve over time; that’s why it’s an art and an experience!

Kindly let us know what you feel about the subject through your comment. You may not know who you’re blessing through the thought that you share.