Burnivine's Blogoscope...

You are a MODEL!

2012-01-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

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) anexpensive artwork that just did not look like it was worth the price placed onit? Every day, many thousands of dollars are spent on one-of-a-kind’s that maynot seem appealing at all to the average man. With wrinkled hands, a strangewoman in a little village somewhere stooped into dirty earth and mud in orderto bring forth a creation – one that ended up costing so much that it couldonly be owned by nation states.

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

Our individuality makes every one of us a model – an extraordinarymasterpiece – fully representing God in our looks and functionality. Regardlessof how your nose, ears, mouth or eyes are, you are the only one of you that Godhas, created to “model” Him. God was well aware of your looks before He boldlydeclared that you were made in His image and likeness – to look and act likeHim. Our value is not in how appealing we look in comparison to the otherperson; our value relies on the fact that we cannot truly be compared withanyone 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 everhave.

Even in this season where everyone is seeking to lose a few poundshere and there and a great number of people are also looking to gain a fewpounds, you should never forget that you are a model. You model God, adifferent dimension of Him that no one ever saw before. Of course, you may havedone some things to the exterior of the model that is “you,” but don’t be madat yourself. You have God in you to show you how to get your model to theoptimal 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 getto a certain BMI that I felt would be healthier, but the more I tried, the moreit failed. When I gave up on my own ability to make it happen and startedenjoying liberty through the Spirit of God, He Himself taught me habits thatcaused me to get to a weight that did not just look great on the scale but feltgood on me. I have learned to never measure how “good-looking” I am incomparison 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 theworld – a truly divine, handsome, rich, healthy, blessed and favoredrepresentation of HIM!

The Scandal of Grace

2011-10-30T01:55:00.002-04:00

Sitting here onmy 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 thingshappened today, but the most of it is that I saw Jesus clearer and now love Himmore.

In the evening,I set out for some of my friends’ house for a hangout, not knowing what toexpect. 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, themain thing for me tonight was that nothing was religious. Everything wassimple, fulfilling and pleasurable. At the house, Yinka Karis and I began towatch Pastor Chris Online clips and the presence of Jesus was so strong. Welaughed and almost fell out under the power; boy, were we DRUNK in the Spirit.

Shortly afterthat, 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 believeheaven watched intently with excitement. I STRONGLY believe Jesus couldn’tcontain Himself anymore; He DANCED! Boy, did JESUS dance tonight, while thedevil cringed in fear and shame. As we watched, we celebrated Jesus, and wecelebrated 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 wordscaught my attention, causing me to make up my mind to be a proud bearer ofChrist’s grace message. I hope to write a book with that title, the Scandal of Grace, sometime in thefuture; it’ll be lovely.

Finally, Ithoroughly enjoyed a great time with the people I call “friends.” I tend to paya lot of attention to people’s eyes, and tonight all I saw was a lot of lovebeing communicated - so much love it was impossible for Jesus to have beenabsent. In everything we did, you couldtell that Jesus was there. Now, I’m home, full of exuberant joy. I never stopbeing impressed by Jesus’ sacrifice for me. He bore it all. Now, all I have todo is look into His eyes and become more like Him as I do so. I’m not sure howto 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

2011-10-29T14:55:00.001-04:00

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

2011-05-16T04:42:00.001-04:00

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

2011-05-08T21:52:00.000-04:00

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).

In Him

2011-04-15T23:19:00.000-04:00

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, for we are also his offspring.” [Acts 17:28]

Please, accept my sincere apologies for being away for so long; I am sure you forgive. From here on, I would like to emphasize the importance of your comments; we need to bless one another. Let it be a mutual improvement of everyone that reads. Share something that’ll bless the writer and other readers as well. God bless you as you do.

While I thought about where to start, it occurred to me that I should start where it ‘started,’ that is where I began thinking about the subject of this post. A short while ago, while reading Rhapsody of Realities, I came across the scripture where Paul described the rapture, saying “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” [1 Thessalonians 4:16]. It immediately caught my attention that the dead that will rise are those that departed this life in Christ. “My God,” I thought, “that’s all the qualification that’s needed.” So, all that matters to God is that they were in Christ?

In my search with the HolySpirit, I began to discover several scriptures that either mentioned “in Him,” “in Christ,” or some variation thereof. God is not concerned or perturbed by men’s sins; in fact, He is not currently holding anybody in the world’s sins against them [2 Corinthians 5:19]. Instead, we tend to be the ones concerned for Him. There are two men in this world even as you read this: the man in Christ and the unregenerate man (outside Christ). God is only interested in the former. And, here’s where it gets interesting. He’s not concerned about the law, ethnic groups, or religion; all He cares about is the new man in Christ.

Galatians 6:15 says “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature,” iterating the same thought. Circumcision, in Paul’s language, referred to the law and all that had to do with it – the religiosity it brought. God was saying through Paul that He does not care about any of those anymore.

Questioning whether or not a Christian should do this or that wrong thing is asking the wrong set of questions; it’s the unregenerate man that needs to know whether or not to smoke. It’s the unregenerate man that needs to know whether or not to deny himself certain obvious pleasures, because it is in him to desire and to do those things. In the gospel, Jesus and all the Apostles were announcing that there is a new man on earth today. That new man has his own characteristics. The real question anyone should therefore be asking is: who is this new man?”

When you begin asking that question, you’re really ready to live. In the opening scripture, we read that “we are also his (God’s) offspring,” meaning that this new man has inherited God’s nature. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature,” letting us know how to become the new man; it’s by being in Christ. And, how does one get in Christ? All you have to do is accept what Jesus did on your behalf by confessing so, and you are instantly found in Him – relocated into hiding in His finished works till you cannot be seen anymore.

There’s so much to say on this topic, but I would let everyone contribute and complete the subject (if at all possible) in the comments section. But, remember this: the new man is sin-free and is a product of God’s love. My local church Pastor once reminded us that parents don’t necessarily favor the child that always does right. Rather, they favor the one that talks with them and that is confident in their love – that child that is bold to ask anything and bold to receive forgiveness when he does wrong. God is the same way! Don’t try to please God with your right-doing; it will yield nothing. Jesus already did right on your behalf. Now, enjoy it in Him!

God bless you!

-- @stburnish

What is that to you?

2010-10-12T13:23:00.006-04:00

"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.

**Make sure to comment and SHARE using the buttons below**

**Also, FOLLOW this blog**

Morning Call – 15th of September, 2010

2010-09-15T09:10:00.001-04:00

"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

Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 6" Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally - Latest Generation

Blissful Tears of Joy

2010-09-14T11:58:00.001-04:00

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!

Here are the words to the verses of the song [the choruses are easy to pick up on]:

Verse 1:

He is jealous for me
Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.

Verse 2:

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns
violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way [He loves us]

The Essence of Diligence

2010-09-12T17:33:00.000-04:00

Follow Pastor Chris Oyakhilome on Twitter

“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”.

Much appreciation to the writer of the beautiful post above, a dear brother of mine that I love very much - Chukwuma Okoroafor. So much to be learned from that young man. And, many thanks to my editor - Chukwuemeka Obiaka. God bless you both for teaching us more on this all-important virtue!

Coming Soon!

2010-09-09T16:07:00.001-04:00

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

2010-08-10T15:01:00.002-04:00

"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

2010-07-31T11:44:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-07-19T23:32:00.001-04:00

“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

2010-07-08T23:53:00.002-04:00

“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

2010-06-25T21:21:00.001-04:00

“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

2010-06-10T23:28:00.001-04:00

“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?

2010-06-04T00:16:00.002-04:00

“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!

The "Ugly" Cloak of Humility

2010-05-27T23:53:00.002-04:00

“…be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” [1 Peter 5:5 NKJV]

Few years ago, I read a book, and in it, the author mentioned that Jesus had given him a cloak in a vision to conceal the glory that increased upon his life as he walked closer with Jesus. According to the author, the cloak was somewhat “ugly”, a drab covering over what he described as great light and a shiny armor beneath it. He went on to explain that this “ugly” cloak that Jesus told him he would never be able to do without while on earth is humility.

I certainly believe that the man’s vision was from God, because it matches up directly with the opening scripture. Peter refers to humility as a clothing to immerse one’s self in. I once read a good definition in the Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional that describes humility as “subjecting one’s self so that others can be respected” [Romans 12:10].

Humility is not poverty. Many people have the mental idea that most poor people are humble and most rich people are proud. As Christians, I believe this is a misconception that we may need to correct in ourselves individually. The opening scripture goes totally against that “traditional” mode of thinking, because for the rich man to get rich, more than likely he must have needed God’s grace, which can only be earned with humility. And, we may also deductively reason that the poor man may have not been humble enough to receive that grace. When I use the word “poverty” here, I am not referring to an absence of required necessity; rather, I am pointing to a mindset – the kind that makes a man envy everyone above him and even speak/think evil of those who try to help him. The truth is that many rich people are humble, and many poor people may exhibit an unwarranted pomposity.

Humility is a quality of the human spirit. Sometimes we hear a person being described as humble because such a person dresses somewhat lower in our eyes than their actual financial “status”. Humility could not be more erroneously described. I love when God declared by Himself to Samuel in the Bible that “man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” [1 Samuel 16:7]. That a person dresses in a certain manner and tip-toes around as though wary of killing by-standing insects does not mean that he or she is humble. Humility is first of all a state of the heart, and it can only truly be recognized by God and the spiritually mature.

Humility is obedience to spiritual authority. The easiest way to recognize pride is through resistance to authority. King Saul was instructed by the prophet of God to destroy all the Amalekites and their livestock, but he thought that it may be wiser to preserve the king of Amalek and a few animals that he intended to sacrifice to God. That mindset cost him and his lineage the kingdom. God told him what to do, but he had a better idea than God Almighty. That is pride! Samuel went on to let Saul know that God is more concerned with obedience than any smart idea [1 Samuel 15:22]. Always learn to do what God wants the way He wants it. Never be that brother or sister that thinks the Pastor or his boss does not know what he or she is doing. Walk in obedience always!

Humility is believing and doing God’s Word. Never find yourself at cross-purposes with the Word. This is the part of humility that many have not understood. If God’s Word says, like it does in 2 Corinthians 8:9, that you are rich, you’ve got to talk that way. That’s what Jesus did! He did it so boldly that He was killed for it. If God says you are righteous and you turn around to say “I am only a sinner” in an attempt to be humble, you may have a problem. See Jesus in your heart talking to the most respected people [the Pharisees and scribes] in his day and saying [rashly] “ye are from beneath, I am from above” [John 8:23] or “I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself” [John 10:17-18]. He most certainly may have not “sounded” or “looked” humble while saying that, yet the Bible lets us know that he was humble [Philippians 2:8]. He was not braggadocios as some may have thought; rather, He was simply confessing what the Word had said concerning Him. Be humble according to God’s Word and not your own definition.

Samuel said to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:23, “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and adultery. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee”. Pride is a rejection of the word, and it stinks before God.

Never find it hard to sincerely apologize for a wrong you’ve done. The way to be humble is through practice. Understand that humility is already in you as a Christian. All you need to do is act it out. You cannot make progress in God if you are not humble. Always be the one to admit that you are wrong when you are. Present your idea to your superior as a suggestion and not as a solution to his or her “stupidity”. Learn also that God’s house is not the place to be opinionated. The Church does not operate a democracy; rather, it functions in a theocracy. Therefore, you should learn to obey simple instructions that come through those people that God talks to the body through. With the cloak of humility on you, God is at liberty to make you great and do mighty things through you. Do not let anyone or any situation give you enough reason to take off that cloak.

Please, share your thoughts about humility with the rest of us. God bless you!

What Is Good for the Giver and the Soulwinner

2010-05-21T00:16:00.002-04:00

“Blessed are the poor in spirit…blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 5:3 & 10]

Discovering that the only two actions that result in the same blessings in Matthew 5 are “giving” and “soulwinning” was like finding a treasure. And, it is indeed a treasure to those who would take the time to observe and soak themselves in this truth that many have so comfortably done away with. Few years ago, I remember my Pastor saying to me that “there are two people God cannot do without – a giver and a soulwinner”, and I also remember making up my mind that day to always be both.

To step back a little, many have wondered what it means to be “poor in spirit”, so I think it’ll be a good question to answer first. Poor in spirit does not mean living an impoverished life or being “poor in one’s spirit” as many have erroneously believed. 2 Corinthians 8:9 states with no ambiguity that “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich”. Here, Paul was not referring to spiritual riches since Jesus was never spiritually poor, being heir of all things; rather, the Apostle was speaking of material abundance. Also, we see in 2 Peter 1:3 that God has given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness”, so there is no way we could be termed as “poor in our spirits”. What, then, does it mean to be poor in spirit?

To be poor in spirit is to have all and yet have nothing. It is to possess all things but be willing at any point to lay them aside for Jesus or for someone else. To be poor in spirit is to hold on to nothing and live without holding back in giving. In order to be that man, there should be nothing [absolutely nothing] that is too big for the Christian to give. Every monetary figure that is too big to give to God or to someone else is not worthy to be in a Christian’s possession; in fact, it is dangerous as it is inevitably Lord over such a one. Can God tell you to give that expensive possession [pen, watch, car, or house] you just purchased, after much saving, and you will do it without batting an eyelid?

The true foundation of being poor in spirit is trust in the Lord and His Word; if you believe [truly believe] in His Majesty and eternal provision for you, giving will never be a hassle. You may be a student, but have you ever imagined giving a thousand dollars [or whatever amount some may consider ‘outrageous’]; if it has never crossed your mind, then maybe you are not trusting of God enough or you are not bringing forth enough from within to be called that man in Matthew 5:3. You should, at the very least, have a desire to give that much and even greater.

There’s not much to be said about the soulwinner, since many are already acquainted with him, but it is important to know him a little more. We refer to the one that is persecuted for righteousness sake as the soulwinner, because you cannot be persecuted unless you are standing up for Christ and proclaiming Him without reserve. And, if you are doing that, then you are already a soulwinner. Soulwinning is a consistent heart’s cry. It is a lifestyle of prayer with tears, love, and the consequent joy. The true soulwinner does not just talk. He mourns in intercession for lost souls, and when he is comforted through the salvation of that soul, it is with joy beyond human comprehension.

In Proverbs 11:30, we see that “he that winneth souls is wise”, but God gives us more light into the reward for the soulwinner when He moves a little further to say “they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmaments and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever”, associating the soulwinner with wisdom. What a blessing! To shine as the firmaments means that such people will glow with special studs on their crowns in heaven. They’ll be the ‘superstars’ in God’s eyes.

It may also be great to know that the soulwinner is a giver and the giver is a soulwinner. Giving, first and foremost, should be primarily towards the things of the kingdom and one’s local church assembly before any other charitable organization or individual. This is because giving in church supports soulwinning through sponsorship of media evangelism, church missions, and other means of reaching the lost. As such, the giver indirectly wins souls that are credited to his account by God. The soulwinner, on the other hand, gives his time, effort, and prayers into the life of the soul he wants to lead to Christ. Do you see now why both have the same reward?

When Matthew 5 says “theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, it is saying something important. The kingdom of heaven is God’s government in the earth established through the church and headed by Jesus. Therefore, it should never be a surprise that those who are selected by the HolyGhost to lead in His house are the soulwinners and givers, because “theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. Never think it is a result of favoritism from the Pastor; no, it is a spiritual principle that begets its own results automatically.

If you have not started winning souls unto God through evangelism, now is the time to start. You may think “but how”? The only answer is “just start”. Never consider what you’ll tell people. Open your mouth and just trust the HolySpirit to fill it with words. And, please, don’t be afraid to make mistakes; they are a part of the process of mastering the lifestyle of a soulwinner. If you haven’t started giving big also, now is the time to start. Give out of love and trust; have no attachment to any material thing, and you’ll truly be ready to be master over all things.

Please share your testimonies and comments on the subject of giving and soulwinning with the rest of us. We’re always so glad to hear from you; God bless you!

One Vision, No Division!!!

2010-05-14T01:16:00.002-04:00

“the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such” [John 4:23]

After weeks of prayerful preparation, the students of Morgan State University converged at an approximate midpoint of their school’s campus for the sole purpose of giving the Father just what He deserves and requires. Several minutes before the time “True Worship: One Voice, No Division” was slated to start, students could already be seen braving the downpour as they made their ways to the University Chapel. By 6:38PM, tens of students were gathered together to prepare their hearts for the presence and power of God they were expecting from their 7:30PM meeting, through heartfelt prayers and worship. “True Worship”, a program organized by several different fellowships on Morgan State’s campus, was designed to unify the body of Christ on the campus and cause God’s glory to fill the campus [2 Chronicles 5:11-14].

Amidst much excitement and claps of joy, Bisola Karim, an industrial engineering student of Morgan State University, started off the much expected program of events. Through her introductory words, students were stirred up and even more readied for God’s power, glory, and grace as prophesied about the program a night before. In the course of the beginning stages of what would be more than “a night to remember” for many, Rev. Bernard Keels, the Director of the Chapel admonished attendees concerning unity. In explaining to the excited young minds the truth of Jesus’ intention for His people, Rev. Keels mentioned that all Christians should “rise above a senseless sense of just being comfortable with those [you’re] comfortable with”. Those words and many others not only challenged the motive behind the associations that many Christians form with one another, but they also showed all those in attendance how to be the change that Jesus is waiting for in His body.

Towards the middle of the “True Worship” experience, Nonso Amuchie, a Biology Master’s student from Towson University, mounted the podium to, very much like Rev. Keels positively challenge the core of modern believers’ motives. Speaking on the subject “the heart of worship”, Mr. Amuchie explained that worship is beyond the music, dance, and instrumentals that many believers have come to adore above their God. In his very words, “we were created to reflect the glory of God” through a lifestyle of worship. Nonso went on to encourage all those present to worship God every moment of the day by studying His word [learning of Him] and praying [communing with Him]. Ending with words on the importance of having the strength to “produce” for God, Nonso Amuchie said to the hearing and delight of the diversity of students present, “if you seek God with all your heart, you will find Him”.

Of course, not much can be said about a program called “True Worship” without mentioning the intensity of worship that took place there. As though sinking into an ever-increasing depth of the ocean, Christians and unbelievers alike began to experience God personally as the group called “Heart of Worship” ministered in the fullness of God. Heart of Worship [the group] definitely did not bring in members from as far as Pennsylvania to perform a show. No, they came for sincere worship! And, as worship arose from the mouths of God’s people, the tangible presence of God was manifested for all to know [experience intimately]. Some people sang and danced in the spirit while others could not help pouring tears before their Savior and One True Love – Jesus Christ. Indeed, it was a marvelous sight to behold.

Many at the event also had the opportunity to worship through rap and spoken word led by Bdo and Aisha Woods respectively. Certainly, no life was left the same after the program. Let it be written in the chronicles of life that the children of God at Morgan State University came together with one voice and no division to offer a worthy sacrifice of “True Worship” to their Heavenly Father.

Please, share your experience at "True Worship" with the whole world so that the blessing can reach others as well. But, if you were not at the program, you can also share comments on the subject of worship. God bless you as you enjoy the following video.

Within Zion's Walls

2010-04-24T02:05:00.003-04:00

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed…he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” [Hebrews 11:9-10]

Here I am, with a cup of hot cocoa in one hand, nothing short of grateful to the precious HolySpirit who is my light and my love. You know what is exceptionally exciting about Him is the fact that I can always depend on Him as my strength [physically, mentally, or spiritually]. On one thought, I really should do a post soon on the person of the HolySpirit; I am sure you’ll be blessed by it. But, until then, let’s talk about Zion – you can call me obsessed, but it’s just that I have seen the TRUTH!!!

In the opening scripture, we see that Canaan was not the Promised Land that God told Abraham about. In Hebrews Chapter 4, we see Paul arguing that, if Joshua had taken the people of Israel into the true Promised Land, there would have been no need for Jesus to come. Though God’s people entered the land God promised them [physically], they had not truly entered His rest. Zion is God’s rest. Hebrews 12:22 lets us know that the new creation [in Christ Jesus] is already in Zion. We are literally born there; we live in it and it is in us. WOW! How do we live in Zion? We live in Zion by doing God’s Word. And, how does Zion live in us? Zion takes its abode in us through our meditation on the truth of God’s Word. That same Hebrews 12 gives us a picture of Zion to be God’s dwelling place; the angels live in Zion together with God’s people. Double WOW!!

Do you realize that Jesus functioned in two worlds at the same time? He realized He was in the Father and the Father was in Him. That consciousness made it possible for Him to live a consistently supernatural life. In case you have not understood me so far, the idea I desire to pass across is that God is calling us to live a life of dominion over the circumstances of this world – economic downturns, failure, sickness, poverty, and all such things. In Isaiah 33:24 the Bible, speaking of Zion, says “the inhabitants shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity”.

Two benefits of life in Zion to note in the reading from Isaiah are:

i.) Divine health: It is the right of every citizen of Zion to live above any infirmity of the body. Now, if you currently fall sick every now and again, the first step to living in that scripture is accepting it. Believe it and begin to confess it as the present tense of your life. It may take a while to manifest in the physical realm, but because it is already a present-hour spiritual reality, it’ll prevail over your physical circumstance [in little to no time].

ii.) Access to forgiveness: You never need to beat yourself up over any mistakes. I hope that you get this. You have access to forgiveness by prophecy. It was written way back in Isaiah’s time. God cannot decide that your sin is too big to be forgiven anymore; His word has gone forth, and He does not go back on it. Accept forgiveness and move on, confessing God’s word that says “sin shall not have dominion over you.” [Romans 6:14]

If you haven’t understood much of what I’ve written so far, then you probably need to give your heart to Christ first because understanding of these things is contingent on a life in Christ. For those who do understand, you need to lose taste for this world. Set your eyes on Zion; live in it! I just found something striking in Hebrews 11:14-15; it says “truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had the opportunity to have returned. But now, they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly”.

In order to live in Zion and enjoy the benefits of living within its walls, we need to cease to be mindful of the world. Life in the walls of our glorious city is literally dependent on soaking ourselves in God’s word. There are two groups of people in the earth today – those who live in the world [controlled by its system of failure, sickness, and confusion] and those who live in the Word of God [controlling the system of the world around them with Zion’s principles]. Don’t give yourself an opportunity to return to where you came from, which is the world [connoted with Egypt in the scriptures]. Desire, more than ever before, to live ONLY within the walls of Zion – our heavenly Jerusalem. Be determined to, through God’s word, remove sickness, poverty, failure, and sin from your life.

Enjoy consistent access to God; it is one of the benefits of living in Zion. Relish the ability to improve the economy and security of your earthly nation through prayers of intercession; this is yet another ability exclusive to those who live in Zion. And, finally, learn to worship God with all your heart and watch Him lift you higher and higher in Him; it is the reason for which you were born into Zion!

I’ll be expecting your questions and comments. Until then, enjoy this powerful excerpt from the message - The Beautiful People of the Beloved Country - by Rev. Chris Oyakhilome. God bless YOU!!!

True Patriotism

2010-04-08T23:56:00.009-04:00

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

The famous Apostle Paul wrote extensively about a new creation, a heavenly Jerusalem, and a family on earth and in heaven, to which every Christian has been called. Time and space will fail me to list the scriptural verses where those thoughts were shared, but I advice that you take a look at Hebrews 12:22-23; in it, the Apostle further expressed that there’s a new ‘nation’ to which we believers have been called. For more on Zion, take a look at my blog post titled ‘Peace within our borders’; you’ll be blessed by it.

Zion is the city of God – a spiritual

Israel

, and we have been called to be citizens of it. In this post, I will not be discussing the benefits of life in Zion. Rather, my desire is to challenge us to see Zion as beautiful. The strongest nations in the world are built by indoctrination; citizens are taught that their nation is the greatest. The term ‘nation’ in itself has strength in it that means much more than geographical boundaries. As I was very adequately taught by Rev. Chris Oyakhilome, a state or country can only be referred to as a nation when its citizens have a common vision and speak one language [or have one mind].

The opening scripture shows us how God feels about Zion; it is the perfection of beauty. He wants us to be indoctrinated; God wants us to know that there is no nation or country in the earth greater than ours. Yet, many of us are consumed by a love for our earthly nations at the expense of a love for Zion. In Romans 9:8, the Bible says "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." To be a child of the flesh is to be carnal enough to primarily identify one's self by physical or earthly nationality. In Romans 9:8, Paul shows us two types of children - those of the flesh and those of the promise. The 'promise' here refers to God's Word. Do you see that your origin is from God's word? Or, do you still identify first as Nigerian, American, British, South African, Korean, or Australian? If you are a Christian, that should not be the case.

This topic is so important, because our earthly nations have become more beautiful to many of us than Zion. We identify as Ugandan Christians, Brazilian Christians, and the likes instead of ‘just being Christians’. In our churches, some of us even form factions based on ethnicity or nationality. There are ‘Black’ people who will not attend ‘White’ churches and vice versa. I put the words Black and White in quotes, because in reality, once you become a Christian, you are neither White nor Black; you are a new creation [Galatians 3:28].

Learn to appreciate Zion TODAY! See Jesus in the eyes of every Christian, whether or not they speak your earthly language. Embrace them like you would Jesus if He lived in your house. Like Abraham [under God’s instruction] abandoned his earthly kindred, abandon yours also for Zion. This does not mean that you should not still love your earthly nation. It only means you should love Zion more. If someone asked you “where are you from?” let your answer first be Zion. Or, say to the person “do you mean in the flesh or in the spirit?” Either way, the person’s answer may lead to an opportunity to share Jesus with them.

If God Almighty could shine out of Zion, then you should be proud of your citizenship in this beautiful country!

Your Case for Christ

2010-04-03T17:00:00.001-04:00

“Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man…I have a greater witness than that of John.” [John 5:33-36]

Christianity is not a religion and should never be regarded as one [except when we fill out forms, of course]. I appeal to you to listen to the rest of it before leaving this site; it is okay to challenge your knowledge every once in a while. We all agree that there is a religion that is an aspect of Christianity, but to define Christianity completely as a religion will be a fallacy.

With very elementary analysis of the subject, we can see that Jesus did not bring a religion called Christianity, since He never called us Christians; we were first called Christians by people who weren’t necessarily believers in a city called Antioch several years ago [Acts 11:26]. On the contrary, Jesus said He brought life [John 10:10] of a different quality – life like God has it. That life is what Christianity is about; it is the reason for every other aspect of our service to God.

I will not be going into other reasons why Christianity is not a religion in this post; you can read James’ definition of religion in James 1:27 and determine for yourself if Christianity fits solely as a religion. I only touched on Christianity not being a religion in order to set the stage for today’s subject. Religions need to be defended, because they are based on philosophy (searching the way), but Christianity, on the other hand, is based on the way [Jesus] not a searching of the way. The finality and absoluteness of Christianity shows us that it does not stand by reason of men’s defense or ‘nondefense’ of it. It stands anyhow!

The purpose of this post is to re-establish the Deity of God in the hearts of believers. “What do you mean by that”, you may ask me? Many times, we Christians are tempted to play the defense attorney for God in very unnecessary places. For example, some of us have found ourselves spending hours convincing an atheist of the existence of a God that does not need any man’s testimony [according to the opening scripture]. Have you ever thought of the fact that, regardless of whether you believe in Him or not, He is [Isaiah 43:10]? Think about it; before we were, He is – not was [John 8:58]. Many of us only talk about God when an argument ensues; after such times of heated discussions, we feel like we have defended Him well. No, God is not pleased by that! Rather, He is pleased by the faith we demonstrate when we talk about Him to people who did not raise an argument or ask us what church we go to [Hebrews 11:6].

I think I should mention that I believe that nobody could believe in God more than an atheist. Atheists believe in God more than they care to admit; they only resist the thought of a Being as sovereign and omnipotent as God is. If they didn’t believe, why would they fight so much against Him? If they truly did not believe in God’s existence, they would not care to waste breath, ink, and paper on Him and those who believe in Him. So, quit talking about God only when there’s an argument. Talk about Him everyday; He is the way, the truth, and the life [John 14:6].

Make your case for Christ when no one asks you to. Live your life as an epistle, ever making a statement about the nature, reality, death, and resurrection of the Christ to mankind [2 Cor. 3:1-4]. Two days ago, I saw a young man express certain gestures towards a friend of his; those gestures [of heartfelt love] would convince any passer-by that the two young men were either in the same fraternity or cult of some kind. And, for a second, I thought “thank God we Christians fit into society so well unlike these folks”. Immediately, the Spirit of God stopped me and said “that’s the problem…you blend in with society”. Immediately, I changed my heart and thought to myself that how else will Christ be made known if we do not stick out [like a thumb] in the same way as those young men.

In this Easter season, realize that Jesus did not make His case for you in hiding; He was humiliated and crucified, not as a martyr but as a sacrifice for you in the open. Make your case for Christ where it counts. Make it before the sick, weary, and hopeless. Declare your faith before the meek and humble; announce Him before friends, foes, and family. Your case for Christ is not primarily an argumentative one; it’s a life you owe the Master!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

P.S: As you comment, please enjoy this song. It’s my favorite Easter song, and it reminds me of the precious blood of Jesus that was the price for my atonement.

Holy Flows: "You Are the Answer"

2010-03-25T22:57:00.001-04:00

It’s great to come your way again this week. I’m really excited about this blog, and it’s all because of your faithful readership. Burnivine’s Blogoscope… is currently being read in over 23 countries and 67 cities in all the continents of the world. In honor of you, the reader, I have decided to publish something from a reader for this week. The following is a very inspiring piece by a truly gifted friend, Ms. Evanna Fabulosity Ebose [reppin’ Dublin, Ireland]; please, enjoy and meditate on it:

NOW LISTEN JC IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.
I AINT GONNA LIE BUT IF YOU AINT GOT HIM, YOU GOT NO LIFE!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOW THIS IS THE CASE OF MANY
THEY LIVE TO DIE IN PENURY
THEY LIVE A LESSER LIFE COS THEY AINT GOT THE GREATER LIGHT
BUT ONE THING FOR SURE IS YOU'VE BEEN SENT TO GIVE THEM MORE

A WISE ONE WINNETH SOULS
A WISE ONE HEALETH BONES
YOU'RE FROM ABOVE, YOU HAVE THE POWER
THE DEVIL'S DOWN BELOW, THERE'S NO NEED TO COWER.

IF U ARE WISE, YOU'D WIN SOULS
IF YOU ARE WISE, YOU'D HEAL BONES
DON'T LET PEOPLE SUFFER IN PAIN
GIVE THEM HOPE TO RISE AND LIVE AGAIN!

MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
LEAD THE WORLD AND SET THE PACE
NEVER NEGLECT ANY RACE
BUT SHOW THEM THERE IS A GREATER GRACE!

THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE GREATER LIGHT,
HAVE YOU WON A SOUL? HAVE YOU SOLVED THEIR PLIGHT?
THE WORLD DEPENDS ON YOU,
JUST SHOW THEM WAT TO DO!

REMEMBER UR FROM ZION!
LIVE EVERYDAY LIKE JESUS IS COMIN TOMORROW
PUSH ON LIKE A LION!:
WIPE AWAY THEIR PAINS AND SORROWS!

YOU ARE THE ANSWER!
STAY BLESSED...............MISS FABULOSITY 2010!

P.S: If you have something you would like me to consider for publishing, I’ll definitely be inclined to take a look and get back to you. Just send an e-mail to burnivine@gmail.com and notify me when you do. God bless you as you place your comments below!

Why I Love Jesus

2010-03-19T01:08:00.001-04:00

Today, I began to think about certain things, and I thought this may be a good time to strengthen my own faith by re-assessing the reasons why I love Jesus so much. In an effort to bless you with my own reasons and start up a trend of declarations of reasons for our love for Jesus, I have decided to write today’s post.

It is important to remind one’s self of these things, because Jesus had to remind Himself of the purpose and expected end-result of His death in order for Him to carry on with His task: “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” [Hebrews 12:2]. You see, even Jesus had to remind Himself of the joy that would follow [the joy of seeing us become God’s vision] in order to endure the cross and the shame of it.

I sincerely hope you are inspired and blessed by my reasons for loving Jesus so much that you search out your reasons [and possibly share them with us].

Only He truly knows me. I thank God for the friends that I have and the awesome family He has blessed me with. In fact, I dare say that I am surrounded by some of the best people anyone could ever want for friends in this world. But, none of them knows me like Jesus does. And, I cannot expect them to do so. You need to understand that He knows what I like, what I don’t like, the things that inspire me, the things that hurt me, the things that make me angry, my aspirations, my hopes, and my dreams more than anyone else. He knows the things that make me unique. That’s why only He can speak those ever so soothing words that are sure to combat any raging thoughts, confusion, or hurt that men may throw at me. He knows how much more than an expensive gift of shallow worth I esteem a sincere hug. He made me, so no one can ever know me like He does. I love Him for that!

He first loved me. This, I learned from the man to whom I owe my aliases – St. John the Divine [1 John 4:19]. I have thought about the life of the man that died with Christ out of whose death I was born – the man that many know as the ‘old man’, otherwise known as “who I was before I got born again”. I may not have been the worst sinner, but my righteousness was definitely not taking me anywhere. I lived a life that I knew did not completely match up with God’s desire. Yet, even then, He loved me. When I made mistakes, He loved me. When I regretted my mistakes and hoped someone would understand and help me get up, only He [Jesus] was there to pick me up, wipe away my tears, and speak those ever so soothing words that set me on my way. Only He knew how much mess I truly had and was willing to deal with it. Like an orphan child, lost and disoriented, who fell into a ditch [or gutter] and began looking for people to help him clean up, I searched for hope. Door after door, no help came, till I found one who not only welcomed me for a clean-up, but had also prepared for me a new life in His wealth and love. Do you see now why I can’t stop talking about Him?

His “not-so-beautiful” hands. Jesus’ hands still have holes in them from those big Roman nails with which He was nailed to the cross - all for me. You see, His hands are not the most beautiful to behold; don’t imagine the holes in there as perfect circles. No! The nails ‘tore’ His hands; they did not ‘construct’ matching circles into them. Plus, the holes in His hands must have stretched to become ‘uglier’ due to the weight of His body pulling on them as He hung from the cross. His hands are not so pretty, just for me. You had better believe that He still has those holes in His hands till today [John 20:26-27]. Here’s a story I heard very recently that I can’t get out of my mind. A young girl was always embarrassed by her mother’s ‘ugly’ hands – so embarrassed that she always begged her mother not to show her hands when her friends came around. Every time she said this, her mother cried, until one day when her mother sat her down for a story. “My hands have not always been so ugly” she said to her daughter. “In fact, they were once like yours” she continued. “One day, when you were very little, there was a fire in the house and you were the only one left at home. While I was trying to rescue you, because the fire was already so great, my hands got burned. You see, my hands are the way they are because of you; these are the hands that saved you”, said her mother. Upon hearing those words, the girl fell on her knees with tears in her eyes, saying “Mother, you have the most beautiful hands anyone could possibly have”, realizing that she owed her life to those hands. In the same way, those “not-so-beautiful” hands of Jesus’ are beautiful to me today, because they are the proof that He sincerely cares about me.

Many people have told me in my life that they care about me, but only one person has proved it more than anyone else and that person is Jesus. He proved it by giving up His own life so that I may live. He took sickness, bad habits, sin, poverty, confusion, failure, and death on Himself so that I will never have to experience them. Don’t you think He deserves my love and unwavering devotion? He went to hell – that horrible place of darkness – so I will never have to go there. Is He not worthy of all of me? Even if no one follows Him with me, I will continue. Why? I will continue, because He went to the cross rejected and alone.

Like Paul, I have now “suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” [Philippians 3:7]. Now, you know why it seems like we Christians have no life; it is because we are no longer permitted to live as unto ourselves. Except one were an ingrate, the only fitting thing to do for someone else who gave His life for one will be to live as unto the one that gave His life [2 Corinthians 5:15]. That’s why I love Him so!

Please, share with us the reason(s) why you love Jesus; you may never know who will be blessed by your testimony. As you share your testimony in the comment section below, enjoy the following video. God bless you!

Now Is The Time!

2010-03-13T22:25:00.002-05:00

“behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” [2 Corinthians 6:2]

As cliché as it may sound, Jesus Christ is coming very soon. Against the beliefs of many, the day of the return of Jesus is fixed; it has never changed and it is not going to change. Let us view this post as a reminder of some sort. For the enemy of the souls of men, which is the devil, distraction is the name of the game. There are many who still do not believe that Jesus is Lord, many who claim to believe but are too consumed by themselves to see Him, and yet many more who have never even heard the truth about who Jesus is and what He did for them.

There is no more time for the mastered art of stalling. We cannot keep imagining that we will completely submit ourselves to God when we are done ‘enjoying’ life; it’s a form of self-deceit that will not work in these last days. Someone rightly said that if you plan to give your life to Christ right before you die, you will not truly be giving your life to Him, because at that point there is no life left in you to give. God is not a computer; He is a rational being that knows your deepest thoughts.

To the unbeliever: King David wrote in Psalm 14:1, “the fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” A dear friend once told me that true science supports the existence of God. I could not agree more. Nobody truly needs to be convinced that God exists. Paul, a man of great knowledge [that could very well rival the most notable philosophers], made the following statement in support of the truth that all you have to do is look around you to see God: “the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” All the proof of the existence of God you need is all around you – in the structure of the universe, the complexity of the human body, and the vast species on the earth. “Why Jesus, or why Christianity?” you may think. There are two important reasons, one being because only Jesus died for you; only He suffered at the hands of men to take away the sin, sickness, failure, and emptiness that plague men. The second reason is that only Jesus was proved to be the Son of God with power through the resurrection from the dead. [Romans 1:4] Accept Him into your heart today, and begin to enjoy ALL that He paid for!

To the cold believer: You may be out there and your only reason for being a Christian is that your parents raised you in the church. I dare say that you are in a very sad state, because you have not yet come in contact with reality. The religion that you have can only lead to frustration. Cold believers are more likely to find every reason to discredit the ‘on-fire-for-Jesus’ Christian. They typically want to prove the ‘we-are-all-sinners’ factor to satisfy their own confusion at why Christianity is not so real to them. When they see committed Christians, all they want to believe is that those Christians are secretly sinning. These are the carnal [fleshly or sensuous] ‘believers’ [1 Cor. 3:1]. To such person, I say “stop playing with God”. I encourage you to reassess the reason why you say you are a Christian. Get to the word of God and study it for yourself. Find out about the person of Jesus; you’ll be love-struck and awe-struck. You’ll find yourself shouting about Him more than those Christians you currently consider crazy or fanatical. Then and only then can He bring color, beauty, and meaning into your life. Seek Him now when He can be found [Isaiah 55:6]!

To the lukewarm believer: Is your current degree or obtaining a degree still more important than studying God’s Word? Is there any area of your life where you apply more zeal and show more devotion than in your walk with God or soul-winning? Jesus mentioned in Revelations 3:14-16 that this is a worse state than being cold. He also says something interesting to this category: “anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” [Rev. 3:18]; I believe He mentioned that because lukewarm Christians are the last to know that they are lukewarm. In fact, many times, they think they are committed. Let your commitment translate into a relationship with the Word of God and a desire to know God more. Even if you currently have a job that keeps you away from church meetings, you must burn in your heart with a desire to attend those meetings. The remedy to this lukewarm state is the Word of God. Get God’s Word into you and state your convictions about the gospel clearly to yourself.

To the hot believer: You are in the right place, but now is not the time to lose focus. Continually declare your consistency in the things of God with great resolve. According to Hebrews 12:2, keep your eyes on the beginner and perfecter of your faith. In these times, the desire of the enemy is to throw in more distractions than ever before. Now, those on fire for God may begin to face financial, physical, family, or career challenges; but, it is no time to faint. It is said that “nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors” [Romans 8:37] so that you will be relaxed in every situation [Philippians 4:6]. Let’s join hands and win souls like never before. Let us pray for the unsaved everywhere. Let us talk about Jesus without shame. We have been given a mandate that the Master will ask us about; in front of that judgment seat, no medical degree, award of excellence, or any such thing counts if it did not have something to do with our destiny in God. The Master said “occupy till I come” [Luke 19:13], and that is exactly what we ought to do lest He returns and finds anyone sleeping. Occupy in your body and at your job, school, home, and community by letting your faith prevail over every negative circumstance. Be wise also, and win many to Christ [Proverbs 11:30]!

Now is the time to dust ourselves up and set our eyes on the prize. Not tomorrow or anytime in the future! Remember, today is the future of yesterday and today is creating the future of tomorrow. You may have been saying “I will do such-and-such” without actually doing it. If you don’t act TODAY, you just may be saying the same thing in fifteen years, or worse still till the Lord arrives.

I anticipate your comments with great excitement. In the mean time, enjoy this video!

Happy 10th Anniversary To Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional!!!

2010-03-05T22:25:00.002-05:00

“The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” [Psalm 68:11]

My journey with the best-selling daily devotional by Pastors Chris and Anita Oyakhilome began about four and a half years ago. It has been an upward and forward voyage since then. Based on recent count, I have over 30 [different] copies of Rhapsody of Realities from past years still in my possession, the oldest of which is the August 2005 edition. That edition [August ‘05] was more or less my first edition considering that I joined the ministry in July 2005. Topics ranged in that month from “Passion for the Lost” [Luke 15:10] to “God Is Not Aware” [1 Timothy 6:16] both by Rev. Anita. The LoveWorld News segment, ornate with a pictorial chronicling of the Charismatic Renewal Conference with Pastor Chris from earlier that year, was sure to intrigue every heart by the power of God. Being new to the person of the HolySpirit, I was especially thrilled by the report from that HolyGhost-inspired conference in 2005.

Interestingly, my August 2005 Rhapsody of Realities was not my first encounter with this messenger angel. At the age of 10, I had received my first copy of what would be [5 years down the line] God’s instrument of change in my life. Rhapsody of Realities, currently in 88 languages [including Braille], has changed lives around the globe. It has literally reached millions of people with over 100 million copies sold in its decadal reign, setting at liberty the captives and proclaiming healing to the oppressed. Ministries other than the Believers’ LoveWorld nation have also benefited immensely from the truth enraptured in this soul-stirring periodical. As the name implies, Rhapsody [a literary work written in an intense or exalted style] of Realities [truth] has and is still succeeding at communicating divine truths in simple yet powerful and compelling words.

Some of my favorite Rhapsody of Realities editions have been the July 2008 edition on “Speaking in Tongues” and the April 2009 edition totally dedicated to the subject of “Love”. My most used article so far has been the article titled “Joy Unspeakable - Twenty Four Hours A Day” by Rev. Chris from May 26th 2009. I stayed on it for weeks, and I have never been the same ever since. It remains on my wall in my room today.

Please, share your Rhapsody of Realities experience with the world by commenting on this post as we commemorate its 10^th year of “giving your day a lift”. We want to hear what you have to say; it just may change a life. And, if you’ve not been swept off your feet by our 'Messenger Angel', there’s no better time to start than now. You can read Rhapsody of Realities and watch commentaries by mighty men and women of God online NOW!!!

Special thanks to partners around the world. Thanks, also, to Pastors Chris and Anita for blessing the world with the investment of their personality.

The following video is an exemplar of the global influence that Rhapsody of Realities is making. Originally written by the late music maestro, Isaac Rowland of Believers’ LoveWorld, and performed by the stars of the LoveWorld Music Ministry, this song was the icing on the cake as we distributed 10 million free copies of our messenger angel for the Nigerian Independence Day celebration. Please, listen and put up your comments.

HAPPY 10^THANNIVERSARY!!!

Forgetting the Past

2010-02-26T15:36:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-19T13:14:00.002-05:00

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!!!

2010-02-14T16:46:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-12T15:00:00.004-05:00

“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

2010-02-05T01:49:00.007-05:00

“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.

Peace Within Our Borders: Unity In the Body of Christ

2010-01-28T16:30:00.004-05:00

“Praise the Lord…O Zion. For He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates…He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.” [Psalm 147: 12 - 14]

It is of utmost exigency that believers begin to conduct a reassessment of what exactly we are about. The Spirit of God is doing something amongst us, but we need to let Him; we have to allow Him to “gather together the exiles of Israel”, that is those who are Christians but do not live as such.

Before I go further, I need to establish certain premises of why I refer to us as Israel today. First, we know from Hebrews 12:22-23 that “ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God” so that we know that the church [as well as the physical Israel] was being referred to in Psalm 147. Also, we were rightly informed by the Apostle Paul that “they are not all Israel which are of Israel” in Romans 9:6-8 where he explains to us that the true spiritual Israel are the children of the promise. To further bolster his point, he mentioned in Galatians 3:29 that everyone who is in Christ is Abraham’s seed and an heir according to the promise.

The initial premise being established, we now know that Israel in Psalm 147 spoke concerning us as well. But, before I advance to the main point which is unity in the body of Christ, I’d like to dispel any assumptions that everyone reading this blog knows what the body of Christ is. According to Colossians 1:18, “he is the head of the body, the church: who is the first born from the dead; that in all things he may have the preeminence” letting us know that Jesus Christ is the head of the church which the bible refers to as His body.

Knowing this, why do we work against one another? Is there a good enough reason why slandering, malice, hatred, discontentment and other such things should be found in our midst? In my experience as a Christian, I have heard more Christians speak against and condemn ministers of God than unbelievers themselves. How can we function cohesively against the massive attacks from the enemy in these last days, if we are divided over our pre-conceived ideas of what Christianity and moderation should be? Is there a reason why we cannot share stories of challenges and victories in our soul winning exploits with one another?

Consider the Apostle Paul’s confrontation with Peter concerning the issue of eating and communing with Gentiles in Galatians 2:11-14 where Paul says concerning Peter, “I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed”. There was a simple disparity in revelations whereby Paul had a higher revelation that, Jew or Gentile, we are all one new creation in Christ Jesus, but Peter was yet to manifest a complete agreement with the idea mostly because of concern about criticism from Jewish Christians. In spite of that occurrence, the Bible does not record a fight or continued disagreement between them. In fact, the Bible records Peter giving Paul a form of admiration in 2 Peter 3:15 where he says “our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you”.

Another point to consider in evaluating our somewhat childish disagreements is that there are different families in Zion just as Israel had twelve different children all with different traits. Even though we are all children of the same heavenly Father, depending on the family (local church assembly) to which we belong, our characteristics and strengths may differ. Using Israel’s children as a case in point, they all developed into strong nations with different trades and responsibilities, some as kings [Judah], others as priests [Levi] and so on according to the gifting of God [Genesis 49]. Understanding this, we should not be offended or taken aback when other believers don’t meet our outward expectations, as long as they hold to the important foundational principle of Christ. Like Joseph said to his brothers “be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life”, we should walk in love, respecting one another, and giving ourselves a long rope.

Also, it has been my desire to write concerning an issue that has been of great concern to me. One would think that Christians would understand “touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm” [1 Chronicles 16:22] more than anyone else, but sadly, the reverse is the case. We find Christians condemning some and otherwise accepting some men of God. It is not in our place to do such a thing; in fact, it is a manifestation of spiritual childishness to demonstrate such audacity as to speak negatively about a man or woman of God, whether or not you think he or she has gone astray. In Romans 14:4, the Apostle Paul wrote “who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand”. Do you want to condemn a man of God that fell, only for God to restore him afterward? What then becomes of you who has touched the Lord’s anointed? Well, you may say that the anointing left him when he fell. But, think again!

After David had been anointed king and Saul had made attempts to kill David, Saul eventually died having already been rejected by God. After he died, a certain man brought news to David about the death of Saul and even lied that he killed Saul himself. Many of us, if in David’s shoes, would have burst out rejoicing considering that we have already been anointed and this ‘nuisance’ has been taken out of the way. But, David said something striking to the man that brought the news; he said “how wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed”? [2 Samuel 1:11-15, 19-20] Notice that David still referred to Saul as the Lord’s anointed. David ended up mourning for Saul and killing the young man that brought the supposed ‘good news’.

Afterward he forbade his men from letting the Gentiles know about it. Why must unbelievers hear about the fall of a minister of God from the mouth of believers? Why do we talk the most about ourselves in a negative light? This must change for us to be efficient as a body. For a while now, I have developed the mentality that my only business with another Christian’s spiritual life is to pray for them and give thanks to God for their successes. I believe fellow believers should adopt the same mentality, knowing that God deals with His children on an individual basis based on His expectations and no one else’s.

Jesus made it clear how we’ll know our brothers and sisters – by their fruits. He did not leave us in doubt or make it a confusing issue. John expounded on that by letting us know that “every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God” according to 1 John 4:2. Can we believe the word of God and relate with one another as siblings regardless of any other differences in understanding of the word of God?

Finally, in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, which I strongly encourage you to read, Paul explains in-depth the importance of this subject of unity. There needs to be peace within the borders of Zion, and God can only establish it through us. We cannot keep cutting each other down instead of helping to heal each other’s wounds. Refuse to be the stumbling block in the way of the Masters’ work. When you are outside of your Christian family [local church assembly], function from the standpoint of members of one body. Let us love one another, work with one another, pray for one another, and strengthen one another till the day that the Master arrives, so that He will indeed find a “church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy and without blemish” [Ephesians 5:27].

The church the Apostle refers to in Ephesians 5:27 is not your local assembly, but the body of Christ.

Be concerned about the body!

A Series of Fortunate Events…Part 2

2010-01-21T22:50:00.002-05:00

Just before we continue on the episodes that bolstered my spiritual growth, I have a testimony to share, one that pertains to event 4. Last night in the absence of anyone else in sight I was approached by three men, one of which conveyed the impression that he possessed a weapon. One of the young men demanded that I surrendered my valuables. I looked into his eyes, somewhat irritated, and said “I have nothing for you”. He persisted with the other two guys lurking around.

That very second, I was prompted by the HolyGhost to speak in other tongues; as I began to do so, more boldness surged through me and I ceased to care about the potential danger. I spoke louder, and as I did, something fascinating happened. In a couple of seconds, the young man requesting my belongings began to back away in fear, while I continued to my destination. By the time I looked back, they were all gone. Praise God!

I shared this testimony to remind you that the word of God is practicable, and it works! You don’t have to prepare for such situations; just stay filled with HolySpirit, and He will make you as bold as a lion. Now, back to the last two events that solidified my faith, the final episodes in a series of fortunate events orchestrated by the HolySpirit:

Event 3 – “You’re Welcome”: On the Sunday after I was invited to Christ Embassy, for reasons unknown to me, my family showed no interest in going to church. And, immediately, the thought came: “how about that church you were invited to?” Upon arrival at Christ Embassy Satellite Church Ajah, I was welcomed by one of the ladies I met while trying to purchase a message the day before. With those words “you’re welcome”, I immediately felt at home. That day, I listened to my first female Pastor, and I was blown away. She talked just like Rev. Chris Oyakhilome in boldness and audacity. And, then, we listened to a message [titled The Book of Philippians] by Rev. Chris that answered all my questions about the ministry. It was as though God planned the service for me. What if we had gone to my old church?

Event 4 – “Go on and speak in other tongues”: If you recall, I mentioned in the post titled “He’s Never Too Far Away” that I received the HolyGhost on the night I read “Good Morning, HolySpirit” by Benny Hinn. I also pointed out the fact that I did not know that I had received the HolyGhost till weeks after that experience. Teaching after teaching and meeting after meeting, I realized what happened to me that night. In Christ Embassy, I had learned the importance of speaking in tongues and even spoken in tongues in dreams, but I didn’t know how to get it into physical manifestation. On a particular Sunday, I remember my Pastor leading some people into Christ and laying hands on them to receive the HolySpirit. She asked them to begin to speak in tongues and I thought, “begin?” It was at that point that I realized I needed to take a step of faith; the experience was not going to come with a mighty rushing wind like I thought. As she said, “go on and speak in other tongues”, the HolySpirit stirred up faith in me and I opened my mouth. That ability to speak in tongues has since saved my life and that of family members like in the testimony I previously highlighted; the same ability has promoted me and strengthened my faith. But, what if I did not speak like she said?

After reading this article and the “what ifs” at the end of each event, you may be tempted to think that it was a matter of luck and chance. And, you may think to yourself, “I’ll wait till my time comes”. I’ve got news for you. God has predestined us for his glory, but NOW is the time of that glory. Always, God requires you to take a step of faith on His word. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Reading this article could be your event 1. It is all up to you!

Have you had any fortunate events? Care to share?

Peace At Last!!!

2010-01-15T23:55:00.009-05:00

Here's a poem I was prompted to write by the HolySpirit. It's dedicated from my heart to all those who have been impacted by natural disasters especially Haitians:

When destruction passes

And the thundering settles

Will there be…peace at last?

Hope restored and faith assured

Peace, peace at last.

Or, will I look in the face of another for…

Peace at last?

Shall I cry out to posterity and humanity for...

Peace, peace at last?

When rationality returns

And still hope is dull

Without father, mother, friend, or foe

Where, the sorrow, shall I lay?

To find…

Peace, peace at last.

Oh! Do I hear a voice?

Does it say “look to Jesus now and live”?

The Only True…

Peace, peace everlasting.

A Series of Fortunate Events…Part 1

2010-01-14T23:41:00.003-05:00

“For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].” – Ephesians 2:10 Amplified Version

After I reported my experience with the HolySpirit to my friend [and others], spiritual growth was not automated. Certain occurrences made God more real to me everyday, and only the opening scripture can best describe the divine orchestration that manifested itself as what we now refer to as a series of fortunate events. I now ecstatically present to you four of the incidents that laid a strong foundation for me in the precious third person of the Godhead we fondly refer to as the HolySpirit. I also endeavor to share the specific impact of each episode.

Event 1 – Pastor Chris’ Teaching: In a little over a month before my much anticipated graduation, I had become addicted to a show that completely eclipsed any other interests. With every opportunity, 8PM was my time. As I sat there every weekday listening to the man of God Rev. Chris Oyakhilome on television, my eyes were opened to the reality of the word of God. No longer did I view the bible as an ordinary chronicle or a constitution of laws that had become my war. Rather, its contents had become life to me. With every word from the mouth of the man of God, I fell in love more and more with God. With over a 120 purchased messages and several hours of online/TV broadcasts, that “more” factor still remains. What if I had not gotten interested in that show?

Event 2 – The Stop: Ordinarily as it began, the sunny July day I now describe soon turned out to be one of my most defining days. Being the timid fellow I was, I had always found it hard to stop public buses before a declared stop especially considering the harshness of their drivers. But, on this day, something beyond me prompted me to request an emergency stop right outside Christ Embassy Ajah – Lagos, Nigeria. The initial intention was to purchase my first Pastor Chris’ message; however, within a couple of minutes in the church office, I had experienced much more love and attention than I ever thought possible. The ladies in the church office spoke excitedly about each message they encouraged me to purchase. I knew it was more than marketing – it was for real. That lovely Saturday, I was invited to what would be my first Christ Embassy Sunday service, and I remember replying with a laugh “no…I have a church”. What if I had not stopped the bus?

To be continued…

Feel free to submit your comments and personal stories. God bless you!

HE’S NEVER TOO FAR AWAY…

2010-01-07T19:31:00.004-05:00

“And, behold, I send the promise of my father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” [Luke 24:49]

Grew up a Pastor’s son and that helped a lot; but, until you experience God for yourself beyond “what I heard”, nothing has really begun. But, then came a book that revolutionized my walk with God. All the epiphany I needed to begin an experiential walk with God was unveiled through a book I came in contact with titled ‘Good Morning HolySpirit’.

On the day that I now write of, most of my high school confederates had gone home for a holiday - hardly remember what it was about. At this point, my schoolboy fascination with holidays had waned; my interests dwelled more in the control I thought I had over my life while I was in boarding sch
ool. Anyway, back to the day [more like a night it was since, once again, I hardly remember the day part of it] in itself.

I sat there in the large assembly hall all by myself with a book in my hand – one I didn’t want to finish and yet I couldn’t wait to consume entirely. I read, probably for hours, intently. With all my attention focused on that one book, the thought ran through my mind – this just has to be true. With tears in my eyes, a heart pounding in my chest, and my knees knocking together, I read the experiences of the healing minister, Benny Hinn, with the HolyGhost in the earlier parts of his life. He shared the understanding of God’s word, color, beauty, and substance introduced by this precious third person of the Godhead into his life. There was only one True reason why I believed all he wrote, and it was because of the witness. That same HolySpirit now stood there with me, telling me “yes, it is all true…and you too can know me the same way.”

Prior to this day, I had begun nurturing an interest in “something more”. I was never what many considered a bad guy – yet, I wasn’t righteous by their standards either. I had religion – so much of it that I got sick of it. And, by religion, I mean the routine of church, prayer, bible reading, and more of the stuff you may already know. For weeks before the day, I had pondered on the person of the HolySpirit. I took interest in the lives of those who lived the supernatural around me like Rev. Chris Oyakhilome. It may be important to know that, at that time, I had no idea I would ever be in Christ Embassy [presided over by Rev. Chris]. Erstwhile, a couple of alumni of my school had come to our school fellowship and spoken highly about the person, character, and power of the HolyGhost. I knew I had to have it; well, then I thought I was dealing with an “it”. Little did I know!

By the time I was done reading “Good Morning, HolySpirit”, the presence of the HolyGhost had so overwhelmed me. I had come to know that He is more than an “it”. I discovered He’s a rational being co-equal with God. That He is, in fact, the person of the Godhead that brings the Word of God to pass. Though I received the HolySpirit that same night, I did not know it till weeks after this experience. But, one thing was sure that night; I had received life. I didn’t mind telling everyone that I saw. I ran to where a dear friend was doing some laundry to explain my experience, and I am glad till this day that we ran from there together for the HolyGhost! There began my series of fortunate events.

To be continued…

Care to share your first experience with Him?

HAPPY NEW YEAR [OF THE GREATER LIGHT]!!!

2010-01-02T15:36:00.005-05:00

"Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established, believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." [2 Chronicles 20:20]

I never enter a new year till the cloud of the HolySpirit has moved into it. Therefore, with joy did I triumphantly gambol into the year of the Greater Light as soon as the man of God, Rev. Chris Oyakhilome, declared it so [somewhere around 5:58PM EST]. You may wonder how it is possible to enter a new year before 12:01AM; well, the opening quoted scripture says why. Also, because God operates in eternity. Really, God doesn’t enter 2010; we do. As such, it is in my favor (and interest) to enter when He says so.

Christians around the world may have varied tags (for absence of a better word) for the New Year. But, one thing is common to all of us – we all enter it in God! But, for all my fellow citizens of the Believers’ LoveWorld nation, it is the year of the Greater Light. The New Year’s message, as taken from Genesis 1:14-19 and 2 Peter 1:16-19 (amongst other scriptures) by the man of God, revealed God’s mind concerning us. How that God desires for us to live in Zion where there is no night (darkness). Those in darkness (sickness, disease, and discouragement) were encouraged to find their ways back into Zion where it is always Day. And, for those of us who already live in Zion, he encouraged us to remain there (bringing others in) and enjoy greater glory.

Two striking parts of the message for me were:

In 2010, those who dwell in Zion will not know night.
When something [negative] happens, say “there’s a greater light!”

Fellow citizens of the BLW nation, please share your favorite words, moments, and prayers as a comment below for all of us to be blessed by. Christians from other ministries, please also share with us the blessings from your New Year’s message; I would love to hear them.

Once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

P.S: If the year does not seem new, accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life; He makes all things new [Rev. 21:5].

Letter to My Father - A Man Sent from God!!!

2009-12-28T01:14:00.006-05:00

Here's a letter I wrote to my father and Pastor, Rev. Chris Oyakhilome, on his birthday - December 7th, 2009. I have been inspired by his life and walk with God; I hope you're blessed as you read my story.

Dear Pastor Chris:

Words cannot begin to express how much you have given my life a meaning. I came in contact with your ministry about four years ago, and I have never been the same ever since; I have been literally lifted day after day, week after week, and month after month. In the days of old, as you've taught us Pastor, kings selected one of their sons to be trained as an heir - that son was called the "adopted" son of the king, because only he was taught to think, talk, and act like his father. Pastor, I am glad to say today that I am your son by adoption through God's Word that you've shared with me.

Pastor, you taught me what it is to be a man; you turned the boy of four years ago into a man today. You showed me that a man is not a man in words only or in aggression. Rather, a man is one who cries in two places and for two purposes only - worship and intercession. You taught me that in my future there is nothing to fear. You gave me hope when I felt discouraged. You brought me out of shame into kingship and priesthood. You gave me a great gift which is the understanding that life is not just about me. Pastor, you taught me how to love and sincerely care for others. You showed me that the life of every individual is important - that there's a treasure in the most seemingly "wicked" and "sinister" individual. As you always say, they're "souls for whom Christ died." So, I value them, because Jesus values them. You taught me to live a life of victory, health, success, and prosperity everyday.

All the letters of every language in the world may be needed to express who you are. According to Rev. Tom, you're "an unusual personality...a pleasant intrusion into the affairs of humanity...Jesus in a white suit." I completely agree. But, above all of that, you are my FATHER. Thank you for answering the call of God on your life. You've made the person of Jesus and the HolyGhost real to me in ways I would never have thought possible. You brought me out of religion into LIFE.

Daddy, I love you very much, and I thank God for you. Truly, when we all see Jesus, what a day of rejoicing it will be.....because, from your life and personality, I have seen the personality and life of Jesus. So, on that day when we see Him face to face, we will indeed sing and shout "VICTORY"!

Happy birthday, Rev. Chris Oyakhilome - my mentor, teacher, life coach, inspiration, field marshal, prophet, and FATHER!!!

Your son,

St. Deji - the Divine

Musings...Nostalgia...Divinity; BURNIVINE!

2009-12-27T01:33:00.004-05:00

So much to write; a lot to share. I expect that even the fonts I use and my choice of words will give you a feel of the personality. I love to reminisce on past experiences (the good ones, of course) and think deeply about the simple things. Please, don't expect me to be deep; simplicity conveys wisdom...lol!

So, let's get into it. This blog is dedicated to those who have made my life so far - Revs. Chris & Anita Oyakhilome, my Pastors & leaders, family (spiritual and physical), KC boys, friends, acquaintances, classmates, and more. If you ever met me, I'll be sure to write something about you or related to you in some way.

Get to know me as I endeavor to know you as well.

But, lest I forget....MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!