Life's Soundtrack

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

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

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

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

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

God bless you, and have a fruitful weekend!

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

Not Mine

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

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

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

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

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

What Is Good for the Giver and the Soulwinner

“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!

Now Is The Time!

“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!!!

“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^TH ANNIVERSARY!!!