I Am Adopted.

Yes you heard that right. I didn't know this until a few years ago. I certainly didn't know what it felt like to be adopted as part of a big family, because I was always treated the same as the first born. 

One of my best friends recently adopted a child, prior to the adoption being finalised, the anticipation was at peak levels. It took years of meetings, paperwork, meeting other kids to finally decide to adopt this beautiful child. 

Finally, the day came and their child came to stay with them. 

A new chapter began in their lives. Not only was she given a new home, She was given a new identify, new hope,  new future and a new inheritance. She's treated the same as the first born. A big brother who adores her. 

This was what I found, about my adoption. 

I was chosen before the foundations of the earth. In Christ, he saw me and set me apart for himself. So, when I accepted him as saviour, I stepped into my position as a daughter. "Adopted daughter".

I was given a new home, a new name, a new heart, a change of identity and a new inheritance. 

Just like  my friend's adopted child. I shared everything equally with the first born "Jesus". I was treated the same. Adore by my big "brother", protected, shielded, and loved. 

This adoption was made possible by His death, he signed the paperwork with his blood. His meeting place was hell, where he met with my old keeper to secure my son ship. 

His death was the passage through which I secured my inheritance, I am able to cry Aba father, because he died and rose again. 

My adoption guarantees life, wealth, safety, hope, peace, love, joy, relationship

And a place in heaven. 

I see the special relationship my friend has with her daughter, the joy, this has brought. This makes me know what joy I bring my father. 

You too are adopted, step into your position as a sons and daughters, you are joint heirs with Christ because he secured your position to your inheritance by blood. 

The next time you see an adopted child, smile, because you are one. 

Happy Easter. 

The Best Unanswered Prayer.

It was getting to that time, he knew it, his friends knew it too. 

Soon he will be gone or will he really?
Will Judas change his mind, will come to himself and not go through with it?

Maybe HIS father will figure out another way to save this world.
This world full of pain, woe, rejection and much more. 

How can they treat him like this?
What did he do apart from healing their sick?
Rising their dead, restoring sight to the blind,
Giving hope to the hopeless. Humans, how cruel. Yet I am the sacrifice for them?

‘Father find another way’. This prayer went unanswered.

At weddings he provided when they ran out.
Talk about feeding people, refreshments were always in abundance at his gatherings.

How can his acts be all bad? Just because he said he is the son of God. Father let this cup pass. No response. 

Surely His works spoke for him?
Who amongst those he'd helped will defend for him.
He knew Peter was flaky, quick to act and defend him.
But he also knew Peter, O, dear Peter was going to deny him.

Who does he have left?
Gosh, “Father let this cup pass”. 

Find another way. You can do all things. Silence.

What do you think was going through the mind of Jesus days leading up to the cross?
Jesus was in the world as a man so he may have been worried and unsure. We are told he was tempted in every way, as a man. So my guess is, all kinds of thoughts passed through his mind. Thoughts like those mentioned above.

We had a peek into his mind at Gethsemane, when he told His Friends, 
“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death”. He was thinking about the Cross.
This was one prayer his father was not going to answered, because Jesus has to DIE. That is the rescue plan for man’s redemption.

Have your prayers gone unanswered? I belt you too have sought God’s face a few times, and silence is all you got. You know all things work together for good, but right now, you’d rather quit, than face the pain you are experiencing.

Have you stopped to think? Maybe he wants you to go through the pain of waiting to reap the joy of coming out as pure gold. Just as the prayers of Jesus to the father was met with silence, his death on the cross turned out to be the best unanswered prayer. 
Remember he said in Romans 8:32 “he who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things”?

Go through with it. His plans are the best laid plans.
You may not have a clear answer to your request right now, be rest assured he’s given his son for you…he will along with him bring your hearts desires to pass

Read more Easter Article here: Taken, Take 2, Taken 3

The next 3 days, Betrayal,

A Christmas Promise

A child was born and the world has never been the same. Babies are good news, they bring joy, happiness and hope into the world, babies also unify the family and signify new beginnings.
I have a few friends whose babies are due anytime soon, they are both excited and anxious. This wonderful gift of life brings so much joy. 

So it was on the night that Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph travelled miles, as they did, the anxiety of what was to come increased. Mary was with child, the Holy One, the angel had said. I am sure they were anxious to find out what he looked like.  Being told that there's no room at the inn.... was not what they expected, no room for the son of God? Surely the angel should have gone ahead and warned the inn keeper to expect them, a special child to be born in a stable where the animals lay? Isn’t one’s idea of how the son of God should begin his early days. 

It is somewhat compared to current day's labour ward, where mothers are turned away as a result of overcrowding. The shock, the pain and the confusion can result in unwanted complications, hence the anxiety. 

So being turned away is not good news for any parent to be. 

Mary and Joseph made on time to the stable where the Lord was born. Having welcomed the baby Jesus into the world, they received news that he was wanted dead.... His arrival was a threat to Harold. 

This Baby somehow made it to adulthood without being killed, but only just.
The promise of this baby was not just for him to be born, heal a few and help a few.
His birth was one that changed the course of human race for eternity and is
still changing lives.

Today, thousands of years after his birth, death and resurrection, he still brings hope, peace, love and freedom to all who welcome him into their lives.
Though He was eventually killed, years after the threat hung over his head, the grave could not hold him.

Even so, today his promise will be fulfilled in your life... Nothing can stop his promise of peace and freedom in your life.

You may be going through a tough time right now, wondering if that dream was really of God, you may even have had a supernatural visitation from God, regarding his promise to you, but now you are left perplexed as every inn seems full and favour seems to have frizzle out. You wonder, if this dream is of God, surely he should have made the way straight and smooth.

There was no space in the inn for the birth of The Holy One, yet that did not stop him from fulfilling God’s desires. God will fulfil his promises regardless of any set back. His promise doesn’t come wrapped in fine gift papers and sparkling silver roses, but they are sure. 

So do not look on the temporal situation, hang your hopes on the unfailing word of the master. He goes before us and makes our way prosper.

A baby brought hope and joy to the world, that baby is Jesus, no longer a baby but the King of kings and Lord of lords, the ruler of the ends of the earth, the ancient of days, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the one who turns water to wine and rolls away the stone from Lazarus’s grave. Christmas time reminds us of God who came in human flesh to personally bring us back to Himself… do not let your circumstances fill you with dread, rather let the peace of Christ’s birth fill you with hope, faith and Peace because he truly brings Joy to the world. 

Merry Christmas.

What's your custom

I have a routine every morning, this involves saying a prayer of thanksgiving, reading and meditation.

I start the day off like this, however I do not stick strictly to this routine, because sometimes I get up later than usual or have to attend to the kids. On such days my routine is disturbed.

When this happens, I find myself rushing into the day while muttering a thank you Lord here and there. Like me most of us live by routine, a set way of doing things, routines we have become accustom to.
Daniel lived by a set routine, one he stuck to regardless of what was happening around and within him. His routine was to pray 3 times a day, no matter what was happening, he stuck to this routine.

So it was when the decree was passed for no one to pray to any other god, Daniel was not bordered he knew this was just another.
I don't think Daniel went into prayer that day crying and wailing, asking God to save him from his plotters or for God to stop the lion's mouth. I think he was praying as usual about the things he always prayed about, he may have mentioned to God the current state of affairs, but
his devotion was not about the decrees because it was his custom to pray anyway.

Daniel was not the kind of man to cry and be afraid. The fact that he went home to business as usual after witnessing the king signed the decree, suggests to me that he was not a pushover, nor was he one to be bullied into doing or not doing something. Daniel went about his business as usual and prayed with boldness.

I imagined he prayed fervently, as was his custom but not with fear or out of desperation. He did all these because his life was of constant devotion to God.

To me Daniel's actions were almost as if he dared them to carry out their threat, as if he was thinking - these guys know nothing about the God I serve.
Daniel seems to be thinking, “what's the worst that can happen”? Be thrown in the Lion's den, so what? Death doesn't end my relationship with my God; if anything it begins a new life for me in the presence of my Lord. If he was going to die let be for doing what he love to do, pray.

Many times we are faced with life threatening situations which cause us to quaver with fear, or run and hide. We lose our faith in The All Powerful God, we abandon our custom and hope the storm will pass.  

Here’s what Daniel did in during this trying times

He carried on his business as usual

He involved God in his business

He had faith and resolute trust in God

He was bold in the face of dire circumstances

He was not afraid of death

Be inspired by Daniel's faith and boldness and audacious hope in God.

He was faithful to God and God honored him
He was involved in politics, and his integrity held up
He was judged by his peers to be the best at what he does
He was friends with the ruler of the land which Led to envy envied by others.

When trying times come as they certainly will, let your faith hold up, do not run scare, as much as possible keep your routine going.  We serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever, if he came through for Daniel he will come through for you. 

All you have to do is anchor your hopes on him and carry on as is your custom, he will honor your faith in Him.

The next 3 days

His hands were pierced.

The nails cut through his flesh reaching his veins, tearing tissues and ligaments. 

They tore through, blood gushed out. 

Each piercing was a piercing at his heart.

His was was of agony and utter despair.

His feet were nailed, each thud he felt, deep in his soul.

Felt, also by His father.

Each nail caused his heart to rise and fall.

As he was whipped, each spike ripped through his skin, peeling, removing and rendering it a deep wound. 

His head had a crown, not of gold or glittering silver, but of thorns.

Each thorn dug deep into his scull. 

Each pull, cut through deeper, blood poured out covering his face, making him unsightly.   

And he was pulled,

Kicked, 

Spat on,

Laughed at,

Tugged at,

On the road to death, he was deserted. 

And his death felt lonely.... 

He died,as silence fell across the land, 

but the story continues... 

Man breaths 

the earth wait 

silence greets the skies.

Even His enemies waited as

Earth's flame went out.

For the expectation of what might be, 

For his followers, the next 3 days felt like 3 years. 

The sea was calm.

His disciples hid and morn his death

Silent grips the land as 

Gloom embraces large as 

Man waited through the next 3 days. 

Betrayal

Mathew 26:48-49

We know from the Bible that Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, it was known to Jesus what Judas was going to do, yet he did not pull him up about it. In fact he sat down to super with Him and publicly spoke about it, without pointing a finger at Judas. 

While he prayed for the cup to be removed He knew about the betrayer. Yet pleaded with his father not to go through with the plan of his death. He knew his father could have chosen another route to rescue man from sin, so he prayed, father please take this up from me. Luke 22:41-44

He could have also called Judas to a quiet place and ask him not to go through with his betrayal, he could have asked Judas to stop and consider what he was about to do. But he did not. 

Why did he not stop Judas? The man who would give him away sat at the same room and ate from the same table with him daily yet he did nothing about it. 

He even called him friend and asked him to do what he must do!!! Shocking !!! . Mathew 26:50

He did not stop Judas because he knew It was not in Judas hands to stop what was destined by the Father to happen. He knew the father had given all things to him and that he was from God and went to God. John 13:3.

What can you grasp from this? Can you relate with this? We are often faced with choices of our own regarding whom or where to go during trying times, usually in such situations there are obvious answers, just like Judas seemed the obvious choice for Jesus to approach. 

Sometimes God appears so remote that we do not see him as the obvious one to approach. We may also not be ready to receive his answer to our request which may not be what we want to hear and just as he did with His only Son Jesus, our request may be met with silence. So we approach the obvious source or try to figure it out on our own. Because it's far more easier to seek solutions or answer from the obvious. 

Jesus did not do this because he knew what the father's will for him was and he was willing for it to be done, even though he knew it will be painful and would cost him his life. 

Just like Jesus, know the God's will for your situation, let him be your first recourse not your last resource after you've tried to sort it out your way. 

When we allow his will to be done and go through a painful experience we will come out victorious at the end. 

This is the story of Calvary, one of victory, of triumph and joy.  

He paved the way with his blood

The path of righteousness made clean by his death

So we travel life's journey on the road 

made ready for us

We endure difficult turns

And navigate rugged terrain, 

Knowing we walk in triumphant steps

Which will lead us to victory. 

Dying to Live

I love Denzel Wastington in J Q, the movie. The story of a father whose son was diagnose of a terminal illness and whose life dependent on a donor being found.   When his insurance company refused to cover the cost of the operation, Denzel an everyday working father, turned a hostage taker. He held the hospital staffs to ransom and demanded the operation be carried out.  In order for the procedure to go ahead a match was needed and in the time they had no match had been found. This is the part I love, the father decided to be tested and volunteered for his liver to be removed and given to his son. He was a match and was in the process of undergoing the operation when a match was found. 

He was willing to lay down his life for his son, so that his son might have a chance at life. 

Over 2000 years ago, a father actually gave up His son so that humanity can be found. Unlike Denzel, this father gave up his son to die. 

He went through with it, there was no 11th hour rescue mission to stop His son from dying, because His Son had to die so that Humanity can be saved. 

Here's why he did it, simply to free us from the bondage of sin. 

imagine if he didn't go through with it, just imagine for a second. Where would we be? 

Lost, still paying the penalty for every single unkind word said, 

Every glance of wrath and disdain, met with instant punishment

Every unpleasant thought towards another dished out to us,

Every act of evil and wickedness met with instant judgement, 

Just imagine, will you still be standing? 

His death bought our pardon, gave us a right to stand faultless before His father clothed in grace. 

Here's a song I love

But for grace where would I be, 

Helpless and hopeless

Lost without his mercy

But for love, we'll be lost in misery, 

But for your grace O Lord. 

So in dying we lived, no longer yoked under a clock if salvary, Calvary was the passage through which grace traveled in human form to reach us. 

In Dying,  he saved me, took my place.

In living, He gave me life, unmerited but deserved because of His grace. 

Happy Easter. 

Lose Your Grip

As I watched the capture of Gaddafi, the question which came to mind was why didn't he quit? Why don't they all quit, these dictators of decades. What is is about the position that makes them hang on even to dead.
Power? They already have,
fame, they have, wealth, they have. My opinion is, they lack security. Despite the power, wealth, fame, etc, they cling on because that's their identity. It's what empowers them. Strip that and they are empty. This is why they stay on even till death.
They all had the choice of leaving honorably having ruled for so long, but no they choose to died the death of a criminal.
Lesson learnt. What are you clinging on to? You refused to let go despite all the signs and pressure to lose your hold.
Are you hanging on in the Belive that you will come out victorious? Are you certain of victory? Why don't you take a look at the issue again, is it worth dying the death of a fool?
If you've given the issue your very best and the pressure is on to quit, do so honorably. Leave while the ovation is loudest.
Find a worthy cause to give your effort to if you feel you will lose your ID by relinquishing control.

Are you hanging on to a relationship which is dead from all indications in the hope that it will get better? Pray about it, examine it again and decide on a course of action, let go.
Are you in a career which is going no where, and drowning under the pressure to hang on? Throw in the towel and leave.
We could be hanging on to failed dreams, worthless ideas, friendship, empty promises. Whatever it maybe, take a bow and leave.
Seek to do things better and achieve greater success as you prayerfully make your decision to move on and reinvent your goals, dreams ambitions.
Take hold of faith as you purposefully move on.
See a new dawn beckons and fly away as you envision brighter days, years and life ahead.
Shake loose the dust of the past and embrace the scent of success in the present.

Memories

What do you feel when you remember the loss/losses you've suffered? Do you feel sad and helpless? Does remembering rekindles the pain?
Losses of any kind are painful, be it the loss of a child, a parent, a sibling, a job, business or a house, whatever, losses are not pleasant.
But after a while, the pain of the loss/losses passes (I hope), and is replaced with only memories of what we suffered and how we to pulled through.

A year ago I suffered a couple of losses one of which is the loss of my dad, looking back now I remembered the pain of those losses and marvel at how I pulled through. one year on the pain has been replaced with fond memories of my loving dad. The pain was painful (if there's a phrase like that), it was horrible, but that was then. Pain are for a season, we are build to feel pain, sorrow and sadness, but we are not expected to stay in the place of pain and dwell in the land of questions like why me, what next, when Lord?

We are meant to bounce back stronger and better than we were before our losses.

So have you suffered a loss?
Does the pain become real again on the anniversary of the loss?
Do you still feel sorrowful?

Sad as your loss was or is, you are meant to bounce back and not remain in the place of pain.
Do whatever you have to do to bounce back, go for counselling, do something to move pass the place of pain into the place where you can remember not with pain, or sorrow but with a sense of gratitude that you pulled through.

We cannot erase the past, but we can look on the past and smile at our resilience and our ability to weather the storms of our past demise.

So straight from my heart is this piece to encouraging you to move on purposefully to a place were memories become spring board to hope and dream again.

Taken (Final Part)

Yes he died a wretched death.
He allowed himself to be taken and killed because he wanted to take something back for himself!

He was taken so that he could take back:

Sons and daughters of his, bound by sin
The down trodden and restore them to wholeness
The weak and give the strength
The poor and give them riches
The broken hearted and fix their hurt
The hopeless and fill them with assurances of better things to come
The loss and show them the way
The accused and free them from guilt and shame
The isolated and bring them into the fold
Taken! Yes he took the stripes, the beatings, the scorning, the accusations, the causes
So that he can take away our shame, hurt, sickness and pain.

No wonder “Good Friday” turned out to be “Good” after all, because he wasn’t taken,
HE WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK IT ALL.
He took my place instead! That’s why today we celebrate, our freedom from Sin.

"Taken" away on that Good Friday afternoon when he hung and died”. He visited Hell and set us free from sin and death.

Happy Easter.

Taken (Part 2)

He was taken, beaten and killed
He died a painful death,
He was not killed by the beatings, the nails or the crown of thorns which hung on his head,
But by the many, present on the day and the many not yet conceived.
He allowed himself to be taken without a fight of resistance or a word of protest
He was taken, not gently but roughly, dragged, kicked, whipped, even though he offered himself willingly!
He was nailed to the cross, his side pieced!
His garment taken as he hung naked on the cross for you and me!

Pictures by "photobucket"

Taken (Part 1)

Some see the cross as a symbol of sadness, pain and shame, rightly so too. You see the event which led to his death was everything depicting sorrow, pain and shame.


Imagine it:
He was caught, handcuffed and lead away.
Taken before the judges of his day, he was accused of all manner of good deeds. Say, how can one be accused of doing good? Yes he was.

It was a sad day for the many that were with him, his disciples were full of sadness as they watched their saviour gave up himself without a struggle.
The road to the cross was littered with Jeers and snares from the angry crowd! Cries of “away with him! He’s a scum”

A saviour! No not on that day, for he couldn’t even save himself, rather he was "taken" without putting up a word in his defence.

How! How! How! Did we come to believe in this man? I imagine this was the thought going through the mind of his disciples. They were perplexed, angry, dismayed, amazed, ashamed and afraid to be identified with him, no wonder the denial!

The one whom they have come to believe in, was led as a lamb to be killed, a saviour? No not on that Friday Moring, he was anything but that!

Good Friday? Far from it!


I imagine it was a gloomy day. for his Disciples it far from being ‘Good’ their saviour and friend has been “TAKEN” and worse "killed"! What was good about that day? Surely nothing “Good” can come out of his death, they thought. They would never have guessed the event which unfolded in the days to come!



See part tomorrow!