Be Still

The First time I heard God speak, I froze.

I had been hearing people say ...'God said this...', but I had never experienced it.

I remember feeling sad and wondering what sin I had commited that made God silent to me.

Then one day, I 'googled' it. I typed, " how to hear God's voice'. A number of suggestions were thrown around for me to digest, but I wasnt satisfied.

And then, my mother in law sent me some books to read. Unbelievably, one of the books was titled, " How to hear God's voice."

With the excitement of a little child, I began to practise my Quiet time.

I would pray, sing and read HIS WORD, and then sit still.

really still.

I did it for the first day, I am not sure anything happened.

Then by the third or so day, I heard HIS VOICE.

The I AM.

He spoke to me. Said He loved Me.

I was soo ecstatic. I laughed with joy so deep in my heart.

And guess what? so did HE.

God laughed with me.

He let me know that He had always been speaking.

It wasnt because of my sins.

Only I had never had the time to sit and listen.

Afterall, He is our father.

Every father wants a relationship with his children.

Especially Jesus.

And so, I want to encourage you to try it too.

God speaks.

From Genesis to Revelation, God has been speaking.

And from today, promise you will start to listen to the Awesome God.

Jesus Reigns.

Be Still and Know that I am God. ( Psalm 46)

xxx

bimbylads, a growing worshipper

Hidden Treasure

Before Mary had Jesus, she must have been subject to a certain amount of agony. Imagine how she felt when she found herself pregnant, while still unmarried. If, in this day and age, there is stigma associated with such, I cannot begin to fathom how bad things were back then.

I am sure that Mary often questioned herself if she really heard from God, and what would become of her and her pregnancy. Joseph, Mary’s husband to be, was mystified! He hadn’t touched her yet, but she was pregnant...Talk about strange!

After the Lord has explained to Joseph the reason why Mary was found suddenly pregnant, one would assume that Mary and Joseph would have rested in peace. Far from it! Heavily pregnant with Jesus, Mary was made to travel many miles away to Bethlehem to have her baby. The idea of travelling with a massive tummy in an aeroplane is traumatizing enough, let alone on a donkey’s back. I bet they even had to stop on the way many times while the donkey regained its strength and sanity!

So, they arrive in Bethlehem and suddenly, Mary is in labour. There is no electricity or warm water (I’m sure that if Mary was a Nigerian woman like me, she would have protested- after all, she was carrying the KING of KINGS hello?!!).

Anyway, with no midwife, comfy hospital bed, or even a hot towel to dry her sweating brows, Mary and her husband endure the anguish to give birth to Jesus.... then they try to rest and make sense of all that’s happening to them... BUT! The Lord came to Joseph in a dream to warn them that Herod was on the move, seeking to destroy baby Jesus. Once again, Joseph is on the move. Mary, his wife has barely healed of the birthing experience and now they were on the move again. (Poor donkey just regained his senses too!)

Then fast forward two thousand years later! And here we are... enjoying the plentiful privileges love and amazing grace of Jesus. Mary endured for the few weeks to try to understand what kind of baby she would be having, and then she suffered the distress of his growing up... I am sure many of her friends gossiped about her and her ‘weird son’. Then her beloved child was killed in the most painful way that defies human understanding.... Mary carried a treasure that was hidden until she gave birth. The treasure, Jesus was hidden until he came out at the wedding of Cana! Suddenly, questions began to fly: “What manner of man is this?” they wondered. “Oh wow! Even the Winds and the seas obey him” they exclaimed. Jesus was truly an amazement. He still is! Hallelujah.

His death gave birth to the most precious of all gifts: eternal life. Because he died, we all have access to God. We have an eternal life. We can actually look forward to something else apart from this world. Now, stop to think for a minute...What’s your hidden treasure? What has God deposited in that beautiful spirit of yours to glorify his kingdom?

Are you walking in accordance to his plan for your life? What have you done for this Jesus in return? Have you shared his word with another? Or do you just let it slide... why don’t you be like Mary and Joseph today? Thankfully we don’t use donkeys anymore! They did everything humanly possible to protect their hidden treasure. They endured questions, assumptions and probable abuse, but they did not mind. Why, because they knew that their coal was being polished to become a beautiful diamond someday. If you don’t know your treasure, why don’t you go digging? Buried somewhere inside of every one of God’s children is a gold mine of gifts and talents, waiting to be discovered.

So, if you have lost track of where you are and what you should be doing for Jesus in return, search deep within you. Look hard and you will find it.

Ask your Father to show you it. It’s there, trust me.

bimbyladsxxx

a growing worshipper

Grace

I dont know what to do.

Living right is so hard, Lord.

How can I........

forgive

let go

give

love

obey

pray for

not judge

not condemn

not over react

not get angry

not lust

not covet

not lie

not cheat

embrace

rejoice with

be kind........

How can I NOT SIN Lord??!

Why is it so hard?

Hebrews 4:16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Romans 5:15But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

I am running into you, Jesus. I need grace... I need help... I need to be broken.

Bimbylads...

A Growing Worshipper

Long Overdue letter

Dear Father,

Last night, I was forced to go through all the letters you'd sent to me over the past years. A long time ago, I had selected my favourite ones into a special box in my heart. I read with fondness, the ones you wrote in the rays of the Sun a just a few weeks ago. It brought tears to my eyes, that someone as awesome as you, my father, would use such a glorious and warm way to tell me that you love me. The one you whispered in the cool wind of last year made me sit to think and ponder your awesome greatness, but the best of all, was the one you spoke in the waves of the sea...
The endless stretch of the ocean is immeasurable. I couldn't even fully grasp why You would love me so much .I guess that just as I can never tell where the sea ends, I just may never know.But one thing bothered me. I know you try to tell me that you love me with the wonderful works of your creative hands... But I wondered why I never heard your voice. Then it struck me like a train hitting a deadly frozen, icy rock:
You have never stopped speaking, I just never heard you. How frustrated you must have been when you tried to wake me up to speak to you at five am yesterday morning? Or how disappointed you were when I rushed out of the house today, after reciting through Psalm 91, like I do one of my house chores. I always felt the gentle nudging of your Holy Spirit, but I am always so tired and busy, that I keep postponing the time I should spend with you. Yet, I realise that I have just about enough time to watch television or to surf the internet.My children, the four you lovingly gave me, have to go to school.
My husband works nights and I work days. My bills are overdue, I am even being threatened with court action if I don't pay up. Life's worries; so many of them have I used to side track you.But you didn't give up on me did you? You sent me dreams. Some were so disturbing that I would wake up drenched in my sweat. Scared I was under attack by my enemies, I was forced to run into you. A few prayer points later, and I felt better. Your protective hand was upon me and I was safe in your Name. But, with sadness so deeply entrenched in my soul, I realised that this is what I do all the time. I run to you only for protection. I don't care to know your likes or dislikes. I am not even sure of what your favourite colour is.
I am sure I cannot tell how you like your breakfast or what ticks you off? How can I claim to be your child when I don't even know you?But You know Me. You know and care about every single thing that happens to me. You numbered the hair on my head, and specially selected what should adorn my body.
You know my name... You picked my life.. .You selected my destiny and bestowed countless gifts upon me. You speak all the time, but I dont listen. Yet,You still want to know me so much that you speak to me even while I am asleep...even when you know I may never reply you. Oh! I dare to call you Father.So last night, I made a promise. I would speak to you like I should. In the intimacy that you so long for. I would try to return the gentle hugs you send into my spirit when I am down. I will sing for joy and dance to you every day. I will tell you more about my life... not only the parts I dont like much. I will write in my prayer request, that you draw me close, and for once, ignore the requests of wealth, comfort and peace that I repititiously bother you with. I would tell more people about You, give them a chance to know your special love and grace...With a heavy heart, I went back to my special box and read the letters you had written to me. And I want to say thank you.
Thank you for breathing life into me.
Thank you for loving me, despite my faults.
Thank you for sending your only Son, Jesus to die for me.
Thank you Jesus for not making excuses when Father asked you to come.
Thank you Father that You are You.
And for not saying happy fathers day to you last week, I am deeply sorry.
Happy fathers day Daddy, and I Love You.

From one of your many special children on earth.


p.s: I wrote this article a week after fathers day..the facts are fictitious ( I dont have 4 kids yet and I am rich in Jesus name!)

Today, I scratched my hand while cleaning chicken. It was a tiny weenie scratch, but, It hurt, so I decided to wait till later to cook the chicken, besides, I was being lazy too. :-). But, I realise, that, even if I hadn't been lazy, I would not have achieved the task of cooking comfortably, simply because of the tiny scratch !. You need your hands to be able to achieve most of your day to day activities. Your hands contain the richest source of tactile feedback in your body, and have the greatest positioning capability of the body, and which is why the sense of touch is associated with the hands. Apart from that, your hands signify your labour. You can also use your hands to communicate with people, so for instance, you can wave someone down with your hands. You can also use your hands to gesticulate or prove a point. Some people cannot talk without using their hands! I can go on and on about the use of your hands, but, that's not where we are going today!

I want to talk briefly about the Hand of God. In my little knowledge of the Bible, I have discovered that each time I read a verse about the arm of God, I become comforted, and at ease. God's Hands are very important to Him too. Let me tell you seven things about my darling Father's hands, which NO OTHER Hand can do in our lives:

The Hand of God is mighty and powerful: God's hand is not an ordinary hand. He has the whole world in his hands!, so imagine how big those hands are. The bible says in 2 Chronicles 20:6: And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

The Hand of God is a hand of strength: When you are weak, and too tired to go on, rely in God's hands, he will give you the exact amount of strength you need: Ezra 7-8:And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
It is from God's hands, that you get prosperous: We have no other sure means of getting prosperity. I can assure you that if your prosperity comes from another source, you cannot enjoy it. Ecclesiastes 2:24 says: There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

The Hand of God is a hand of destruction: Woe betide any enemy that seeks to destroy a child of God, who is abiding in His hands. In fact, this one is so sure that God declares in Deuteronomy 33 v39, ( hey! confess this Word with me): See now that I, even I am he, and there is no god with me: I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of mine hand. I can imagine God saying this particular Word. He repeats the "I even I" for a reason. Its for us to know that He is talking about HIMSELF, AND NO OTHER!.. Is any situation troubling you? Why don't cast it into God's hands today and see if that thing can continue to harrass you!
In God's Hands, you are protected. He has engraved you in his palms ( hands), and far from the oppressor.

God's hands are always outstretched to the sinner: When you sin, and repent, he opens his arms, widely to receive you. From afar, he runs towards you to grab you in a lovingly tight embrace. Psalm 136 v 12 says that God's mercy endures forever with 'His outstretched and strong arms'! What great comfort we have knowing that we will not be condemned for our sins

God's HAND is JESUS: Yep! It is! God sent his son, Jesus to die for us. Jesus' death is God's hand of salvation, love, mercy and deliverance for us. It is the most potent example of the Love of a God who doesn't want his children to perish.
What great words! I mean I could go on and on about God's hands, I just wanted to outline a few facts about the Hand of God, and I pray that as you go about in your daily life, the Hand of the Almighty will encompass, favour and uphold you!.

God bless,
Bimbylads

Just Seventeen

Abigail blinked slowly, as the tears slid down her smooth face, like a silent stream on a newly tarred road. Her fingers trembled slightly as she read the words out aloud, partly because she needed to hear it to believe it, and partly because it felt like she was in a trance.
“There are options….” the man sitting directly in front of her was saying, but she wasn’t listening. The paper in her hand fluttered to the floor, but she did not notice. The large spacious room suddenly felt like a tiny carton, closing in and choking her. Her heart began to beat wildly as the vision in front of her blurred.
Suddenly, she was in church, singing. Thousands of people were being touched by her melodious voice; some fell unto the floor, while others simply wept.
Then, the testimonies began to flow. “I was healed by that song, Abigail” said the woman who always wore a red hat. “For a seventeen year old, you sing like an angel” said Kofi, the teacher. “I was depressed, until I heard you sing” said another. “You are destined for greatness” said the Pastor’s wife. Abigail was used to the compliments, for they came steadily. It was obvious, her voice was powerful, and it carried a certain anointing. She was already great at just seventeen... The man coughed suddenly, dragging her back to reality.
“Y-yes?” she managed to look at his face. His gaze was sympathetic, pitiful almost.
“Would you like a moment alone?” he asked, speaking slowly and carefully. He slid a box of tissues across the table. “I will be outside, if you need me” he added, patting her softly on her back.
She watched him leave the room, and almost laughed. Had he said there were options? What options?
Once again, the horrible feeling swept over her, first panic, then intense fear, followed by a sense of dread. She cast her mind back to the day she met him, and almost cursed. Pastor Josh was his name. He was a visiting pastor from the neighbouring town, and come to preach to the youth of their church. When he spoke, his baritone voice reverberated; travelling across the whole auditorium and captivating his audience. He stood tall, a magnificent six feet and four inches. His dark good looks were further accentuated by his bright smile. He was indeed a stunning man. And when, after he’d delivered his message, asked for her, she’d felt faint.
“I heard you sing- like an angel” his gaze tore through her soul as he spoke, and she was elated. He dropped his voice to a whisper “I come often to this area, and I would like your number”.
Don’t give out your number, something in her screamed, but she pushed the words back, far back.
A few days later he called. He liked her, wanted to see her.
‘But you are much older than I am- I am just seventeen” she said, holding her breath in case he decided not to come.
“Wasn’t Abraham much older than Sarah?” he teased, and her heart melted.
He came once, then twice, then weekly. “Flee fornication”, warned the voice. Again, she countered it. I can think of that afterwards.
Her concerned mother observed the change in her, “You don’t attend choir practice anymore, Abigail”. “Where do you sneak off to?” quizzed Dad. She lied once, then twice, and soon, the lies became endless. Mum stopped asking, and Dad pretended not to notice. But their eyes said it all- disappointment and sorrow.
Then one day, she fell pregnant. She ran to him, hysterical. “It’s easy”, he said smoothly. “Get rid of it”. She felt like she’d been slapped. “b-but you are a pastor, a youth pastor”, she spluttered, shocked. “For all have sinned...” he replied, “get rid of it and then, we will get married”
“Thou shall not kill”... There it was again, the alarm.
She tried to reach him several times, to tell him that she had done it.
She left numerous messages, but he never called her back. Until one day, she heard that he had died.
That was why he never called her back.
And now, her test results were out.
“The wages of sin is death” said the voice, only this time; it was a still, small voice.
She forced herself out of the doctor’s office, without a backward glance at the paper she’d left on the floor.
Abigail was HIV positive.... at just seventeen............



Flee Fornication: 1 Thessalonians 4:3: For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication



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Need a friend in Jesus? Not sure of whether you will make heaven? Lost along the way?Why not invite him into your life with these words:
Lord Jesus, I ask that you come into my life and take hold of it. I confess my sins before you and repent of them. Please forgive me of my sins and help me to live above sin. Write my name in the book of life. I enter into your kingdom of life and peace, in Jesus name.

Can't is not a Word.....

In the dictionary of the Almighty, can't is not a word. If anything, the Lord is a skilled and highly experienced God in turning the impossibility into breakthroughs.
Imagine a job offer, asking for over a million years experience for a certain job.... Do you think it will be possible to find an applicant for that job? That's a tiny fraction as to how wonderfully powerful the Lord is. He is the only one that can make that thing, which the world says you CANT do, to be the exact opposite.

A testimony about myself, which I'd like to share with you; a few years ago, I was studying for my Masters degree. Towards the end of the Masters degree, the Lord blessed me with a very good job that I could not resist. However,, the job was based, many miles away from my university, which meant, that I had to relocate. This in itself posed a big problem. I was in the middle of writing my dissertation. My supervisor expected that I visit him, at least one a week to go over my dissertation, and by being away from the vicinity of the university, this would have been impossible. Reluctantly, I decided to take a huge risk and go for the job opportunity. My plan was that, one way or the other, I'd find time to travel down to get my dissertation checked by my supervisor.

As time flew by and the demands of the job increased, I realised that I was unable to even look at the dissertation, let alone visit my university. In fact, by the time I contacted my supervisor, two weeks to submission date, he had left the country on vacation!
I was faced with two options: settle for a post graduate diploma, or forget about the course and the thousands of pounds my mother had paid. The word : CANT reared its ugly head! I just couldn't write a dissertation in two weeks! So, I did what I could do best, I prayed. And as I did, I got encouraged, and began to write my dissertation myself. Night and day, I wrote as the Holy Spirit led. I had asked the Holy spirit to be my supervisor, and that's exactly what he did. To cut a long story short, I not only passed my dissertation, I was also given an award for the best performing student of that year. Here is someone who at two weeks before submission date, was considering giving up...Certainly not my doing, but God's awesome power. He alone makes the impossible, possible. In the bible, which is the greatest authority we have in Christ Jesus, the book of Luke 1 v 37 tells us that. With God, all things are possible.

Note the word ALL. There is nothing hard for Him. He created the Heavens and the earth.
Do you know that, there is no situation that Jesus cannot address? Do you know that there is Nothing facing you now that the Lord has not dealt with in the past? You just need to key into that awesomeness. The Lord can heal any kind of disease. He is the manufacturer and as such, would have the spare parts needed! He created the whole universe and can give you untold riches in His glory.
You just have to:
-Meditate on God's word daily : This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.(Joshua 1:5-9).

-0Be strong and unshaken- Do not let fear overcome you. In fact, God hates fear because it drives away faith. It is the exact opposite of faith. Do you know that fear means: False Evidence Appearing Real?. When you want to fear, channel that energy into the word of God. Believe He can! And encourage yourself: Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest (Joshua 1:5-9).

-Pray aggressively : the greatest weapon of a believer is prayer. Pray until something happens
Finally, don't give up. The Lord will never come late. He will never fail or disappoint, just keep pressing.

However, for the above steps to work for you, you have to have a relationship with Jesus. You have to believe in your heart that he is. Jesus offers for you and me, a chance to have a wonderful relationship with God, and for eternal life. Why don't you say this prayers, if you want to have that wonderful opportunity to be able to tap into God's awesomeness and greatness?:
Lord Jesus, I ask that you come into my life and take hold of it. I confess my sins before you and repent of them. Please forgive me of my sins and help me to live above sin. Write my name in the book of life. I enter into your kingdom of life and peace, in Jesus name.

If you said the above prayer, congratulations, you have made the single most important decision in your life. Why don't you look for a bible believing church to worship and grow in your faith. The Lord will surely take you by the hand and lead you through.....

Have a blessed week,
Bimbylads, a growing worshipper

Reaching out....Again

When times feel like they are at a standstill, when seasons feel like they have been frozen, when the day seems to go on forever, then you know that you need to slow down, retrace your steps and rededicate your self to the Most High.
In the most difficult times in your life, God is at his best. When you are at your wits end, God is just at the very beginning, working tirelessly to grant you your heats desire. He never fails. I went through a time of my life that I needed to drop everything and focus on God. So, I took some time out...But, I am back, to the Glory of God to share with you this gift of writing which He has bestowed on me.
I hope the Lord will use me as a vessel to reach out to those who need it the most, especially in these times of economic trials and climatic madness. So hop unto this word wagon, fasten your seat belts, and let the ride begin!!

Bimbylads,
a growing worshipper!!