LIFE WITHOUT A CROSS

What will life on earth be like without a ‘cross’?

Wouldn’t it be fun to live a life free of pain, sacrifices and longsuffering? How about a life void of uncertainties and full of significance? That’s exactly what life on earth without a cross will be like. Fun don’t you think? Yea, for a day or two thereafter boredom sets in and you begin to wonder why life is so boring!

Life on earth is designed to be at its best when there is balance. Too much of anything, even seemingly good things becomes bad once out of balance. As sweet as honey is to taste, the bible warns that too much of it will make you sick!

Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste (Prov 24:13 NIV)
If you find honey, eat just enough-too much of it, and you will vomit. Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house-too much of you, and he will hate you (Prov 25:16-17 NIV)

Without a cross we cannot become followers of Jesus Christ (Luke 9:23). Does that make Jesus a sadist to have made the cross a prerequisite to being His disciples? Not at all! We need the cross.

There are six basic human needs, people will violate their values to have those needs met.

Certainty/ Variety
Significance/ Love and connection
Growth/ Contribution


The first four are survival needs. Certainty is good but too much of it results in boredom no wonder God gives life to us one day at a time! Variety balances certainty but too much of it results in overwhelm. Reminds me of “Jack of all trades, master of none”

It is great to feel significant, because we all are in our unique ways but too much of significance sets you apart from love and connection. E.g. I love to give hugs, it’s one way I connect with people but if I became the queen of England, people can’t hug me without making headlines! Too much love and connection breeds co-dependency, which is not good.

It all boils down to balance. Just as variety acts as a balance for certainty, love and connection for significance so does the cross acts as a balance for our life in general.

For a two year old, life is fun when it’s all about them and everything falls into ‘me’, ‘mine’ and ‘myself’ category. However childhood is only a phase, God designed us to come into maturity, letting go of childishness while maintaining a childlike heart. What makes childish attitudes things we must let go off? They are selfish! Man was designed to be selfless, not selfish. It’s in selflessness that we gain true fulfillment in life.

One way to live a selfless life is by picking up our cross and following Jesus. How is that selfless? First, picking up your cross is an act of obedience to God. Every act of obedience to God’s word is a demonstration of love to God (John 14:15). Secondly every cross carried results in dying to self.

Did you know your cross is really not all about you? It’s about others as well. Jesus did not carry His cross for Himself, He did it for you and I to benefit from the grace of salvation. When you and I pick up our cross, it qualifies us to receive God’s grace and comfort, so that we’d have grace and comfort to give to others who are going through all kinds of trials. You can’t give what you don’t have!

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ (2 Cor 1:3-5 NLT)

Why all the tears pain or sorrow just to receive comfort? If nothing else, it shows how ‘expensive’ God’s comfort is. I say to people, whoever thinks heaven is cheap has never been to the cross. But how can anyone ever imagine heaven to be cheap when its streets are paved with gold? Have you checked the price of gold recently? Sometimes it’s good to check these things just to remind yourself how priceless the gift of heaven is to all heading in that direction.

It has been said “no pain, no gain”. Pain has a way of making us appreciate the gain. Did Adam and Eve appreciate Eden before they sinned? I guess they did to some extent but the appreciation for what they lost must have quadrupled after the pain of the curse took effect.

Is life on earth without the cross really worth it? No! Don’t run from the cross, there is a power that comes from familiarity with the cross. Without your cross, you will have no power to impact the people in your sphere of influence. The cross may not be attractive but therein lays the power to change lives. No matter the weight of your cross, do not quit, keep pressing forward, God will send you a ‘Simon of Cyrene’ like He did for Jesus (Matt.27:32) to help you out so you can stay the course.

By all means, run the race to the finish line because at the end there is in store for you a reward that eyes have not seen, ears have not heard neither can the natural human mind comprehend it.

But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."[ (1 Cor 2:9 NKJV)


Stay the course!!

With warmth


Angela

GOD HAS FEELINGS TOO!!

I work as a Behavioral Analyst meaning people hire me to help them identify why they, their employees or loved ones act the way they do and how to use the information to increase their productivity and create the relationships of their dreams. I also work as a Life Coach; in this case people hire me to come alongside them to accomplish their goals e.g in business, relationship, family life, career, or spiritual while creating a work – life balance. I gave you this background to let you know that my job means constantly pouring into people. I absolutely love what I do. But sometimes, like the last two weeks, I’ve really needed someone to pour into my life. I have a couple of close friends that I can talk to, so I called one of them, but I could not share my burden with her because she has so much on her plate, that I ended up as usual listening and brainstorming with her. Same thing happened with my next call. When I hung up this time, my heart was broken, and I turned to the Lord and said “Lord, these people know where am at and what’s going on with me, how come none of them is asking how am doing and how are things going? Every time we speak it’s all about their issues. I consider them my friends and sisters in Christ, even though they are aware of my situation they don’t even ask me how am doing it’s always about them. I have feelings too!”

Then the Lord spoke into my spirit “I understand how you feel and can perfectly identify with you. When a lot of people come to me, it’s all about them, not many stop to think that I may have a burden on my heart that I would also love to share. Yes I’m God, but I have feelings too. There are times I want to share my burden with my friends, but they seem to be preoccupied with themselves and their stuff. Very few pauses to find out how I am doing”.

I was shocked and felt so guilty. When I was younger, it was my custom to stop by at church to visit with the Lord, just to hang out with Him and ask how He is doing. Those where times I would find myself repenting on behalf of those who are either ignoring His grace or deliberately causing Him pain. My walk with Him was more about Him than me. He was my first love. But am older now and the storms of life seem to be coming one after the other and I find myself coming before Him more often but it’s been more about me and what is going on in my life, ministry, country, family, business, than simply “Lord, how are you feeling today? Do you have a burden on your heart you would love to share with me?”

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Rev 2:1-7 (NIV)


Now I know that God allowed me to experience this with my three friends to draw my attention to how I have “fallen from my first love”. After my conversation with God, the phone did begin to ring, people calling to find out how I was doing - not the ones I was expecting though – but it didn’t matter, at least God laid it upon some people’s heart to check on me. I’ve been very humbled by this experience. I’m writing about it because I’m wondering if there are other people out there who have “fallen from their first love”.

When was the last time your time with the Lord was all about Him and what was on His heart? God has feelings too you know, awesome as He is, He does need people to call true friends, people who care about what’s going on in His Life. The part of us that long for companionship is not a human nature; it is His divine nature in us. He longs for true companions, no wonder he was excited when He found David.

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will (Acts 13:22 KJV)

The fact that God used the word found indicates that He carried out a search. In that generation, He found David, God looks for friends in every generation, are you one of them?

God is not short of people, He has loads of acquaintance but very few qualify to be called friends. Jesus never called His crowd of listeners friends. He didn’t even call the 12 friends until close to the time of His crucifixion, when they proved they were in it not just for themselves but for Him as well (except for Judas, who had his own agenda).

You are my friends if you do what I command.15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me (John 15:14-16 NLT)

God has feelings too. Would you take time out this week and in the weeks to come, to give God a call just to find out if He has a burden or a praise report on His heart He’d like to share with you a call that will be about Him and not about you? Remember a friend in need is a friend indeed.

If you want to learn more about going beyond being a mere acquaintance with God to becoming His friend, you can start by reading my book “BEYOND SONSHIP TO FRIENDSHIP”


With much warmth

Angela

LIVING WITH YOUR MESS??

This is a continuation of my previous blog, but this time my text is Exodus 8:8-10.

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, “Plead with the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the Lord.” “You set the time!” Moses replied. “Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile River.” “Do it tomorrow,” Pharaoh said (Ex 8:8-10 NLT)


In verse six of this chapter, we are told that the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt, you would think that when Pharaoh had the chance to get rid of the frogs, he would jump at it… no…he wanted to spend one more night with the frogs!!!! He asked Moses to do it tomorrow!!!

We are all going to make a mess at some point in our lives, God knew this and made provision for us to cast our cares upon Him (Psalm 55:22, 1Peter 5:7)

Have you made a mess of your life or made wrong choices that have landed you in an unpleasant situation? What are you waiting for to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved? Aren’t you tired of bearing this burden by yourself? Why wait to cast it upon Jesus? Don’t be like Pharaoh, you don’t have to put up with your mess one more day. Take it right now to the Lord in prayer, He stands at the door of your heart knocking, if you open right away, He’d come in sup with you and you with Him (Rev 3:20).

You need peace don’t you? Let the Prince of peace in and His peace will flood your entire being. What are you waiting for? Bow your head and do it now.

With much love

Angela

SATAN HAS LIMITS

And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs: And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD (Ex 8:1-8 KJV)


Today as I read the above bible passage, something caught my attention that had not the countless times I read this chapter of the bible in the past. I noticed that though the Egyptian magicians could make the frogs come upon the land of Egypt, they had to plead with Moses and Aaron to entreat Almighty God to take away the frogs!

It was so refreshing to be reminded of how limited the enemy’s power and influence is. No doubt people of all faiths are going through some tough times, you may be one of them. If you are a child of God, I want you to be comforted by the above incidence in the bible, be reminded that God has the final say in your life and there is so far the enemy can go. What is happening in our world today calls for wisdom and endurance on the part of the saints. Do not let go of your confidence in God for in a little while He will come through for you and reward your patience and trust.


With Warmth

Angela

IF YOU DON’T GIVE, YOU DON’T GET

The Law says the soul that sin shall die (Ezekiel 18:20) but grace says “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Under the old covenant people caught in adultery were stoned to death but in the new covenant, Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to “go and sin no more” (John8:11). Does that mean that Jesus condones adultery? Certainly not! But God does not delight in the death of a sinner, He prefers that people repent and live (Ezekiel 18:32), that was why He gave His only begotten Son to redeem us. Under the Law, you had to repent and live but under grace Jesus spared lives so they could have a chance to repent, in other words, live and repent!

Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole (John 5:14-15 KJV)

I have met people who are angry at the “gospel of the God of a second chance”, they say it’s a teaching from hell. But if you read your bible carefully Jesus was the founder of this gospel. Another example was in the parable of the lost sheep and the prodigal son (Luke 15:1-32), Jesus revealed the depth of God’s love that He will not only seek out the lost but also give a second chance to those who ask of Him. In the parable of the prodigal son, the older brother can be likened to a lot of us, angry and jealous that people are giving a second chance in life when they fail.

We have to be careful not to oppose another getting a second chance because if we live long enough, life has a way of bringing us to a place where we too will be in need of God’s amazing grace called “a second chance”. If you spend your life opposing, slandering or attacking recipients of this mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, you may end up disqualifying yourself from receiving one when you find yourself in similar circumstances.

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! (James 2:12-13 NIV)

If you don’t give, you don’t get! This is a New Year; learn to be gracious, for God is a gracious God (Psalm 116:5-6)


Shalom!

With Warmth

Angela

YOU CAN'T DISAPPOINT GOD

We all hate to disappoint people we highly respect, people whose opinion of us make or mar us. It does not matter how confident you are at some point in your life, you are going to need someone to believe in you ad speak to the greatness in you and help pull it out. When you find that person, you tend to do all you can not to fall short of their expectations.
For us believers, there is one such person who truly believes in us – our Heavenly Father. Some people are afraid to step out in faith for fear of disappointing God. May times such fear is borne out of past failures.

The truth is we can only disappoint people who expect more from us than we are capable of. This is not the case with God as He knows the substance of which we are made (Psalm 103:14), He knows our every potential and will never expect anything from us that we are not built for and He knows how prepared we are for any activity long before we embark on the task. You cannot disappoint the One who sees the end from the beginning, the One who nothing takes by surprise. The one who has made provision for all the mistakes you are capable of making.

Give Up your flawed Personal History. The Past was perfect to get you here.

Do not allow your past failures to discourage you from pressing forward this year.

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)


Shalom!

With Warmth

Angela

HAPPY NEW YEAR

What was the year 2008 like for you? Considering the current economic crisis, for some people it is one year they will live to remember for a long time, unfortunately not in a good light. But if we all take a close look at both sides of the coin, I mean the big picture, I am sure we will be able to find more victories in this year than we are giving it credit – for one, we still have the breathe of life in our nostrils.

There is no year that will not have its ups and downs. Jesus already warned us that as this age draws to a close, perilous times will increase (Matthew 24:7-12). In the world, things are not going to get better as some think. Things will never go back to the “good old days”. Jesus warned us that in this world there will be tribulation, but despite this we are to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (John16:33). How can one be of good cheer when you’ve lost all your savings in the stock market? How can one lift up holy hands in worship after loosing all your life savings to a natural disaster? How can one continue to keep a joyful spirit when you’ve been waiting for years for a soul mate and another year is rolled by and nothing has happened yet? How does one continue to have faith when prayers seem to take much longer to be answered?

The answer is in one of the hymns many of us are familiar with – trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.
In times like this, we need to continuously pray Paul’s prayer over the Ephesians for ourselves and loved one – that the Lord may grant you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that you may know Him better and that He may enlighten the eyes of your understanding that you may know the hope to which H e has called you (Ephesians 1:17-18). It is only in knowing God better that we can trust Him and it is in knowing the hope to which we have been called that we can obey Him. This ingredient is going to be a key determinant of how we fare in the years to come.

As we enter a new year, let’s not forget there will be battles to be won and victories to be celebrated. Our confidence should be the fact that we have the Ancient of days, the ruler of the universe on our side. You and I can not see into tomorrow or the year 2009 to fully prepare for it and God is never going to give us more than one day at a time. Therefore fretting over tomorrow isn’t going to help us one bit, but rejoicing in the fact that the One whose has your back sees the end from the beginning, will be the source of faith, hope and strength.

You will need to enter this New Year with the right focus and confidence. The focus is going to be on things above not the things below (Colossians 3:1-2), you will need to view every challenge and success from an eternity point of view. You will also need to constantly remember that in the kingdom of God to which we belong, solutions always exist before any problem shows up. Before mankind had need for a redeemer, God already prepared the Lamb of God. Before Israel faced the Red sea, there was already a rod in Moses’ hand. Before Jesus needed to feed the five thousand there was already a boy in the crowd with the five loaves of bread and few fishes.

The year 2009 is going to be a year of fruitfulness, the year of birthing visions that you have been carrying in the womb of intercession for sometime now. It is going to be a year of walking in another dimension of God’s anointing and glory. But this also means be prepared to enlarge your tent because bountiful harvest is on its way. Be prepared to work as well and overcome challenges. When the challenges come, do not focus on them otherwise you will magnify them, rather focus on the fact that the presence of a challenge is an indication that the solution already exist!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

With much love

Angela