Discipleship flows

Powerful , practical interpretation of the fruit of the Spirit- a must read

                                

Someone sent this to me and I think it is the most empowering interpretation of Galatians 5:22 that I have come across. I just had to share it.

Go for it!

"If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace." - Max Lucado, from Let the Journey Begin It's a New Day: The Choice is Yours  by Max Lucado, Let the Journey Begin It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose. I choose love. No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves. I choose joy. I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical... the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God. I choose peace. I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live. I choose patience. I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite Him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage. I choose kindness. I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me. I choose goodness. I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness. I choose faithfulness. Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home. I choose gentleness. Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself. I choose self-control. I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest. ~ When God Whispers Your Name Excerpted with permission from the Let the Journey Begin by Max Lucado, copyright Thomas Nelson 2>Let the Journey Begin by Max Lucado, copyright Thomas Nelson 2015

The master artist

There are so many things
That have been placed here for us 

That reveal the hand of a master artist
Beauty for our eyes to behold
Stunning sunsets and bright full moons
Graceful sea and land creatures
Awe inspiring mountains and hills
Cloudscapes that tell stories
Why have I got into this appreciative mode?
I looked at a floral arrangement
That I made for my coffee table
It reminded me of the rich hues of African batik

See for yourself

Do you not wonder

At the hand that speckled these leaves

That imbued them with varieties

Of shape and colour and form

Do you not wonder

At the majesty of the master artist?

God bless Nigeria, for He can use any king ( president or governor ) to deliver His promises

Hello everyone,
This has been an intense season of campaigning and politicking . With rising fears of impending flashpoints and the uncertainty that they bring, it is not at all surprising that sentiments and emotions have been running high. The tension in the air has weighed heavily on everyone like dark storm clouds about to break. Everyone is waiting to exhale.

Now that the presidential elections are over,we must all rise up and pray assiduously for the leader the people have chosen, whether or not it is the result we hoped for. The enormous task of nation building is still at hand and never more needed. It is the responsibility of both the leader and the led to be intentional about engaging in the kind of thinking that promotes the enormous teamwork that it will take. We all need to get with an ideology that will steer the ship of this great country of ours through the tumultuos, deep waters that form the fabric of our extremely complex inter tribal/political dynamic. 

My prayer and mantra is:

Nigeria must rise! 

In my research into national leadership and the delivery of God's promises to a nation, I focussed on King Cyrus. His reign was characterised by exploits that are a great example that we can learn from. I have reposted part of a well written, detailed  article below for those who may want to read it. It contains severall crucial elements of what a leader can do for a nation and a people when under the guidance of God's hand.

Proverbs 21:1 is my scripture of the moment especially because I have recently been reading Psalm 46. In verses 4 & 5 , there is a beautiful statement which melts my heart each time I read it-

 'a river which makes glad the city of God'. 

The preceding three verses speak to a calamitous situation , or in Naija parlance ' katakata don bost!' 

In my vivid imagination, I picture a river raging and bursting its banks, flowing everywhere causing big 'wahala' and then it becomes calm and flows gently. There is a calm and peace, there is silence as God directs things. The river is the human spirit; the soul , and it goes where it was designed to. ( imaginings all mine) 

 I like what it says later in verse 6 about Nations being in turmoil and the profound impact of the power of The Almighty on a tumultuous situation just by the sound of His voice- 

'the earth melts.'

Following on is another statement expressing God's sovereign power over the affairs of nations, and I have altered it here and appropriated the spirit of the words for Nigeria, especially in a critical time like this.

 

The Lord Almighty is with Nigeria, the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 I think it is important to keep faith and hold on to His word regardless of the facts around us. I speak what I wish to happen here with an assurance that it will come to pass in God's own time
I beleive it. 

Back to Proverbs 21:1 , which I think is particularly relevant to Nigeria because we definitely need a country CEO who's heart is inclined towards serving the people. What we need is a 'shepherd- leader' like the shepherds in biblical times who cared for his flock to the extent that they may risk their lives for the safety of the animals in their care.

I will end my self notes here by bridging psalm 46;4-7 and Proverbs 21:1

So here is my bridge as it came to me today, it puts the right words out there for you and me to focus on and it gives hope. I have found that hope based on the word of God, is never misplaced. It took some twenty years before I got a diagnosis that saved my life. I held on, my family, friends and myself stood on His word,  He did not disappoint us. In due season, my deliverance came. He is the same yesterday , today and forever. 

Psalm 46:4&5 and Proverbs 21:1 ( amalgamation all mine) 

In the Lord's hand is The president of Nigeria's heart ;He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases, and to the river which makes glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within Nigeria, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 
Our Nation has been uproar; He lifts His voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with Nigeria; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Amen and Amen!

What are your thoughts?

Notes on King Cyrus- Culled from www.gotquestions.org

Cyrus is a king mentioned more than 30 times in the Bible and is identified as Cyrus the Great (also Cyrus II or Cyrus the Elder) who reigned over Persia between 539—530 BC. This pagan king is important in Jewish history because it was under his rule that Jews were first allowed to return to Israel after 70 years of captivity.

In one of the most amazing prophecies of the Bible, Isaiah predicts Cyrus’ decree to free the Jews. One hundred fifty years before Cyrus lived, the prophet calls him by name and gives details of Cyrus’ benevolence to the Jews: “This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him . . . ‘I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me’” (Isaiah 45:1, 4; see also 41:2-25; 42:6). Evincing His sovereignty over all nations, God says of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please” (Isaiah 44:28).

Cyrus’s decree releasing the Jewish people, in fulfillment of prophecy, is recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:22–23: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.”’” Other Old Testament books that mention Cyrus include Ezra and Daniel.

King Cyrus actively assisted the Jews in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem under Ezra and Zerubbabel. Cyrus restored the temple treasures to Jerusalem and allowed building expenses to be paid from the royal treasury (Ezra 1:4–11; 6:4–5). Cyrus’s beneficence helped to restart the temple worship practices that had languished during the 70 years of the Jews’ captivity. Some commentators point to Cyrus’s decree to rebuild Jerusalem as the official beginning of Judaism.

Among the Jews deported from Judah and later placed under the rule of Cyrus include the prophet Daniel. In fact, we are told Daniel served until at least the third year of King Cyrus, approximately 536 BC (Daniel 10:1). That being the case, Daniel likely had some personal involvement in the decree that was made in support of the Jews. The historian Josephussays that Cyrus was informed of the biblical prophecies written about him (Antiquities of the Jews, XI.1.2). The natural person to have shown Cyrus the scrolls was Daniel, a high-ranking official in Persia (Daniel 6:28).

Besides his dealings with the Jews, Cyrus is known for his advancement of human rights, his brilliant military strategy, and his bridging of Eastern and Western cultures. He was a king of tremendous influence and a person God used to help fulfill an important Old Testament prophecy. God’s use of Cyrus as a “shepherd” for His people illustrates the truth of Proverbs 21:1, “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.”

Ponder anew, a feature article on Easter by Efena Otobo

This young lady has written an inspiring piece on what Easter means to her in a feature article on the 'it's milk and honey' website. Given that this Easter season is the anniversary of a car accident that has left her with severe spinal injuries and attendant disability, her candour and optimism is a testament to the power of God in her and her strength. Please read Efena Otobo's article at the link below. This is a great way for me to greet you all, Happy Easter !

Enjoy!

http://www.itsmilkandhoney.com/feature-the-easter-phenomenon