Asking Questions

I was reflecting on the half year gone past and crossing over into the other half of the year tomorrow . I have never received prophetic messages in old English before this. I am not a KJV or even New KJV person except for occasional cross referencing. My job is to obey, so I went ahead and drew this image that was imprinted on my mind, it came with the words 'wither thou goest?' I believe this means something to someone today. The ancient of days is asking you and me, to pay attention to decisions we make at this crossroads season. May the Lord help us . 

Parting ways with non growth producing decisions and behavior

So, I kept my mind on asking The Ancient of Days about me and what decision I should make in response to His 'old English ' question 'whither thou goest?'  The question was in the back of my mind all day as I went about my normal activities. I am hearing words like 'be still' and 'abandon all non growth producing thoughts, attitudes and behavior' It all came gushing out in this piece. How wonderful it is to come to realizations and recognitions. I pray the power of 'recognizing and realizing' for someone today. Is that someone you? Receive Liberty as I have . Amen 🙏🏾 

Be still

Be still and know that I am God

Being still is something I find difficult sometimes. My mind wanders all over the place. I think that the same impetus that gives me great insights in life on the one hand and inspiration for my artwork  on the other, makes me vulnerable to not being still. But yet this is a crucial requirement in hearing from God.

I learnt many things in the season of my life when life threatening sickness and disability was my experience. 

One of the most important things I learnt which I must add that I see now only in retrospect, is to be still. 

Even doing 'good things' like being constantly occupied with kingdom work may also be detrimental to the important discipline of 'being still'

Being still means being quiet on the inside, consciously, and intentionally shutting out all else to create an environment for 'listening' . Listen I must, if I am to be truly led along the right path of purpose and service. Busyness is detrimental to being still, and yet there is so much to do in God's vineyard, there seems to be a shortage of time and people to accomplish it. 

I have written about the 'God DNA' deposited in us in earlier blogs. It is vital that we realize that being still is key to connecting with ourselves, the part of ourselves which is God himself deposited in us. This needs careful nurturing and an enabling environment to grow. This is because it is the part of us that connects us to eternity and values that will never perish. The most important part of us which requires our stillness is 'the image of God in which we were created' It is when we connect with this part of ourselves that we have the experience of looking in the mirror of our spirit man and seeing the true reflection of who we are in Christ Jesus. Here we have confidence, we have true identity and in the stillness of these moments we see and hear God. So today I thought I should take a look at detrimental actions to being still.

They include the following: 

1. Being on my phone far too much

2. I am sometimes like Martha preparing and organizing the home

3. My thought life 

4. My attitudes and motives

5. Entertaining my fears and anxieties

6. Laziness

7. Many activities (even church ones)

So, what is the way forward?

How can I be still as described in Psalm 46:10 ?

.... "Be still, and know that I am God;I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth."

 

Psalms 46:10 | NIV

 

My thoughts

1. It takes PRACTICE

2. It requires being INTENTIONAL

3. It requires being SENSITIVE in the spirit

4. It requires practical things like REARRANGING our schedules

5. It requires RECOGNITION as to when to shut down

6. It requires DISCERNMENT as to what is detrimental 

7. It ultimately requires ROMANS 12:2 

 

In short, in order for me to Psalm 46:10, I must first Romans 12:2 my life so that 'we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.'

 

2 Corinthians 3:18 | NIV

 

So help me God.

Amen

 

 

 

 

Abraham and Isaac up on the mountain

I just read Genesis 22:1-12. 

I am trying to imagine what I would be thinking had I been a fly on the wall when Abraham heard he was to sacrifice his son . This is his only son, the one born to him and his sweetheart after many years of waiting, even beyond the fertile years of Sarah. A miracle baby, a precious baby, one that defied science when there was no IVF. 

And then there was the matter of the promise that Abraham would be a Father of many nations.

This story appears to raise more questions than answers. How was Abraham going to be the father of many nations after he kills his only son and heir? 

If it were in this present day, I wager his family would call on the psychiatric community to have Abraham sectioned and we in the body of Christ would all be binding and casting and denouncing every plan of the enemy. The social media waves would be bursting with compelling messages, calling for all of us to pray 'against the plan of the evil one' . The message would go something like this. 

Dear Christian brothers and sisters, please read this message to the end, it is vital and important that we take action and pray in one accord. You all remember Elder Abraham and his wife Mummy Sarah, and how they shared their testimony about the fruit of the womb after waiting over 30 years? 

Sources close to the family ( this was leaked by their house help ) reliably informs us that Elder Abraham is about to kill that baby who is now in his teens. He said he heard from God that he should sacrifice Isaac aka Oluwa pamil'erin .

Everyone should say this prayer and pass on urgently to all your chat groups and networks, to forestal the machinations of wickedness in high places

Dear Heavenly Father , we come before you on behalf of Daddy Abraham and Mummy Sarah's family. We bind every plan of the enemy to destroy your precious fruit of the womb Oluwa pamil'erin ( God has made me laugh) 

We say that all the evil forces surrounding them should die by fire! 

Protect the life of  Oluwa pamil'erin , send your waring Angels to protect him and fight for him. Restore Elder Abraham to his right mind in Jesus name. We declare that no weapon fashioned against this family shall prosper..............etc etc etc 

Thankfully, we learn from Abraham's actions that obedience is more important than anything else , that God's sovereign will triumphs over all. That God will make a way where there seems to be no way.

That God is a miracle working God indeed.

That trusting God will never take us to a place outside His will.

That our perspectives on life may be at total loggerheads with God's plan and His plan may appear to go against all logic.

I am not sure that I would have obeyed in this manner, I am sure I would be rebuking the enemy and would not have recognized this instruction from God. Abraham did, what about you and me?

What is God asking us to sacrifice, something so precious that he has gifted us with after a long, long wait? 

Are we tempted to try and align sovereign will with our own logic spurred on by what we want? 

These questions are scary to think of, but it is clear from this scripture that I must, so help me God 

Other things I have learnt:

1. There is no limit to the extents to which God will call you and He dictates the 'how' 
2. God is the giver of our lives and He alone has the power to direct its path.

Focus

Help me to FOCUS Lord on you and the things you deem most important in my life. Turn my gaze away from distractions and going my own way. I need your Holy Spirit power to fill me anew, so I can FOCUS. Amen🙏🏾 

Sovereign Lord - remembering Marianne and Benedicta

This May 2017 was twelve years since I received the news of my father's passing away. I remember that I was in the car on the Tema beach road in Accra Ghana, and hubby was driving. A phone call came in and the news was broken to me and the beautiful sea scape and beach instantly lost their meaning. The grieving process has taken me through various twists and turns, and I am in a place of peace and acceptance now. Thoughts of my late father, together with just receiving the news that I am all cancer free at my five year check up, brought me to remembering two women. Marianne Dappa and Benedicta Ampong who have also passed on to glory at various times after my Dad. This post is in honour of these two women who like me were diagnosed with breast cancer. We all belonged to the same house fellowship which we hosted in our home for a season. I still cannot get my mind round the fact that out of thirteen or so regular attendees to the fellowship, three women were found to have breast cancer within a short space of time. We could not be from more diverse backgrounds and ages, and the only common threads are the obvious one that we are all women and attend the same fellowship. It is like a cruel coincidence, and definitely a trial in terms of, 'how could God allow this to happen' in so small a group? 

It was devastating to hear the news of the demise of these two sisters. I just cannot fathom why neither of them survived. They were both steadfast in faith and were very strong women. They got good medical interventions. I keep asking why they were called home and why I have survived . I must be honest and say that I sometime felt guilty and I know this is not a rational reaction. It is what it is, and I wish to face it square on and accept the sovereignty of God. Psychologically, it is a challenge to think of. I have not been stronger or more focussed, or stood on the word of God any more than either of them. 

I have been thinking of this over the years and it came up again as I crossed the milestone of five years post surgery. My conclusion is that I don't know the answers to all my questions, or to fully comprehend the pain of separation that their families have been and are going through - God alone decides, He alone knows. It is just by His grace that I am still here. 

So, I wish to celebrate my two sisters in the Lord, co-warriors , who have been called home. To honour their memory and their lives. RIP Marianne Dappa and Benedicta Ampong. May the Lord continue to strengthen their families and all who loved them.

 Amen 🙏🏾

We are pressure cut diamonds- thoughts on the role of pressure in our lives

Pressure is important and necessary in this life if we are to be refined in the way that our Father God wants. Each one of us comes to this earth like a rough cut diamond, bearing the limitless potential and creativity that is wrapped up in our DNA. Our true brilliance needs time and the pressures of life before it can be experienced by us and also seen by others. 

Our DNA is not just about physical, psychological and emotional characteristics we inherit from our parents and ancestors, it also includes the image of God which he placed inside every single human being he created. Our spiritual DNA may appear intangible until we make certain choices that connect us with what God intended when he allowed you to survive in the midst of some one hundred million potential sperm. 

The thought of this is mind blowing and sometimes I find it difficult to grapple with understanding the full impact of what this means. Arriving here on the planet with our God DNA means we already have:

-The mind of Christ

-All the powers of heaven

-The characteristics of God himself

We were imbued with this sometimes enigmatic quantum of power from the God Head in a way that should make us able to withstand the knocks of life. 

It's hard to imagine this, but we are to embrace the knocks of life, for in and through them, the unique characteristics of our particular kind of diamond is revealed. This is because every one of us has a purpose or destiny or life's walk; whatever we like to call it, what this 'path' signifies is the 'reason for our being'

We see so many examples out there in the world and also in our lives of the indomitable human spirit. People who travail beyond the confines of crushing limitations to excel in some way and thus bringing us to a place of inspiration and wonder. 

One of the key God characteristics we came with is creativity. Inherent in each one of us is the capability to use our God given creativity to surmount the issues we face. Creativity is an agency of change, it is an agency of healing, it is the most potent force of God. 

Unfortunately, the popular information pushed out there is that creativity resides in musical and visual artists alone - or at least mostly in that group of people. This is not true, every human being has creativity buried within them because it is a key aspect of the Godly DNA we arrived on planet earth with. There are many ways that creativity is expressed, even more than the Seven and a half billion humans inhabiting this beautiful earth. 

Our primary job is to unleash this inherent creativity through various fields of endeavor to bring about change in a manner scripted by heaven. The pressures of life force us in various directions. The purpose of pressure is to direct us to develop in growth producing ways. To shut down and oppose the odds that stack against us is like a physical work out to build and strengthen our muscles, but in the spiritual/ soul sphere of our lives. This is the role of 'pressure' in our lives. So it is really worth keeping this in mind when we are going through our sometimes painful life's journey , that your particular design, brilliance as a diamond is being 'cut and polished'. The brilliance of a diamond is predicated on how it is cut, how many facets it has which ultimately reflect light in optimum ways. 

So embrace pressure, and shine forth the glory of God, reflecting His true light, His character and DNA which is already within. For all their beauty and brilliance, Diamonds are very hard and not easy to break. In the analogy I am focusing on here, it means we are actually more resilient than we can imagine. 

The last girl standing- By Guest blogger NK Maduforo

My eyes were closed and opened suddenly as some
men burst into the room. The smirk look on their faces
told it all…I was a goner. One of them laughed
wickedly and told me that I was done for. I had always
gone scot free but as he said those words, it
confirmed my worst fears; these men were not going to
let me go.
I quickly grabbed some clothes to cover myself
and urged him to do the same. Even though we were
certainly going down, we could at least look decent.
To my uttermost surprise, they grabbed me, left him
and pushed me outside as I screamed at the top of my
voice, "but we are in this together". No one listened
to me so I kept quiet. I had always known that this
could happen but I guess like they say 'stolen water
is sweet'. Now I would pay the ultimate price.
As we walked along, I listened to their
conversation and heard one of the men say, "this would
certainly trap him". I did not understand the phrase
and as I looked up, one of them spat on me and called
me names.
They finally brought me before the one I assumed
was the judge and pushed me forward. I pulled my
clothes tighter around me and as i looked at him, my
mouth dropped open because I had seen him before. I
had even listened to him before. Though I knew I was
guilty, I felt ashamed standing before him. This was
most certainly the end for me.
One of the men said to him, "Teacher, this woman
was caught in adultery, in the very act. I looked down
at my toes; I knew what was coming next.
He continued. "Now Moses, in the law commanded us
that such should be stoned. But what do you say?
I braced myself for the condemnation I deserved
and looked up at him again but Jesus stooped down and
wrote on the ground with His finger, as though he did
not hear.
When they continued asking Him, he raised Himself
up and said to them,"He who is without sin among you,
let him throw a stone at her first. And again, He
stooped down and wrote on the ground.
I braced myself again as He said that and waited
for the stones. These were the scribes and Pharisees
and certainly they were holy men. Without raising my
head, I glanced sideways as one by one, beginning with
the oldest even to the last, they went out.
I looked up to see Jesus standing alone. I looked
around and observed I was the last one standing.I
still felt like the condemned waiting for my sentence,
when Jesus raised himself up and saw no one but me. He
said to me, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?
Has no one condemned you? I answered, "No one Lord".
Jesus said to me, Neither do I condemn you, go and sin
no more.
That was a long time ago now and I must tell you
that I followed him faithfully from that time. I was
there when He was crucified and saw Him after He
resurrected too. It's easy to say that He died for us
all but I know deep down in my heart that if I were
the only one in this world; if I were the last girl
standing, Jesus would still pay that ultimate price
for me.
Written by

Nkiruka 'NK' Maduforo

The Giver

Thinking about the importance of giftings that God puts in every one of us. There is so much talent out there, in all fields of endeavor . It is mind blowing. I looked within and gave thanks for mine, but I am hearing deep in my spirit this morning, that the most important part is the giver. 

This God

If like me you have ever wondered why natural beauty can be inwardly uplifting, I realize that it was all part of God's plan. To display His beauty, the awesomeness of His majesty and to gladden our hearts.  He gave us that impetus in us called 'sense of wonder'. 

We are then supposed to return glory to the creator and enjoy what He has put out there for our eyes to feast on.

I was doing just that when I sat on a friend's porch in Johannesburg and witnessed this stunning sunset. 

This God

Who painstakingly

Painted the sunset

With many different hues

Who set the fiery ball in place 

Who juxtaposes light and dark

In the right proportions

To please the eye

I gasp in wonder 

In awe of His creation

This God

My God

My King

My Saviour

My everything

He is risen! Hallelujah !

The best way I knew how to worship and show my appreciation for what Jesus did for me and all mankind is to draw. So I got to it, starting with a scribble in my journal. I think these images express all that I wish to say.

Thank you Jesus for what you have done and for giving me grace to express my joy in drawings.

Amen

Good Friday thoughts on Psalm 139: 16b

Yesterday, I was reporting to a dear sister that all my medical check ups came out clear. I am in to my sixth year of breast cancer survival and the all clear report was very welcome indeed. As much as I have faith that God will uphold the miraculous healings I have received, my human mind still needs this physical confirmation. It is actually what I expect but there is always a tiny thought in the back ground saying ' what if'

She shared with me, her complete and total acceptance of what God says to her in Psalm 139 verse 16b. It is a scripture I am familiar with but her mentioning it like she did, made it come alive again. So I penned this bit of prose below in my journal today, as I reflected on the scripture. 

TO WHOM I BELONG 
You ordained my days Lord
You know me 

You made me
Fearfully and wonderfully 

Even before my days came to be
You called me by name
I am so grateful that
I know who I am 

~Miracle

~Empowerer

~Encourager

~Proclaimer

~Warrior
And I know 

To whom I belong 

This Good Friday, I am led to think deeply about the importance of the cross and what Jesus did for mankind, and how Jesus as God man , knows who we are.
Jesus knew who I was even as He hung on the cross. 

In my life's journey, I have been on a path of discovery, and life's experiences are helping me uncover the beauty and wonder of how God created me. This journey is also walking me in purpose.

Trials have come, huge seemingly insurmountable challenges and I have been anguished and wondered how a loving God would allow these difficulties in my life. The truth is this, that every single experience good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant is a crucial part of our 'moulding' , our 'becoming' and our 'living out the days ordained for us'
In Christ Jesus, we are ' becoming' more like Him and therefore aligning with our 'making' which was truncated by Adam.
And so we must embrace all that the Lord will allow in our lives, so that we 'attain to the measure of the stature of the Lord'
This is the least we can do in order to honour what Christ did on Good Friday thousands of years ago. What He did to restore us to His intention when He made us in His image.