Thinking Temptation

11:46pm

In this, it’s only God. There is no other way. Even the option, “I can handle it”, is nowhere near a possible solution. As an idea it’s far flung from me already; so far that I can no longer hear its counsel. It just doesn’t work. Never did, never will. It only puffed me up into thinking I am the “Main Man” in charge.

11: 50am

And I’d say, it pretty well settled on my senses, touched my mind, deep, deep inside, that self-control was, on my own, futile. It’s only God, only Him that can save me.

12:26am

For when it felt sweet to do, when all that mattered was the moment’s pleasure, I was almost always completely stripped of whatever willpower I had. Yup, before temptation came with all her charm and allure, I thought I was invincible, but soon enough I realized I wasn’t. Not even close. 

3:06am

While I thirst for growth and seek to be better, strong and firm; and while I long to live a life progressively pleasing to my God and Maker, I always did find myself in this vortex that draws me again and again to an ill center – a familiar place of woe, a vomit, a bloody addiction that tempts me at every turn, mocking my redemption and my faith.

6:31am

God will help me through it. I believe. And I will overcome. But this time I fight and stand with God. His Word in my heart, my dependence on His strength, and trust in His promises, I know I will overcome.

 

In One Verse: The Recipe For Success

Let's search no longer, for here lies the recipe for success, the eighth verse of the very first chapter of the Book of Joshua:

"This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth [1], but you shall meditate on it day and night [2], that you may observe [3] and do according to all that is written in it [4]. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success  [5]."

1. Your Continuous Confessions Of The Word Of God

2. Your Continuous Study & Contemplation Of The Word Of God

3. Your Knowing Of The Word Of God 

4. Your Doing Of The Word Of God

5. And In Your Doing Of The Word, Achieve, Prosper & Have Good Success.

 

*Scripture: Joshua 1:8 Amplified Version

*Photo from Google Images 

Here Is My Heart - A Thousand Times

Since 2am, today, I have been hooked on this particular song, Here Is My Heart, by the band Jesus Culture. I have played it incessantly and sung along more than I can count - most of the time with my hands raised up to the heavens.

I can’t explain why, except that this song ignites the desperate longing to give all of my heart, my soul, my strength, and my mind to my Father and God who loved me first.

Though it is a very simple, short song, it is very true to the heart. I hope you enjoy listening, and I hope it means something to you too:

Artist: Jesus Culture
Album: Your Love Never Fails
Song: Here Is My Heart by Kim Walker

*Video, Courtesy Youtube.

Trials, As We Face Them

It’s been said to the brink of definite belief that God has an awful sense of humour. And unsurprisingly, it is hard to argue when you see God and his ways through the eyes of logic. More so, if you try to reason out the sense in seemingly undeserved trials that He allows to happen to us - trials that we’d all be more than happy to do without. 

However, the truth is, difficulties come to everyone of us, in different shades, for different reasons. Still, I think for many of us it isn’t just a matter of life not being a bed of roses; I believe that more than that, there is a purpose and a reason why God would permit trials in our lives. 

And it is God’s will that we rejoice in the face of those varying challenges by no other way but by the way of faith. For it is only through faith – not logic – that we can truly see His wisdom in the whole scheme of things.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who have been called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

*Image from www.Heartlight.org

Though It Be As Scarlet

With God, it’s different. No matter how grievous the sin or how offensive the rebellion, He’s always eager to forgive us and love us no less than He did from the beginning. Unlike an aggrieved lover, He’s not interested in falling–out over whatever transgression we might have committed against Him. Instead, He’s excited and enthusiastic to reconcile and put to right our relationship with Him.

In fact, no wrongdoing on our part can be too high or wide to separate us from His love if only we’d waste no time and come to Him for his forgiveness. For His mercy born out of His love for us has no beginning or end. It abounds in excess; and why, because He loves us unconditionally. Yes, He loves us so, and it’s important we know and never forget that He does.

For a lot of us carry ourselves as though we have no hope, presumably, in the face of a God who’s awfully judgmental, with no understanding of our weaknesses or imperfections. On the contrary, God isn’t like that at all. Knowing Him helps to see that what He desires most importantly is not to judge or condemn us, but to deliver us from the chains of sin, so that we may be free to live the life of complete liberty and delight, found in His Son Jesus Christ.

Hear, in the first chapter of the Book of Isaiah, the Father says, *“Come now, let us reason together….Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Can you beat that? How uncomplicated our God is – He says, “Come now” let’s get it over with, let’s settle the matter and be done with it already. For all He wants is to be cool with us. So let’s not delay, but come to the throne of grace where mercy and love waits patiently, for us all.

*Scripture passage is from Isaiah 1:18

*Photo From Flickr

Jealosi

From the beginning, it was quite clear where I was heading with my life. Like my mother, everyone thought I was sweet. I was the most lovable kid in Church, or so our Pastor would say. I guess he said so in a way to woo my widowed mother; but nonetheless, I think he was right, for my lovability abounded for all to see. For though I was the youngest choir member, and though learning the drums proved forever difficult, I was always the one who would come first to church to set up for rehearsals. I was that committed, I was that much of a Church Boy.

Happily, I was showered with much attention for being the last and only son. And for that, I was the envy of my three elder sisters. Particularly, Comfort, the eldest, would knock my head at any given chance, as if to remind me of my place. But mother would always come to the rescue, lessening the sting of my sister's abuse. She'd explain that my sister was suffering from a disease called jealosi. She reminded me that I was the one with a bright future and it was only natural for others to be green with envy. She said I had greatness inside of me, waiting to come out. “Just keep living your life to the glory of the good Lord”, she'd often say. I believed her, and I was truly inspired.

 As a result, I talked a great deal about how I wanted to become a chemical engineer and a doctor all at the same time. Chemical Engineering was going to be my passport into one of the oil companies in Nigeria – where the salaries were fat. As for becoming a doctor, I just wanted to be like Ben Carson, the world famous neurosurgeon who was black and successful. How I was going to achieve both feats was not my problem. I was just simply young and vibrant, and of course, mama's boy.

Mr. Bash

I remember watching my good ol’ friend, Mr. Bash, stare at his telephone for an approximately good ten minutes. If you ask me, that’s a pretty long time, considering the fact that the object of his attention was a black boring electronic device and that he, Bash, stared with an eerie fixation in the presence of an intrigued me, seated alongside with him in a quiet room – except for the sounds of the whirling fan and the ticking clock.

We were in his sitting room, and from across where I sat I had a good view to tell, with good authority, that the communicating machine was not the slightest bit interesting, like ringing off the hook – in fact, it was obviously the blandest piece of equipment in the room. But, eventually, it all made sense when Bash looked up at me and asked, quite directly, “How come I never hear from God?” BAM!

Now, I can’t really say if the dude actually expected God to ring him up at that particular time via his telephone. And I don’t know if God would have communicated in such a way, but seeing all things are possible with God, who knows, He could have done it, with a sense of humour. However, there’s one thing I know, I can empathize and relate with Bash’s desperation over not being able to hear from God. 

I know it does suck to have just a one–way connection to the throne of grace and not have an actual exchange. You seemingly find yourself praying and not getting a reply.

It sucks even more to hear people close to you say that the Father speaks expressly to them – giving them guidance, encouragements, and even filling their hearts with the knowledge of His will, when you on the other hand hear nothing but zilch.

Unveiled

The Word of God is not just the Truth and Will and Wisdom of God, but the mirror of our identity. It is the mirror that reflects who we are as individuals and as a people. And nothing else, in the whole wide world, can give us the complete meaning and definition of ourselves. For being all that we need for life and godliness, the Word is ultimately applicable to how, in full self-awareness, we take on the world. So, in “knowing thyself” the Word is most definitely our best bet. 

However, only in continued fixation on the realities of the Word, can we draw to the full realization of who we are – like realizing the powers and graces that we possess by inheritance as Kings and Queens.

Yes, we are of royalty, of a magnitude that far exceeds earthly crowns and sceptres. We are a light and a blessing of glorious influence to the world. We are God’s battle axe – a force of nature with limitless and incomparable power. And even most importantly, we are God’s instrument and expression of love.

That’s who we are. And of course, that’s just naming a few. Thus, *Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at  his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently in the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.

*Scriptural Verse: James 1:23-25 (NIV)

IN THIS ONE, CURIOUSITY SAVED THE CAT

Much like a scientist, I once had a deep interest in  practical experiments. In my case, my test subjects were never other humans (or animals) but my very dear self. It is I, so to speak, you'd find sprawled on the dissecting table, at the mercy of my own poking and scrutiny. Curiosity was essentially my middle name, and I did seek experience with the singular purpose of taking the ride for myself -  experimenting on everything that tickled my fancy. 

So in light of this, I'd like to beg the reader's indulgence in regarding me, even if for just this moment, as an authority on the subject of “Trying It Out For Yourself”.

You know, firsthand knowledge is always the best, far much better than any other means of getting to know about a thing. For instance, I wouldn't have fully grasped the high-marijuana­- induced-feeling expressed by the nameless protagonist in the book, The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born, if I hadn't tried it out for myself. Though his arguments were quite convincing about the benefits of smoking weed, I still had to get high to know exactly what he meant…as intimately as possible. 

In like manner, I have tested and explored the flagrant life of a Casanova. With exuberance and with much, much alacrity I have dated many different girls, particularly based on their geographical representation - all in the name of sampling. And the reason was simply that I wanted to know: like, how does the Tiv girl differ from the Calabar, the Hausa from the Yoruba? Bad, bad I know, but wait... I didn't stop there, for  against my better judgment, I have even tried out what it would feel like to be a drunkard within a testing period of six months. Even the thrill of gambling didn't fall below my radar; for all the betting joints knew me very well. And at the end of all my shenanigans, I genuinely could say that “I had been there and done it all”.

However, in spite of my debauched tendencies, the goodness in me also cried out for some adventure. I wanted to take the trip to know God for myself. And although my interest was inspired by the words of the preacher, I wasn't - as usual - contented in just being told how it's like. Instead, I wanted to prove with my own eyes and mind all that the pastors claimed in their Sunday sermons. Was it truly possible for me to live a life of liberty – a life free from the corruption of this world? Could I really possess powers qualified as incomparable? And most tantalizing of all, is there a chance under heaven I'd actually get to know a spirit God on a personal level? Such were the questions that rambled in my head. But they all remained bull (of course, without the “shit”) as long as it all ended with what the pastors said.

To Be Free Of Guilt

Have you ever seen a man ridden by guilt? Well, you may likely find him wallowing in self-loathing, a very nasty predicament. Also, you may find him driven by the pangs of shame into hoping that the passage or perhaps the reversal of time would save him from his sense of regret.

But, of course, time won’t help. For with every passing second his mind suffers in woeful contemplation. And as a result, he may end up declaring himself unworthy and a sinner with no right to forgiveness.

For many of us, we needn’t look far for an example of a man in guilt. Our own lives have in one time or another suffered guilt, sometimes very severe. In fact, I’d dare say that the feeling of reproach is universal - at least to every normal person.

Nonetheless, in whatever way these experiences are common to us, we shouldn’t let them suffer us unnecessarily. We must not be ignorant of the fact that we can be free of guilt, no matter how grievous the transgressions that might have led to it.

Evidently, guilt is a typical trickster, seeking to convince its victims that they have no right to a second chance. Around us, we see its work: stark, helpless, riddled lives of those who had fallen from not only grace, but from every prospect of a good life.

Against this misery, we must fight, and the mind is where we fight. It’s where the guilt emotions try to take control and steal our peace of mind. In counter, it is where we must resist by maintaining a sound mental state.

Besides, when it comes down to freeing the mind of guilt, it is all about what we accept as truth. Would we think ourselves deserving of shame or of life? It is up to us, for in reality we can only prevail if we have the right mindset.

And what better way to build the correct frame of mind than meditation on God’s Word. In it, we are shown the love of the Father that says to us, “Come now, and let us reason together... though you sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow...” Surely, in these words, we can’t help but discern the richness of God’s mercy and grace.

Just like the story of the prodigal son, God as Father waits eagerly for our homecoming. Not minding our erring ways, He is ready to forgive us over and over, all because he loves us unconditionally. Beating ourselves down is not what He desires; rather, it is the pleasure of reinstating us to a life of liberty and delight.

In view of such love shown by the Father, do we think any of us should spend any more time floundering in guilt? Certainly not. Instead, let’s avail ourselves of the liberating truths of God’s love and forgiveness. For it is only in the knowing of the truth – as stated by our Lord Jesus – can we truly be set free.

By accepting the mercies of God, we can answer the voice of accusation that ever tries to put a guilt trip on us. We could say something like this, “hey you, hush! I recognize am guilt free for God my loving Papa has forgiven me my sins”. This is simply the veracity of our lives.

Yes, our imperfection may never desist in this life and time; however, it is not an excuse for us to agonize and suffer whenever we make a mistake. Let us not be ill with guilt but accept the cure of forgiveness that God so willingly wants to give. Remember, because of the work done on the cross, “there is therefore no condemnation” for us. We are absolutely free.