The title, ‘Forever Haven’ suggests some kind of resort or vacation site that fundamentally provides an unending, ever-enduring safety net for its inhabitants.

Sounds absolutely alluring, calming and peaceful, if you ask me, considering the present global security situation.

The ‘Global Village’ status of the world has never been given more credence than now! Many thanks to the faithfulness of media houses towards dutifully disseminating a sense of looming global danger with all urgency! From reports of painful untimely deaths, resulting from bombing and explosion of an oil well in Southern Nigeria, to the news of a bomb blast in Paris, or the murder of a law enforcement agent in Dallas…. More than ever before there is a heightened feeling of tension and uncertainty. So, a ‘Forever Haven’ totally sounds soothing and comforting.

But let me quickly ask, does any such attraction or resting place really exist? Can any President assure citizens of safety and protection from current or pending world dangers?

I took another look at my Bible, and found a Haven created by God Himself! Jerusalem was a haven; a place of safety and refuge. Good for retreat, harbor and security. The city was situated on Mount Zion and carefully surrounded by mountains.

Sounds to me, like a tedious, wearisome and laborious project! Who built Jerusalem on Mount Zion, amidst rocks and mountains?

Apart from my childhood knowledge about how God’s six (6) days of dedicated labor gave birth to the World and all we see in it, my little personal Bible Study reveals that Jerusalem was neither built nor named by the Hebrews.

Dating back to the early bronze age, there was a Canaanite town called Salem, first mentioned in Genesis 14:18, where Abraham met with Melchizedek and offered bread and wine. Melchizedek was King of Salem!

Jeru-Salem is first seen in the Bible in Joshua 10:1. Israel conquered its inhabitants but sadly abandoned it for the Jebusites.  Thus necessitating a fight from David and his army to conquer the Jebusites many years later before gaining ownership of the City that would become the capital of Israel.

The Hebrews may have retained the name Jerusalem because of its strikingly deep Hebrew meaning.

Jerusalem is actually a conjugation of two root words; Yara and Shalem and together translates Possession of Peace or Foundation of Peace. Salem or Shalem means complete, full, made ready, quiet, whole, peaceable, perfect. Yara means dual (Jerusalem sits on 2 hills). Yara also means; to cast, to point out, to teach, direct, instruct. So Jerusalem speaks of a ready-made place of peace, security and wholeness where one is pointed to, instructed or taught.

For many days the following scripture kept playing through my mind;

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so The Lord surrounds His people. From this time forth and forever” Psalm 125:2

 

When we backtrack a bit to verse 1 of same Bible portion, we get a broader picture;

“Those who trust in The Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever”.

 

And Joel 3:17 tells us;

“So you shall know that I am The Lord your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever pass through her again”.

 

Of course there are many other references to Jerusalem in the Bible that are absolutely exciting, but Wow! Wow!! Wow!!!, the above scriptures tells us that God situated Jerusalem on His Holy unmovable Mount Zion, surrounded by mountains.

Obviously Jerusalem exists as a place, a tangible landmark structure! Wouldn’t it be awesome if Jehovah sends forth Angel Michael to blow the trumpet to gather all His children to Jerusalem? Away from all the deafening and unpalatable ill news of misfortunes, mishaps and deaths?   I’ll personally like that 🙂

But as we see in Psalm 125:2, Jerusalem is correlated to ‘The Lord’s people’. As the mountains surround Jerusalem,….so The Lord surrounds His people!

I am yet to see any daughter or son of Zion moving around and surrounded by physical mountains though (Selah).

So, where exactly is this place of peace and instruction?

These are my thoughts (and I speak not by revelation knowledge)…

The only place of instruction and safety for the Body of Christ that I know of is in the Word of God (Selah).

Staying in the Word gives instruction and brings wisdom that guides from harm.

 

Proverbs 1:33 reads;

“For The Lord gives wisdom, from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up stores up sound wisdom for the upright, He is a shield to those who walk uprightly. He guards the paths of justice and preserves the way of His saints”.

And Psalm 91:1-2 reassures that;

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”. I will say of The Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust”.

Every moment spent studying God’s word reinforces our trust in Him and boosts our faith and daily assures us of God’s ability and willingness to keep safe and secure whatever we entrust to His care.

Yes! The Lord surrounds us as the mountains surround Jerusalem when we make ourselves Jerusalem; a place of instruction and peace by staying in His word. And yes! We can enjoy this benefit of safety, security and peace forever, for as long as we stay in His word and are uncompromising in our dealings. We can then be assured of His Presence and His Power, always and Forever!

A Forever Haven is possible only in The Word, and can be enjoyed by all who has received Christ as Lord and personal Savior.

You can make that decision today. You may want to read a few of my blog posts on how to receive Christ; ‘Could it Have Been a Surrogate Birth? or ‘Dead Man Walking!’.

Love Always.

 

Except otherwise stated, all Bible quotations are from the New King James Version (NKJV).

 

‘I need to write Lord! It’s chasing a month since the last publication on the blog. My subscribers have begun to ask questions; ‘Grace, we haven’t read from you in a while’. My usual honest explanation of; I’ve been super-bee-busy has been nothing but disappointing to them, their facial expressions betray their niceties of “I understand dear”. I have picked up my notepad more than once, with the utmost urgency, wanting to help their despair, but the words won’t flow! I know there’s so much You’d want me to communicate to the audience You have graciously given me, but the words won’t just flow’

How did I get to this point?

Do our busy schedules drive Him away from us? I dare say; not necessarily…

Genesis 3:8

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden”

How does one know the sound of the Lord God walking in the Garden, even while hidden among trees and grasses? My immediate assertion is; this was a familiar walk. Adam and Eve recognized the Lord walking by, because they’ve heard it more than once before! Also note that the trees could not hide Adam and his wife from the Lord’s presence. This to me suggests, a presence that permeates barriers, walls and boundaries; certainly, not a physical presence! Permit me to call it; ‘the omnipresent presence’.

But why would the presence of a holy God, who abhors sin and everything evil, be felt by the now sin-laden Adam and Eve? Why did he Still come down this particular day after Adam and Eve willingly introduced sin to earth against the Lord’s stern warning in Genesis 2:16-17?

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die” (And die they did! You may wish to see my previous publication; “Dead Man Walking”, available @: http://www.graceobomanu.com/blogsite/dead-man-walking/ ).

I have more than once taught that the Good Lord came down in the cool of the day to commune or fellowship with Adam and Eve. But does the scripture really tell us that?…….

We are told that Adam and Eve heard Him walking in the Garden in the cool of the day! That’s when they heard Him!!! Could He have been in the Garden all along…..all day but they couldn’t hear Him? Was The Lord always in the Garden?

This is my believe;….. that the Omnipresent One has the intrinsic ability to be everywhere at every time!

So I assert once again, that the walls or trees of the Garden did not constitute a barrier to His presence in the Garden! His presence was all over the Garden all day, all time but Adam and his wife could only hear Him in the cool of the day!

Let me tell you what happened in the Garden in the cool of the day…..

There was calm and quiet. There was no rattling of cutlasses, tractors, etc from Adam’s gardening activities. And because Adam and Eve had heard Him once at about this particular time, they expected to hear Him around this time every day.

To answer our opening question therefore; our busy schedules do not keep Him away from us, rather, they stop us from plugging into His frequency…..the Cool-of-the-day frequency.

The cool of the day is not necessarily in the evening or in the night. No! It is that period (and can be any and every time), we set aside physical, mental, emotional and all sorts of distractions and simply focus on Him (His word, glory, greatness, goodness etc).

I have heard teachings on the role of fasting (waiting on The Lord), to properly situate or locate us in The Lord presence, ensuring an undivided attention on Him. While I agree with this, I must quickly add that a fast without a conscious decision to focus on, and tune into ‘the cool of the day frequency’ seems to me like a physical exercise with little or no spiritual gain. You do not need to fast to hear Him!! But the right fasting sure does help put at bay noise and distractions thereby sharpening our hearing of Him.

So if the songs won’t come; tune in

If the sermon seems too unclear; plug in

It is only in the ‘cool of the day frequency’ that we can hear Him and therefore operate in the spiritual gifting(s) He has bestowed on us.

My Love Always…….

 

Except otherwise stated, all bible quotations are from the New King James Version.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a young pretty lady, I am a strong advocate for ‘Looking good’ at all times. I believe that The Lord God sculpted the female body with careful precision and accuracy with the intent to communicate attraction to her male counterpart.

Following the fall of man in the Garden of Eden which is a result of 1. Adam’s disobedience, 2. Eve’s negative influence and 3. the Serpent’s dangerously crafty and twisted desire for power and authority, man lost tenancy of the Garden of Eden to the point that God physically guarded Eden with a Cherubim and installed a security system around the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:23-24).

The penalty for sin was spiritual death, along with which came an immediate realization of the physical body, loss of close fellowship with the Father and ceding of authority to Satan. Man’s awareness of his nudity prompted him to quickly grab fig leaves for a covering (Genesis 3: 7).

But God didn’t think fig leaves would do the job of clothing man, keeping him warm, covering his nakedness and maintaining some dignity. So instead of fig leaves, God made Tunics of Skin and clothed man before driving him out of Eden (Selah). However, recent global fashion leanings and tendencies, still seem to reveal man’s preference for fig leaves over tunics of skin. Music stars are at the brink of performing absolutely nude at big shows and events, leading young, vulnerable and pliable youthful minds to do same.

While this represents another display of the subtleness and schemes of Satan at derailing young people using what’s often considered modern and trendy music as bait, Christians must awaken to the fact that such unholy and worldly dress culture is fast becoming acceptable in the Body of Christ and is often been excused for weather conditions, traditions and fashion trends. No gainsaying, this is not God’s plan.

The Bible gives precedence to inner beauty over outward one. You can look beautiful fully covered up. You don’t need to bare at all to achieve that! Your body as a Christian remains the Temple of The Holy One of Israel. He resides in you! Whatever you won’t do at your church alter or temple, hesitate to do same to your body (Selah).

As parents, we must start with imbibing good, decent dress cultures in our children, that’s a good point to begin, trusting in the scripture that promises us that the children will not depart from our good teachings in adulthood. The following dialogue between a parent and their daughter is so true and offers good food for thought….

Mummy: I’m sorry Sophie, but that dress is rather too short. You can’t go out with me dressed in that!

Sophie: But Mum, the weather is hot, and Daizy wore a similar dress to Piano Class the other day….

Mummy: Well love, you have a choice to stay back at home or change to a more decent dressing. Who says you can’t wear leggings under a short dress?

5 years later…..

Sophie: Mummy, your dress is too short! It’s gonna jump up if you bend.

Daddy: Sophie, what’s your concern? The dress seems fine.

Sophie: Mummy please bend forward

(Mummy complies….)

Sophie: You see, people can see your thighs and panties when you bend, that’s what’s wrong.

As it is commonly said; dress the way you want to be approached.

In addition I say; dress to reflect the glory of your Heavenly Father rather than glorify Satan!

Stay Blessed & Love Always

Grace Obomanu.

12 disciples, thousands and thousands of followers, but only 1 rock!

Every time I read the accounts of the apostles of how Jesus chose His disciples, one thing always stands out; …….The Master’s selection of Peter as ‘the rock’.

Why did Jesus choose Peter as head over the other apostles? Why not John, Matthew, and the rest of the disciples? What characteristics qualified Peter for his leadership role?

Luke’s account (Luke Chapter 5) of how professional fishermen were outwitted by a seemingly ordinary Teacher/ Preacher remains one of my favorite portions of the Bible. But a very interesting and not-to-be- missed moral of that story is Peter’s acknowledgment of the supremacy of Jesus! As a professional Fisherman, Peter immediately recognized that only a miraculous intervention would have given them a net-breaking catch of fish after all their failed attempts.

“When Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying; ‘depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” Luke 5:8

Peter’s reaction reveals a deep reverence for God and his teachable nature.

But Peter did not only deny Jesus 1, 2, 3 times post crucifixion (Matthew 26:69-74), he disowned and abandoned Jesus, embraced his fishing profession once more, pulling the other disciples along with him! (John 21:1-3).

God does not always judge us by our actions, I believe that sometimes He looks at the heart and motive.

Peter could only weep bitterly following the crow from the rooster, a reminder of Jesus’ prediction of his denial, because not only was Peter sincerely sorry for his actions, but most importantly Peter recognized he’d sinned against Christ.  Reminds me of David and his adultery withBeth- Sheba, and God’s unwavering choice of David as a man after His heart….It’s the same reason Joseph would not sleep with Potiphar’s wife nor Daniel bow to an unknown god!

I mean Jesus already saw through Peter as a courageous, passionate, yet vulnerable fellow with great leadership potentials. His vulnerable nature was a gap in personality that could only be filled by the fear of The Lord which is the only sure guarantee to doing what is fair, just and right at all times and in all circumstance.

Peter had the fear of The Lord and that enabled him see sin as evil against God.

Jesus probably chose Peter to shepherd his sheep from the first time He set eyes on him or even before his birth! Jesus had invested so much grooming Peter for several months that He was not about to give him up so fast. The Master’s plan was simply to make a Fisher of souls out of a Fisherman! Peter didn’t yet catch it….So The Lord came to Peter again post resurrection, caught him in the act; fishing for fish instead of souls (John 21:7-14).

Now I imagine The Lord saying to me; ‘Grace, do you love me more than your profession, wealth, food, etc?’ just as He prodded into Peter! Wow!! That was just disarming.

Jesus was saying to Peter, I chose you as shepherd over my sheep, don’t let this sheep scatter, keep them together.

It was only at that point that Peter finally understood his mission to lead the other disciples even though his follow up question to Jesus reveals his utter surprise and shock. Why would The Lord choose him over John (the disciple he loved so much)? This suggests a possibility that while The Lord was waiting on Peter to pick up the mantle of leadership and roll, Peter was waiting for John to lead!

However, on the day of Pentecost, Peter was a different man! Halleluyah!

He was charismatic and a total display of passion, conviction, and connection to/for God. He spoke with poise, optimism, conviction, mixed with a Christ-like compassion that exuded warmth and love!! I love the Peter of the Pentecost and thereafter!!

The word of God had been buried in Peter all along (probably why he had such deep reverence for God), and it was spilling out of his mouth, nostrils, ears and every part of his being. I can only describe the Peter of the Pentecost as a man ‘totally possessed and consumed by the Spirit of God’. He did not speak with the gifting of flesh or from knowledge gained through education.

So, just like David, Peter hid God’s word deeply in his heart and he knew it.

My question to you today, would you describe yourself as a man after God’s heart? Do you qualify as such? Do you think imbibing and developing some or all of Peter’s attributes could inch you forward towards gaining that mark?

It’s your decision and it’s your choice….

To do what is fair, right and just is only borne out of a deep reverence for God. Selah!

40 to 50 years back, the word ‘divorce’ was probably unheard of among Africans,  it was probably considered a taboo in Nigeria. But it appears the sanctity of the sacred and respected institution of marriage is getting corrupted. The phrase ‘for better, for worse…till death do us part’ is seldom recited as part of marital vows. Some omit this in their vows for religious reasons; refusing to sign up for death in their union, while others leave some room for unbearable ugly eventualities of marriage.

The setbacks experienced in the institution of marriage and the increasing tendency of young couples to seek divorce have been connected to common trivial experiences that hitherto occur in our everyday interactions with people. Commonly, people cite too much arguments, lack of equality in the marriage relationship, marrying for the wrong reasons, losing individual identity, overwhelming parental duties, not sharing same success vision, nonexistent sex life, differences in handling finances, lack of display of physical affection, divided interests, fights etc  as factors leading to divorce and separation. Interestingly, a poll of 100 young Tango experts did not identify sexual infidelity as the leading cause of divorce.

If all or most of these factors show up in our everyday relationships and we find a way to cope with them, accommodating those involved, why is it much more difficult to do same in a marriage relationship? The following are my thoughts;

1. Lack of clarity on individual roles and responsibility in a marriage union
2. Unmet/unrealistic expectations
3. Intolerance
4. Lack of ‘the fear of the Lord’
5. Poor communication

Christian based marriages are structured such that the man has the role to provide for his home and love his wife and children while the woman is expected to submit to the man as the head of the home. Unfortunately, a lot of people either don’t have clarity on what their roles in marriage should be, or they are struggling with accepting them for one reason or the other. I doubt that your peculiar circumstances ever change this rule. If this rule is nonexistent in your marriage, am afraid it would hit the rocks in no time.

And based on these roles, people develop expectations. Every difficult marriage is suffering from people’s misconception about what marriage should be. Assumptions are made about marriage based on many variables, and problems erupt when these assumptions are not met. But isn’t it unfair to expect to be treated right when you don’t act right?  Don’t get me wrong now; I recognize that 2 wrongs don’t make a right and that people grow at different rates, but if everyone is focused on doing what is right, divorces would reduce. And that’s where the fear of the Lord comes in to take our focus off the inadequacies of our spouse. A deep reverence for God helps us choose to do what is right, just and fair no matter how we are being treated. Notice that this is a decision we make. To think that divorce results from one person’s weakness, shortcomings or wrong doing is a bit exaggerating! It always takes 2 to fight (selah).

I believe that the marriage union builds us up as individuals. We learn to be more tolerant, patient, loving, forgiving, etc. The truth is that most people are not ready for the demands of marriage and divorce offers a door of escape. Divorce therefore, sort of robs us of our individual growth.

Did I hear you say, Grace, you don’t know what you are talking about? Yeah right, Jesus got a similar reaction some years ago. Hear him……

“Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life. It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn’t for everyone. Some from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked-or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you’re capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it” Matthew 19: 11-12.

“I hate divorce”, says the God of Israel. God-of-the Angel-Armies says “I hate the violent dismembering of the ‘one flesh’ of marriage”. So watch yourselves. Don’t let your guard down. Don’t cheat.    Malachi 2:16

Jesus recognizes that the marriage union can be demanding; on your faith, your patience……your entire being. He is not expecting everyone to be married! (selah), but if you marry, he is not expecting you to get out of it…except in cases of sexual infidelity. But even that can be forgiven!

Jesus said “Moses provided for divorce as a concession to your hard heartedness, but it is not part of God’s original plan. I’m holding you to the original plan, and holding you liable for adultery if you divorce your faithful wife and then marry someone else. I make an exception in cases where the spouse has committed adultery”. Matthew 19: 8-9.

“…..And if you are married, stay married. This is the Master’s command, not mine…….”

1 Corinthians 7:10-11

As we read through 1 Corinthians 7, we find that Jesus is not pleased at all with divorce, no matter how legal it seems. According to Jesus, Christians are covering their selfishness, whims and pretenses under the legality of divorce. He is saying; go work on yourself! Learn to be more accommodating. Improve yourself.

Now, some people already made wrong choices based on misplaced priorities; by marrying people they shouldn’t be married to in the first place.  If your life is threatened presently in your marriage, walking away may be wisdom (selah). But first seek counsel.

Healthy marriages are good for mental and physical well-being, and children who grow up in happy homes are less exposed to mental, physical, educational and social problems.

Marriage is a lot of work. The belief in a happily-ever-after marriage is a destructive marriage myth.

I passed this article to my team of editors, and one of them said, ‘Grace, this thing does not apply in turbulent marriages’. And I said to her; ‘every marriage can be as turbulent as you allow it’.

The earlier we nip trivial issues in the bud, the sooner we carry on enjoying our relationship. When we allow them to linger, they can get so complicated in no time that we even forget how it all started!

Let’s start by making a decision to stay cleaved then you’ll find faith and strength to never leave.

We see that with God, actually, divorce is not an option to staying married. God would want us to remain married except in very extreme circumstances (and I add this bit 🙂  ).

 

Except otherwise stated, Bible quotations are from ‘The Message’ Translation.

Almost every time an appliance or machine stops functioning optimally in my home, my husband reaches for the manual first, does some troubleshooting himself before calling in the experts.

A manufacturer’s handbook (manual), helps us set up our appliances, identify and handle simple malfunctions of our machines and ensures optimum output and efficiency, giving us good value for our money.

I have had the privilege of welcoming newly born again Christians into God’s family and I do not fail to introduce them to the Christian Manual for a successful and victorious christian living-The Bible.

You may want to consider the Bible as The Manufacturer’s Manual/Handbook for man’s living assuming that you believe in the existence of a Man-Creator or Manufacturer. If you are more inclined towards evolution or some other theory about man’s creation, then am sure you’ve found a different handbook and the discourse here may not apply to you.

So, why did God give us the Bible (His commandments/words)?

The 10 commandments came into existence to guide and direct Israel’s actions which were becoming intolerable for Jehovah at the time.

In his second letter to Timothy, apostle Paul explains the purpose of every word of God;

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness“.  2 Timothy 3:16. NKJV.

If it is not already obvious, this write-up is borne out of my curiosity on why people are often reluctant to study their Bibles.

I asked a few persons about their opinion on this and got the following responses;

i. ‘there is no time’. too many things to do with so little available time’

ii. ‘probably, people are not clear or do not completely agree with what the Bible says in some cases’

iii. ‘the bible does not give a unified straightforward stand on some issues, and people whip up different dimensions of the bible to support their own perspective on issues.

Hmmm….

Interestingly, nobody really considered or conceded to a likelihood of people thinking the standards in the Bible are too high!

I recently learnt that people generally don’t want to be told what to do. So if the Bible is for reproof, correction, instruction etc, my guess is; people love the freedom of living their lives freestyle!

But are God’s words punitive, prohibitive or protective?  I think it’s all 3,  with an ultimate aim to protect. I believe that God considered every possible action of man in its entirety (positive and negative outcomes), before giving out His words to guide and direct man aright.

For example, when God says ‘Do not commit adultery’, I believe this instruction goes well beyond the physical attraction and sexual satisfaction one derives through his indulgence in adultery. The end result of a singular adulterous act can mean an end to a longstanding marriage relationship, disruption in the equilibrium existing in a home, or exposure to life threatening sexually transmitted diseases (condoms tear!), and so many other unsavory results.

But you know, God does not force man to do anything. He always leaves the final decision with man but admonishes him to choose life and live.  I can tell my young preteen not to spend all his time on games and TVs, because as a parent, I have the foresight of the crucial role hard work can play in determining life’s experiences. And I want the best for my child! I believe God deals with man in a similar way. But then, there is a limit to how much or how long I can control my preteen’s choices. His future experiences rests greatly on his present day choices.

Let us not be like the middle-aged highly educated diabetic man who refused to go to the hospital for professional medical care for fear of what results of hospital investigations on him would reveal. He’d rather die in his ignorance. He immediately reminds me of why the fool has deceived himself into thinking there is no God…because he is corrupt and have done abominable things! (Psalm 53:1). He is threatened by the Bible.

When an appliance or machine malfunctions, it is very unlikely that the problem is with the manual (selah).

“He is in the way of life that heedeth correction, but he that forsaketh reproof erreth” Proverbs 10:17. ASV

Have a lovely day!

 

 

 

 

 

It always amazes me how kids come out fully formed in their character and traits. Each of my 3 kids have something unique about them.

I have the ‘information minister/lawyer’; that wastes no time in relaying all activities that go on in the home in my absence. She is logical and detailed. She hardly misses a thing!  I am hopeful that she’ll in no time translate this her logical thinking into organizing her toys at the end of play each day (Amen!).              The bad news for her siblings though;….. she can’t keep a secret!   She helps me discover (effortlessly) attempts at lying by her sibs!         God bless my little one 🙂

And I have the highly calculative big sis that scarcely misses a 7/8pm bedtime; likely a result of her overworking her brain, if you ask me  🙂  Meeting her for the first time, you may be lured into thinking that she cannot/doesn’t talk!          Naaaaa…..!!!          This one does all the talking in her brain!!! She analyzes everything and is always ready to ask for explanation for every new word or concept. Her depth of thinking is obvious in the manner she breaks every snack or meal to its tiniest bit before eating!!!  She is highly organized in her school work and chores. Her teacher gives me the feedback, that my ‘Ada’ practically runs her class….. I pray she continues bringing the ‘A’ grade home.

Then there’s the master of the house, my big boy, who would not want to hurt an ant, but is slowly and sadly discovering that; it is almost inevitable to hurt people no matter how much you believe you love them!! At his age, his desires (to watch TV, skip his exercises, etc) seem to be his greatest challenge at making sure he doesn’t hurt Mum or Dad. Thanks to the rod which helps us align him properly….. He has maintained the class lead position in almost all his classes and I believe its connected to his endearing nature. You can’t meet him and not like him….

To each of the servants in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus tells us that the master gave talent (s) depending on their capacity or ability. This tells me that even though the master knew beforehand that the servant who received the least talent (one talent) may likely not put it to a good or profitable use, the master still gave him a talent!  So EVERYONE got a talent (s)…..

But more interestingly, we find, as we read that Bible verse over and over again, that each talent was pregnant with several other talents that were only birthed or discovered as the single obvious one was put to use!!! (Selah).

Is it possible that the guy who received only one talent may actually have received a tsunami of hidden talents and not know it? It seemed his master loved him the least by publicly giving him only one talent…… Could he have been wrong? I really want to think so considering how upset his master was at his return.

So, the question I want to ask you today is; what is your given talent? (obvious or hidden). Have you buried it because it seemed useless and insignificant?

The Master (Jesus Christ) knows us just as we are. He knows our ability and capacity.

He and The Father, gave EVERYONE talent (s).

Have you found yours?  If not,

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you discover your talent.

And please put them (it) to use as soon as possible.

You will realize in no time that each talent is pregnant with so many more talents, and every unused talent is a waste of so many others.

Praise God!!

 

 

Parents have a responsibility to groom their sons into men, and their young girls into women who are adequately equipped to take on the unceasing challenges life throws at everybody. The story of Eleanor and Ernest as narrated below are pointers to the kind of gaps that are becoming quite rampant in young homes where men still behave like boys, expecting to be nursed and provided for….

Eleanor was barely 26 years old when she met Ernest at a friend’s birthday party 6 years ago. They hit it off immediately. Ernest was handsome, charming and trendy. He was nothing like the hungry looking ‘church brothers’ that often hung around her emitting nearly choking smells from their buccal cavity or underarms. Thinking back, Eleanor wondered again what gave them the impetus to approach her in the first place. Had she looked desperate for a life partner back then? Right now, she wasn’t sure if any of those ‘unpleasant brothers’ wouldn’t have made a better husband than Ernest.

Ernest was born into a Nigerian middle class home. His parents were both medical doctors who excelled in their different specialties through dedicated studying and hard-work over the years. Due to his parents’ very busy schedule and absence from home most days, Ernest and his siblings were practically raised by maids who were frequently absent themselves…..avoiding the huge responsibility of running the home and raising 3 highly energetic boys. The children lacked proper discipline as the maids were quite young, needing care and attention themselves and lacking the authority to enforce good conduct in the home!

Ernest parents provided everything he and his 2 younger brothers wanted and ensured they attended the best schools in town. Their schools never ranked lower than 5^th among the best paying schools.  But as it turned out none of them made it past a 2-2 upon graduation from college.

As things are now, all attempts by Ernest to secure another job has proved abortive. Although his previous employer related his being laid off to the slump in global economy, rumor has it that his replacement was hired almost immediately.  Ernest had started his own real estate business with its very seasonal income but things aren’t moving as smoothly as he expects. His frustration has become so much that he spends a lot of time hanging out with friends at the club, or taking complete possession of the TV and video remotes, allowing little or no time for his kids to see their favorite cartoons.

The last time Eleanor received housekeeping money from Ernest was 4 years ago, exactly a year after their marriage. She has had to pay all their bills from her menial job, with some support from her own family to sort out tuition fees for their 3 kids. Ernest has basically exhibited no sense of responsibility to his duty as a husband or father.

Many times, Eleanor has come very close to quitting her marriage and moving out with her kids. Not only is Ernest not concerned with providing for the home, but he comes home drunk and drenched in sweats most nights, without proper explanation of his activities. Her friends have more than once insinuated that he may be having extra-marital affairs…..

 

 

Ernest’s lack of sense of responsibility to his family can be easily traced to failure on the part of his parents to cultivate in him core home making skills. Eleanor can claim that Ernest is being mean and heartless, but the truth is Ernest does not know how to act differently.

Proverbs 22:6 says;

“train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”. NKJV

Parents must realize that the little boys they have today are future husbands (and fathers) and commit resources to equipping them for those roles. If all your son does all day is play games and watch TVs, you are only creating an outlook to life that will be followed through.

I have often been saddened seeing fathers shout, scream and even get physical with their sons for acts they themselves are guilty of, forgetting that children are highly observant and learn a lot by example.

Training a child demands a parent’s time, attention and energy. A parent needs to be physically available to train a child. If you leave your children solely in the care of maids, I am afraid they may grow up with a servant mentality, constantly delivering below your expectations and depending on you for their livelihood.

Boys should be brought up with a consciousness that they have a duty to provide for their families. They must understand that being a man means responsibility more than respect, and a responsible husband/father would seldom demand respect! It flows naturally.

And if you are reading this and you are a man struggling with challenges similar to Ernest’s, you can start over again. It is never too late to learn.

Shalom!

 

 

 

We often hear about humans rescued alive after being trapped for many days underneath split rocks from volcanic eruptions or collapsed buildings. Details of these kind of occurrences are often on display on TV or social media platforms.

I have also heard of great prophets who perform great feats of raising dead people to life!

So as I read the Bible’s account of Peter’s reaction to the testimony of the resurrection of a man he watched killed and buried as narrated by Joanna, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and the ‘other women’ in Luke 24: 1-12, I can identify with Peter’s confusion. (I am careful not to call it Peter’s unbelief!).

The other disciples didn’t exercise as much control as Peter, …no, they didn’t. And I have to agree with their judgment of the women’s display of excitement or ‘madness’

Let’s paint a rather practical picture here… Imagine that you witnessed the gruesome murder of your spiritual leader. And while you and other of his followers were still making efforts to come to terms with his death, someone storms into your mourning room and announces that your leader is alive and has been seen!

I bet you, 3 kinds of feelings will rush through your entire frame at once; fear (that a ghost may be lurking around), some uncertain and cautious excitement (while you ascertain the mental state of the news bearer), and confusion (if you ever had the slightest inclination he may not have actually died). The disciples of Jesus displayed all 3 reactions. Those that felt the women had lost it, were right. It all seemed like an idle tale and only a self-righteous being would fault their unbelief.

Jesus died, was buried and they saw it! Period!

But I cannot stop wondering why the 2 Marys and Joanna were easily convinced of a resurrection. Did they remember Lazarus’s resurrection or did the sight of the angels help their acceptance of a resurrected Christ?….

In his confusion, Peter made his way to the tomb. Was he hoping to see the angels too? Likely! But he got to the tomb too late; the angels were gone! The only link he could make to Jesus’ body and the empty tomb he stared at was a familiar linen. He’d seen his master wrapped and buried in it, yet, Peter still walked away marveling and wondering at the same time.

Something that stood out for me as I read the Bible’s account of this event…

The tomb was empty when the women got there, and remained empty till Peter got his peep of it. So all the display of bewilderment, confusion, unbelief or excitement by the apostles did NOT change the reality that the tomb was empty!

“Our belief or unbelief does not change the reality of God, but determines our experience of Him“-Grace Obomanu

And just like the 2 Marys, Joanna and the ‘other women’, I bring you glad tidings…..

He is Risen! The Tomb is Still empty….

Do you believe or does it still seem like an idle tale?

Held a one-agenda brief meeting with one of my staff. All I wanted was a feedback on his perception about me.

Needless to say that this was a very exciting meeting….

I chose this particular staff for this task because he is eloquent, focused (most times) and fearless (almost to a fault!).  He wasted no time in reeling out the areas of my life he considered inconsistent with his preconceived notions about how a boss should behave.

I was all ears….

He said ‘people’ think I am snobbish, controlling and arrogant! He quickly added that he does not necessarily share their perception of me because he thinks I am nice! Hmmm….  Amazing! Smart guy.I looked at him in awe. I thanked him profusely for the feedback.

Of the three issues he mentioned, only one was coming to me new; being arrogant! Throughout my university days and years beyond, my ears ‘leaked’ with talks of me presenting a snobbish appearance. The interesting part though is that I always received this feedback after sharing pleasant moments with the complainants, who always quickly added that I am a lot nicer close up than from afar. I’d usually just smile.  Then I’ll most times share with them how I spent months before my wedding practicing how to keep a smiling face. All my wedding photos came out with most of all of my 32 showing!

The issue of being controlling, I explained to my staff is a common and recurring decimal with people of excellence (*wink). Perfectionists tend to be controlling and most times end up micro managing people. I was not oblivious of my weakness in this area and I trust that the Holy Spirit is working on me. Amen.  One way he can help me become less controlling would be to always give every task the importance and urgency it demands/deserves, trying as much as possible to put distractions at bay  🙂

As I got home later that day, I narrated this meeting to my husband and asked if he’d describe me as arrogant? He responded with another question; ‘what is the difference between being snobbish and arrogant?’….

I spent the days that followed meditating on the outcome of my meeting with this young lad and on my husband’s response.The more I thought about their feedback, the more I wanted to burst out in laughter. Yes laughter, because these people don’t really know me. Looks can be deceptive… A few things I know about myself include that I am God fearing, sincere, and have integrity (being fair and just in all situations by God’s grace). I am true to myself.

But is life all about our perceptions about ourselves? Is there no room for what other people think about us?

I find that not many people are bold enough to tell others exactly what they think about them. I am learning to become one of such people! But I cannot promise to spare you if you share a very close relationship with me. My friends will always say; ‘when you want the truth, call Grace’. That’s something I am not very convinced I should let go of just like that… 🙂

Through my thinking sessions on these 3 issues recounted to me by my staff, the Holy Spirit reminded of Jesus’ question to his disciples at some point in His ministry;

“Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?”  (Matthew 16:13) KJV.

We may not go about asking everyone we meet what they think about us. But a good, sincere and genuine feedback can be a pointer to areas of weaknesses that we can partner with the Holy Spirit for improvement.

Hope you find that one person you can confidently listen to. But more importantly, hope you find your ‘Simon’ as Jesus did, that can say among other things, that you are truly God’s child.

But no matter what people say about you, the mirror of God’s word remains the truest reflection of who you truly are.

You only have to be constantly looking into that mirror….. and your transformation into a Christ-like nature is guaranteed!

Love Always

Grace Obomanu.