I recently completed reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis and it really is a fantastic read. It contained great insights which i thought would be a good idea to share with everyone. Enjoy.
"In the same way, a christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over after each stumble"
"But the christian thinks any good he does comes from the Christ-life in him. He does not think God will love us because we are good but that God will make us good beacuse He loves us"
"When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him"
"God knows our situation, He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perservance of our will to overcome them"
"After each failure, ask for forgiveness, pick yourself up and try again. Very often what God first helps us toward is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again"
"We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven. The only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection"
"Pride leads to every other vice. It is the complete anti-God state of mind"
"Pride gets no pleasure out of having something only out of having more of it than the next man"
"If you think you are not conceited, it means you are you are very conceited indeed"
"If you read history, you will find that christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next"
"We never find out the strength of the evil impulse, inside us until we try to fight it"
"God looks at you as if you were a little Christ. Christ stands beside you to turn you into one"
"I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self but to kill it"
"The only help I will give is help to become perfect. You may want something less but I will give you nothing less"
"You must realise from the outset that the goal towards which He is beginning to guide you is absolute perfection; and no power in the whole universe except you yourself, can prevent Him from taking you to that goal"
"We may be content to remain what we call "ordinary people" but He is quite determined to carry out a different plan. To shrink back from that plan is not humility, it is laziness and cowardice. To submit to it is not conceit or megalomania; it is obedience"
"You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself"
"The change will not be completed in this life for death is an important part of the treatment"
It really is a great book and will definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more.
Take care
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Boundless Love
The one thing am learning as i progress in the xtain walk is the depth of God's love for us. I mean its immense and overpowering. You always like He cant forgive me now. Not again. Not after what i've done. And then He turns around and blesses you. Over and over again. After a while you feel like Father, please stop, i feel too guilty. Please stop. But He doesnt. It gets to a point when you just say Father i accept your love for me. I cant promise i will always be good but that I will always be with you. Please dont let me wander out of the boundaries of your love. Bring me back to you.
Its been a while since my last blog post. I intend to be more active as from now on. Wish everyone a great week ahead!!!!!!!!!!
Its been a while since my last blog post. I intend to be more active as from now on. Wish everyone a great week ahead!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Permanent Cure or Constant Medication
Everyone has weaknesses they struggle with which are sources of pain. My struggle with my individual failings have always been a major focus of my Christian life. I’ve prayed, cried, meditated, fasted but its still there. The thing is, I have been asking God for a cure. For it to just disappear. But am coming to the realisation that there is a possibility this weakness might never go away. Which leads to my critical question. Should i be expecting a permanent cure for my weakness i.e. DELIVERANCE or depend on constant medication i.e. FORGIVENESS, MERCY and GRACE?
After much consideration i believe each of these positions are neither here nor there. Overall, i have to believe that my weakness is there for a reason and is supposed to serve some divine purpose in my life. I just have to figure out what it is trying to teach me and work on it. What root issue it is trying to fix. But i need to have faith that my deliverance is assured and there is sufficient medication to keep me together until my deliverance comes.
Father, forgive me of all the wrong i've done. You know i wish i could always be right with You even though sometimes i don't want to be. Help me Father to keep your tenets but more importantly, help me to keep pressing forward irrespective of my progress or lack of it.
Thank you Father for all you have done in my life. Continue to keep me close to You. I need you now more than ever.
Love You
After much consideration i believe each of these positions are neither here nor there. Overall, i have to believe that my weakness is there for a reason and is supposed to serve some divine purpose in my life. I just have to figure out what it is trying to teach me and work on it. What root issue it is trying to fix. But i need to have faith that my deliverance is assured and there is sufficient medication to keep me together until my deliverance comes.
Father, forgive me of all the wrong i've done. You know i wish i could always be right with You even though sometimes i don't want to be. Help me Father to keep your tenets but more importantly, help me to keep pressing forward irrespective of my progress or lack of it.
Thank you Father for all you have done in my life. Continue to keep me close to You. I need you now more than ever.
Love You
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Cry Freedom.
Freedom is a concept mostly associated with captivity in a physical location like a jail, prison or some remote location in the Niger Delta. But what about the other intangible prisons we live in. Prisons where our physical movements are not restricted but our spiritual development is. Prisons of guilt. Prisons of bad habits. Prisons of negative thoughts.
I have thought for many times that ive been freed from these cells. But time after time, i see myself walk back into them and voluntarily put on my shackles again. Why? I dont know. Is it that am so used to the prison that am scared of the outside world? Am i unsure of what my new life could be? What this new exciting world could offer me? Can the love of the familiar really be that strong?
While i still seek the answers to these questions, am comforted by the fact that despite my actions i am indeed free. My stay in the spiritual jail house is solely at my discretion. I can walk in and out as i please. Am not being held against my will. I DECIDE WHEN TO GO IN AND WHEN TO GET OUT.
No matter what happens, the fact is Jesus has paid the ultimate price for my freedom. I might stumble and fall. Make mistakes. Backslide. Fill my head with nonsense. But the fact still remains. I am free indeed. Am too strong for the shackles to keep me down. It really is the time to cry FREEEEEEEEDOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Take care peeps.
I have thought for many times that ive been freed from these cells. But time after time, i see myself walk back into them and voluntarily put on my shackles again. Why? I dont know. Is it that am so used to the prison that am scared of the outside world? Am i unsure of what my new life could be? What this new exciting world could offer me? Can the love of the familiar really be that strong?
While i still seek the answers to these questions, am comforted by the fact that despite my actions i am indeed free. My stay in the spiritual jail house is solely at my discretion. I can walk in and out as i please. Am not being held against my will. I DECIDE WHEN TO GO IN AND WHEN TO GET OUT.
No matter what happens, the fact is Jesus has paid the ultimate price for my freedom. I might stumble and fall. Make mistakes. Backslide. Fill my head with nonsense. But the fact still remains. I am free indeed. Am too strong for the shackles to keep me down. It really is the time to cry FREEEEEEEEDOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Take care peeps.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Guilt and Grace
I recently read a book by Derek Prince on "Spiritual Warfare" and it mentioned something i found particularly interesting. Amongst other things, it spoke of how guilt is the weapon of choice for the devil to frustrate our walk with God. I have personal experience of how guilt makes you feel unworthy to come into God's presence. But this is quite funny because if you think of it, can we ever be worthy to come into God's presence? Only for the grace of God can we ever approach the Lord no matter how sinful or sinless we believe we are.
I personally believe that the grace of God is the greatest gift God has ever given us. Greater than houses, spouses, cars, jobs, cash. All that is worthless when you compare it to the power of forgiven sin. To be honest, all i want to do is walk in the grace of God. Its freely available for all of us to reach for. Being cleansed of sin is such an uplifting experience. We should never let our failings and failures get us down. We should not let the devil still have a hold on us after he successfully tricks us. When those feelings of guilt surface, we should look at him and say "YOU MIGHT HAVE WON THAT LAST ROUND. BUT THIS FIGHT IS NOW OFFICIALLY OVER. I HAVE ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS. IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME. GOD'S GRACE HAS WASHED AWAY MY SIN. I WIN. GET LOST!!!!!!!!"
The battle is the Lord's. With God's grace on our side all we have to do is stay in the fight and he will take care of the rest. So the next time you feel guilt just remember "GRACE".
Easy peeps
I personally believe that the grace of God is the greatest gift God has ever given us. Greater than houses, spouses, cars, jobs, cash. All that is worthless when you compare it to the power of forgiven sin. To be honest, all i want to do is walk in the grace of God. Its freely available for all of us to reach for. Being cleansed of sin is such an uplifting experience. We should never let our failings and failures get us down. We should not let the devil still have a hold on us after he successfully tricks us. When those feelings of guilt surface, we should look at him and say "YOU MIGHT HAVE WON THAT LAST ROUND. BUT THIS FIGHT IS NOW OFFICIALLY OVER. I HAVE ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS. IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME. GOD'S GRACE HAS WASHED AWAY MY SIN. I WIN. GET LOST!!!!!!!!"
The battle is the Lord's. With God's grace on our side all we have to do is stay in the fight and he will take care of the rest. So the next time you feel guilt just remember "GRACE".
Easy peeps
Monday, February 02, 2009
Create in me a Clean Heart
I bumped into this passage today which just encapsulates my mood right now. I know how David felt in this psalm. Here we go. Wish everyone a great week ahead.
PSALMS 51:1-4
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of thy deliverance.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
16 For thou hast no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in thy good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19 then wilt thou delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on thy altar.
PSALMS 51:1-4
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of thy deliverance.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
16 For thou hast no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in thy good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19 then wilt thou delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on thy altar.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
A Prayer for Forgiveness
Father, have mercy on my soul
For failing you in the heat of the battle
For preferring the cisterns of the flesh to your heavenly waters
For doing my will without regard to yours
I know You taught me better
Be gracious to me Daddy and come back
I long for your presence
I am nothing without You
Just a lost pathetic carnal man
Please fill the missing piece in my heart
And make me whole again
Daddy, please make me whole again
You know I love You
Please let my actions in the heat of the battle
Profess this love which I freely express
Thank you Daddy for your grace
Amen
For failing you in the heat of the battle
For preferring the cisterns of the flesh to your heavenly waters
For doing my will without regard to yours
I know You taught me better
Be gracious to me Daddy and come back
I long for your presence
I am nothing without You
Just a lost pathetic carnal man
Please fill the missing piece in my heart
And make me whole again
Daddy, please make me whole again
You know I love You
Please let my actions in the heat of the battle
Profess this love which I freely express
Thank you Daddy for your grace
Amen
Monday, January 19, 2009
Attack – The Best form of Defence
Ephesians 6:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace;
16 besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
19 and also for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
My last post included a quote from Noel Jones book “The Battle for the Mind” stating “the mind is the seat of all spiritual and carnal conflict”. I’ve been thinking a lot about my strategies to fighting this battle. Ephesians 6 clearly states we are fighting principalities and powers. Scary as it sounds. I believe this 100%. However, I noticed that I’ve always played a defensive strategy in this respect. I’ve let the let the wiles of the devil get to me and then start to mount my defence. By then, it’s normally too late.
However, I have come to realise that offence is the best form of defence. Rather than wait for the devil to turn up. I should take the battle to him. I need to go to his backyard and remind him who my daddy is. How he has no power over me and how I’ve got God watching my back. To be honest, I used to be scared of the devil. Didn’t want to disturb him so he wont disturb me. Like having an uneasy truce. But for me to advance in this xtian walk, I need arm myself with the full armour of God and join in the battle against the spirits of darkness. You cant do neutral Switzerland. There is no hiding place. If there is a calling of God on your life, you can expect the devil to be there to ensure that calling is not heeded. Our job is not just to fend him off but to take the battle to Him. The passage below, lets us know we can. Take care peeps.
Luke 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace;
16 besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
19 and also for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
My last post included a quote from Noel Jones book “The Battle for the Mind” stating “the mind is the seat of all spiritual and carnal conflict”. I’ve been thinking a lot about my strategies to fighting this battle. Ephesians 6 clearly states we are fighting principalities and powers. Scary as it sounds. I believe this 100%. However, I noticed that I’ve always played a defensive strategy in this respect. I’ve let the let the wiles of the devil get to me and then start to mount my defence. By then, it’s normally too late.
However, I have come to realise that offence is the best form of defence. Rather than wait for the devil to turn up. I should take the battle to him. I need to go to his backyard and remind him who my daddy is. How he has no power over me and how I’ve got God watching my back. To be honest, I used to be scared of the devil. Didn’t want to disturb him so he wont disturb me. Like having an uneasy truce. But for me to advance in this xtian walk, I need arm myself with the full armour of God and join in the battle against the spirits of darkness. You cant do neutral Switzerland. There is no hiding place. If there is a calling of God on your life, you can expect the devil to be there to ensure that calling is not heeded. Our job is not just to fend him off but to take the battle to Him. The passage below, lets us know we can. Take care peeps.
Luke 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
In Pursuit of Purity
Pastor Noel Jones preached at the 2nd service on the Sunday after The Experience and i felt inspired and was determined to catch up on his writings. I stumbled on a book he wrote called "The Battle for the Mind" at Laterna Ventures and it was a fantastic read. The 1st chapter was full of insights which i would like to share with everyone:
"The mind is the seat of all spiritual and carnal conflict"
"Whenever someone responds to the internal motivation of the Word and comes to God, while at the same time ceases to react to the external stimulus of the world, he will encounter resistance and turmoil"
"The only altar you can lay your troubles is the altar within you. If God is in you, then He is the one who introduces the conflict in order that when you meet God at the place of surrender (the altar),He can begin to replace those things that have always caused conflict between your carnal or sinful desires and the will of the spirit."
"It is important to understand that your battle is not with the devil; it is with God, for God has set you up, through the introduction of conflict into your life, in order to bring you to a place of maturity"
"...indeed, man's depravity make his helpless evil behaviour prerequisite for the grace of God. It is his powerlessness to change himself that qualifies him to receive empowering presence that we call grace"
My last post of 2008 spoke of my desire for purity. This is my desire for this year. To make significant progress in the battle between my spiritual and carnal self. I have already found out in the first few days of this year that this is not going to be a sissy fight but an all out war. Believe me. I now fully understand the verse "The Kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force". My deliverance from my carnal self is not going to be easy. I have accepted this and have braced myself for what lies ahead.
I wish everyone a fantastic 2009.
Easy
"The mind is the seat of all spiritual and carnal conflict"
"Whenever someone responds to the internal motivation of the Word and comes to God, while at the same time ceases to react to the external stimulus of the world, he will encounter resistance and turmoil"
"The only altar you can lay your troubles is the altar within you. If God is in you, then He is the one who introduces the conflict in order that when you meet God at the place of surrender (the altar),He can begin to replace those things that have always caused conflict between your carnal or sinful desires and the will of the spirit."
"It is important to understand that your battle is not with the devil; it is with God, for God has set you up, through the introduction of conflict into your life, in order to bring you to a place of maturity"
"...indeed, man's depravity make his helpless evil behaviour prerequisite for the grace of God. It is his powerlessness to change himself that qualifies him to receive empowering presence that we call grace"
My last post of 2008 spoke of my desire for purity. This is my desire for this year. To make significant progress in the battle between my spiritual and carnal self. I have already found out in the first few days of this year that this is not going to be a sissy fight but an all out war. Believe me. I now fully understand the verse "The Kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force". My deliverance from my carnal self is not going to be easy. I have accepted this and have braced myself for what lies ahead.
I wish everyone a fantastic 2009.
Easy
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