Mere Christianity

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

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!!!!!!!!!!

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

One Wish

If you could ask God for one thing and He guaranteed it would be immediately yours what would you ask for and why?

As i posed this question its only fair i answer it. I wish i was pure. Pure in my thinking, pure in my actions, pure in my desire to please the Lord. I desire to possess a body which is fit for the Holy Spirit to continually dwell in. A body free from sin. If there was one thing i could ask of the Lord, this is it. Purity.

Father i believe purity is also your desire for my life. Please grant me the strength to stay on this road and pull me back if (or is it when) i begin to stray.

Whatever is your "one wish" from the Lord, i pray He grants you your hearts desires in His time which am beginning to understand is always the best.

On a lighter note, as we approach the end of 2008, i wish everyone happy holidays and all the best.

Easy

Manna

"When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat."
Exodus 16:15

The children of Israel asked for food in the desert and when it came in the form of manna, they didnt recognise it. The Jews always wanted a messiah but when Jesus came they did not recognise Him. Can it be possible that our prayers are answered and we dont even know it? Can it be that we are asking for something and just because it doesnt arrive in the "gen-gen" package we wanted we dont notice it is here. I say this because at the start of the year i asked for God for a lot of things and as we approach it i feel as if nothing has happened. But if i look round, i have a lot to be happy about and grateful for. Especially as i dont deserve any of it.

Can it be that as we look for seismic shifts in our lives. We miss out on the incremental small steps. This bible verse sums it up:

Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.

His preparing us for the future. So the next time you pray make sure your prayer has not already been answered :)

Wish everyone a great week

Caging One's Demons

Ok. I know this isn't a topic that people like talking about but its one i think about a lot as its an area i have personal experience in. Now don't get me wrong. Am not talking about being possessed by demons, but instead areas of persistent weakness. There are some parts of our lives where we never fall, that we are not tempted by. But there are other areas of our lives were, to be honest, it doesn't take much. Battling these "demons" possess benefits and potential dangers. I personally believe these battles can serve as either keys to our destiny or the reasons for our downfall.

Facing and accepting one's demons is tough. But if you think the battle just starts there, forget it. Caging the demon is a very very long maybe even life-time struggle. But caging it we must because behind this lies our destiny. My journey is still on going but thought i should share the main lesson i've learnt so far. Learn to forgive yourself. This battle is long-term and just because you fall, doesnt mean you are failing. By constantly picking yourself up, you are building resolve which is necessary for the journey ahead.

We all have our crosses to bear. But ive also learnt that it is important to have someone who you can share the burden of carrying that cross with. A sort of accountability partner who will see you through. Give you encouragement in your time of despair. Strengthen you in your time of weakness and help you through the process.

The undercurrent of this blog has been this journey to the person God wants me to be. Its been a bumpy ride but i leave you with the words of Mary Mary which i believe is very apt.

I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
and I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me

I Love You

I am in love with God. When i look at my life and see all the close calls i have encountered, the stupid things i have done and still do, am amazed how God sees me in all my foolishness and still forgives me and blesses me. It is unreal. I honestly cannot fathom the depths of your love father. You really are a great God. I only wish i could be that forgiving to people who hurt me. To stop being judgmental when i see people whose crosses are different from mine. Father i know you desire to teach me steadfastness and discipline. I know why you want me to adopt these things in my life. Father i will continue to strive to show my love for you and do my best to uphold your commandments. I love you Father. Please always be near.

All I Really Wanted

"In my time of desperation
Came this simple revelation
That all I ever really wanted
Was you"

These lyrics were taken from a song by Donnie McClurkin and always pierce through my soul whenever i hear it. I know exactly what Donnie means. When its all said and done, after striving to keep up with the rat race and seemingly carry all the worlds problems, all we really want is to be surrounded by God's love and to experience His peace. I don't know how to explain it but whenever i feel God near me, i just feel at ease. I can rest in the comfort that despite all thats ahead of me, everything is gonna be alright. I wish i could live like this all day and always have Him by my side. The truth is He is always here. It is possible. Just have to remember to reach out to Him when things are starting to go "hairy". I love you Father. Always stay close to me!!!!!

Have a great week ahead peeps!!!!!!!!!

Better Late than Never

One thing i write a lot about on this blog is God's mercy and grace. Though repetitive, its probably the most important part of ones xtain life and God knows i need his mercy badly. Ive missed fellowshipping with my daddy. I missed our intimate moments. Ive been carried away with myself. Ive told him i wont be naughty anymore and will come back. Ive told him i wont fall again. And you know what. Ive broken every promise over and over again. The devil tries to tell you its over. You cant go back. He will never take you back. Not after what you did. Not after what you said. But all that are lies. I come before you Lord asking for your forgiveness for the millionth time. Not because i take you for granted but because i have no other choice. Where else can i really turn to? Only you have the keys to my soul and my redemption. Only you can save me from myself. Only you can guide me forward. Father, am lost without you. Take me back again. Cleanse me of all my unrighteousness. Bring me back to you.

Am not making any promises. I just want you to help me be the person You want me to be.

Thank you Lord!

Its all in my head

A few weeks back, i heard the Nelly song "over and over" and the lyric "its all in my head" sort of captured my state of mind. Over the last few weeks i have been engaged in what Joyce Meyer appropriately called the "Battlefield of the Mind". Ive been bombarded with and entertained negative thoughts. Ive let the devil get into my head and pollute it. Ive let him overwhelm me with his lies. Ive let him doubt my future and God's promises. I have fallen for his tricks and felt unworthy in God's presence. As i type these words now, am in the process of coming out of another of those spiritual lows that seem to last forever. Where you know God is with you, wanting the prodigal son back but for some strange reason cant seem to reach Him.

Father am here and ready to reach you again. Please take me back and lets continue from where we left off.

Easy peeps.

Searching for the Light

When "the dark side" takes over. When one seems to be stuck in some sort of rut. When there seems to be no escape no matter how much you crave for it or look for it. When you are confronted with the fragility and weakness of your own humanity. When you seem lost and empty and you dont know why? When you feel overwhelmed by the worlds problems? What do you do when the world seems like its caving around you? In the midst of the darkness, am searching for the torch light. But when i find it why do i want to turn it off again? Why do i want to stay in the dark even though i dont like it? Why am i fighting with the torch? Why cant i reach it and live it on?

Father i cant do this by myself. Please help me put on the light but more importantly, please help me leave it on. Shine your light into my darkness father and make me whole again.

Thanks

Lost at Sea

Amidst the waves of sin and doubt
I try to speak to You but the words don't come out
As i wrestle with my guilt and shame
Still cant stop playing with You this game
I run and hide
But still the tide overwhelms me
I desire to swim back to the boat
But part of me still loves to drift afloat these murky waters
As danger lurks beneath
I strangely seem drawn to it
Father save my hide from the tide
Please let the sandy bank find me

Going through the Motions

I haven't blogged in a while and strangely enough i had tonnes of stuff to write about. The last few months have been full of highs and lows. I enjoyed God's mercy and favour which i definitely did not deserve but ive been sort of drifting in my spiritual life lately. Feel away from God. Dont have the zeal i used to have seek Him. Not as thirsty as i used to be. Feel as if am just going through the motions. Like its a routine. Dont get moved at church anymore.Just feel like am missing a spark. Need a boost. A kick.

I suppose every xtian goes through a phase like this. A period when u feel u r drifting from God. And you feel distant from Him. The answer is simple. As i sit down here typing away, i can feel the answer screaming at me. "Just talk to Him. Let Him know how you feel". You know what? Am gonna do that now.

Easy peeps and nice to be back online.

Who is a Mature Xtian?

You know what. Sounds like a straight forward question right? But think about it for a sec? If someone asks you to define what it entails to be a mature xtian, what will you say?

We know its not perfection or an absolute state of sinlessness because we do not become perfect till we get to heaven. But we also know its definitely not worldly living. So, a mature xtian is somewhere between a saint and a sinner. But hold on. Isnt that like every xtain? So what does it mean to be a mature xtian. Is it just a numbers game? I sin less, pray more, meditate more so am more mature? Or is it something deeper than that?

Maybe its just a question of focus. I suppose focusing on one dimension (sin) is probably myopic. What about faith? Well i suppose its easier to have faith for external things outside your control that controlling what is inside you which really should be within your control. A sinless existence feels impossible. Like every xtian, i feel my members warring within me. My earthly vessel craves for things its knows it shouldnt do. It never relents. Its a 24hr operation to keep it in check. And if you slip up for a minute, it gets the better of you.

I suppose thats what it means. Spiritual maturity really is self-discipline. Your ability to master yourself, your thoughts, your desires and your actions despite provocation and temptation. The ability to build a impenetrable defense against the wiles of the enemy. To change your "default setting" from depravity to holiness. I have a long way to go. But hey suppose i can only take it one day at a time.

Father, i cant show you my works cos i can never merit your favour. But i can show you my heart. You know the intent of my heart which my actions betray. Have mercy on me Lord. Have mercy on me. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness. Restore me and put me back on track with you.

Thank you father for all you've done in my life. Please follow me on this walk every step of the way. Thanks father.