THE FACELESS FACE

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Shadows darken, not behind the door
Thickened clouds, I see a creature

Could it be what I think, sweat running down my legs, chill bumps charging my spine. I look Closely, It’s a man. Stuck firmly to the ground like the mahogany, his face an expression of terror, he must be pure evil. His legs widely apart and hands around his waist, like the giants that lived at the beginning of time, he sure looks like Goliath. With red hot eyes piercing through the farthest me, my soul ready to stroll. I knew immediately that I wasn’t getting through that door at least not with him standing at it’s post ready to strike whoever tried.

I drew close, slow but close

My mind, filled with thoughts of ‘what ifs’. What if he hit me badly that I’d never walk again, what if he’s death in person, what if he’s reality, my fate, my life unavoidable. It feels like he’s got an… an enchanted hold on me. I change my mind about going further. Back to where I was, I run as fast as I can just to make sure he never gets to me. I need this, I say to myself. I’ve got to go through that door,I’ve got to snap out of this hellhole.
It’s like chains holding me. Here I am, surrounded by four walls like forever, never been outside it, but here is the door to rescue, widely open to get through. Indecisive of what to do, standing in view is he, staring, ready to shred to pieces. Shred me to pieces. Confused, the devil or the red sea, which do I choose: return to Egypt, live with pain and regrets or be swallowed up by the red sea, which ever, I’d die eventually.
As I ponder, he waits. Suddenly I start to run, but this time towards him with an increased energy, praying for a miracle to defeat ‘the big man’. with my trembling body, I get to the door. Taken aback, I can’t seem to find him. Where had he leaped to. Not even the slightest evidence of his existence and there on the door was boldly written

For GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US THE SPIRIT OF FEAR BUT OF POWER AND OF LOVE, AND OF A SOUND MIND.

Fear, that’s what he is. We all encounter him once in a while most especially when we’d want to venture into something big, or start something new or do something different or when we’d want to get out of something or face a situation. He seems to be there but isn’t,and never will be there. He is the ‘big man’ we create in our heads as oppositions to break out . He is the faceless
face that beats a man to the ground. Go through the door, which is Christ Jesus.

~Michelle Okonicha

#EVERYDAY Jesus carries our burdens

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1 Pet 5:7
“Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you”

Not too long ago, I was bothered about a textbook I lent to someone that I couldn’t remember. I was so worried. It wasn’t just any textbook. It was Physics! As soon as I caught myself in the act of worrying, I prayed. No, not praise-and-worship-speaking-in-tongue-3-hour-kinda prayer. I said a simple prayer asking Him for help in finding it and that was it. The worry was gone and I had peace.
Oh, did I find it? Yes, I did, that day to be precise.
We have needs and it’s very easy to magnify them even when we know that with Jesus, all these things can be sorted out. (I still fall prey to worrying atimes).
Jesus cares. He cares about those minute things we think don’t matter.  All we need to do is cast our problems at His feet and relieve ourselves of unnecessary heartache. What’s the catch? There’s no catch.
It’s that simple.

And even if He doesn’t care, He said,’Ask..seek…knock’ (Matthew 7:7)

He’s still faithful to his word…Everyday.

#EVERYDAYJESUS says Download!

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The Word of God does not return to Him void. It must accomplish His purpose for the sending. This means that when God uploads any file online, the file can never return to Him without someone downloading it. All we should do is to ensure that we were part of those that downloaded it. We are therefore supposed to have the data required for our download. Faith is our data!

Par exemplar,

If I want a video, I just get some data to download my video. In the same way, if I want a guitar, I look in my Bible to stir up or muster faith (data) that will enable me receive that which has been given. Given because in His Word everything was uploaded ‘online’.

I have everything I need in Jesus’ name. My father has uploaded everything that pertains to life and godliness. All that I need to do is to just download.

Besides every one of my download is free. Receiving is free because I have free access to do all my downloads. This license is the Name of Jesus. It is a Family heritage- if you know what I mean. So family lets download! Call it a game if you like.

 

 

 

WWF-What Is The Source Of Your Fear Of God?

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Isaiah 29:13
KJV:Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men
ESV:And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men
NIV:The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
AMP:And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips but remove their hearts and minds far from Me, and their fear and reverence for Me are a commandment of men that is learned by repetition [without any thought as to the meaning]

It is surely a terrible thing for one to have God’s fear as a result of man’s precept. Fearing God mainly by reason of man’s presentation of Him may not be helpful, and can be so detrimental. Let your fear of God be based on your personal encounter with God, while you are genuinely sincere with and cherishing the experience from your heart. That way you can always go on with the Lord through thin and thick, shine and rain, without necessarily having any brethren around you to cheer you on.

If all the fear of God you’ve known so far in your life is as a result of what man has told you, you are not doing yourself a good job. Honestly, you are not trying at all. When you will be up against boisterous storms of life, you might not be able to withstand with such knowledge. It takes personal encounter with the Lord to stand the test of times continually. Take your Christian race serious, and get into series of encounters with God continually. Let it be daily renewed. Believe the Lord Jesus Christ by what you also directly hear from Him (and not just what you know of Him from somebody), and make sure you are sincere with yourself from your heart in all things.

Remember God tries the reins. He searches the heart, to know the truth thereof. Do not try to hide from God. Many that do such are deceiving themselves into the awaiting destruction. See these:

Isaiah 29:15
Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

Isaiah 30:1
Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin

Coming back to our study:
Hear what these people said to the person that preached to them.

John 4:39-42
39
KJV: And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40
KJV: So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41
KJV: And many more believed because of his own word;
42
KJV: And said unto the woman, now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

But somebody may be thinking, I wish I could hear Jesus Christ directly like this people. Yes, you can. In our time, by faith, we hear Jesus Christ directly by meditating on God’s word for ourselves daily. Though sometimes the Lord may choose to reveal Himself to the individual in different kinds of visions, yet it is as He wills. So, don’t be praying for such visitation. Satan may transform himself and visit you. Anyway, let’s take a cue from the Bereans.

Act 17:10-11
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures DAILY, whether those things were so.

This is exactly how we go about it in our time. Remember Jesus Christ knows all about your whole life more than any man can. And most times many study God’s word with their own personal glasses on, and not Holy Spirit’s. And such may not perfectly present God to you. Of which we have many like that today. I say, therefore, meet with Jesus Christ directly for yourself, via His word, and by the help of the Holy Spirit. Reverence and fear Him for your personal encounter with Him, for surely, our God is a consuming fire. You are surely in the safest place knowing Him directly with all sincerity and genuine desire from your heart.

Shalom.

-Adebayo Funmi

#EVERYDAYJESUS is

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 So let it be clearly known and understood by you, brethren, that through this Man forgiveness and removal of sins is now proclaimed to you;

And that through Him everyone who believes [who acknowledges Jesus as his Savior and devotes himself to Him] is absolved (cleared and freed) from every charge from which he could not be justified and freed by the Law of Moses and given right standing with God.

…let no one sit in judgment on you in matters of food and drink, or with regard to a feast day or a New Moon or a Sabbath.

Such [things] are only the shadow of things that are to come, and they have only a symbolic value. But the reality (the substance, the solid fact of what is foreshadowed, the body of it) belongs to Christ.

Let no one defraud you by acting as an umpire and declaring you unworthy and disqualifying you for the prize, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions [he claims] he has seen, vainly puffed up by his sensuous notions and inflated by his unspiritual thoughts and fleshly conceit,

And not holding fast to the Head, from Whom the entire body, supplied and knit together by means of its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world’s crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world? [Why do you submit to rules and regulations?—such as]… the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.

We [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances.

Though for myself I have [at least grounds] to rely on the flesh. If any other man considers that he has or seems to have reason to rely on the flesh and his physical and outward advantages, I have still more!

I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg‘’ you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service,

Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.

Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit—just as there is also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received—

There is] one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of [us] all, Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and [living] in [us] all.

Nothing is [so closely] covered up that it will not be revealed, or hidden that it will not be known.

You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold,

But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.

It is true that He was chosen and foreordained (destined and foreknown for it) before the foundation of the world, but He was brought out to public view (made manifest) in these last days (at the end of the times) for the sake of you.

Through Him you believe in (adhere to, rely on) God, Who raised Him up from the dead and gave Him honor and glory, so that your faith and hope are [centered and rest] in God.

Since by your obedience to the Truth through the [Holy] Spirit you have purified your hearts for the sincere affection of the brethren, [see that you] love one another fervently from a pure heart.

You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God.

For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like [the] flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower drops off,

But the Word of the Lord (divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever. And this Word is the good news which was preached to you.