#EVERYDAYJESUS…reminds you

To keep writing to you [over and over] of the same things is not irksome to me, and it is [a precaution] for your safety.

Look out for those dogs [Judaizers, legalists], look out for those mischief-makers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.

For 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 hasor seems to have reason to rely on the flesh and his physical and outward advantages, I have still more!

Circumcised when I was eight days old, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew [and the son] of Hebrews; as to the observance of the Law I was of [the party of] the Pharisees; As to my zeal, I was a persecutor of the church, and by the Law’s standard of righteousness (supposed justice, uprightness, and right standing with God) I was proven to be blameless and no fault was found with me. But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [one combined] loss for Christ’s sake.

Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),

And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law’s demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith.

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.

I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. So let those [of us] who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also.

Only let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that.

GOD IN THE PROCESS…

As a kid in the Band of Hope, the children ministry arm of my maiden church, I was told that God is an all seeing, all knowing and all doing God. I was also told that God loves me and that I am the apple of His eyes. I was exposed to scriptures that validated this beliefs. I did not only assimilate these teachings, I believed them. I recited these scriptures almost on daily basis. I was reminded of them during the family devotions, at the benediction segment.

As I grew older, honestly, I began to question some of those things I was told in Band of Hope. I could not fathom why I would have to recite “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” during the family devotion and go to bed hungry. It did not make sense to me that I was told “The Lord shall supply all my needs…” and yet I would be flogged and driven home because my Dad had not paid my fees. It was a dramatic dilemma for me, trying to reconcile what I have been told and taught to be true with what I was seeing and experiencing.

I remember leaving my house chores and peeping through a neighbour’s window to watch television because my Dad could not afford one. Those days I used to stop by a barber’s shop on my way back from school to watch television. One of those days, I was watching a Nigerian home video titled ‘Karishika’ at the barber’s shop. The movie so engrossed me that I lost track of time and came back home late. You do not want to know what became of me back home.

Friends, what I am saying is that life can throw darts and arrows on you that makes you doubt if all you have come to believe about God still holds water. Situations confront you and you begin to wonder if God is still the ‘all seeing’, ‘all knowing’ and ‘all doing’ God that you have read about in the Bible. You may have gone through, and even be going through similar experiences as mine or worse. I have come to tell you that all of that is a process to bring out the best in you.

Because he knows the road on which I travel, when he had tested me, I’ll come out like gold

Job 23:10 (ISV)

Whatever you are going through is a process God is taking you through. He knows what is best for you and He will make you better for it.      

#THE PROCESS

Please share with others and let it bless them as it blessed you

Stay blessed.       
  

©TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIES
(Transforming the World through the Word)
http://www.transformingwordseries.wordpress.com

#EverydayJesus…is enough bread for eternity

Now for those of you who don’t like bread, I love bread. And in trying to explain the magnitude of his life to me; Father wrote me this:

The next day the crowd [that still remained] standing on the other side of the sea realized that there had been only one small boat there, and that Jesus had not gone into it with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away by themselves.

But now some other boats from Tiberias had come in near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

So the people, finding that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, themselves got into the small boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

And when they found Him on the other side of the lake, they said to Him, Rabbi! When did You come here?

Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, you have been searching for Me, not because you saw the miracles and signs but because you were fed with the loaves and were filled andsatisfied.
Stop toiling and doing and producing for the food that perishes and decomposes [in the using], but strive and work and produce rather for the [lasting] food which endures [continually] unto life eternal; the Son of Man will give (furnish) you that, for God the Father has authorized and certified Him and put His seal of endorsement upon Him.

They then said, What are we to do, that we may [habitually] be working the works of God? [What are we to do to carry out what God requires?]

Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger].

Therefore they said to Him, What sign (miracle, wonderwork) will You perform then, so that we may see it and believe and rely on and adhere to You? What [supernatural] work have You [to show what You can do]?

Our forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as the Scripture says, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.

Jesus then said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Moses did not give you the Bread from heaven [what Moses gave you was not the Bread from heaven], but it is My Father Who gives you the true heavenly Bread.

For the Bread of God is He Who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.

Then they said to Him, Lord, give us this bread always (all the time)!

Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).

But [as] I told you, although you have seen Me, still you do not believe and trust and have faith. All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me]. For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will and purpose but to do the will and purpose of Him Who sent Me.

And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I should not lose any of all that He has given Me, but that I should give new life and raise [them all] up at the last day.

For this is My Father’s will and His purpose, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in andcleaves to and trusts in and relies on Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day. Now the Jews murmured and found fault with and grumbled about Jesus because He said, I am [Myself] the Bread that came down from heaven.

They kept asking, Is not this Jesus, the Son of Joseph, Whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, I have come down from heaven?

So Jesus answered them, Stop grumbling and saying things against Me to one another. No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.

It is written in [the book of] the Prophets, And they shall all be taught of God [have Him in person for their Teacher]. Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to Me— Which does not imply that anyone has seen the Father [not that anyone has ever seen Him] except He [Who was with the Father] Who comes from God; He [alone] has seen the Father. I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me] has (now possesses) eternal life.

I am the Bread of Life [that gives life—the Living Bread].

Your forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and [yet] they died.

[But] this is the Bread that comes down from heaven, so that [any]one may eat of it and never die. I [Myself] am this Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever; and also the Bread that I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (body).

Then the Jews angrily contended with one another, saying, How is He able to give us His flesh to eat?

And Jesus said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, you cannot have any life in you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood [unless you appropriate His life and the saving merit of His blood]. He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has (possesses now) eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day. For My flesh is true and genuine food, and My blood is true and genuine drink. He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood dwells continually in Me, and I [in like manner dwell continually] in him.

Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father, even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me] shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me.

This is the Bread that came down from heaven. It is not like the manna which our forefathers ate, and yet died; he who takes this Bread for his food shall live forever.

He said these things in a synagogue while He was teaching at Capernaum.

When His disciples heard this, many of them said, This is a hard and difficult and strange saying (an offensive and unbearable message). Who can stand to hear it? [Who can be expected to listen to such teaching?]

But Jesus, knowing within Himself that His disciples were complaining and protesting andgrumbling about it, said to them: Is this a stumbling block and an offense to you? [Does this upset and displease and shock and scandalize you?]

What then [will be your reaction] if you should see the Son of Man ascending to [the place] where He was before?

It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life.

But [still] some of you fail to believe and trust and have faith. For Jesus knew from the first who did not believe and had no faith and who would betray Him and be false to Him.

And He said, This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him [unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father.

After this, many of His disciples drew back (returned to their old associations) and no longer accompanied Him.

Jesus said to the Twelve, Will you also go away? [And do you too desire to leave Me?]

—-——-——-

In case you want to focus on the whole bread analogy… Go ahead.
But know this, there is infinitely more in here than you can unearth in one day…so eat, dig, chew…because #EverydayJesus…is enough bread for eternity

MOVE

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Time ticks off, falls flat to crimson curvature with space’s sunset
I look into you to feel free, lay down now at night’s short rest
Wishing it would last forever
So I’m mired in sleep-walking living free frigid spree, spin-spiralled skull
Schooled in conservative cram and crumple, effortless troublesomeness
Life for passer-by, five fingers stuck in cupped-pocket, cut-off chains
Self-made dungeon
Living?

To breathe is, for you, brief misery, soured serenade, multiple invariance
Shriek sharply, shrink shamefacedly, stop to turn away
But I’m calling out still: I love you, please stop staring from that distance…
Freshness breezes in with the relinquishing of safe-stand-style
Dare, and find fairness within, without, above and around
Let love flow freely, let your fear of it fall off, let the thaw be of it, not your heart’s

Love is a move, and the humblest play best
Love is life, everything brings a shade of this truth
Even evenings darkened by bin-spinning dins, singing fateful dirge-like sounds
The absence tells of it, quietly, loudly
The presence is uplifting, gifting enrapturing, enlivening
So let the feet steal the march on fear
The crafter of the galaxies stands less than a breath away
He wants to fly through you
Give you to Him, watch love win, see trembling die, know courage
Live life strong, if calmly, steer home to forever
From a priceless touchdown moment
Now.

‘ME’….

When last did you sit and consider, ‘Maybe the problem is really me’?

No, really! Forget the cliché and think of the reality that maybe that ghost you keep running away from is ‘me’….

Your shadow distorted by the dim light of deception, a darkness that so easily besets you…

No, really! I need you to think and remember that time someone pointed out that flaw and you said ‘No! no that’s not what I do’…..

You remember ‘I don’t wanna hear about this any longer you’re making me sick with this argument’ and all the while you’re the only one talking or well you and yourself because the words around you can’t be louder than the voices in your head so instead you tell every one else to shut up knowing fully well that the real person to be hushed is you….

Make no mistake ‘me’ does not just affect the heathen so don’t confuse the call to come out from among them as a message of isolation from just people, it was a call to slowly, painfully but eventually break free from ‘me’…

Don’t do that! Don’t you dare go back on that deluded lane, can’t you see it has left you in doubt and utter denial for so long? Who told you that the issue is the devil…

Oh yeah right I figured it was ‘me’ giving you all the power you needed to push the blame on the very accuser you empowered by your fears and insecurities.

Well the good news is that the victory is in the consciousness, faith does not deny the problem but it enables a recreation. ‘Yes I was convicted but by his blood I am acquitted no longer bound to ‘me’ because you are raised in and with Him

By Abokhai Osione

QUICK QUOTEs

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace

-Jerry Bridges.

HOPE AND THE LONGING

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I love you, but I can’t tell you so
I’m too proud of my castle, my stick-to-it place
I burn here in summer’s heat, freeze in winter’s chill
But I can’t tell you that I love you
I’m too afraid of love
I’m too afraid I’ll be disappointed
I’m scared it’ll fail

So we are separated
You’ve made me offers, I’ve looked hard at them
They seem sweet at times, tortuous moments later
You are a wonder and a strict blunt plainness
You are beautiful beyond measure
Too beautiful; I cringe and hide from your face, cos its too fair

You make demands I can’t fulfill
You tell me you’re for me, but I must give up first
I have nothing apart from my little castle, my heart’s small corner
Life’s ravages have stolen all else
My disappointments have eaten away at every other field
How can I finally die, just to come alive?

You are my longing, though my mind seldom recognizes this
This fight must end, this weary heart must find rest
So I give in to you nevertheless
If you’ve been this patient, you must truly care as you say
I’ve wanted not to hope
But hoping in you is the only chance I have
To stay alive.

EVERDAY JESUS is the truth

Em… I don’t think I can say this too…much.

Although no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving)(2Peter1:20), Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.(2Timothy3:16)

You are that ‘man of God’!!!

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.(Proverbs 3:5-7)

In case you think ‘evil’ is ambiguous or even overt, know this; This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger]. (John 6:29), whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful].(Romans 14:23).

So before you eat up them quotes and inspirational snacks…Ask yourself…

Would Jesus agree?