Christrospection

Time’s refreshing there’s a threshing hand are pulling off
I’m uncertain as I set it there’s a shaky thought
First the focus was the process and out of the box
Then we grooved into the tracks that they warned us about
Who hasn’t had to fake forgiveness cause Love is the boss

Weld my hands to them ploughs and comot the noise
Yah my Jireh and the dark is in both of the testaments
Both of the testaments
And my brethren are runners from different walks
Sparking through the throng, Jesus with the miracles
Jesus with the miracles

Zero till he did it
None till he gimme
Sometimes it hurts, but chasing is fun
Faith say he will finish
Blind to the seeming
Sound the horns, let the Word Ones wake

Time to wake the message in the hearts of many men
What was hard before can eat the ease of acumen
Born to start infernos, tongues of fire on their heads
I said Take the full armor, they said Take your meds

Weld my hands to them ploughs and comot the noise
Yah my Jireh and the dark is in both of the testaments
Both of the testaments
And my brethren are runners from different walks
Sparking through the throng, Jesus with the miracles
Jesus with the miracles

Niel Quchi
© 2023

The Fire of God’s Love

What is God’s love?

A good feeling of acceptance or a strong sense of protection from evil?

God’s love is characterised by a commitment to His creation. A commitment to groom, nurture, provide, care, and sustain. The Word says “For God so loved the world” not Christians. His love will be biased if it was only committed to His followers, His nature is void of segregation. He loves the world, He loves His creation and unlike man, His love for us is not based on how well we reciprocate. His love doesn’t diminish when we walk outside His will, it takes a U-turn and chases after us.

God’s love is patient, fierce and eternal. His love never runs out on us because it doesn’t depend on us to keep it fresh. As a matter of fact, we do not have the ability to nurture or sustain it. Our decision to dismiss or accept it does not affect its intensity.

When we read the Adam story, it is tempting to think that God pushed them out of His love and security because they disobeyed Him. On the flip side, God knew that the genealogy of Adam had to begin for Him to send His son to come and provide a channel through which our acceptance seals us eternally to His love. So no, He didn’t push them out, He drew them closer with forgiveness through the sacrifice of the blood of His son, and since we all were in Adam it applies to us too. It is why He says in Hebrews 8:12 “… I will remember their sins no more” because His blood bought us back eternally.

Let’s look at the concept of fire, it refines and destroys. Fire refines gold but is also capable of destroying life and property. Fire burns but also produces. It is true that after a great famine comes a great harvest, if only you let go of all you lost and work towards all you can produce. The question is, what have you decided to make of the heat you feel?

The beauty of salvation is the freedom of choice. God is always willing to refine us as long as we let Him destroy the insecurity we feel, the habits that do not serve our purpose, the jealousy that eats us up, the immaturity that hinders responsibility, the ignorance that hides us from the truth… The list might be endless but the outcome is sure. If we let Him destroy all that is not of Him in our lives, He refines and produces in us beyond our desires. God’swill Ezeonyeka once shared with me that “When God is with you in the fire, the fire is the safest place to be” it blessed me.

Listen friends, the reconstruction you seek will not happen unless you allow God to do the demolition. You cannot get charcoal until you burn wood and no matter how rich your ingredients are, you do not get a meal until you light up the fire.

Let it burn, let the fire of God’s love permeate your being, it is the only fire that truly refines.

Imani Dokubo
© 2023

Turns



A lot is cast
Many a times, wisdom proclaims
Life na tumbo tumbo
one way or another
The wheel spins to everyone’s direction
One or two a time

The sages said
“A good turn deserves another”
The owner of ages said
“Do good, even unto your enemies”
One way or another
The wheels spins to everyone’s direction
One or two a time

Games we played
Children in the streets
Home wasn’t far away
And the lessons out there
Didn’t make us fall short
We learnt to understand
The lot will one way or another
Fall on every player
The mix of pride and grief
When the wheel spins to one’s direction

One is the victor
Another the victim
Negotiating the future
To taste the sweetness of revenge
Or the pride of forgiveness
For when the lot is in favour
But before then, don’t tempt the gods
Your fears will betray you
And when the wheels spins
To one or two a time
Be sure to have The Lord as your lot


Pearlythoughtz
© 2022

Choose Right

A humming sound from the city beyond
Echoes of love from the promise land
Many be called, would we all respond?
For with gladness, pure joy, He beckons on us.

Redeeming grace through this wilderness
A stretched out arm with all willingness;
To help and to guide, would we leave our pride?
And reach for a grip or would we stoop to die?

Serene Atmosphere through this noisiness
A wind of peace in the chatters of Chaos
A sign post to a narrow gate, would you choose the path?
Or walk right past to your death alone?

Forgiveness trophy over bitter regrets
A resounding confidence it will all be gone,
Remind yourself no more. Would you choose to run?
Far from such past or ride along hate and keep fighting us?

All offers are free, no dime for the price
Good gift to receive, devoid of turpitude
Such pure salvation, would you rather lose your soul?
Or come now to Jesus; accepting the price He paid? 

– Jahzrhythm
©2021

YOU ARE A TRESPASSER!

On a certain Thursday morning, I busied myself in the kitchen trying to fix breakfast for the family. I was going to have a somewhat busy day; I had a little long list of things I wanted to check that day. I had heated the rice that had remained the day before, scheduling it for lunch for that Thursday, and I was making some chips of yam for breakfast. Prior to that day, I had discussed with my mum that we were going to have the rice for lunch; as a matter of fact, we had agreed upon that.

So while I worked in the kitchen, my mother went straight to the heated pot of rice sitting on the electric cooker and started to take her breakfast from it. I was taking out my first batch of yam chips from the pan. I didn’t find it funny, I really was furious. I didn’t like anyone ruining my plans. I asked her why she was offending me and she simply ignored me. She went on to help herself with some of the rice. I believe that had made me angry, all the more. However, I made up my mind not to nag about it. So I calmed myself down but that was not before I had given her a piece of my mind; I made it clear that I didn’t like what she had done.

By afternoon, I found my way around the serving of lunch and everyone including herself, had a portion to eat. I also had gone to the market to replenish the home supplies.

When I had returned from the market, my mum asked me to start preparing dinner. That was around 3:00 pm. I was tired and I had some writing to do. I also wanted to pray and read from the Bible all at the same time. So, I shook my head and I told her that I wasn’t going to do as she had instructed because I was tired. After I had rested and done all that I wanted to do, I started making dinner, my dinner preparation started at exactly 5:00 pm that evening.

I’ll cut the story short; I ended up serving dinner as late as 9:00 pm because I didn’t start on time. It was an indigenous dish which typically required a lot of time to prepare. Also, we usually have dinner at my home much earlier than that. What’s more, the dish was made from milled corn and this milled corn had a potential of going sour when kept for too long, my mother had warned me of that earlier. In addition to the fact that the dinner came late, the corn was bad. My mother was not in any way pleased. I had not intended to cause this problem; I felt I had my reasons but she didn’t find it funny. She also didn’t intend to ruin my plans for lunch when she took some of the lunch for breakfast. She tried to explain later; she said that she was really very hungry at the time and didn’t know that I had any batches of chips ready.

Here is my point:

We all fail. We are all bound to step on each other’s toes because no two people are the same and think exactly the same way. We should make room in our hearts for each other’s excesses.

Dear beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather GIVE PLACE UNTO WRATH: for it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.- Romans 12 vs 19, KJV.

 

Favour Omeje

©2019

Well done

You pray in formation
Beyoncé has to feature you in her next formation
Praises first, worship second
Forgive me Lord for I have sinned
Well done, ma

You give up on yourself
Because you keep running from Pillar to Post
Pillar of fornication
Post of prayer for forgiveness of sins
Your legs are weak
You imagine the lord must be tired of you
Tigers woods!
Well done, Sir!

You are told Jesus has forgiven you once and for all
But you argue you have to work out your salvation with fear and trembling
How is the walk going?
Are you trembling yet?
Wakajugbe!
Well done, ma!

You complicate simple English
And say there is more to believing than believing
That believing is not enough for eternal life if not backed up with works
Backup memory card!
Listen to yourself
Are you making any sense at all?
Well done, Sir!

You say Grace keeps one from sinning
Aunty stop sinning already
But you cannot
Is God’s grace not sufficient for you?
Now you say you have to strive to enter
You go wound oh
Well done, ma!

You call me heretic
That I preach a message from the pit of hell
A message that allows believers to lounge
Can we talk about this
Without you getting worked up and defensive?
Because I would like to see you without a York
Jackie!
Well done, Sir!

ChyD
© 2019