Tag: transforming

TWS- THE EAGLE’S WAY

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The Eagle gives us a perfect picture of how effective Rehab can be. The Eagle can live up to Seventy (70) years. To live this long, it goes through a process in its life. This process is not an easy one, it is a painful one.
The talons of an Eagle works properly for Forty (40) years. After Forty (40) years, its talons become weak. Thus, the Eagle will be unable to grab a prey. Its long and sharp beak also becomes bent. Its thick feathers become stuck to the chest due to its heavy wings. This makes soaring difficult. At this point in its life, it is left with only two (2) options; either to give up and die or go through a painful process of changes that lasts for about five (5) months.
If the Eagle chooses to live, it flies to the top of a mountain and sits on a nest. The first thing the Eagle does is to strike its beak against a rock so it can pull out. When that is done, it waits for a new beak to grow. The next process is to pluck out its talons. As in the first process, it waits for new talons to grow back. The third process is the plucking out of old and thick feathers, and also wait for them to grow back.
When all these painful processes are completed, the Eagle will then wait for Five (5) months to recover and renew its strength. It can then soar again and enjoy a renewed life for another thirty (30) years.
We are getting there.
Stay blessed.

#REHAB

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

TWS-SPRINGBOARD

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For every symbolic event in history, there is a defining moment. A lot of activities could contribute to culminate that historic event, but there is always this moment when it will be conspicuous that history will be made.

The 78th minute goal scored by Victor Ikpeba during the 1996 Olympic semi final game between Nigeria and Brazil was obviously the defining moment of that historic game.

During the historic marathon race of 1960, the defining moment in that race was the sight of the Obelisk of Axum by Abebe Bikila as he strode towards the finish line. For a great part of the game, he tried to keep abreast of the race favourite. But the sight of that statue became his springboard to writing his name in the history books.

Out of all the things going on in your life now, there is that particular one that is your springboard to victory and greatness. You will need to pray for sensitivity in order to make the most out of it. That difficult situation you are in today that has brought you to the point of almost throwing in the towel, could just be the spring board to victory. Hang in there, don’t give up yet, you are just one step away from winning. Just step on the spring board and win.

Stay blessed.

#REHAB

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

TWS-BARE FOOTED

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History was made in Rome during the 1960 Olympics. It was historic for so many reasons.

For sixty four (64) years of modern Olympics, no Sub-Sahara African had won gold in any category of the tournament. This was the Olympic game that re-wrote that history book. Abebe Bikila became the first Sub-Sahara African to win gold at the Olympics in the marathon category.

To ice the cake, he ran the race bare footed. The odds were highly against him. As a matter of fact, he was not originally billed to be at the tournament. He was only added to the Ethiopian Olympic team at the last moment, as a replacement for Wami Biratu, who was seriously ill.

Adidas, the shoe sponsor at the 1960 Summer Olympics, had few shoes left when Bikila went to try out shoes and he ended up with a pair that didn’t fit comfortably, so he couldn’t use them.
He beat the odds and set a record that was unassailable.

Let me pause and tell you that no matter the odds, you can still WIN! The odds may be against you, you may have come from an impoverished background, or you seem not to have the right qualifications. I have a God, who can take you from the backside of nowhere and place you in the midst of nobles. 
He is my God! 

He is your God!! 

He is our God!!!
Halleluyah!

Stay blessed.

#REHAB

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

TWS-THE OBELISK OF AXUM

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During the Second World War, towards the end of 1935, Italian troops invaded and conquered Ethiopia. During their raid, they made away with a statue known as the Lion of Judah, a bronze statue and symbol of the Ethiopian monarchy. Alongside this statue was another statue of national importance to the Ethiopians, the Obelisk of Axum. Both Statues were taken as war booty by the Italian troops in their conquest of Ethiopia.
The Obelisk of Axum stood tall at the Porta Capena square during the historic 1960 Olympics in Rome. As a matter of fact, the Marathon route was planned to show the world as much as possible of Rome’s architecture, splendour, and history. Therefore, the race designed to neither start nor end at the Olympic Stadium. 
On the path of this Marathon route stood this over 1000 years, 24 meter and 160 tonnes Obelisk of Axum. This statue turned out to spark a history defining moment in the Olympics competition.
Stay with me, we are on a very interesting journey.

Stay blessed.

#REHAB

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

TWS-FIRST HURDLE PASSED!

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I have come to believe that life is a race. As a matter of fact, the race starts even before life on earth begins. What am I saying? I am talking about the race that happens before one is born. The fiercest and most abrupt race ever.

Picture this:

A race involving sixty million athletes and only one has to win. It is fierce as the rest of the athletes, who did not win, dies. There is no second chance to compete in another race.

Well, if you are reading this, then you won that race. I want to congratulate you for making it into the main tournament. You passed the first hurdle.

It would have been safe to say that if you won that race, then the main tournament should be a piece of cake. But no, you are now in a race where the rules are extremely different. It is the main tournament. Brace up for the challenge.

We are going somewhere.

Stay blessed.

#REHAB

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

JUST DIE (MY LETTER TO THE STRUGGLER)

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Dear Struggler,

This is going to be a long letter but I beseech you to read every word of this. I am trusting God to use it and help you.

Easter is one remarkable season to Christian faithfuls as it commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Over the years, preachers and writers alike have done phenomenal jobs telling and retelling the story that can be referred to as a very important biblical folklore. This story took on a somewhat wider reaching dimension when it was told using motion pictures. One of those movies was “The Passion of The Christ”, which you must have watched.

Moving forward, I particularly at some point was a little concerned with the way this story was told over the years and its intended effect. At one time, this story becomes so compelling that it calls for sober reflections. At another time, it is told in a way that it scares people away from its true essence. I guess it must have covered you with goose pimples when it was told. Howbeit, this is the greatest story ever told.

I will not bore you with details because I assume you are conversant with this story; from the betrayal, to the arrest, to the denial, to the trial, to the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. You really did not need to have been born again to be able to tell that story. So I will not dwell here, I will move this thing forward.

Like you, I thought I was used to the story and all of its significance. But God set to show me a part of this love story that swept my feet off the ground. I never really paid attention to this part, but God took me there. It is found in Matt. 27:54 and I will quote from the New King James Version:

Now when the centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the son of God.

I will come back to that text but, let me take you a little back in time to a board meeting Jesus had with His disciples in- Matt 16:13-19. By this time Jesus had done a lot of miracles at different times and places. He had taught the people things that were not conventional with the way the teachers of the law taught them. As a matter of fact, by this time, He had not told anyone yet who he really was. However, he knew (possibly by instinct) that people were saying a lot of things about Him. Here He was, trying to know who people are saying that He was.

This situation may not be a stranger to you. You do your best to keep abreast with the personality you put out with every rise in popularity. As you carry out your assignment and carry yourself as a Christian, somewhere in your mind you hope that people are seeing you for who you really are. You take out time to check on what people around you are saying about you. I am not saying it is a bad idea, even Jesus found Himself in that place where He wanted to know what people are saying about Him.

Well, Jesus’ survey showed that people where seeing him, not for who he really is but in the light of what they see him do. They saw Him as a prophet because they were used to prophets performing all manner of signs and wonders. They did not see Him as The Son of God. As a matter of fact, He was addressed as The Son of God on two occasions prior to this board meeting: The demons that possessed the Man at Gergesenes and the disciples when they saw Him walk on water. Outside the disciples, no other person saw Jesus as The Son of God (Even John, the Baptist, doubted the son-ship of Jesus at some point). When He declared it before the high priest, He was tagged as a blasphemer (Matt. 26:63-65). While on the cross, people mocked Him with it. His declaration of the truth that He was The Son of God was not enough to make the people other than His disciples believe it.

Let me take you back to the text. As I dwelt on this part of the greatest love story ever told, I could not help but ask:

WHY DID PEOPLE WAIT FOR JESUS TO DIE BEFORE ACKNOWLEDGING HIM AS THE SON OF GOD?

Is it not interesting that the Centurion and the other people around declared Jesus The Son of God just after He gave up the ghost?

I simply wrote this long letter to submit to you that your place in God can only be relevant to humanity if you can JUST DIE to yourself and be alive in God. That way, you neither need argue with people about who you are nor do a survey to know if people really get it that you are a Child of God. Jesus had to die to His flesh, when He gave up the ghost on the cross, for men who are without to come to know him as The Son of God that He is. I do not doubt that you have been born again, but yet people cannot identify you as such. JUST DIE to your flesh and be alive in Christ (Rom. 8:13-14, Col. 3:1-6).

As I drop my pen, I want to ask that you pass this letter to other people when you are done reading it. Understand that you are not the only one struggling right now, there are billions of people that needs this letter.

Thanks and God bless you.

Your friend,

Ibeh Uche Sam

©TRANSFORMING WORDS SERIES
http://www.transformingwordseries.wordpress.com