THINGS

             

Are you saved? Are you sure? Are you really sure? What is the evidence?

Are you saved because you said a prayer one time and asked Jesus into your heart? What happened after that?

Did your life change or you just went back to living the same way as before? What is the evidence of your salvation if you walk the same, talk the same and dress the same?

What is the mark that sets you apart as a child of God when you watch everything, listen to everything and say anything at anytime? How can you watch sin being paraded in front of you in the form of sitcoms and movies and series and games and laugh and enjoy it when your father hates sin?

Why are you so relaxed in that chair and in that bed and couch watching blood being shed in front of you and wickedness being perpetuated in the land? Why are you watching such stuff on your TV and computer and laughing and enjoying the sin and wickedness in the land instead of being broken and in tears that such things are happening?

So I ask again: Are you saved? What is the evidence when all your prayers are directed at removing those obstacles in the way of you getting what YOU want and what YOU desire? How can you say you are when since the day you were born again all you still desire from God is bread and butter and lentils and cucumbers and onions when HE is offering Himself in His fullness to you?

How can you tell me you had an encounter with God and yet your desires and your character remain the same? All you want is to fulfil your desires and all you want to hear from God is a watered down Gospel that says He will give you all you want and He will make your life comfortable and good and enjoyable. How is it possible that this is all you desire if you have truly encountered God? How can you struggle with the same sins over and over again since you became ‘born again’?

How can you keep being an infant, feeding on the milk of repentance everyday instead of growing in your knowledge of Him? How can you stay there when there is more, so much more waiting for you? How can your attention be so fixed on things that fade away when the author and finisher of our faith stands with His arms open wide calling you to come and seek Him and His kingdom first? Things that weigh you down distract you and so consume you that you forget that He is still there. Aren’t you tired?

Are you sure you have encountered God? Are you very sure? If a car were to run you over right this minute at full speed would you just get up and walk off without so much as a scratch or a bruise or pain to show for that experience? Wouldn’t there be a sign or a bruise or bandages for everyone to see and ask you what had happened to you?

Then how can you encounter the Living breathing, all powerful, all knowing creator and God of the universe, the one who holds the earth in His hands and can put all the waters of the sea into a teacup, and remain the same? How is it even possible?

So I ask again: Are you saved? I am not writing this to encourage you to continue in your ways. I came that you may know that the gate  is small and the way narrow that leads unto salvation and few find it. If you find yourself on the very broad road with everyone else ask yourself if you are truly in the right place. If not repent and seek the way, truth and life. He is the only one who can save you. Leave all these things and seek Him because he alone is worthy of all your attention. Stop focusing on these tiny inconsequential things and let them fade away as you fix your eyes on the only true God.

I pray that God Himself stirs your heart with a passion and brokenness so intense that you cannot help but to run back to Him. Pray also for me and for whoever shared this with you and for yourself as you share that after doing this we may not be found falling short of the standard that is Jesus Christ Himself.

The greatest of them all

Hiiiii! I hope you are all doing great!Its been quite a while.I have been working on so many projects that it has been tough to stay in touch, but I am back now(hopefully for good…lol).
Over the next few weeks I would like to share some information and inspiration with you in the form of real life stories about real people who have challenged me to become more than I was and I am now.These people may not seem too extraordinary to you who may know them, but they have helped form me with the help of God into the person I am now,and I believe you can also let their example challenge you to excellence.
I will mention the names of those who have given me permission to do so and will leave out personal details for those who would prefer to remain anonymous.Also keep in mind that some of this stuff will be just one time encounters or ongoing ones, but it is the effect they had on me that I am trying to capture on paper.
The first person is a man who has changed not just my life but countless others.He is a motivational speaker,a philanthropist,miracle worker,a change coach and refresher of life.I met him when I was very young and my life has not been the same since.He changed the way I thought, behaved and walked.
So many things about him challenge me,but the one thing that has totally revolutionized my life is his non selfish nature.He is such an epitome of love that he gave up all that was important to him in order to ensure that the dreams of others would become realities and their lives would be changed.I have decided to model my life after his because there is no better role model for me to follow.He is the person who challenged me to dedicate my life to helping others with my whole self.The One Cedi Foundation would not be in existence if not for this man.Everything I have done and am doing, I can say, was because he motivated me to dream of these things and to take action to see those dreams come to pass.
I used to dream only of making my family proud.That wasn’t bad in and of itself, but it was self centered.After meeting him I realized there was so much more I could do,so much that I had that could change the world, if I would only dream of making an impact, and he was right.I cannot imagine how mediocre my life would be if I hadn’t changed my dreams to those I have now.
I am grateful to him for so much and to day I would like to say thank you to him.This man is none other than Jesus Christ himself.With his life teachings,he transformed my mind.With his death and resurrection,he transformed my heart and my soul.I salute you,Lord!

A New Year.....But what is New?

Welcome to 2011, a new year with new challenges and experiences to enjoy. We begin every year in much the same way, with a lot of resolutions, hopes and dreams, some of which are fulfilled by the end of the year and most which never see the light of day. I know that a few of us are probably tired of the whole fuss that is made at the beginning of each new year especially since each year seems to just blur past in the same fashion of the previous year. I was one of those people until a few things changed my perspective.

First was a saying I discovered from Abraham Lincoln. He said that ‘The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time’. Entering the New Year I begun to make some plans and set some goals, however I became a little discouraged along the way, especially considering the fact that few of the plans I had made for 2010 had actually come to pass. I thought that since most of these plans were not going to be realities it was no use making them. After coming across this saying I begun thinking and realised that the future was a day at a time so I needed to achieve my plans a day at a time. For me that meant I needed to set daily targets or goals which would help me to achieve the goals I had set for the whole year.

Secondly I realised that one thing that had resulted in most of my hopes not coming to pass was my inability to translate my thoughts into action. As Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah said ‘A thought which does not result in an action is nothing much, and an action which does not proceed from a thought is nothing at all’. So I made the decision to be a person of action this year.

After all is said and done, 2011 is only as new as you decide it should be. It can be a new year for you, resulting in great accomplishments of your hopes and dreams, or it can be just like last year, with very few of your dreams coming to pass. In other words, the date may have changed but if you are going to be doing the same things in the same way, you are going to achieve the same old results. If you really want this to be a new year, try becoming a new person.

I wish you all a happy and prosperous new year filled with great accomplishments and fulfilled dreams, but always remember that ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever’. Catch you later!

Christmas already?!

Wow!I don't even know what to say.I mean it seems like only yesterday that I was making plans for 2010.Now 2010 is almost at an end.I have been trying to take stock of 2010,sort of a personal review mechanism and plan for 2011.What I realised was that God has been good to me this year and it has been a great year.This year I have learnt several invaluable lessons on life and I am really happy to have made it this far.
I have learnt,among other things,to bee patient and persevering but also to know when to let go.I have learnt to communicate more effectively this year and I have learnt the value of hard work.Above all else,I have learnt that God is faithful and HIS Grace will always be sufficient for me and for you as well.
As we spend Christmas and enter a new year,try and do a review of your year.Find out what you have learnt and where you have failed,but do not forget to count your blessings,for not everyone has got the opportunity that you have.Make use of every opportunity without wasting time because before you know it,the time for action will be past.
So what to say finally?Merry,Merry,Christmas and an Amazing new year!Don't forget to spread some cheer around this Christmas.Ciao!

The 21st Century Nazarite

THE NAZARITE LAW: ARE WE FOLLOWING IT IN THE HOLY SPITIT DISPENSATION? (15th Sep 2009)
Scripture References: Numbers 6:1-21, 1 Peter 2:9, Jn 4:23, 24, Rom 12:1
In the Old Testament days, people took vows to be completely set apart or dedicated to God. They were called Nazarites. There were laws for them to follow as long as they remained Nazarites. One could choose to be a Nazarites for a while or for a life time. The question then is, since Christ has come and the Holy Spirit is with us, do Nazarites still exist? The answer is YES!
The Bible says that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and a holy nation. That is all that is needed to be a Nazarite. We are all Nazarites and are to live accordingly. But are the Old Testament laws applicable to us? Are we supposed to wear funny clothes and leave our hair uncut as was required? How do the Old Testament laws apply to us, especially as ministers of the Gospel being conformed to the Image of Christ?
1. The Old Testament Nazarites were not to drink wine or alcohol. Wine is a symbol of joy (Ps. 104:15).In taking the vow to abstain from all wine and strong drink, they were essentially saying, “Lord, you are going to be our only source of joy. We are going to rejoice only in you! You are going to be our one joy!”In much the same way, all our joy is to proceed from God. We are to rejoice in God through the Holy Spirit.
2. They were not to cut their hair as a sign of separation from the world and consecration unto God. Everyone meeting them was supposed to know that they were special, set apart for God. In our time, there is supposed to be a defining sign on us to show that we are Christians. People meeting us, even random strangers, should be able to say,”Hey, there is something special about them!” Do people meet us and have that reaction? Do they just know that we belong to God? If not, Why?
3. The Nazarites had one more law that amazes me when I think about it. They were not to associate themselves with death or the dead, even if they were family. Even accidental contact was not tolerated. The cleansing procedure if this occurred was stringent, for lack of a better word. In these end times, death is every where around us in the form of sin. Christ said we are the light of the world. We are not to have even a little darkness in our light.
4. The Bible says that if we believe in Christ, out of us would flow streams of living water. No death or dead stuff should come from us. We should not be associated with the sin of this world, for we are in the world but not of the world. We should be the very essence of our society, just as salt adds taste to food. Everything coming from us should be alive, vivacious and joyful. This means that our work, marriage, academics, family, relationships etc. should be alive, excellent and beautiful, not mediocre, dead and dull. Are we living lives full of joy, life and excellence? Do people see us and want to be like us, or at the very least, give glory to God? Are we attractive to others because of our lives?

Just The beginning

For starters, I know quite a lot of you may be wondering what on earth a shofar is and why I chose to use it in a name for this blog. Well, let me try and explain this as well as I can.
The shofar is a trumpet. It is usually a ram’s horn. In the Old Testament (of the Holy Bible) Joshua, Gideon, and Joab, to name a few, used the shofar to lead the children of Israel. It was used to announce, to alert or warn of danger, to call to battle, or to call to action. It is still used in Judaism to call the people to accountability on the day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).We read in Zechariah 9:14 that the Lord Himself will blow the shofar to call His people. In the New Testament, we read that angels will use the trumpet to announce the warnings for the ‘end times’ and, ultimately, Christ’s return.
Today, the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, the Bible, call out to us in much the same way as the shofar: God’s voice warns us, alerts us to danger, calls us to action or to times of rest, and, most importantly, calls us to accountability. The shofar sounded to announce the coming of the Lord. When it sounded, the people were to assemble, confess, and repent. When it sounded, the people were to worship. The shofar announced the Day of Atonement and Jubilee. It sounded in the midst of battle.
I t was a call to gather God’s people, a call to repentance, a call to enter into battle. God’s voice came to the multitude through the prophets in the days of old, but now the Lord speaks to each believer through the Holy Spirit.
Well, much as I would love to say I wrote that, I didn’t. It came from one of my favorite novels, And the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers. Powerful book, but that is not the subject of discussion.
Now the part of the whole shofar revelation that gets me is that God still speaks. If He still speaks, what is He saying now? If the Shofar were to sound in the ear of your heart right now, what would it sound about? And since it is sounding in your heart right now, what action are you taking in response? Remember, it is a call to action, so don’t hear it and sit on it.
Well, a while ago the shofar sounded really hard to me and on the pages of this blog I hope to share some of that with you. If you hear the shofar now, don’t hesitate to share the message with the rest of us. For now, I would just like to say that in all your ways, Love…..