My God of specifics...

Exodus 25-28

God is into specifics. When He called Moses up to the mountain, he told him to tell the children of Israel to build him 'THE TABERNACLE''. He didnt say 'just go build', Exodus 25:9 'Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you'. God gave them specifics- i am talking lenght of the ark, special materials, width of the ark, lenght of the table, height of the lamp stand, He even told them to hire 'the most skilled' crafts man to make the breast place, all these cos God wanted perfect.

This place was to be a sanctuary for God, so He could dwell among them ( Exodus 25:8). God wanted to be closer to man so he decided to come down to us, isnt that just amazing! 

Because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross we have become santuaries and since our God is the same yesterday, today and forever, He is still in the business of specifics. In the old testament he showed and gave them a pattern, in the new testament He did the same but this time He gave us Jesus. Our lives have to be fashioned like Jesus', he is our model. He came to earth and with all the odds against him he died blameless, without sin or blemish. I know perfection is impossible afterall we are humans but that doesnt stop us from trying (theres no harm in that right....lol), cos i want to believe we get points just for trying. We can start from the lil things- stop lying, not stealing, having a daily prayer altar, being the best people we can be etc.

God doesnt do messy (or ugly like Morenike would say), He does order, He does pattern, He does specifics! No one says its going to be an easy process but all He is asking of us is to try,  He even gave us resources- Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness (trust me the list is longer than that).

Try!!! that is all He is asking.......

Meemeesola

My mothers love...

So my mum went through my blog for the first time today which is weird because my mum knows EVERYTHING about my siblings and I, and any other person that happens to be close to us..lol  (if you know my mum then you definitely know what I am talking about). She sent me a message saying 'I HONESTLY CAN'T BELIEVE MY BABY HAS GROWN, YOU ARE SO DEEP'.... yes in caps letters! and all I could do was grin.
That message got me thinking, 'Have I really grown?' or am I just blanketing the child in me so the world won't criticize me?. But after a lil thought as well as a flash back of all that I have been through and risen above in the last year, I can confidently say 'Sunmi you have indeed grown!

But it hasn't been all me, it has been with the help of my family especially my mum. She has a strength that is confounding, she has the grace that is virtuous, a heart simply made of gold and most especially she has a spirit that is unflappable.
Everyone loves their mum and I am sure we all have seen our mums do astonishing things (in a good way) but mine is extra special...Yes she is! If you don't believe you better ask around or as my boyfriend would say...'You better Google her'...(inside joke)....lol.
So this is me telling the most amazing woman I have ever known that sometimes I might not agree with your tactics, I might argue with you now and then, I might even be mad at you for a couple of minutes but I love you with everything that makes me Sunmisola and if I happen to be half as great as you or half the woman you are today then I know that the man I marry will consider himself blessed just as I know my daddy does everyday.

Its your birthday in a couple of days, so this is me saying Happy birthday to my mum, my friend and my inspiration.
Love you mama

Moreniolake....

Morenike Omidiji, your birthday is just around the corner! yay!
On my birthday you said it all so I am just going to rephrase everything you said.... you are my best friend, you are my confidant, my greatest cheer-leader. You are the one I tell when I feel like punching someone in the face because I know you would understand and tell me to go ahead without any judgement, you are the one I call when all I want to do is crawl under my bed and cry, you are the one I think of when I feel like drinking myself to stupor because I know you would say 'drink for two babes' and not judge me because you trust I will do the right thing. You treat me like my opinions matter, like if I dont like 'it' then 'it' isn't worth considering let alone buying. I know your life is about to change and I wont be your priority any more (you know what I mean....wink wink) but I am very sure I can still count on you to whoop someone's ass for me when the need arises... lol
So this is me saying happy birthday to you Morenike Ibidoyin Eniola Omidiji.... I love you

The fruits of the spirit in the 21st century

Let's face it: Christianity in the Western world is quickly changing. If you've had a conversation with an average person on the street about what she believes about God or religion, it shouldn't surprise you to hear that she probably doesn't have regard for those topics. More and more people don't know what they believe, or simply don't believe in much at all. Many Christians are even having crises of faith. The things our parents believed about politics, the world, and spirituality in many ways now seem out of date, in dire need of being reinvented.

 

A variety of contributing factors can be credited for this changing cultural landscape: the end of the industrial age, the birth of free information, and technology that focuses on the life of the individual. One reason why so much social change seems to be happening is because people in the West are changing. We no longer blindly accept the truths and traditions passed on to us by our parents. Many are questioning everything; they just can't seem to help it. Call it crazy teenage rebellion, but something about our culture is definitely changing.

 

And still, there is a group of us who think that this world can be redeemed, that God has a plan, and that the message of Jesus is universally relevant. We believe that faith, hope, and love are still the greatest elements, and we want to see them, receive them, and share them.

 

Here's what I think that looks like in the 21st Century:

 

Faith as a conversation. You've probably heard this buzzword thrown around more than you have cared to hear. I know I have. Conversation. It's been overused by many Christians (you may use or have heard the words "emergent" or "emerging") to the point that it now comes off as arrogant.

 

But what could be more beautiful than a conversation?

 

There's a story in the Christian Scriptures where Jesus reveals himself as the rightful king of Israel to a promiscuous woman at a well. How does he do it? With a church service? Big tent revival with flashing fanfare and confetti? Nope.With a conversation. There's something genuine, transcendent even, that is communicated in a conversation that can't be transferred any other way. Sharing one's faith through conversing is a must for the age in which we are now entering.

 

Hope as a tangible reality. We abuse the word "hope." I hope I see you tomorrow. I hope to go to a movie tonight. But "hope" means so much more than that, and as a friend of mine once said, "Everyone in the world needs hope." In this new age, Christians need to begin expressing our hope in more tangible ways: an encouraging word to someone who's depressed, an act of generosity towards the poor and needy, a grand gesture of dignity to someone struggling with self-worth.

 

This means that we need to do more than tell people about heaven. We must show it to them.

 

Love as an action. The same that was said about hope can be said for love. No three words in the English language have become quite as passe as "I love you." Yes, I've heard that before. But what does love look like?

 

Can I taste, smell, and even touch your love? More importantly, will it touch me? 

 

Jesus showed love by dying for the ragamuffins(don't think this word is English but....lol...who cares). He loved before those whom he loved knew how to love him back. God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to die for it. The apostles loved Jesus so much that they rejoiced when they were beaten for him; they loved him back by giving their lives.

 

We need to relearn love -- messy, dirty love that costs us something. And when the world sees that kind of love, it will realize that something is missing. A ridiculous gesture of grace communicates so much more than a T-shirt or billboard that reads: "Love the sinner. Hate the sin." 

 

I hope that this doesn't come off sounding pretentious or naive. I really do think that the world is changing, as are those of us inhabiting it. I believe in God and in his ability to redeem anything, but I think that it is essential for christians to grasp the reality of this shift and adapt to it. If faith, hope, and love are the essential elements of a meaningful Christian life, then we should consider what they mean to us and the world this day and age.

 

Above are just a few ways in which I think that faith, hope, and love need to be rehashed in the 21st Century. What about you?

God....my healer

I can't believe I am putting up another post barely 24hrs. after the last one..I guess God really needs me to think straight....lol

What really got me thinking about this was a daily devotional email I received a couple of days ago and it mentioned Hezekiah.


2 Kings 20:1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘ Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’”
2Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3″ Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight ” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him, saying,5″Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD.6″I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.”‘

This is interesting to me, because Hezekiah wasn’t just sick, he was dying. He looked up to God after speaking to him and then Hezekiah wept bitterly. Bitterly? Sounds to me like Hezekiah was disappointed at God. Can this be? Can someone be disappointed with the creator of the Heavens and Earth? I think so (trust me, I have been there). I think God wants this kind of interaction with his followers. He created us in his image, and so we have feelings like anger, resentment, and disappointment. When we get behind God like Hezekiah did, “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight “, then are we are a follower of the one true God. I think if you are truly in the path of righteousness, then you can get healed like Hezekiah did, if it’s within God’s will. It would be no different than asking a parent for something. God is going to take everything into account, including your faith and commitment to him, and come back with an answer. I don’t think that’s anything new, but I believe that answer can even be “Your healed”.

I don’t just conjure up these thoughts, I read the Bible and then try to apply it to today’s world. I’d love to hear your comments on this, maybe my thinking is way off, but I think a lot about my interaction with God and how in the Bible their interaction was totally different, I’ll be doing a second post this week along this same lines about faith in the 21st century.

Meemeethinks......

On your marks.......

It's been a long time since I last posted here. You'd think that I'd have a killer story or reason for my absence. If I think about it long enough I could probably come up with something. However the simple truth is that I've been sucking up life. Taking it in. Embracing it and holding on for dear life.

Sounds exciting, huh? Sounds like I've been on a wild ride, but honestly it's been very quiet around these parts. I have literally turned inward and have sucked up life like a vacuum. That's not always a good thing. Without outlets we grow fat. That's what I've done. (In more ways than just the obvious. lol)

There are some very legitimate reasons I've been so quiet and I'm still not quite ready to openly share those. Yet. But the more disturbing reason (to me) is that it's become all-too easy to *hide* from all the stuff of life. School. Friends. Relationships. Problems. Busyness.

In stepping back a bit I found myself stepping waaay back. Too far I think. But I think only time will tell as to how far was enough. Until then I take each day as it comes.

I feel a stirring; a coming 'push' that will send me out of this exhaustive internal space I've created. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't excited. A healthy combination of the two is important. I feel God saying to me the same thing He said to the church in Sardis...

“Wake up!, Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember therefore what you have received and heard; obey it and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief in the night, you will not know what time I will come to you." Revelation 3:2-3...... Scary right? I know lol

So I have decided to wake up , just as that passage says......VERY SOON! ( Going to move very soon, just want to enjoy my comfort zone/shell a lil longer).

P.S- Happy graduation to my friends and classmates....I wish you all well in the next phase of your lives.

Meemeethinks....

Still on JOB...

OK lets get back to Job....lol

Every time satan went to God concerning Job, he always left with Gods permission..... meaning, no matter how powerful the devil thinks he is, unless God permits him, he is powerless.

God is powerful and we under estimate his power . Job 9 basically talks about how Job perceived God, he said 'He moves the mountains without them knowing it' ( when I read that part for the 1st time, I just started speaking in tongues...lol). We Christians need to start seeing God for who he is, so we can start experiencing the grace and blessings that come with knowing him.

As mere mortals it is simply impossible for us to look beyond heavens veil and see why God allows things to happen as they do. The simple truth is 'God is God' and we can't question His ways.

In Job 16:19 he said 'Even now my witness is in heaven, my advocate is on high'. After lamenting Job still understood that God had his back... Hmm imagine everything in your life going wrong- disappointments, rejections, broken promises, loss of a loved one, failure, stagnancy (when you see everyone around you moving forward) and you read the bible and its telling you to trust in God with all your heart! I can't guarantee that if I had to face the battles Job was facing I would react the way Job did. We would probably not go through half of what Job went through so we have no reason not to trust God in any circumstance.

Job 19:14 'My kinsmen have gone away and my friends have forgotten me', this was Job lamenting even though he was physically surrounded by 3 of his friends he felt completely alone (who hasn't ever felt like that?..). They thought he had done something wrong and was being punished....God please save me from friends with no insight...SELAH

In all of this, Job still took out time to pray for his friends, and the bible records in Job 42:10 'after Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him 'TWICE' as much as he had before'.

In conclusion the Lord blessed the latter part of Jobs life, Job didn't look back at what he had lost or at friends and family that has despised him, He looked ahead knowing God had a plan for him. I know its hard for us to forget the things we have lost in the past but if Job (who not only lost his entire family but also riches, cattle and respect) can do it, then we have absolutely no excuse.

The book of Job is worth reading over and over again because it sums up what God expects from us- Humility, Faith, Love, Forgiveness and Long-suffering.

Good night folks.

Meemee

JOB....SELAH

I read the book of Job earlier in the year and i came across some insightful things i had written down about it, so i decided to share it. I promise there would be no big grammatical expressions like the last post...hehehe.

Job was blameless and upright, he feared the Lord and shunned evil (Job 1:1). Job wasn't just a believer, the bible records that he 'shunned evil' therefore he was also a doer, so because we know what the bible says and we do it does not exempt us from being tried....just wanted to get that out of the way...lol

When God wants to humble us, he starts by taking that which you hold dear to you so you can focus on Him. I am not talking about the the humility we all think I.e talking to those we think are poor or down-playing our strength or wealth to the under-privileged but the kind of humility Job went through. In Job 1:3b the bible records that Job was 'THE GREATEST' among all the people in the East but that was before God took all that made him great physically.

I realised and understood that the devil constantly watches us , trials don't come because we have been bad or good, it is a normal part of our Christian walk.

God was proud of Job.... hmm do you understand what it means when God is proud of you?? Even I can't phantom it, all I can picture is my earthly father smiling at me (and if you have a father like mine who doesn't smile so often... well...lol) and telling me how wonderful I am. Not only was God proud of him, He also boasted to to the devil about Job..Job1:8 'have you considered my servant Job?......imagine God calling the devil urging him to test you because he is so sure of your love for Him...gosh imagining it alone is giving me goose bumps.

Another thing i learnt from this book is that, God doesn't cause evil, he permits the devil to try us just to test our faith and sometimes to show us off. So every time you are going through a hard time, imagine God smiling saying 'she/he can handle it or she/he has been trained well'

The 'sabeans, chaldeans and wind' (if you don't understand what 1 am talking about, then you need to go back to the book of Job..lol) are not bad neither are they the enemy, they were just elements the devil used to destroy all that Job held dear, alot of things that happen to us are not bad, they are just messengers used to pass a message across to us.....SELAH

It is amusing when Christians pick out the verse that says 'after Job heard all that had happened, he worshipped God' which he did but not before he grieved. In Job 1:20 'At this job tore his robe and shaved his head then he worshipped God'....Job grieved when he heard the news, who wouldn't? but that was a physical response which isn't a sin, meaning crying when we are hurt or sad doesn't mean we lack faith in God, it just re-emphasizes the fact that we are flesh as well. Even Jesus wept in the garden when he realized how great his mission was, but at the end He said....'Not my will but yours be done Lord...'

To be continued....

Have a lovely day

Meemee

Brokenness....

We live in a broken world with broken people (me included...lol). Inside us, we all have areas of brokenness: Broken Dreams, Broken Spirits, Broken Hearts, Broken Relationships, even a Broken Sense of Self Esteem. A Broken Heart can hold us back from taking part in an authentic and loving relationship, Broken Self Esteem can stop us from exemplifying a positive and productive personality, and a Broken Spirit finds it virtually impossible to experience real joy.....big words right? even I am impressed with myself...kk back to serious Kingdom stuffs.

The question is how are we going to deal with the brokenness in our lives? Will we put on our polished Sunday Faces and pretend all is well with us, or will we deal with it? Realize that in dealing with the reality of brokenness, it requires truth. We must admit that we have messed-up-broken-down-heaps-of-lives. We run from one relationship to the next without allowing ourselves time to breathe and recuperate from the last one..(when I say relationships it doesn't just mean with the opposite sex, it could be a lost job, old friends letting you down e.t.c). In our search for Mr. Perfect, Miss perfect or the perfect paying job, we compromise our integrity, yet compounding additional brokenness.

Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Through the brokenness of our lives we can become the vessels that God intended us to be. God gave us Wisdom which is in His Word. Through His Word brokenness can be repaired. Maybe that Broken Dream was your dream that did not fit His plan for your life. That Broken Relationship was never ordained by God and never destined to be, because it was never part of His plan for your life.

As long as we rely on our own foolish pride and selfishness, lusting after the flesh and worldly things (fast cars, bigger houses)....but seriously we all want all of that right? but if we focus on that, we will continue to live a broken life, filled with frustration and loneliness. Brokenness stops at the point where our spirit yields to His Will. God uses our brokenness to reveal to us our need for Him and to prepare us for future service. Let Him perfect your brokenness. God’s ultimate goal is spiritual victory.

Let imagine a glass that has fallen to the floor and broken into many pieces. We can easily sweep the pieces together and discard them in the trash. But God takes those broken pieces and fits them tightly together in such a manner that they will never be broken again all We have to do is surrender all the pieces to Him.

Have a beautiful week

Meemee

Keeping in steps......

Still studying the new testament and still discovering beautiful things about the holy spirit..

Galatians 5:13-25. These are verses every believer recites now and then but do we really grasp what its saying? that's the big question.

'Let us keep in step with the spirit' Its as if Paul is describing those who are lead by the spirit as dancers who are in step with their perfect dance partner, imagine dancing with the stars (the TV show), the stars represent the imperfect us while their partners who are the professionals represent the holy spirit. But in contrast, when moved by the flesh, the thots that tell us to do as we desire, it is as if we are experiencing the clumsiness of a dance partner who keeps stepping on our toes and leading us in the wrong direction.

Like a dancer constantly tuned to the beat of the music, we must continually tune in to the voice of the spirit and follow his lead.....Trust me that could be very difficult. The spirit moves us to places where we might not feel comfortable, to step back when we want to step forward, the rhythm might be to slow or fast for us but following the spirit means resisting the urge to dance through life our way and 'DAMNING THE SPIRIT'.

How difficult it can be to be led by the Spirit and to hold our tongue, how difficult it is not to repeat that juicy gossip with friends, or how difficult it is to say sorry even though you weren't the one wrong. How difficult it is to make the move to release resentment when we feel we've been wronged or unappreciated. But the bible says 'His grace is sufficient for us'.

Throughout the day we should ask ourselves 'who am i being led by?' myself? with my emotions, worries, pride, fears, selfishness? Am i being led by the enemy with his distorted tunes? Or am I being led by the Holy Spirit.

Each time we move in step with the Spirit, we are saying YES to God. We are no longer bound to follow the whims of our flesh or the whisperings of the evil one. We can choose to move in sync with the Spirit.

One-hit wonderful.....1cor13:1-3

I have been studying the new testament for a while. Today I decided to read through my word note and I came across this entry I put in like a week ago.

In Corinthians 13:1-3, Paul listed some attributes that fall into the great, but not the greatest category of one-hit wonders known to human beings : FAITH & HOPE... But nothing can compete with the greatest attribute of all: LOVE.

In the bible, love is a one hit wonderful. if you are going to be known for anything, let it be LOVE. Your lifelong goal should be to embody the diverse characteristics of love found in 1cor 13.

Unfortunately, the English language is limited to only one word to describe the many types, As a result,our understanding of genuine love is inadequate.. I love the Greek Language, I can't speak nor understand it but it just has a way of making every word come alive. The Greek langueage has several words for Love.

EROS- romantic love

PHILIA- friendship

And there are so much more, but Paul used the Greek word AGAPE to describe the love that is divine,the love that originates from God,the love that is eternal, the love that never fails.....remember John 3:16??(if you don't then your Sunday school teacher should be spanked).. yes that kind of love that one can sacrifice ones life or child for.

Verses 4-7 describes the many facets of this pre-eminent type of love....PATIENCE, KINDNESS, PERSEVERANCE AND HOPE.

So here is a challenge for you: Live today seeking the greatest of all attributes. Try to express the heart of Biblical love in all that you say and do. Let today be your love song,you one-hit wonderful to everyone you encounter.