A Day In God's Will

UNDERSTAND YOUR SEASONS

2009-11-05T18:17:00.015Z

To everything -- a season, and a time to
every delight under the heavens:
A time to bring forth, And a time to die.
A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Life is made up of seasons and every year we experience Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Spring: This season defined “as to come into being, rise, or arise – A time to be born" In this phase, it is paramount to study the word of God to teach us about ourselves, His will for us and our purpose in life. This will help us come into being.

Summer: This season is defined as a "period of growth, of fruition, fulfilment, happiness or beauty- A time to plant". This is a time where we use what we have learnt in the ‘spring’ of our lives. We move on in our ministry, our careers, our relationships and much more. This is a time where we also 'plant' the word of God wherever we go, and in whatever we do.2 Corinthians 9:10 reads "Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness)".

Atumn: This season is defined as a "the of maturity, of harvest and reward – A time to pluck" up. In this phase, we draw on the resources was ‘planted’ in 'summer'. However, must also remember that harvesting is hard work. Have you seen a farmer in crop harvesting season? Thus, this is when we must be bold and daring to face all difficulties we come against.

When we start to reap the harvest of all those nights reading the word, obeying the word, and doing the master’s Will, the world will get jealous and envious and they will do their utmost to make us feel bad for all the good that the Lord is manifesting in your life. Do not be apologetic, your Father is just displaying a glimpse of how much He loves you.

Winter: This season is defined as "lodging, keeping or caring – a time to die". In this phase, material things no longer matter - the car, the house, the money and all of the earthly things, we tend to hold dear. It is a time where we must strive to be faithful with the very essence of our lives. A season where we must literally live out the reality of Hebrews 4:14, which reads “Having, then, a great chief priest passed through the heavens -- Jesus the Son of God -- may we hold fast the profession”. We must hold fast to the declaration of belief in or acceptance of religion or a faith.

As you start this new month and progress towards the end of yet another year, by God's grace, I encourage you to connect with God's wisdom to understand the seasons you are in; for all the areas of your life.

In all that you do, I encourage you to be:

Intentional: To be intentional means to “do something with consciousness purpose, just like an athletic”. Have you ever seen a runner in a competition not intent on winning the race? That is how intent we must be in our work and walk, everyday in God's will. We must strive to be intentional to win as Paul puts it so clearly in 1 Corinthians 9:24 &26 , it reads "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain Run like Paul; I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air."

Be informed: To be informed means to 'make aware of something or to be knowledgeable and educated'. In today’s age of seamless communication, there is no excuse for lack of information. How do you want it, on paper, on gadgets or on billboards? The information portals are endless. However, it is the right type of information at the right time that is most important. Hard work must be complimented with information. Why I hear you ask? It is because you can be working hard at something, based on the wrong information, which mostly will form the basis of what you are doing, hence obtaining the wrong outcome. Hoseah 4:6 reads "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children".

Be innovative: To be innovative means to "introduce something new or different." To be effectively innovative we need God’s wisdom. Proverbs 8:12. reads “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment". Whether you are in school, working for someone, at home or running your own business, be innovative at what you do. Find efficient and better ways to do whatever you are involved in. Where there is a problem, there is always a solution. For example, why not make the weekly shopping last longer; in doing that, you might just have an epiphany that will bring you into fruitfulness. Connect to that creative spark in you, through God’s wisdom.

Be invaluable and indispensable: To be invaluable means to "be beyond calculable or appraisable value and to be indispensable means to be an absolutely necessary and essential individual". Why don’t you strive and aspire to be the one they call when your company requires a solution to that problem, in your department – rather than being the one they eliminate? Proverbs 22:29 reads “Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people”.

Be intergrous: To be intergrous means to "have integrity, which means to adherence to moral and ethical principles; to be honest". Think about it, the world’s economy is flat on its face, mostly due to lack of integrity – moral, ethical standards and good old honesty. To fix the economy, what do you suppose would be in high demand. Proverbs 11:1 categorically tells us that “The LORD hates anyone. However, we must be aware that living a life of integrity means our values as a Christian will be tested".

I pray that with God’s help and His infinite wisdom, He opens us not just to the meaning, and understanding of the seasons we are in, but also what we must do in them.

Have a great month and journey to finish this year strong, in whatever season you are in; making God famous along the way.

Much Love, Remi

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Tradition You Say? Do Not be Deceived!!!

2009-10-30T00:44:00.003Z

And so you cancel the word of God in order

to hand down your own tradition. And this is

only one example among many others.
Mark 7:13

The passage is from the context of when Jesus was teaching the Pharisees and the teachers of religious law about inner purity; how they ignore God's laws and substitute it for their tradition.

This month of October, a certain tradition is celebrated by the world in earnest, I am pretty sure you have seen the signs and advertisements all over the place. I am talking about the tradition of Halloween. Many adults and children perceive this to be a harmless evening of masquerading for "tricks or treats". The reality is that this is not a harmless celebration. Its roots and overtones is in satanism and devil worship.

The dictionary defines trick as: a crafty or underhanded device, manoeuvre, stratagem, or the like, intended to deceive or cheat; artifice; ruse; wile.

The sad truth is the devil is tricking - deceiving and cheating a whole lot of people, including Christians into celebrating a "seemingly" harmless day. The enemy is also encouraging those who celebrate this day to take on the persona of evil and deceptive nature.

To help you understand the roots of this celebration, I did a bit of research.

Origin of the tradition of Halloween: Halloween has strong roots in paganism an witchcraft. It began as the Druid festival of Samhain. the celts considered November 1 as the day of death. The druids also thought that on 31 October, on the eve of the feast, Samhain assembled the spirits of all who had died during the previous year to return to their former home to visit the living.

Human and animal sacrifices: For thousand of years, druid priests have conducted diabolical worship ceremonies in which cats, horses, sheep, and human beings were rounded up, stuffed with wicca cages and burned to death. These were required to appease Samhain.

Trick or Treat: To obtain the sacrifice offerings, druid priests would go from house to house asking for fatted calves, black sheep and human beings. Those who were promised prosperity, and those who refused to give were threatened and cursed. This is the origin of 'trick or treat'. You still think it's about candies?

Jack-O-Lantern: This has its origin in the candle-lit pumpkin or skull, which served as a 'signal' to mark those homes that supported the druids' religion. They were seeking the 'treat'; when the terror of halloween began. The Wikipedia describes Jack-O-Lantern as "the symbol of a damned soul" Wikipedia. Do you still think its about carving the prettiest pumpkin on the block?

House of Horrors: A popular hero of halloween is count dracula. Well, you better believe that this is based on the story and persona of a real person. His name was Vlad from Transylvania. He was a prince and during his reign it was reported that he killed many men and women. He would devise a plan to rid his country of the burden of beggars, the handicapped, the sick and the aged by inviting them to a feast at one of his palaces. He fed them well and got them drunk. then asked them " Do you want to be without cares, lacking nothing in the world?" When his guest said 'yes', he dracula, will order the palace to be boarded up and set it on fire. How about that for a hat trick?! Do you still think dracula is a cute and harmless hero?

As I mentioned earlier, some Christians feel that they and their children are missing out on some sort of 'cool' club or party celebration and feel the need to conform and join in. Have you noticed that the theme around halloween and its celebrations is of a dark nature; death, evil and fear?. As the years have progressed, the costumes have got even more grotesque - truly stuff nightmares are made of! Not exactly a beautiful nightmare is it now?

However, Solomon 2:15 warns us that "Our vineyards are in blossom; we must catch the little foxes that destroy the vineyards". You see, when little foxes are hungry and search for food, they will enter into gape orchards and eat the ground crop. Because they are very small and unable to reach the top grape bunches, they would kill the whole vine instead, thus instead of the farmer loosing a few of his crop, he would loose much more - a whole vineyard.

Compromising our believes and the light of the earth that we are, to celebrate halloween (and other evil rooted, earthly traditions) might be seen as harmless, however, it is such compromises that opens the door to a bigger evil in our lives. The fact that something has been done for centuries and it is called 'tradition', does not make it acceptable for us or our children to participate in it; hence the opening verse of this post. When we read through the bible, it is evident that the Israelites, usually fell out of step with God's will, when they reverted back to embrace and celebrate their earthly tradition, as opposed to following God's word.

1 Peter 2:9 tells us that "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[a] a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." This means we are not meant to conform to the ways of the world, even though it has been a long standing tradition, it still does not change what the bible says about the difference between light and darkness. As long as it is not of God and it is of darkness, we have no business taking part in it!.

With all things, it is either of God or of the devil, there is no middle ground. The responsibility lies with us to take everything we do with our lives, back to the Bible and confirm what God's word says about it.

Parents have the responsibility to shield their children from evil practices and celebrations such as halloween. We should not partake or let our children partake in these sort of celebrations. 1 Corinthians 10:21 categorically tells us that "You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too" Light and darkness cannot reside within the same space or body, it is impossible!.

I pray that we do not behave like the gentiles described in 2 Kings 17:17 which reads "They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire.[a] They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the Lord’s anger."

But obey God's word as He commands in Ephesians 5:11, which reads "Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them."

Have a great rest of the week and weekend being the light of the world and the salt of the earth of your environment; whilst making God famous along your way.

Much Love
Remi

***Pictures from photobucket***
Research- google (online articles), wickipedia, dictionary.com

COMMIT YOUR PLANS...

2009-10-22T23:40:00.004+01:00

It is wise to...

"Commit your actions to the Lord

and your plans will succeed".

Proverbs 16:3

For you see, without God's help...
"You may think you are on the
right road and still end up dead"
Proverbs 14:12

Without His help...

"We can make our plans, but the

Lord determines our steps".

Proverbs 16:9

We as "People can make all kinds of plans,
but only the Lord's plan will happen".
Proverbs 16:21

So with this in mind, "DO NOT boast of

[yourself and] tomorrow, for you know

not what a day may bring forth"

Proverbs 27:1

Therefore, ALWAYS remember to...

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do,

everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep

you on track. Don't assume that you know it all"

Proverbs 3: 5-6

Much Love....Remi

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STRETCH OUT...

2009-10-19T23:10:00.003+01:00

"...and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."

He stretched it out, and his hand was restored"

Mathew 3:5

This passage is from the story of the miracle of Jesus, the healing of a man with a withered hand on a Sabbath day. Jesus asked the man to arise and stand in full view of everyone and then commanded him to stretch forth his hands in doing so, he was healed.

For something to be withered it means it has become shrunken, or dry incapable of action. when something becomes shrunken, it means it is filled with wrinkles, and appears to be shriveled as in shrinking.

To stretch means to draw out or extend to the full length or to be expanded to a larger size.

A woman cannot carry a baby to full term without 'stretching out'. It is hard for us to live out the realities of God's promises and our desires and dreams if we don't 'stretch out' in obedience, working diligently doing the Father's will.

As you start a new week, 'stretch out' unravelling shrunken dreams, aspirations and promises gifted to you by the Father. 'stretch forward', beyond your present limitations, from where you are to where you ought to be. 'Stretch out' removing all the wrinkles that cover your potential to attain.

I encourage you to 'stretch out' in action, faith, diligence, perseverance, excellence and in belief that, whilst you are faithful working on the dreams God has given you, He is always faithful to perfect everything concerning you.

'Stretch out' in faith, peace and love, expanding in victory on all sides; whilst making God famous along your way.

Much Love

Remi

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What is 'THAT'... in your 'HAND'?

2009-10-16T00:31:00.000+01:00

"Then the Lord asked him,
“What is that in your hand?”

“A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied".

Exodus 4:2

When God made it known to Moses that he had been chosen to deliver the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, the first thing Moses did was protest - like most of us would! I can almost hear the conversation between Moses and God going like thus:

"WHAT? You want me to do WHAT? God, why now, why me? I mean look at me, I think you have the wrong person. All you need to do is look down the road and you will see that Mr A is the perfect candidate for this job. I mean, he has got all it takes. He is a great speaker, a great multi-tasker and an accomplished man in the society. As for me, I don't have the skills, I can't even speak properly and you want me to go and talk to the king of Egypt! Besides, I am not an important person in society, so even if I do go to the king of Egypt, he would never listen to me, or believe that you have sent me".

In response to Moses protests, God asked him the question::

"What is that in your hand"?

When I look at the state of the world's economy, I envisage this is the question God is asking most of us at this point in time. At the back of the dreams, visions, inspirations and much more He has given us, He is asking us the question "what is that in your hand"? The sad thing is, I bet most of us, are responding back in protest with answers such as "I don't have anything in my hand, to I don't have the right tools in my hands."

However, this type of thinking is far from the truth. You see, our hands are the seeds that is called "talents, skills, gifts and abilities. Romans 12: 6 states that "In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well". We all have talents and abilities that God has given us, and we are required as children of God to work on developing them and then use them to further God's kingdom.

"what are we doing with that which is in our hand?"

When most individuals think of gifts that can be used to further God's kingdom, the thoughts more often than not, surround spiritual gifts such as prayers, singing or working in the 'corporate church' in some shape or form. This is good, however, our everyday ordinary skills are also our gifts and abilities.

For example, some people are extremely talented in DIY, some are talented in cooking, some talented in establishing friendships, some have an extremely good eye for detail and much more. We must take these simply everyday abilities and submit them to God, for Him to use. Like Moses, we must lay them down and watch them come alive. When they come alive, they will have the power to help those around us, and eventually we will see God move in our lives like Moses did in his.

If God had a conversation with you today and asked the question:
"What is in your hand and what are you doing with it"?

What will your answer be?

Will it be "A Shepherd's staff" or will you say, a skill, ability and gift at your disposal Lord, for the advancement of your kingdom?

I encourage you all to submit your gifts, talents, skills and abilities to God. Lay them down at the master's feet, watch them come alive, thrive and show someone the way to eternal life!

I beseech you to actively work on and develop them into a powerful tools. Use them to display the true nature of God, thus, helping the advancement of His kingdom; whilst making Him famous along your way.

Much Love
Remi
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THE CENTURION SERVANT

2009-10-12T06:40:00.002+01:00

Now a centurion had a bond servant who was
held in honor and highly valued by him, who was sick
and at the point of death. And when the centurion
heard of Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him,
requesting Him to come and make his bond
servant well. And when they reached Jesus,
they begged Him earnestly, saying, He is worthy
that You should do this for him, For he loves our
nation and he built us our synagogue [at his own expense].
Luke 7: 3-5

This passage of scripture is about the story of when Jesus went into the city of Capernaum, which is by Galilee. At that time, there was a certain centurion who had a 'favourite servant' who was sick and at the point of death. When the centurion heard that Jesus was in the city, he called some Jewish elders and sent them to seek Jesus, asking them to tell Him (Jesus) to come and heal his bond servant. When the Jewish elders sought out Jesus and found Him, they 'begged' Him earnestly to come and heal the centurion’s servant. The basis of their plea was that the ‘centurion is a worthy and good man, so much that he even build them a synagogue in their city, with his own money’.

Before I go any further and to help us understand the angle of this post, let me explain the meaning of a few key words.

Centurion: Roman officer in command of hundred men
Bond Servant: a person who serves in bondage; slave
Favourite: someone something regarded with special favor or liking
Begged: to ask humbly, begging for help
Earnestly: serious in intention, purpose, or effort
Worthy: having adequate or great merit, character
Good: morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious: a good man

When most of us hear or are taught the story of the Centurion, we are taught from the angle of the great faith the centurion showed in verse 7 -9 of the same chapter, where he tells Jesus not to physically come to the his house, but to send His healing word and command, that it was sufficient enough to heal the sick servant.

However, I want to bring this passage to you from a different angle. Sometime last week, I was listening to the audio Bible (God bless the makers), whilst on the treadmill (yes, I am still fitness crazy) to this passage, God gave me new understanding. I played the whole chapter back about 10 times, if not more, and God revealed to me another dimension of this passage.

The Holy Spirit started teaching me with a series of questions which went like this - “why would a centurion, who was in charge of 100 men, pick out this particular servant? After all he was a Bond servant, a slave? Why did he love the servant so much that he was moved to the point of finding a cure for him. He was moved to seek help from the Jewish elders (highly respectable men of the city, who were then moved to favour him), and SEND THEM on an errand. He sent them to go and find Jesus and for them to bring Jesus back to his house to heal the servant”?

I was taught this: For the centurion to love his bond servant this much, the servant must have been very diligent in all that he did. He must have worked in excellence and integrity, which must have been only through the spirit of humility, for we must not forget he was slave. He must have been a trust worthy and good man, for the master to set him apart from the other men (99 others), This reminds me of Joseph, who was still diligent in using his gifts, even when he was in prison - Genesis 40: 1- 20.

Question for us all: Can your good works and your living set you apart from others in your time of need? Can your boss, your parents, your friends, your elders, or the ones in charge of you, see you in your time of need and be moved to compassion to want to go the extra mile to help you. Selah…

The lessons, however, did not end there, for another series of questions ensued … “Why did the Jewish elders take time to listen to the centurion, and why did he (the centurion) find favour in their sight? They did not only listen, but they obeyed. They WENT and sought out Jesus, and the Bible says they’ begged’ Jesus to come to the centurion’s aid.”

I was taught this: The centurion’s good work and living and his love for all things God brought him favour before the Jewish elders and before Jesus Christ.

The lesson from this passage is not complete without understanding how the Jewish elders came about to come and seek Jesus.

For you see, if the bond servant had not been a good man, he would not have found favour with the centurion. If he had not found favour with the centurion, there would have been no need for the centurion to find favour from the Jewish elders. If the centurion had not need to find favour from the Jewish elders, they would have no need to seek out Jesus, and there would have beeb no opportunity for the centurion to exercise his faith (which encourges us all today). Ultimately, thre would have been no healing for the bond servant.

Needless to say, at this point in time, I realised that I was peddling furiously on the cross trainer, mouth open and heart racing (must have been a confusing and shocking sight to the fellow gymers!)

My charge to everyone (myself included), is that in the name of Jesus Christ that, whatever we find yourself doing, we should make a decision to 'DO IT WELL'. Do it with all your mind, might, spirit and soul. Do it is as unto the Lord as we are taught in Colossians 3:23-24 which reads “Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn't cover up bad work”. We do not know how, what and whom God will use to promote us to the next level, or bring to our aid in our time of need; which will surely come.

Thus, as you commence a new week, as you live out the intricacies of every second, minute, hour, day of this week, I encourage you to work in the spirit of excellence, deligence and of integrity.

I encourage you to work with a good and pure heart, clothed with humility and in so doing, by God’s grace and power, imitating the wonderful saviour, master Jesus; making the excellent God famous along your way.

Much Love

Remi

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Delegated Right, Power & Authority - USE IT!

2009-10-01T20:15:00.004+01:00

"Look, I have given you authority over

all the power of the enemy, and you can

walk among snakes and scorpions and

crush them. Nothing will injure you.
Luke 10:19

Authority is defined as: a power or right delegated or given.

There is no authority except that which God has established. Our authority is established in God.

As children of God, and believers to the fact that Jesus Christ, died and on the third day rose, and resurrected to heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the father, having authority and dominion over all things and a name above every name; we have been given by God, delegated authority to use this powerful name of Jesus Christ, whilst we are here on earth.

The source of our authority is rooted in God and His power as written in Ephesians 1:19-23, it reads “ 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. (NLT)

How do we understand the authority we have and use as a believer? We do this by embracing:

Knowledge: We must have absolute knowledge of our position and meaning in Jesus Christ and Satan’s defeat. When we give our lives to Jesus Christ and become saved, we become identified in the eyes of God and of satan with the Crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We become co-resurrected, co-ascended, co-seated, Join heirs with Jesus Christ. This means that we have delegated authority, power and dominion over satan through the name of Jesus Christ. The saddest thing is that God knows this, even satan knows this, but most believers don’t know this. It is impossible to exercise the authority you do not know you have! Hosea 4:6a reads “My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me ….”

Belief & Faith: We must believe and have unwavering faith in God’s word. To belief and be a believer means that we have personally accepted, confessed Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour, and therefore have eternal life in Him as described in John 3:36, which reads “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”. To declare believe in God means we have faith in Him and in His word (He and His word are one). Belief and faith is by no means passive feeling or decision it is active. The exercise of our authority through faith in the word of God that we belief is meant to produce works, through our words and actions as explained in James 2:26, which reads "Just as the body is dead without breath,[so also faith is dead without good works.Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works".

Humility: This when an individual is not proud or arrogant, and is modest. Humility is what will help us to keep exercising the power, authority and dominion we have as a child of God. There will be times when pride will dictate that we don't embrace a modest stance, or hold back the tongue. However, we must understand that with humility comes God's infinite wisdom as we are taught in Proverbs 11:2, which reads "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom". With God's wisdom, we will know how and when to exercise our authority; when to abase and when to abound.

Boldness: True boldness comes from realising our positions and authority in Jesus Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Like David realised his true position in God, he was bold to face the Giant Goliath in 1 Samuel, 17:49, which reads “Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground”.

Awareness: A realisation that as a child of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ as declared in Galatians4: 6–7, which reads “6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ”,. As joint heirs, we are in the place of intense spiritual conflict, hence on the devil's rather, hence we must exercise our authority. If we are already on the devil’s side, he will have no reason to pay us any attention. However he will do anything to stop the believer who has a clear understanding of his or her authority, inheritance and rightful place in Jesus Christ. He is afraid and mindful of such an individual because he knows they have the wisdom and the determination to enforce and maintain the dominion Jesus Christ gave us. He knows they have the wisdom to put he and his demons in their rightful place ... permanently underfoot!

As you step into the new month of October, the 1st day of the last three months of the year 2009, I encourage you to awaken to the realisation of your God given authority as a believer, as a child of God. I encourage you to seek God, study His word and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand that you do have the Right , Power and Authority over that ‘circumstance’, ‘wilderness’ or ‘issue’ that you are going through. I beseech you to rise up and actively use your authority, to change your situation and enable you to make tremendous haste and speed, both physically and spiritually.

So, to that mountain, that situation, that problem, that sickness, that exam result, that breakdown, that hindrance, or road block in your way, I command you to alter your stance, arise, point your prophetic finger at it and declare along the lines of… “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (The Crucifixion, burial, resurrection and seating and His victory over death and over satan) I command you to ……… (insert your victory song right there!).

Exercise your God given authority, in every area of your life, further enabling you to finish this year strong and well; whilst making God famous along the way.

Much Love

Remi

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JOYFULL, THANKFULL and PRAISEFULL

2009-09-25T00:47:00.006+01:00

Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully
to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to him.For the Lord is a great God,
a great King above all gods.
Psalm 95: 1- 3

It is easy to live everyday through the eyes of negativity; never seeing the good in anything, nor having the reason or need to be thankful. It is easy to look at certain milestones in life from the view point of “half empty” as opposed to “half full”. However, the bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus”.

Thankful is defined as: the feeling or expression of gratitude. It means to be appreciative
To be expressive means to: put thoughts into words and actions
To show gratitude means to: display the quality of being grateful and thankful
To be appreciative means to: show clear insight, intuition and knowledge. For example, to show insight and knowledge of the reasons and ramifications of being thankful.

Today, many years ago, the Almighty God blessed my wonderful parents with my very presence in their lives! My very name explains what my manifestation in their lives meant and still means to them. Remi (short version for Oluwaremilekun - yes I know, quite long huh?) means “The Lord has relieved me of my tears”. Now how awesome is that! I am glad I was and am and pray I continue to be this for my parents and everyone I come across by God's grace and power! Amen.

Today, I am thankful to God for choosing them as my parents. It probably has not been an easy task being parents to an “ultra inquisitive, bossy and super-hyper-active child” ( I can just see my friends agreeing with this one! lol), but by God’s grace, they have done a good job. (*smile*) Thank you papa & mama.

I am thankful to you Almighty God for the very essence of LIFE I have found in you. I will have it no other way. From my last birthday to this one, what you have done and how far forward you have brought me in the knowledge and understanding of who you are, is truly awesome.

It is a testimony that, if we continuously seek you, we will find and know you! Yes, sometimes it does feel like I might be on the ‘slowest train to Georgia’, but to wait on you, is to see your perfect promises in my life established, fulfilled and manifested the way you have ordained them to be, giving you the glory. I am giddy with excitement for the next phase!

In my thankfulness I remember the song I was taught as a child, it goes like this:

Count your blessings, name them one by one
Count your blessings and see what God has done
Count your blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

So yes, today, as I count my blessings, my wonderful father, saviour, my king, the lifter of my head, my redeemer, my best friend, my one and only father, my one and only God; from the bottom of my heart and depths of my soul, Papa, I say THANK YOU for LIFE and for EVERYTHING!

I thank you because you have shown and keep showing me the beauty of who you are.
I thank you because you have indeed picked me up and turned me completely around, and placed my feet on solid, immovable ground!
I thank you because you have thought me to put my trust, hope and faith in you and in so doing you have made me like mount Zion; even in times of terrible tribulations!
I thank you because you have made me wiser in you.
I thank you that 'HE' is finally here. Thank you for the work you did and are doing with and through Him. Your gifts to your children are really 'second to none'. He is perfect in shape, form and growing in spirit. Thank you!!!**smile***
I thank you because I can testify; that “I have seen that you don’t do good, but that you ARE good!

As I celebrate today, I declare that no one, and nothing, not now or ever, will share your glory in my life. You, I continue to crown as my God and king.

In my thanksgiving like David the Psalmist, I will sing and dance with ALL my MIGHT (my spirit, soul, heart, mind and body) for your very pleasure, for your glory.

KABIYESI MODUPE

Eyes fluttering open to
the rising of the sun, my
soul leaps with joy in realisation
that it has been gifted with a new day

Last night, numerous souls lay down to sleep
The beauty of this morning’s light, they are no more to see
Yet, once again, my faithful ‘Baba’ has kept me safe
‘Oba awon oba’, has been good to me

'Kabiyesi modupe o'
I thank you for the
beauty of a new dawn

'Ore ti baba se ninu aye me
O jo mi loju, Oya mi lenu
Baba olore, Ope lo ye o
Halleluja meta ko kpo rara
Halleluja maje ko kpa poju'

Full dance now in swing, face heavenwards
my grateful soul rejoices and sings...

'Baba mi, Osuba re re o
Oba taori, tan'rise owo re
Olorun le o ma je,
Èsé o, modupe, mojuba o
Eledami modupe'

May your Kingdom come

and your will be done today
From the rising of the sun

till the going down of the same

May I live forever to declare

your majesty and praise the

essence and beauty of

your powerful and Holy name.

Much Love
Remi
***Pictures by Photobucket***

Translation - words in BOLD :

Kabiyesi Modupe: My king I am thankful
'Oba awon oba': The king of kings
Baba: Father
Osuba re re o: I worship you Lord
Èsé o – Thank you
Oba taori, tan'rise owo re: The God that we don’t see physically, but see the work of His hands
Olorun le o ma je: You will always be God
Hallelujah meta o to rara: To sing Hallelujah three time is not enough at all
Haleluja meje o kpa poju: To sing Hallelujah seven times, however is not too much
Ore ti baba se: The good that God has done
O jo mi loju: Surprises me
Oya mi lenu: Amazes me
Ninu aye mi: In my life

Product Of Your Environment?

2009-09-22T22:55:00.003+01:00

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"!

Mathew 3:2

A short while ago, a few friends and I were discussing fashion; what the world of fashion expresses as the appropriate way to put an ensemble together. The argument was that apparently, there is a 'general rule of fashion', which states for example, that it is forbidden to wear white socks with sandals and a pair of shorts!

I replied with the question "who made this so called ‘general rule of fashion' and how did it come about? The way an individual chooses to put together clothing items to make an outfit, isn't this dependant on what that individual is exposed to, their environment?

... and thus the question:

"what is the nature, shape, form and very essence of the environments that we are exposed to"?

The dictionary describes Environment as thus: the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences; surroundings or the social and cultural forces that shape the life of a person or a population.

Every environment we find ourselves in produces knowledge; good or bad. We acquire knowledge from our environment. The experiences within our environment plays a vital part in the formation of our knowledge, such as pain, love, or compassion.

The knowledge obtained from our environment is eventually transformed into belief. Belief is defined as 'the mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another'. Belief is what we accept as the truth, and this is greatly influenced from the knowledge we are exposed to.

Our belief shapes our values. For instance, we will place a high value on what we think is important and not readily exchange it for what is not.

Going further, our values influence the choices we make in life. When we are presented with options, the values that has been instilled within us, from our beliefs, will inform the choices we make. For example, if a believer is faced with a choice of going to church on Sunday morning as opposed to watching a movie, he/she will most likely choose to go to Church. It is safe to say that the individual will place more value on going to church than watching a movie.

And finally our choices determine the actions we make. Such as wearing white socks with sandals and a pair of shorts! For whoever wears such believes that is sensible fashion and has made the choice to wear it as so, based on the fashion experiences that individual has been exposed to, within their environment.

In Mathew 3:2 John the baptist, whilst preaching in the wilderness of Judea said “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” To repent means to turn from sin and evil towards God. Repentance means to change our environment from a sinful one to a godly one. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour we don't add Him to our sinful environment. We move from our sinful environment into His environment. We change our heart from sin, to one that is open towards God's word of truth. We change our environment from Darkness to Light.

True repentance should and will change our actions, as we are taught in Luke 3: 8 - 14 and in Acts 26:20 , not forgetting that our actions is a result of our choices, values, beliefs and knowledge, all originating from our environment. To have a change of actions when we repent, means we have had a change of environment.

What is the nature, shape and form of your environment? What knowledge are you getting from it? What beliefs are you forming from it? What values are you developing from it? What choices are you making, based on it, and what actions is being manifested because of it?

If your actions are not helping you live out the realities of the salt of the earth (Mathew 5:13), or the the Light of the world (Mathew 5:14) that God has declared you to be, I encourage you to change the very nature, shape and form of your environment. This is so that your good deeds (actions) and not 'the general rule of manifesting from the wrong environment' shines out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly father; making Him famous along the way.

Much Love
Remi

***pictures by photobucket***

The Salt Of Your Environment

2009-09-15T06:15:00.010+01:00

You are the salt of the earth.

But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour?

Can you make it salty again?

It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

Mathew 5:13

The dictionary defines salt as: An element that gives flavor or zest. A sharp lively wit

The usage of salt in the Biblical times:

As a symbol of covenants and good will. Salt used as a symbol of covenant is described in Numbers 18:19 ... a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you. It's usage in covenant with God is also shown in Leviticus 2:13b, it reads ”Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God’s eternal covenant. Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings". In Colossians 4:6, salt is used as a symbol of good will, and it reads "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one".

Adding flavour to food: This we see in job describing in Job 6:6, it reads "Don’t people complain about unsalted food? Does anyone want the tasteless white of an egg"?.

As a disinfectant: Salt was used to protect wounds from being infected. Ezekiel 16:4 explains this and it reads “On the day you were born, no one cared about you. Your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and wrapped in cloth". It is also used to disinfect or heal the land of evil as we read in 2 Kings 2:20-21. which reads "20 Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl with salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the spring that supplied the town with water and threw the salt into it. And he said, “This is what the Lord says: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or infertility.

The usage of salt in the New Testament:

The main usage of salt according to the New Testament is to influence (make sweet, enrich, heal or make right), its immediate environment. Jesus explains this in Luke 14:34, which it reads "Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavour, how do you make it salty again?" In Mathew 5:13, Jesus call us 'The Salt of the Earth'. Mathew 5:13 reads "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless".

From all these, what does it mean to be 'The salt of the earth, I hear you ask?'. This means as salt we are meant to impart the characteristics of salt to our immediate environment, such as love, healing, sweetness, solutions, compassion and direction.

As salt, we are to make have a positive effect to our environment; to infuse the flavor of God's living word into its very centre. As salt we are to add the intricate flavor of God's word into homes, schools, work places, businesses, youth centres, hospitals and on the streets.

As salt, we are to transform our cities, countries and continents; healing the land from sickness, disease barrenness and strongholds.

With all these in mind, my question to today is thus:

Are we the salt of the earth that Jesus confirmed us to be?
Are we living out the intricacies of the salt, or are we the opposite, a pollutant to our environments?

Do you arrive on the scene, and mood swings, bitterness, complaints and unfriendliness trail in after you, or does relief, peace and love, displays the presence of God in you?

Salts of the earth are solution implementers

Today, I encourage you all, that wherever you find yourself in life; on the bus, train, home, work or a station, let the characteristics of the 'Salt of the earth that you are' be evident for all to see. Live it out and let the benefits be manifested in that environment. Do all you can to stay in God's presence and will, thus, not loosing your flavour, but living to dispel out its realities; whilst making God famous along the way.

Much Love

Remi Banjo

***Pictures by photobucet ***

Final Quarter - Gather Momentum, Gain speed

2009-09-04T21:01:00.008+01:00

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed".

Proverbs 16:3

… and then the senior Pastor at my church, last Sunday, reminded us of when the next Prayer meeting will be; encouraging us to attend. He told us that it will soon be September, which will mark the beginning of the last quarter of the year. Well I don’t know about everyone else in the meeting, but that hit me square in the face! POW! We were about to step into the final Quarter of the year 2009, and by today that I write this, we have indeed moved into it. Praise God!

Quickly, I did a mental assessment of what I had accomplished in the previous quarters and what I still needed to do. After my mental analysis all I could do was scream... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrggggghhhh!!! all in my head of course.

To you all my wonderful readers, I welcome you into the FINAL QUARTER of 2009!

I’m almost tempted to add suspense music at this point…

Momentum is defined as: moving power of pulling everything together.
Gain is defined as: to get something desired as a result of one’s effort.
Speed is defined as: Rapidity in proceeding or performing; it is swiftness like the speed of light.

How many of us remember the first of January 2009 and all the excitement we felt at the onset of a brand new year? I want to see a show of hands! There is usually something about the first of January that gets our adrenaline rising through the roof. There is something about the beginning and the start of things. There is hope and tremendous expectations, and the believe that "there are no impossibilities within our realities". We are able to visualise the future, we can hear God’s voice loud and clear, we are less confused and more focused and determined to succeed at every single plan, action or agenda.

Alas, here we are now, a the onset of the final quarter of the year? Now, how many of us can look back and say we still have that same adrenalin rushing through our veins, the same excitement, zeal and hope?. How many of us can say we can still hear God’s voice loud and clear as it was on January 01 2009? How many of us can say were still focused and weighed down with the daily mundane things of life? How many of us can say we have achieved all we set out to do by this time of the year. I would like to see a show of hands please. Yes we are showing and telling our red faces in this post.

Well, I am here to encourage everyone, (myself included) that, all hope is not lost! . You might not have accomplished one line on your plan till date, but we serve a God that specialises in impossible situations, which includes what seems like impossible time lines! As long as we are WILLING AND OBEDIENT to do all that we has been entrusted to us, will EAT THE BEST OF THE LAND, as confirmed in Isaiah 1:19. This means, we will see progress in all our work. But we HAVE TO WORK THE PLAN.

What can we possibly do if we find ourselves far behind the plan, that we can’t even see our own behinds I hear you ask? Here are a few things (not all) that we could do as a starting point:

Repent of our sin: Acts 3:19 reads “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, those times of refreshing may come from the Lord, (NIV)”. We must repent of our sins of not being responsible and diligent to work on our God given dreams and aspirations. Also, for probably not managing our time or resources properly.

Go back to our first love – God: When we rekindle our love back with God, we set ablaze the desire and excitement we should always feel about achieving our purpose in God’s kingdom.

Encourage ourselves in God: 1 chronicles 22:13 b reads “… do not be afraid or discouraged”. It is easy to get discouraged and look at the year, and count it as a loss. But we still have some time to make right. One second is enough for God to work miracles in our lives, but we must be willing. We must encourage ourselves in God and in His abilities to help us with our plans.

Seek God’s path: Psalm 25: 4 – 5 encourages us to seek God’s guidance in all things. It reads “4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, or you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long”. When you work with God’s plan and guidance, He will lead you to success.

Review and Revise the plan: It is wise to review the plans we are working with to make sure that it is updated with your renewed understating and wisdom of God's plans for you. I wrote about how we could possibly do this in "AS YOU MEAN TO GO ALONG” and FIRST QUARTER REVIEW and ARE YOU AN ANT .

Pray Over the Plans: Proverbs 16:3 says it all, it reads "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed".

Take Action: Gather together your mind and body, spirit and soul and focus on the task at hand. Put your mind and hands to work. You must physically work that plan, so that you will have works to show for the faith and hope you have in God to manifest the results. Faith without works as we are taught in James 2: 26, which reads “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead”.

So here I am encouraging us all to ‘GATHER SPEED AND GAIN MOMENTUM' as you journey through the final quarter of this year.

Keep the fire of your God given vision burning as it was on the day God revealed it to you. Be aware of the importance and urgency of your actions, remember, it is all about the advancement of God’s kingdom. Time is of the essence when it comes to our work for and in God’s kingdom.

Do all you can and have to do to REIGN in accomplishment and victory. I pray that come December 31 2009, we can all confidently declare like Paul and say “in 2009, I ran my race and I won the price” and I made God famous along my way.

Much Love

Remi Banjo

***pictures by photobucket***

HEARTFUL ENCOURAGEMENT

2009-08-14T12:27:00.018+01:00

Worry weighs a person down; an

encouraging word cheers a person up

Proverbs 12:25

Encourage is to stimulate by assistance, inspire hope and confidence

Inspire is to fill or affect with a specified feeling or thought

In today's downcast global economic climate, it is not difficult to find someone who is need of a kind word or action. All we need to do is look around us, at our neighbours, the lone man walking along with his head hanging low. The woman you see every morning, whose shoulders seemed weighed down with the heavy load of striving to exist, from day to day.

In life, we all will go through the good, bad and ugly times. With the good times, we are usually okay. When the bad and ugly times come, it is encouragement from God's words and others that will keep us going.

When we have tried everything we know how to and we are on the brink of yet another failure or giving up, it is encouragement that will keep us moving forward, and keep us in the game. When we are too tired to put one foot in front of another, it is the act of compassion which comes from encouragement, that will gives us new strength.

God knew there would come a time in our lives, when we would need doses of encouragement, like we need the air we breath. This is what the opening verse is explaining to us and encouraging us to do for ourselves and for others.

However, in His goodness, God also provides encouragement for us in His word, such as in Isaiah 35:3. This and such verses are for instances when we are almost horizontal on the floor, close to giving up hope. God gives us a boost of strength through the encouragement that lies within the good news of His word. It reads "With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees". How about that? Isn't He just awesome?

So, are you going through a rough patch? Have you tried everything you know how to do and yet nothing is working in your favour? Are you about to throw up your hands up in the air, in defeat, giving up all hope of your visions and dreams being manifested? Well, if you are where I am right now, solely dependant on God's promises, I encourage you NOT TO GIVE UP. I encourage you to hold on to the very solid foundation of your hope and expectation in God and His word. He will renew your body, spirit, mind and soul with Strength.

I encourage you to keep pressing forward in purpose, consistency and perseverance, for God will work everything together for your good as He has declared in Romans 8:28, including the failures, denials and chaos that might be going on.

On the other hand, everything might be going okay for you. However, do you know someone that is in need of words of encouragement and acts of compassion? Your neighbour, your friends, that man or woman you see looking so sad on the train, as you journey to work every morning? Looking around you, who can you encourage to keep going, not to give up on their hopes and dreams? Present them with the gift of 'words of encouragement', backed up with acts of compassion.

Those words and actions can go a long way to alter the stance of the intended and enable them to rise up and overcome their problems.

Today, be encouraged in God's word, and in return encourage somebody; displaying the compassionate nature of God, making Him famous along your way.

Much Love

Remi

***Pictures by Photobucket***

In Pursuit Of Your Foundation

2009-08-09T15:06:00.004+01:00

"Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to

bring him back to life again. And in a sense,

Abraham did receive his son back from the dead".

Hebrews 11:19

Reasoning is defined as "the basis or motive for an action, decision, or conviction".

From this definition, it is safe to say that the basis can also be called the FOUNDATION for an action, decision or conviction.

The verse above shows that through reasoning, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son. From His actions we see that Abraham reasoned within His mind that if He sacrificed his son, God will definitely raise Him up.

1 Peter 3:15 - gives us more proof that Faith is a reasoning process, for we have to be have thought it out so that we can explain the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. It reads "but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear".

Faith engages our thinking to establish the foundation for our believing in God. For instance, if there is sickness in the body, the basis for the hope and belief that God will heal, can be found in His word, in verses such as in Jeremiah 30:17a, which reads "For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds..."

The Greek translation of Faith defines it as the "substantiating of substance, the action that brings that substance into reality".

Now, with the understanding that faith engages our thinking to establish the very solid foundation of our belief in God, guess what the devil does with this same knowledge? Yes, you got it, he attacks that very foundation; the trust, hope and faith we have in God's word, When we go through trials, what we must realise is that enemy is not after our home, car, kids, family or wealth, he is after the foundation of our faith - the belief in God and who He is.

He is not after our joy, for the loss of joy is the outward manifestation that we have already lost faith. For if we have faith, then we have joy, but if we have no joy, then faith has left the building! When the joy comes from the assured faith we have in God's word. This is why we declare from Romans 4:21 "He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises."

So how does the devil attack our foundation, I hear you ask? He does this through the following ways:

Doubt: He makes us question God's word and His goodness. I mean all you have to do is speak to someone on the street about the happenings in the world and you will hear " if God is love and if He is good, why is there war, why are people dying all over the place?" What they are doing is doubting God's goodness. But as believers we declare that God is good all the time. The world reason's their belief in God based upon what they see, but we reason our belief in God based on His word and His experience in our life.

Discouragement: The devil tries to make us focus solely on our problems rather than God. When we do this, like Peter in Matthew 14, we start to sink and problems begin to look bigger than they are. The key is to keep our eyes on God. This can be achieved by reading His word, fellowship with other believers, hearing His word, meditating on His word, declaring His word and implementing His word.

Diversion: He makes the wrong things or situations seem attractive. This is so that we would want them even more than the right ones. That very thing or situation that we thought was not right for us, suddenly looks good. It suddenly will be "good for food, pleasant to our eyes and have the desire to make us wise"!!. However, when we embrace this notion, lust manifests itself. Lust will encourage us to reason that we really need them. Lust does not, work along for along with it comes pride, who will engage us in reasoning to say that we not only need it, but we deserve it!. Reminds me of the advert "...just because you are worth it"! To avoid being diverted from God's will and promises, we must keep our eyes on God's word, with hope and expectation.

Defeat: He makes us feel like a failure. For we might have tried a few times in what God has told us to do and we have failed. When we admit defeat, we stop trying. We stop trying to work on our careers, spiritual growth or discipline, marriages, relationships, ministry and much more.

Delay: The devil makes us impatient towards God's timing. God's word says every word will be fulfilled as declared in Matthew 24:35. When we are impatient, we end up with an Ishmael, even though God promised us an Isaac as He did with Abraham. However, God is a good God, for we eventually end up with an Isaac. The only problem is that the Ishmael that we got ourselves and the Isaac God gives us now enter into conflict, making the journey into our purpose harder than it should have been!. We must remember that 'delay is not denial'. When promises are delayed, it works patience in us as Paul explains inJames 1:2-4. This patience also protects us from deception, for when we are desperate, we are most likely sin and stop the hand of God working things out the way He wants to.

Just as Jesus Christ prayed for Peter, that his faith will not fail him, Jesus is sitted at the right hand of the father, praying and interceding for us that our faith will not fail us as confirmed in Hebrews 1:3. This means we are already winners, but the key is to focus on God's word, constantly.

So I encourage us all to remember that whatever we might be going through, not to forget, that the sole thing the enemy is after is the foundation of our faith. Everything else He takes from us is just a bi-product or a bonus for him.

It is the foundation of our faith that we use to obtain blessings and favour from God, and it is the same that we use to sustain it.

I encourage everyone to focus on God's word and His promises for your life, as you start a new week under His grace. I encourage you to hold on to the very promises and plans He has for you. In so doing, you will be increasing the solidity of your foundation in God, whilst declaring His faithfulness and goodness along your way.

Much Love
Remi

***pictures by photobucket***

Second Quarter Review: Purposeful Living

2009-07-20T11:15:00.023+01:00

“Commit your actions to the Lord,

and your plans will succeed”.
Proverbs 16:3

I was writing some notes in a meeting the other day and wrote the date, and realised that we are already half way through the year. Wow! A while back I uploaded a post called “First Quarter Review”, and realised, it is about time we went over the plans we set out to Rise, Run and Reign with this year. Its time to find out where we are, from our first review. It is time to gauge if we are living out the realities of 'a day in God's Will'.

It is time to find out if we are still on track and living a life of 'focused purpose', or have we fallen behind, or worst still, lost the plan and plot altogether.

To review means to: go over (Plans, lessons, mistakes) in review, look at, or look over again.

To gauge means to: determine the exact dimensions, capacity, quantity, or force of; measure.

If I asked the question, "Are the plans you are working and walking with, enabling you to live a life of focused purpose in God's will for you?" What would your answer be? It's a tough one isn't it? I asked myself the same question and my head is still spinning!

The only way to affirm that question is to continually review our plans and the way we are living out its reality each day. We have to review them with God, and make sure they are aligned with what He has confirmed as the purpose for our lives, in each season we are in.

To affirm that our plans are in alignment with God's plans, means that we are confirming and affirming God's very plan for our lives; that we are living every day in God' purposefully to accomplish His will with, in and through us.

To affirm means to: state or assert positively; maintain as true

To confirm means to: establish the truth, accuracy, validity, or genuineness of

When we are sure of God's purpose, we will avoid needless activities which tend to complicate our lives. Knowing God's purpose for our lives does the following for us:

Gives meaning to our life: Knowing God's plans for us, directs and helps us to fulfil His purpose for our lives. The understanding that there is a reason, and meaning to the very essence of our being, our life, encourages us, increases our desire and Zeal to work, doing activities that will bring forth God's purpose. Are you plans helping you to live out the very meaning of your life?

Simplifies our life: Imagine your manager at work giving you a mandate and it goes like this "I want you to implement a project"! However, the manager does not describe the nature and shape, or reason for the project! I could assume that most of us would be a bit frustrated with such a request, however for want of not loosing our jobs, we would (based on the knowledge of the work we do, and guessing of what the manager is involved in), we will put a few projects together, hoping that at least one of them might come close! This can be likened to when we try to live our lives without knowing what God wants us to do. We end up working on various 'life plans' in the hope that one of them might be the one! However, life does not have to be that complicated. We simply need to know what God wants and then ask for His wisdom to do understand what we have to do and for His grace to enable us to do it. Furthermore, this understanding will help us ask important questions such as " does this activity help me fulfil one of God's purpose for my life, or does it take me away from it?" Proverbs 13:7 explains it the simplicity of this better, it reads "A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life" (MSG). Are your plans simplifying your life, or making you busy without results?

Gives focus to our life and hence our plans: Ephesians 5:17, explains this point clearly and it reads "So do not be foolish but learn what the Lord wants you to do. (NCV). All we need to do is look at the rich and famous list, and we realise that the most successful people on that list are the most focused ones. From the best footballer, to the best singer, to the best writer, to the best business man, to the best accountant. Something successful people have in common is FOCUS and lots it! Are your plans helping you to live a life focused in God's will for you?

Motivates us: The understanding of God's purpose and plans for us (bearing in mind that God's plans for us are always good as declared in Jeremiah 29:11), helps to keep us motivated and focused in doing the EXACT things we are meant to do, to usher in its manifestation. We focus on direction, on content, on the big and small picture of it all. We have the vision and the purpose there right in front of us. Are your plans motivating you to live out the reality of God's purpose for you?

Prepare for Eternity: We must remember that this earth is a practise run for our real home, Heaven. When the physical body we are in expires, and we get to heaven, God will ask us the question "what did you do with what I gave you?" Which means, what did we do with our gifts, talent, ideas, inspiration, resources, energy and much more. Working with plans that encourages and focuses our lives to live a life of purpose, will enable us answer this question and pass the test, and determine what we do in eternity. Are your plans preparing you for what you are going to do in eternity?

Living a life of purpose is the only way to live. This means that the plans we are working and walking with, should be moving us forward in focused, and purposeful living.

So, as we progress through the second quarter of this year, I encourage you to review the plans you are working and working with. Does it need re-work, does it need re-alignment with God's purpose for your life? Is it keeping you focused, inspired and dedicated to live out each day in God's will?

I encourage you to review your plans from all angles and on all levels, from quarter forecasts to weekly and daily activities. I encourage you to also review all the resources that you have been working with, such as financial, relationships, technology, education, prayers and even sowing like seeds.

Also, not forgetting to review yourself; your attitude, growth and character, patience, tolerance, consistency, persistent, prayer plans, diligence, attention to detail, and spirit of excellence.

Finally, pray about your renewed understanding from the review, ask God for His never-ending and ever-increasing wisdom, to re-align the plan to fit into His will for your life. Pray for strength, focus, and zeal to help you live out the realities of GOD's plan for your life; whilst making Him famous in your focused and purposeful living.

Much Love

Remi Banjo

***Pictures by google***

Not Falling, BUT Growing In Love...

2009-07-06T14:33:00.010+01:00

And may the Lord make your love for one another

and for all people grow and overflow, just as

our love for you overflows.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NLT)

From the verse above it is evident that we are expected to GROW and overflow in LOVE for one another.

To Grow means to: increase gradually in size, amount, become greater or larger or expand

To fall means to: drop or descend under the force of gravity, as to a lower place through loss or lack of support. It also means to be deceived by, such as being falling for an old trick.

Growing in love with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, appointed someone is a conscious and determined process. God determined He loved us and thus, gave us His only son, Jesus Christ.

Paul also encourage us to stir up our love for one another as written in Hebrews 24:10, which reads "and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.." . To Stir up means to stir up means to rouse to action or incite, which can be viewed as the opposite of the meaning of falling.

Furthermore, our God IS love as confirmed in 1 John 4:8, and He is not a God that takes us to a lower place through loss or lack of support, when we grow in love with God, we arise Higher and deeper in Him.

When we grow in love, we grow in the understanding, meaning and nature of what Love is as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, which reads "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance".

So, here is me encouraging us all that as we start out a new week under God's grace, living a day a time in His will, to GROW gracefully in love towards one another; displaying the intricate nature and colours of God, who is the definition of love, whilst making Him famous along our way.

PS... Congratulations to Danny Bagucci for winning the book"The Call".

There is still one free book to be won! "The invisible bond - breaking free from your sexual past"

Much Love

Remi

***pictures by lukeprog.com***

Relational Beings...

2009-06-11T13:39:00.015+01:00

God created man as relational being. This is evident from when He created Adam as we read in Genesis 1:26-27, which reads "Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them".

Relationship is defined as a connection, association, or involvement.

Adam's first relationship was with God. He had a connection, an association and an involvement with God. However, I God wanted to increase the relational experience of man, so he created Eve. This we read in Genesis 2:18, which reads "Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

God does want us to have relationships; but the right ones and manage them adequately.

The pattern of forming or creating and managing relationships can be likened to that of the harvest, and the steps are: Conditioning the soil, sowing the seed, watering the seed, and then reaping a harvest.

For relationships, we can write the pattern as including: Introduction, Acquaintance, Friendship and Intimacy.

In relationships, at the beginning we condition our hearts (soil) through introduction to an individual, then we get acquainted (sowing he seed) by getting to know them. When we like what we see and perceive, we then move further to work on the friendship (watering the seed) through spending time with the individual. When we are sure and affirmed and confident of the individual in areas such as their believes and maturity, we finally we move into intimacy(reaping a harvest), and this could mean marriage, or having the individual as a close friend.

In today's society, most are used to having everything in an instant. Fast cars, fast meals, fast life... and therefore fast relationships. With all this 'fastness' the relational management of most has become faulty, or none existent.

Most people seem to go from introduction to intimacy in a very short period of time, showing that they want the benefit of commitment without actually being committed to the relationship. For example, two people living together, is called involvement. However, two people married and living together, is called commitment.

Not all relationships in our lives should move on to the next level. some are meant to stay at Introduction, or Acquaintance level (pointing finger to self at this point!). It is the fact of life that there will be some people, who will be closer to us than others.

We can learn more about relational management from the life of Jesus Christ.

Jesus had a special relationship with twelve men, His disciples, as we read in Matthew 10:2-4. However, amongst those twelve men, Jesus had a special relationship with three of them - Peter, James and John. This we are affirmed when he took them up a mountain to be alone. This we read in Mathew 17:1, which reads "Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone". Within those three men, Jesus had an even closer relationship with one of them, John.

Jesus also had relationship with other people that He managed. He had relationships with the Pharisees, He even had dinner with them. He also had relationships with His family and the people He ministered to along His way. It seemed that throughout His life, Jesus managed the people around Him, relationally, seamlessly.

To us all, the question is "How are we doing with the relationships in our lives?"

What if I have someone occupying the wrong space, relationship wise, in my life, what do I do? I hear you ask. Well we could do the following:

Retrain: This means to review, re-asses and re-instate the nature form and shape of the relationship. It means that we could try to re-invest into the individual by putting more effort into the relationship to build it, for example spending more time with them or getting involved more in their life, and them ours, in the hope of experiencing growth.

Reposition: This means that we reposition the space the this person takes in our lives. For example, if we have someone at the intimacy level, and we know they are not meant to be there, we must re-asses the relationship and move them to the right level within our lives, or if need be retire the relationship completely. This however, is not an easy thing to do because with relationships comes expectations. When expectations are not met, problems will most definitely ensue, but we must manage them all the same.

Retire: if the two above does not work, then it might be safe to part ways, amicably.

What is the nature, shape and form of the relationships in your life? Do you need to retrain, move or retire a few of them?

For relationships to work, they must occupy the right space, and managed so that the right investment (time and resource) is spent on them, therefore providing and yielding the right reward (harvest) to both parties, all for God's glory.

Have a great time being the all relational being that God created you to be, making Him famous along your way.

Much Love

Remi

***Picture by glimbo.com***

Pleasurable Smiles...

2009-06-02T16:41:00.002+01:00

"For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;

He will beautify the humble with salvation"

Psalm 149:4 (NKJ)

To take pleasure in someone, means to derive joy, delight and enjoyment in everything that individual does.

When a husband says about his wife that "he takes pleasure in her"; he is in fact saying that he enjoys every single aspect of who she is. He takes pleasure from her eating, sleeping, talking, reading or simply just sitting still. This is what I believe God means when He says in the verse above that "For the LORD takes pleasure in His people."

God takes takes pleasure in everything we do (apart from sin), if we do like we are doing it for Him and doing it as an act of worship. He takes pleasure in our waking up, our eating, sleeping, singing, dancing, working, relationships and much more.

How can we make our daily activities an act of worship, that will bring pleasure to God and cause Him to smile?

When we engage in our daily activities or tasks, we must have God very much in mind. We can have at the back of our minds questions such as "Does this activity, for example eating, bring worship to God? Does the food I am consuming and how I am fueling and looking after my body, the temple of God, bring pleasure to God? Does it make God smile"?

What common, yet daily tasks can you start doing differently today, with God in mind?

To further learn how our daily activities can bring glory to God, we can learn from the life of Noah, Genesis 6. Noah's life was a life that brought pleasure to God, His life and the activities he engaged in, glorified God and made Him smile.

In the days of Noah, God could not find anyone on the earth who pleased Him. Man was consistently engaged in evil doings. It was so bad that God was sorry He ever made them, and said He was going to wipe man out. However, Noah, found favour with God. Genesis 6: 5- 8 (please read for emphasis). God found pleasure in Noah for he was the only blameless man living on earth at that time as we read in Genesis 6:9 which reads "This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God". God decided to start creation all again, and to start with Noah. He could not wipe out Noah, for he lived a life that pleased God. Can God say the same thing about us? Can God intervene in some crises happening because we are present and the grace He has over us helps to rectify the situation? (selah)

Here are five acts of worship we can learn from the life of Noah. Acts of worship that will bring pleasure to God and cause Him to smile.

We make God smile when we:

Love Him supremely: Noah loved God, when no one else did as we read in Genesis 6:9 reads "This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a just and righteous man, blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked [in habitual fellowship] with God. This is the most thing God wants from us. God made us to love us and longs for us to love us back. God wants to have a daily and continuous walk with us. He wants us to have a continuous and engaging relationship with Him, through conversations; from the moment we wake up to the time we go to sleep. God wants a relationship with us, a one to one relationship. He made us to love us and longs for us to love Him back. God is more interested in our relationships rather than our sacrifices as we read in 1 Samuel 15:22 "But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

Trust him completely: To trust God is to have faith in God. It is impossible to please God or make Him smile if we have no faith, as declared in Hebrews 11:6a which reads "And it is impossible to please God without faith..." By faith Noah built the ark ( a ship) in preparation for rain, even though there had never been any rain! Hebrews 11:7a reads "It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood...". Today, how many of us will trust God totally and completely with every area of our lives, even when He says to do things that makes no sense whatsoever! How many of us will do that? In what areas of our lives do we need to trust God completely, to bring Him pleasure and to make Him smile?

Obey Him wholeheartedly: The dictionary defines wholeheartedly as - fully or completely sincere, enthusiastic and energetic. Noah obeyed God wholeheartedly, by following specific instructions. He did everything God commanded, as was confirmed in Genesis 6:22, which reads "So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.". When God tells us to do something, regardless how insane it might seem to us, our duty (out of love and obedience to Him) is to simply obey. We must be instant in our obedience. Instant obedience will teach us more about God than a whole lot of bible school will. Also, I believe (and have experienced) that instant obedience will further unlock understanding which will not be given to us otherwise. Delayed obedience, is still disobedience.

When we thank and praise Him continuously: When the flood subsided and Noah embarked from the ark, his first act of worship on dry land was to offer a sacrifice of burnt offerings to God, and God was pleased, as we confirmed in Genesis 8: 20 - 21a, it reads "20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and there he sacrificed as burnt offerings the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose. 21 And the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice... It pleases God when we express our thanks to Him, for all that Has done, doing and for that which He has promised to do. As the Psalmist writes in Psalm 107:1, we must "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever".

When we use our abilities: After the flood, in Genesis 8: 15-16, God said to Noah, "Be fruitful and increase the earth". God was telling Noah, to enjoy all that God has given Him and live a life He designed for Him. God wants us to get on with our life according to his Will for us. He wants us to do the things we have been specifically designed to do. He takes pleasure in it all. When we use our abilities, for His glory and to help those around us, it brings Him pleasure, it makes Him smile. If God created you with the gift of a writer, then write. If God created you to be a runner, then run to His glory. If God created you to be a tailor then sew the best designed pieces there is!

So, are you living a life that is pleasing to God? Does your everyday actions worship and make Him smile? What area of your life or activities you engage in, can be displayed as an act of worship to God?

I encourage us all to live out the very essence of our lives as an expression of worship to Almighty God. We should endeavour to make our every activity be impregnated with the knowledge of God, causing those activities to flow in seamless praise, and adoration to Him. For this will bring Him pleasure, make Him smile, and His glory will shine through us, whilst we make him famous as we live out the intricacies of each and every day.

Much love

Remi

***Pictures by photobucket***

The Three Fold Cord: Fasting, Giving and Praying

2009-05-23T17:57:00.000+01:00

Though one may be overpowered by another,

two can withstand him. And a threefold

cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12

It is fair to say that most of us would have heard the verse above referred to, in the context of a marriage ceremony or around the meaning of what it means to work and walk together, in unity and strength as brothers and Sisters of God's kingdom.

However, I realise that this same 'three fold cord' principle can be applied to the three key disciplines expected of a believer - FASTING, GIVING AND PRAYING.

Fasting, Giving and Praying are key disciplines every believer must practise and often. It is expected of us. When we fast, give and pray - (all together), I believe it connects us to one another (through such things as interceding and helping the less privileged) and to God (humbling ourselves before Him and seeking His guidance).

Mathew 6:16, reads "And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get".

The operative word here is 'when', and I believe it means that - there will always come a time when the need for a fast (to humble ourselves before God, to get direction, wisdom and much more) will arise.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Reads (note verse 17) "16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

The operative word here is 'NEVER', which means "at no point in time" , which we can relate to the verse above as thus; "at no point in time, should we stop praying". At no point in time should we stop having conversations with God.

Mathew 6: 2 - 3 reads "2So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing..."

We see that word 'when' again, in this passage, and in the understanding of the word 'when', reading the passage above, it teaches us that we are expected to live a life of Giving, it is something we must do, continuously. We must help the poor or those less privilege, those in need of our help and much more. It also tells us how we should go about doing it.

I believe that when we operate the three fold cord of 'Fasting, Giving and Praying (together), NOTHING shall be impossible!.

So, are you feeling stuck in a rut, needing direction and focus

or wanting to know your very purpose on earth or

the season you are in? Why not seek God's guidance

in Fasting, Giving and Praying.

When we want to decipher how a new product that we have just purchased works, we either speak to the manufacturer (creator) or refer to the manual that comes along with the product. God is our maker, He created / invention us. If we need to know His will for our lives, to obtain clarity of purpose and focus or find out how to get out of a rut that we might be in, we need to ask Him, and read the life manual he wrote for us - The Bible

When we read Matthew 17: 20 - 21 (story about Jesus disciples not being able to cast out evil suicidal spirits in a boy, and the father of the boy brought him to Jesus for deliverance - please read the whole chapter for completion)

The passage reads: "20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting

The key that unlocks the power of this passage is the word "Howbeit". Yes, the disciples of Jesus needed faith and the power (which had already been given to them by Jesus in Matthew 10) to cast out demons, but "howbeit - however or regardless" there are some type of demons (strongholds, blockages or curses) that cannot or will not be removed without fasting, giving and praying - done together.

Taking a step back, we must remember that not long before this incident took place, Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Mathew 4, please read for completion), whereby He prayed to the father also, and we know that His life was about giving and helping the people.

If Jesus Christ was able to accomplish all that

He came to earth to do without fasting,

praying and living a life of giving,

then why did He do them? Selah...

"Students are not greater than their teacher.

But the student who is fully trained

will become like the teacher"

Luke 6: 40

Could it be that we are missing the very reason or understanding of our purpose in life? Could it be that we are missing the very combination that will lead to that breakthrough that we desperately seek, because we fail to understand the importance and ramifications of the three fold cord of 'fasting, giving and praying'?

I envisage the ramifications of this three fold cord as the thirty fold, sixty fold and hundred fold return Jesus spoke about in Mark 4;8, 20 (please read for completion):

When praying is a constant part of our lives, we can release the thirty fold return

When praying and giving - together is a constant part of our life, we can release the sixty fold, and

When praying, giving and fasting is a constant part of our lives, we an release the hundred fold return.

When we hunger for God He will fill us. When we make time for God, pray to Him, have conversations with us, He will hear us and reveal secret things to us. When we live a life of giving, we show the good and perfect nature of God displayed through us.

Sometimes, when we are disciplined enough to Fast, give and pray, continuously, and we don't see or sense that anything is happening, there is the tendency to get discouraged. However, we must not be. We must hold on to faith, hope and expectation that God is good, and He has answered our prayers and accepted our sacrifices and He will reward our diligence. It's all about timing, all about His time.

We can also learn and be encouraged from the faith of our forefathers, those that were here before us. They went through most, if not all that we are experiencing today.

In Psalm 35:13 -14 David the psalmist said "13 Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them. I denied myself by fasting for them, but my prayers returned unanswered. 14 I was sad, as though they were my friends or family, as if I were grieving for my own mother".

It was obvious David had not received the answers to his prayers, but he still waited on God in faith. Do not be weighed down with discouragement.

So, do you want to know the Will of God for you life? Do you seek a breakthrough in any particular area of your life? Do you want to do great and mighty great exploits as Jesus declared? Do you want to see changes in your life for good?

If so, why not weave up a three fold cord of Fasting, Giving and Praying, seeking God's help, wisdom, and knowledge; calling forth that breakthrough, giving you tremendous testimonies to strengthen your brethren, glorifying God's name, and making Him famous along your way.

Much Love

Remi

***Pictures by photobucket***

The Good And Perfect Shepherd

2009-05-18T12:15:00.023+01:00

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow

of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence

of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy

shall follow me. All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house

of the LORD Forever.

Psalm 23 (NLT)

The dictionary defines a shepherd as thus:

a person who herds, tends, and guards sheep.
a person who protects, guides, or watches over a person or group of people.

From that definition, it is safe to say that a Shepherd would naturally care for the sheep. An individual who is a leader should have a caring nature for and towards those whom he is leading or directing.

John 10:11-14 reads "11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep".

From the verse above, Jesus was explaining that He is the good shepherd. For Him to have to clarify and distinguish Himself as a 'good shepherd' means that there are 'bad shepherds' around. It means that there are bad shepherds who lead the sheep, his people astray.

Further reading of the same chapter in verse 14 - 15, Jesus not only further re-affirms and distinguishes himself as the good shepherd, but also explains, His love and what He, as a good shepherd, does, continuously, to look after His sheep; his people. It reads 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep".

Now in John 10:12-13, we see the characteristics of a bad shepherd, and it reads "12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep

From this passage, it is obvious that the bad shepherd, referred to as 'hired hand', does not care about the sheep; the people. A bad shepherd abandons the people at the first sign of trouble, causing confusion and displacement.

From that understanding, the questions I ask of you today is thus:

"who is your leader, who are you following?

Who is your Shepherd?

Is God and His word your Shepherd

or is man and the world your shepherd?"

Just as a shepherd tends to the needs of his sheep, by watching over them carefully, protecting them from the dangers of the field and elements of the weather, guiding them away from trouble, leading them out of trouble, when they have wandered off into trouble, and leading them to what will satisfy their needs, daily and constantly; God does the same for His people.

Yes, there might be times when life strikes a painful blow, and we start to feel discouraged and in our discouragement cannot sense the presence of God; Him being there or leading us.

However, learning from the nature of a shepherd (in the natural), a shepherd does not always have physical or direct contact with the sheep he is herding, but his presence is there all the same, looking after and over the sheep. So even when we don't feel God's physical touch or feel Him near, He is always and will always be there as He declares in the second part of Hebrews 13:5, which reads "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

So, today, I encourage you to start your, day, week, month and season in submission to the Good and Perfect Shepherd, Almighty God. I encourage you to submit yourself to be led by the shepherd who knows what you need before you ask. The one who knows where all the provisions and opportunities (jobs, contracts, business opportunities, promotions and much more) are, even in the midst of the current economic climate. The one who will lead you in the paths of righteousness, even in the world's darkness, for the glory his holy name.

I for one, declare that God is my good and perfect shepherd, and with renewed understanding of His goodness and his mercy and His love, I can further re-affirm Psalm 23 as thus:

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

I distinguish you Lord (set you apart, and obove) from all others leaders, as my good and perfect shepherd. As my guide, my teacher, my leader and my life coach!. And because you are a good God, I shall never lack any provision or any good thing.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He leads me into abundance

In your goodness, you lead me in blessed abundance (plentiful, more than enough of everything that is good and enriching for and to me), even in recession. You know where all the opportunities are; how to get them to me or how to get me to it, as long as follow your lead... and as you lead me along, you gift me with perfect peace within my soul.

3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

You bring me back to my original position, how you created me to be, living in peace, in love and in abundance. You lead me in right thinking, right doing for your name's sake. (this is the part I love). Now because you do this for your namesake, I have no need to worry or be stressed, because you cannot forsake your name, for your name is your very reputation, and you will not forsake your reputation, you cannot. Assured Confidence! Hallelujah!

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Even when I go astray from your will (yeah, I am silly like that sometimes, and wander off on my own), and work and walk myself into some disastrous situations (and you know I have had a few Lord); in your goodness and like the good and perfect shepherd that you are, you still come and find me, and help me out of my own mess! Wow!

Your rod, you use to correct me (that's right, sometimes it sure hurts, but it is for my own good, so I thank you) and your staff you use to lead me out of that very situation (guiding me out by insight through your word, your teaching, your wisdom and your Holy Spirit). In so doing you show me the nature of your perfect character, which is all goodness.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Even in the presence of my enemies, those who want to see me fail, you prosper me (to their amazement, and for your glory). In the presence of those who doubt that I serve a living God, you show yourself strong, and then you go further to anoint my head, blessing everything that concerns me, and it still does not stop there, you then bless me so much that I have to expand my territory to contain it all, and its still keeps coming. Your blessing is never -ending. When I think I have seen all your goodness, you 'wow' me some more!

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

As long as I follow you and let you lead me as the good and perfect shepherd that you are, your goodness and your mercy will always surround me, be with me and be manifested in me. It will follow me everywhere I go, be evident in everything I do, I touch and I'm involved in ... all the days of my life.

As long as I keep my eyes, firmly focused on you, follow your instructions and whilst doing so (no matter how long the journey or work I must do; and Lord, I must confess, sometimes the journey is long and the work, extremly hard, but by your grace, I have been and always will be able), remember your constant faithfulness, love and goodness. I must always remember that you are my good and perfect shepherd, whose desire is to lead me in the right path, for your name's sake and for your glory. And for all these and even more, I declare I will live within the realms of your will and love forever more...Amen.

How about you? How do you declare and re-affirm Psalm 23, confessing the Lord as your shepherd? Have a wonderful day being led in spirit and in truth by God the good and perfect shepherd, glorifying His name in your life along the way.

Much Love

Remi

***pictures by photobucket***

Not Without His Permission

2009-05-05T22:20:00.011+01:00

And the Lord said,“Simon, Simon! Indeed,

Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

But I have prayed for you, that your faith should

not fail; and when you have returned to Me,

strengthen your brethren.”

Luke 22: 31 - 32(NKJV)

Jesus spoke the words in the verse above when He and His disciples were eating the 'Lord's supper' and when He was predicting Peter's imminent denial of Him.

Jesus told Peter that Satan asked for Him, meaning that, Jesus had previously had a conversation with Satan whereby, Satan requested for Peter. This implies that Satan cannot pick and choose, freely, whom he desires to afflict or torment, on this earth, 'he must ask God, he needs God's permission to do so'. (Head spinning right? - Yes, it was for me also when I was opened to this understanding).

However, surprised we must not be, for in the Bible, there is another example whereby it shows that, Satan requires God's permission for everything, especially when it comes to His children. Where is that written? I hear you ask. In the book of Job. It is evident in Job 2: 3 - 6, and it reads "3 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.” 4 Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!” 6 “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.”(NLT)

Here we see, Satan having conversations with God regarding Job and asking permission to torment Job so that he(Job), can turn his back on God.

To ask permission means: "authorization granted to do something; formal consent"

To sift means to: "pass or fall through or as if through a sieve"

We learn from this same Luke 22 passage that, Satan wanted to sift Peter like wheat, thereby putting Peter's FAITH to the test. He wanted to put Peter's FAITH UNDER PRESSURE.

What is the essence of putting Peter's faith to the test, I hear you ask?

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." (NLT)

Breaking this passage down further, it means that our FAITH, which is our BELIEF (which is in the fundamental fact of God's existence and in His word, which is our firm foundation), that what we hope (which is in God's word) for, will actually happen; it gives us total and complete assurance (total confidence) about the things that we cannot see.

Thus, with that definition in mind, when our faith is tested, our belief, confidence, hope and total assurance and declaration in God and His word, is being tested. It is not to test if we can hold on to our earthly possessions (cars, houses, jobs and the rest), but if we can hold on to our firm belief in God, during the trials and tribulations we go through.

Reading Luke 22: 31 - 32 further, we learn that, even though Jesus gave Satan permission to test Paul, in His goodness, He made sure that Peter was going to be alright. Jesus prayed for Peter. He prayed that his Faith (which is what was to be tested) will not fail him, Luke 22: 32 reads "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail;" However, the beauty of our Lord Jesus is that, as He prayed for Peter then, He still prays for us now, during our trials and tribulations as confirmed in Romans 8:34, which reads "Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us." (NLT)

We also learn from the 2nd part of verse 32, of Luke 22, that regardless our trials and tribulations, we will come through. However, when we do, we will have a testimony, which is to be used to help others who are going through the same difficulties we just came out of. Luke 22:32 reads "...So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers. (NLT)" This is why it is important to share our testimonies with others so that it will help them towards their breakthrough and also bringing glory to God's name.

From all of the above, we must remember that:

Nothing happens to us without God's permission. Satan has to obtain permission from God to afflict us. I like to say he requires a 'permission slip' that states his limited, under permission authority and boundaries on anything concerning us.

When we are going through trials and tribulations, being tested, it is our FAITH - our foundation, our belief in God that is being tested.

God is always there to help and see us through as we are assured in 1 Corinthians 10:13 which reads "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure". (NLT)

The testing of our faith is good for us, for it brings growth through endurance as confirmed in James1: 2 - 4, which reads "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow."(NLT) Endurance is the ability or strength to continue or last, esp. despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina: He has amazing physical endurance

So I encourage us all to be of good cheer, for every single test of faith we go through, has not happened without God's notice or permission.

Nothing occurs to God and nothing takes Him by surprise.

However, we must do whatever it takes, to hold on to the very foundations of our faith, our belief, which is in God and His word. We must believe that He is on our side, He is praying for us, and the tests are to refine us. This means we will be fine, we will come out refined and much stronger. We will come out victorious armed with powerful and life changing testimonies. These we must share with others, to strengthen and help them through their own tests; whilst making our good, wonderful and merciful God, famous along your way.

Much Love
Remi Banjo
***Pictures by Photobucket***

Constant and Continous is He: even in the midst of famine

2009-04-26T21:00:00.001+01:00

And I will put a division and a

sign of deliverance between

My people and your people.

By tomorrow shall this sign be in evidence.

Exodus 8:23

... and the story continues to be delivered through all forms of media; television, radio, newspapers, the Internet, even on bill boards. Tales about the devastating blows of the doom and gloom of the world's recession is never ending, it seems

The constant barrage of the state of the recession is a repackaged tactic of the devil. A tactic to instill fear into the minds of those taking it all in. However, as children of God, who firmly reside within His Economy, we know that because He is good, we are going to be okay.

Over time and throughout the Bible, God has shown us His continuous and constant desire to proposer his children, even in the times of famine (recession). His aim is to prosper us in wealth, health, relationships, influence and affluence and so much more; so that we in turn can be a blessing to others, bringing glory to His name.

God spoke the verse above when he was about to bring the plague of 'the Plague of Flies' upon the Egyptians, (please read the Exodus chapter 6 - 9 for completion). In the midst of all the havoc that was to be evident in the land, God promised to 'protect, set aside, mark and treat different' the Israelites, showing that He is their all powerful, knowing and protecting God.

As I mused over that verse, I realised that, even in the middle of this world's crisis, it is still God's constant and continuous desire to "set us apart, mark us with his blood, make it evident that we have and serve a living God, who is more than able to rise us well above the recession". After all, He is a God that changes not, He did it before and He will do it again; only if we let him through our obedience.

Some encouraging stories of how God showed his constant and continuous desire for his children to prosper in the times of famine are:

Isaac became prosperous - Genesis 25 - 26 (please read for completion): Isaac was a diligent and obedient man and he moved as instructed by God to Gerar, the land of the philistines. In response to his obedience God blessed him in the land of Gerar, he reaped in the same year of famine (recession) a hundred fold. We must note that God blessed Issac because he was obedient. Also, we learn that Isaac did not follow the ways of the world and go to Egypt like everyone did, or as his father Abraham did. He obtained instructions for his own victory, in the times of famine. What is God telling you to do, physically or spiritually? Are you following God's or the world's pathway to your victory in this recession?

God saves the Israelites in the wilderness - In Deuteronomy 8 (please read for completion): Here, we learn how God fed the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness. God supernaturally fed them through manna (bread) from heaven. This bread was to be gathered together by specific instructions from God. The Israelites lived the reality of Matthew 4: 4 which reads "But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God". God did more than feed them, he made their clothing (clothes and shoes) last on them throughout their time in the desert, forty years. Imagine that? They never outgrew their clothes or shoes. The Israelites ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. This is proof that God saw them through the wilderness. As he did it for the Israelites, He can and will see us through the hard times, if we let him and are obedient.

Elijah fed by Ravens - 1 Kings 17 (please read for completion): In verse 2 and 3 of this chapter, we see how God told Elijah to move from where he was to the brook of Cherith , the east of Jordan. In this place God provided water to drink and ravens to feed him food. The awesomeness of this is that Raven birds, are scavengers in nature, and they do not discriminate between humans and animals, they will eat it all. However, this is the same bird that God commanded to feed Elijah. God can use the same wave and instigator of this recession to feed, take care and increase His children.

The Widow of Zarephath - 1 Kings 17 (please read for completion): This is another wonderful example of how God provided for his own, through obedience; and also how the obedience of one person, led to the saving of another life. The widow of Zarephath and her son were down to their last meal and close to death by starvation. God commanded Elijah to move from the brook Cherith, (where he had initially hidden and provided for him), to go to Zarephath, where he will meet this widow. On getting to Zarephath, he did see the widow. He asked her for some water to drink and some bread to eat - on which the woman replied in 1 Kings 17 11 - 12, which reads "11As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand. 12And she said, As the Lord your God lives, I have not a loaf baked but only a handful of meal in the jar and a little oil in the bottle. See, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it--and die."

Elijah heard her plight, but because he knew God was onto something, encouraged her. The widow obeyed the prophet and the result of both of their obedience was that she, her house hold and Elijah, ate for many days throughout the famine. They never lacked. From this we must understand that the ramifications of obedience to God is usually bigger than us. In this case, Elijah's obedience saved the widow and her household. The widow's obedience, gave room for God to do his work and provide for both of them.

The favoured man called Joseph - Genesis 40 - 41 (please read for completion): The favour of God was on Joseph, for God gave him the wisdom and ability to govern and administer the house of Pharaoh and his people. God gave him the wisdom, ability and skills to know where, how to and when to gather up all the [surplus] food that will be required to help Egypt survive the times of famine. We must ask God for His wisdom to know where the opportunities are in this season; when, where and how to invest and sow our time, resources and skills and gifts.

Famine during the reign of King Claudius - Acts 11 (please read chapter for complete ion): There was a famine in the land of Antioch during the reign of King Claudius. At this time, God provided for the disciples living in Antioch, however, they in turn, provided and helped each other according to their capability and how God blessed them. verse 29 - 30 reads "29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 30 This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul". We must learn that when God prospers us in this recession, we should not embrace a selfish nature and hold onto it all. We are blessed to be a blessing, thus we should reach out to others and help them to rise above the waves of recession. In doing so, the true nature and colours of God's love will come shining through, bringing glory to His holy name.

On that note, I encourage us all not to be carried away on the waves of fear because of the continuous news about the world's global recession. Declare and decree that "you are NOT participating in the world's recession", for you reside in God's economy. In doing so, you are hiding yourself under God's rock, under his wings and in the shelter of the name of Jesus Christ, where he will not only provide for you and your family but prosper you until you become extremely prosperous.

However, when God prospers you, do not forget to be a blessing to those around you, helping them rise above tides recession; making God famous along your way.

Much Love
Remi Banjo

***Pictures by photobucket***

The Eyes Of Your Heart...

2009-04-13T21:02:00.024+01:00

Peter, is a man who loves God. He loves God with all his heart, mind and soul. Every morning upon rising, Peter diligently reads his bible, makes notes and throughout the day tries to make a conscious effort to meditated that which he has read. He especially liked the book of Psalms and did his best to memorise at least a few verses from it. In all aspects of life, Peter experiences trials and tribulations of life just like you and I.

There came a time when Peter became unwell. He got sick and needed to be admitted into a hospital for several operations. His family and friends gathered around him daily and they fasted and prayed. They interceded for him, asking God to please take away the sickness and the pain. Despite all their prayers, Peter did not get any better, in fact, he got worse and began drifting in and out of consciousness. However, all through his ordeal, in his mind Peter was alive and well. He kept telling himself, "I need to get up and read my bible, I need to find those words and verses to pray for healing and encouragement".

Whenever he was conscious and strong for a short time, he struggled to physically pick up his Bible. When he did, he struggled to read it. As soon as he opened the pages, the words became a blur and because he was weak, his body got tired of trying to focus and he drifted either to sleep or un-consciousness. He tried this a few times and then he realised that no matter how hard he tried, it was just physically impossible.

Then during one of his conscious bouts, he thought, "my mind is still conscious and able" which means I can still speak to God, I can still pray. Ah! He was excited, and so with all the strength he could muster within his mind, he opened the eyes of his heart, the pathway to the richness that lies deep within its walls.

Heart now open, Peter starts to read with the eyes of his heart. He starts to read the words he had so diligently and patiently memorised over the years; words of healing, comfort, peace, deliverance and victory. As he reads, Peter started to speak to God. He whispered and presented God's words and promises to him, bringing them to His remembrance; all on the wings of a prayer.

========================================================

When trouble comes knocking at your door and you find yourself in situations such as Peter's or even worse, what is your first reaction, what do you do?

Do you rush to get your hands on the nearest bible you can find, flick through the pages (or index) and find passages relevant to your situation and start to read and declare the word? Or do you kneel down, or encourage your mind, spirit and soul to bring to remembrance the words of God hidden within the walls of your heart and start to pray them into your reality?

Psalm 119:11 reads "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

From this verse, we see that when we keep God's words within our hearts, it helps us to know when we are about to or are sinning against God; for the truth of the word will be a witness.

It will be mighty difficult to guess if we are sinning or have sinned against God if we don't know what the Bible says about what is right or wrong. Imagine this with me: Remi wants to take a piece of candy that does not belong to her, this will be stealing. Before she does this, she wonders, "is this a sin"? She is not sure, so she picks up her bible, and rumages through the pages to find out what it says about taking candy that does not belong to her. :-).

Well that approach is will not be a practical way to live from day to day. However, if Remi has the words of God (along with the understanding of it) stored within her heart, she WILL know that taking candy that does not belong to her is a sin, so therefore, she will leave it. (I hope - for she has a choice!).

When we are deligent to keep Gods word within our hearts, we are able to live out the reality of Philippians 4:8, which reads "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

We will know what is true, honorable, right, pure and lovely and admirable to think and meditate on, daily and constantly.

The act of storing the bible within our hearts, is not an easy task. It takes practice, diligence and perseverance. However here are a few tips that might help:

Using visual aids: example Index Cards:

Get a pack of Index cards such as used for presentation. Example below:

Find the Bible verse or verses you would like to memorise
Decide how many verses you would like to memorise a day, a few days or a week
Date the index card and write the Bible verses on it.
Every night, mid-day and night (or night and morning) read the bible verses
Every other night, write from memory as much as you can remember of that verse
Do that until you can write the verse as it should be, then move on to another verse

Using Technology Devices:

Technology is a beautiful thing, it has many usages and advantages. You can do the same as using an index card, with a few alterations such as:

Find the Bible verse or verses you would like to memorise

Decide how many verses you would like to memorise - a day, a few days or a week

Open a task or note reminder on your technology device and write and store the Bible verses to be memorised on it

Save the task or note reminder for each day or duration required

Every night, mid-day and night (or night and morning) read the bible verses (tip, you could programme reminders into your technology device)

Every other night, open a note book on your technology device and write from memory as much as you can remember of that verse.

Do that until you can write the verse as it should be, then move on to another verse

"1MY SON, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death], these shall they add to you."

Proverbs 3: 1-2

Here is me encouraging us all to be diligent in the reading and storing up the word of God within the walls of our hearts. Storing up its meaning, wisdom, understanding and power. There will surely come a time when we will need these words, but will not be able to physically pick up our Bibles to read them from. The next thing for us to do is open the eyes of our heart, and read from what we have stored therein, within its very walls.

However, the beauty and power of God's word is that, if it already resides within us, we can call upon and declare it any time, into any situation, giving us the victory and making God famous along the way.

Much Love

Remi Banjo

***pictures by photobucket***

...And Then He Is Risen!!!

2009-04-12T00:02:00.004+01:00

"But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from

the dead, why are some of you saying there will be

no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no

resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been

raised either. And if Christ has not been raised,

then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless".

1 Corinthians 15:12-14

But as we know and believe, Jesus Christ died, and on the third day, He rose from death, to live forevermore, as he declares in Revelation 1:18, which reads “I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave" Hallelujah!

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ proves that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. It proves the truthfulness of the Word of God, that was spoken by the Prophets of old. It proves his deity as the son of God and proves the completion of the salvation of God.

For us to be justified before God, we MUST receive eternal life. This is the only way. Thus, if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, He will not be alive today, to give us eternal life. However, praise be to the powerful Almighty God, He did rise as declared in John 11:25, which reads “Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” ...And because he has risen, we have ETERNAL LIFE!!

If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, the gospel of the Holy Spirit will not be alive, and with us today. If there is no Holy Spirit, then there is no church. The gift and presence of the Holy Spirit is dependant on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which Jesus also acknowledges in John 16:7, which reads “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”

Finally, if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, he will not be seated at the right hand of the Father INTERCEDING (pleading) for us, as explained in Romans 8: 31 – 34, which reads "31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us".

The scriptures says it all.

Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Christian life is GUARANTEED

as explained in Romans 6:4, which reads:

"For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism.

And just as Christ was raised from the dead by

the glorious power of the Father,

now we also may live new lives".

There is nothing to add or take away from these. Jesus Christ lived and died to save humanity, to give us back dominion (after the fall of man, in the garden of Eden) and ultimately, to reconcile us back to God. Simply beautiful...

Dear Lord, to say 'thank you' can never be remotely close enough, to express my gratitude for changing my pathway from hell to heaven, through the awesome power of your resurrection.

I pray that you help us all, by your grace to understand and live out the ramifications of your resurrection, all for your glory.

And I leave you with this...

"And the Ever-living One

[I am living in the eternity of the eternities].

I died, but see, I am alive forevermore; and

I possess the keys of death

and Hades (the realm of the dead)".

Revelation 1:18

For that verse alone, we should NEVER be afraid of anything that comes our way. Jesus Christ has the keys, means we have dominion- OVER EVERYTHING. Praise God.

Have a Happy and wonderful Easter celebrating the awesomeness of the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and what it means for all humanity.

Much love

Remi Banjo

***Pictures by photobucket***

THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

2009-04-10T10:11:00.012+01:00

He came
He lived

He died
For you and me

He changed our paths from hell

Bought us a one way ticket to heaven

To reign and dwell with Him for eternity

In His mighty haven

Today, many years ago, God gave the ultimate gift, He scarified His one and only Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He was killed for the elevation of you and I, as confirmed in 1 John 4: 9 - 10, which reads "9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins".

This sacrifice epic's the meaning of LOVE AND IT'S WORTH. It writes a story of "A love that surpasses all understanding" as further explained in John 3:16, which reads "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life"

The death of Jesus Christ, on this very day, inverted our pathway to Hell, it changed our course from eternal death to eternal life. It changed our course to heaven.

Today, wonderful Lord, I thank you for the ramifications of what you did today, for me, so many years ago. I thank you that because of your love for me and the sacrifice of your one and only son, by your grace, I am heaven bound, to reign with you for eternity. Hallelujah!

I thank you Papa that you find me worthy (even in my dysfunctional state) of an awesome sacrifice. Words cannot express my gratitude and the word 'thank you' is not even close enough, to sum up my appreciation for today.

However, in my attempt to show gratitude, from the depths of my heart and soul, and with every fibre of my being, I say a BIG THANK YOU LORD, for the beautiful gift that you gave me today. The gift of Jesus Christ.

I do not take this for granted. You died for me, and so I live for you. I live to praise you, love you and by your grace walk steadfastly in your will, declaring your awesomeness, your glory and never-ending love; making you ever so famous along my way.

Thank you Jesus for everything.

How about you? How do you feel about the glorious gift of today?

Much Love

Remi Banjo

***Pictures by Photobucket***

THE SCRIPTWRITER

2009-04-07T14:37:00.030+01:00

Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own;

But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind

and straining forward to what lies ahead,

I press on toward the goal for the prize

of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13 - 14

Following my last post First Quarter Review I was diligent enough to go through the plan I had mapped out in January. Looking back, I realised that even though I knew what I wanted to achieve, I did not understand fully, the pathway, resources, or some actions I needed to engage in, to make this happen.

That plan from January onwards, became the movie script for me up onto the point of review. However, along with maturity in the understanding of God's will and mandate for us, comes Wisdom, insight and further clarity of what is required on this journey called life.

Well after review with renewed understanding, wisdom and insight, I realised that I did not like the script I was living out and needed to do something about it.

So what did I do, I hear you ask. I TORE THE THE SCRIPT.

Yes, like a Hollywood writer tears up a script, so many times, before he/she writes up that perfect movie, I did the same to my plans, the script I had been living out and directing, since the onset of this year. I realised that if I did not like where my life was going, the power is in my hands to change it. And the way I can do that is to simply re-write the script with renewed wisdom. There is no point waking up everyday, complaining about the same issues, and problems, wishing for things to change, but not do anything about it. It is quite silly, and even more so, when I know the power and responsibility to change things lies within the very palm of my hands. So, like the NIKE Slogan encourages, "JUST DO IT"... and so I did.

I envisage our lives to be a 'movie in motion', of which we are the main character, the main actors. Our lives, whether consciously or unconsciously, is living out a script, written and directed by someone or something.

At this point, I must ask, "whose script are you living out? The one you wrote through God's wisdom, or the one the world presented you?" . Who is your director? You or the world at large?

Lamentations 3:22-23 reads "22It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassion's fail not. 23They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

Everyday by God's grace, we wake up with the ability to write a new script, if we don't like the one we lived out the previous day. The unfortunate thing is most of us don't take this advantage, of this gift, of our ability or responsibility to change our lives around. Instead, we keep our attention tuned to the same old stuff, hence every new day becomes a replica of the last.

So, I don't like the script I am acting out right now, I would like to change it, what do I do? I hear you ask.

Here are a few things we can all do:

Change our thinking and outlook from the present to the desired state: The desired state we want our lives to be. We must focus our mind and eyes on the future we want for ourselves. What life movie do we want our lives to be about? Conjure it up and shape it within our minds.

Create the life we want on paper: Write what you imagine your life to be on paper. Write the script, starting with the present state of things. If we want to experience changes in our lives, we must make a conscious effort (thinking and acting) to make this happen. Introduce the main character & actor (the current you) to yourself. What I do is to write my script by thinking in the 'third person', thus separating the perspective away from myself. This helps me not to be biased by what I am putting together. I make it read like I am observing my life from another person's perspective. After all, it will eventually become a movie (I will live it out daily) and I would also like to think, if it became a feature length movie, it will be come a Block Buster hit! An example of such writing is thus: "Elizabeth, is a single beautiful woman, that lives in London, England. She is a qualified Architect and works in one of the middle sized firms in the city. Elizabeth has a normal life; she works, goes out with the little friends she has. On the surface, she looks like she is okay, but he reality is that she is bored, tired and fed up of where her life is going - nowhere. Everyday seems to be one long and endless day of boring similarities. She desires, wants and hungers for change, but she is unsure of how to instigate this." I tell you, when you put this on paper, you will realise how well or how bad your current life script is!

Move beyond the introduction: Take the main character & actor (yourself) beyond the now. Start adding future dreams, ambitions that the character desires. Make the character interesting, successful, an achiever and a go-getter. In line with the dreams and desires God has given you, add a huge dose of imagination. With God nothing is impossible, so when going beyond the now, let there be no impossibilities within the realities of your script! Dream Big, Write your script Big.

Define Emotions: Start to define the character's emotions, in view of achieving all these dreams and ambitions. For example, "Elizabeth felt encouraged when she thought about finally putting that book together and having it published. She was having butterflies in her tummy, just thinking about walking into one of the main bookshops in the country and seeing her book on display for all to see. The more she thought about it, the more she expanded the script and the more she got excited by it all. "

As scriptwriters of our lives, we must understand that the words we put together, are powerful and life changing when played (lived) out for real. To have a good movie script is to have further encouragement to live a life beyond limitations.

I also believe having a script supported by a plan, further helps to keep us on track, to keep our eyes and actions focused on the task at hand and ultimately the purpose for it all, for God's glory.
James 4:4 reads "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away".

In as much as we don't hold tomorrow in our hands, and it is only by God's grace that we are gifted with the beauty of a new day to start anew; It would be a joy to know that for the little time we are here, our lives was a block buster hit movie, it meant something to someone, it encouraged someone, it left a legacy and ultimately it glorified God.

Have an awesome time, writing your life script, making you the best actor, director and producer of your life, with God's help and according to his will for you. I pray as you write, you are further encouraged to be all that God wants you to be; whilst making him famous along the way.

A big thank you to Simeon for inspiring this post. "Yes the actor /actress does not die!"

Much love

Remi Banjo

***Picture by photobucket***