Author: Raheal

Hello Friends, I hope you are doing well. First of all, I want to thank you for taking time to visit this blog, sharing with others and for submitting great questions, comments and inquiries even about my mentoring resources. I am glad to receive your questions because this is the essence of wholesome living, meaningful discourse and spirit-led dialogue.

Your questions are important to me. Consequently, I will dedicate the next couple of blog posts to thoroughly respond to them to the extent that I am able to. It is my hope that these responses will bring clarity and understanding to these burning yet often unasked questions.

Here is the question I received: 

• Question 1:
  “What do christians do in their downtime to relax/ enjoy entertainment? The media and entertainment industry is dominated by the world. I feel their form of entertainmentand social relaxation are directed at the mind to keep us in bondage.”

• My Response

“… and may your whole Spirit AND Soul AND Body be preserved blameless…” ( 1 Thes. 5:23)

First, I am glad you asked this question.  I am going to answer you in two parts: First, I will set the precedent and then second, i will list the things believers do to relax/enjoy.

Many do not even see the essence of relaxation/healthy entertainment. Yet, we are tripartite human beings, meaning we are not only Spirit but also Soul and Body.

• The Spirit is the life of the person; the breath that was breathed into dust to make man. This often connotes the personhood of the triune God in the form of the holy spirit which we receive once we accept Jesus. (See Ecc.12:7, Gen 2:7, Romans 10:9 )
• The Soul is the seat of our emotions, mind, intellect and aversions. (See 3 John 1:2, Matt 22:37)
• The Body is the physical vessel that we live in while on earth. ( See Ecc 12:7, 2 Cor. 5:6-8)

Christians are very much so human beings too. And the honest ones will admit that they also have feelings, emotions and needs. In fact, it is important that these needs be healthily met; not exploitatively, abusively( abnormal use) or fleshly lest we be “swayed/led along by all kinds of desires” ( 2 Tim 3:6). The only difference with the believer is that, by accepting, believing and confessing the Lordship of Jesus Christ, he/she is now a new creation in Christ and is led by the holy spirit; that believer’s decisions– though fundamentally of their own choice– are spirit-driven, love-motivated and geared towards glorifying the father. In so being, we effortlessly bear testimony to who Christ is while advancing the purpose for which he came: to rescue mankind from the darkness and sin and lead men to light and eternal life.

So, having set this important precedent about the body/soul/spirit trichotomy in the context of your question, I will list the activities/things believers do in their down time to relax/enjoy entertainment tomorrow. The reason why I want to first set this precedent about spirit/soul and body is because my responses will be within the context of this relationship of body-soul-spirit.

I have 4 things I have prayerfully written about the things believers do for relaxation and entrainment and I can’t wait to release it on Thursday 🙂

Blessings,

R.

Hello again friends, I hope you got an opportunity to soak in Wednesday’s post about ” Kindness from a Mercy Perspective” because I shared a story which set the foundation for understanding what it means to agree to be kind. Tonight, I want to just build on that by highlighting the freedom you actually have to live powerfully by CHOOSING to be Kind and sticking with the responsibilities that comes with that decision:

 

In the moment when someone is showing you kindness, it is easy to verbally agree to repay that kindness at a later date. But imagine when later on, the circumstances are perfect for you to evade repayment of kindness; or even worse, like in David’s case, when you are dealing with the relative of the  person who did you evil, took advantage of you and so on. It seems tough to still show kindness right? BUT that’s why God has given us the helper– the holy spirit– who teaches us all truth ( John 16:13), gives us the heart of Christ and literally enables us to live powerfully by choosing ( Joshua 24:15) to be kind even when we have all liberty and reason to be unkind. When the circumstances are ideal for you to act otherwise, would you still be able to maintain your promise of kindness? Or would you be able to choose to show kindness? Do we think David was not human and somehow did not feel the sting of helping the son of his “enemy”? I am sure he felt a little sting; perhaps some bad memories were evoked throughout the whole process. And perhaps, some  ill “memories” are being evoked as you are trying to be kind in a situation you feel you should be extremely unkind in right now. But remember that you are not entirely your emotions. In fact, you are more than just how you feel. You are what you think, how you respond and the powerful choices you make that allow you to govern the soulish outcries of your flesh. Just as these people we read about in the bible overcame, so shall you. It’s in you.

Let us teach Kindness until it is the normal way of life and until it shatters the bitter rocks of coldness that the world teaches us to hold on to, in an effort to prove our so-called “rights”, power and vengeful rebuttals. The secret to Powerful Living is that man with free-will can exercise his power of choice to  live in a fashion that nurtures the fruit of the spirit; even when he wields all power to have chosen otherwise; That’s Powerful living right there! Free of the control of emotions and circumstantial short-lived feelings! I think you can live so powerfully because you have 1. Free- will and 2. Choice at the same time and you can use this liberty as an occasion to live

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” ( Gal. 5:13)

  Lets face it: Sometimes it can be “hard” to live above sickening circumstances right?But David is an example of one who can live powerfully and so are you! David decided that he could treat situations individually with a Christ-like mindset! I have noticed that sometimes if a person has an issue with another person, then the friends of that person he/she has the issue with automatically become enemies too. But this should not be so among believers! Never sum up everyone as one and extrapolate the experience you have with one person to a group. I have heard people ridicule loving and kind people as “weak people”. That is interesting to me because actually, kindness is a trait of the strong-willed and not the weak-willed. “Weak people” cannot show the christ-kind of kindness. Do you know what it takes to love the unlovable and be kind in the most adverse of situations? The answer is John 3:16.

David decided that even in Jonathan’s death, he would still show his house kindness so he blessed Jonathan’s son. He chose his response and the attitude he would rather display towards the entire situation. In fact, David had such kindness (mercy) in his heart that when Saul (his enemy) and Jonathan (his enemy’s son) died, he wept and eulogized them saying “Saul and Jonathan, lovely and pleasant!” (2 Sam 2:23). He called an enemy and his son “lovely” and “pleasant”! This is not about lip-service but radical love, heartfelt words with genuine intentions, substance and meaning which can only come by the precious work of holy spirit in a man’s heart. It is about calling forth the Christ kind of good that can come out of others. Some of us clearly know some friends, family etc are filled with unChrist-like intentions towards us, but can we still pull out and honor the Christ-potential in them,call out the “lovely” and “pleasant” seed in them and cultivate it with affirmation of agape?

To sum, let me say this: In my interactions with people this season, I am reminded that folks are constantly dealing with a battle in one way or the other and perhaps, the most undeserving are actually the very ones who need a little kindness to come through. I know bad attitudes are unpleasant and i know harsh words and feelings can rouse so much pain etc. But even more powerfully, I know i have needed kindness from others in time past and I still do. Perhaps you do too right? Remember, the secret to Powerful Living is you–  wielding so much free-will— can exercise your  power of choice to  live in a fashion that nurtures the fruit of the spirit; even when you simultaneously wield the power to have chosen otherwise; That’s Powerful living right there! And I think you can start living it even now by the help of the Lord. Live in this thy power and might! Amen

Questions, Thoughts, concerns? As always, they are gladly welcome. Send them over via comment section and God-willing next week, I will wrap up with the final ” Kindness from a Gentleness perspective”.

Have a great weekend

Be Kind & please share this post with someone  🙂

R.

Hello my friends 🙂  I hope you are well. I have been spending the past few weeks celebrating remarkable milestones in the lives of some of my good friends & family and I am glad to be back and continue the blog posts on “Kindness” 🙂 . As always, I am glad that you take time to read the blog, share with others and give feedback. God bless you & continue to communicate questions, concerns, clarifications etc and lets keep this engaging discourse going. Amen

2. KINDNESS FROM A MERCY PERSPECTIVE

A few weeks ago, I blogged on “kindness from a philanthropy perspective” explaining that philanthropic acts are good; in fact scripture encourages them: giving to the poor, defending the helpless, donating to a legitimate cause etc and I’m sure all of us have engaged in such acts on some level. That’s wonderful and your reward is sure. Now let’s bring this “kindness talk” to our everyday relationships with our immediate circles: an undeserving friend, a mean co-worker, an annoying relative, a hard teacher, a controversial leader, a friend/relative of an enemy, a person who “rightfully deserves” harsh treatment from you for one reason or another etc. If we would all be honest with ourselves, we would acknowledge that we are often presented with such situations. Just pause and think about current situations you are facing in which it’s just hard for you to extend kindness. Or let me give you a classic story from 2 Sam 9:1-3

This is the story of David, Saul and his son Jonathan. Saul hated David and wanted him dead (1 Sam. 24:3, 2 Sam. 26:2). Why? Because David was eventually going to be King over Israel but Saul just couldn’t stand to see David rise to fulfill his destiny as the anointed and chosen one. So Saul gathered 3,000 men to go ambush David and he failed. In fact, scripture says God caused a deep sleep to fall on them so that they were unable to carry out their evil assignment (1 Sam. 26:12). Upon finding them all asleep, David could have easily revenged by killing them. But he said he would not shed the blood of God’s anointed because the Lord himself will take Saul out in a time to come. See, when there is no evil or treason in your heart, you live freely and the schemes of the enemy have no chance at you. The Lord fights for you as you allow him to be your judge. He releases divine help, wisdom and strategy for you to overcome your enemies. And God did that for David. He brought him Jonathan (Saul’s son). And Jonathan loved David so much that he made a covenant to help David escape the evil of his own father Saul; but he asked David to remember him (Jonathan).

He essentially told David “Please be kind to my house especially after God has rescued you from your enemies” ( 1 Sam 20:15)

This is like saying “Please be kind to our family especially after God has rescued you from my father- the very person who wants to kill you“

Ridiculous right?

Well later, it happened that both Jonathan and his father, Saul died in war and then David was anointed king by the men of the city ( 2 Sam 1& 2 Sam 2:4) Again, this would have been a perfect opportunity for David to say:

“ O well, Saul was wicked to me and his son- Jonathan- who helped me is dead too  so technically I can get away without showing any kindness to their family. After all, I am now in a position of power, authority and influence“. Some folks are waiting to be promoted to a place of power just so they can revenge and retaliate. If that is your mission in life, then ask holy spirit to relieve you of this misguided thinking today because it is not a fruit of the spirit and does not glorify Christ in any way. Let the Lord handle your case and recompense you fully. Trust me, its the best deal you can get from a good father.

David indeed decided to show kindness to Saul’s house for Jonathan’s sake by inviting Mephiboshet to table and giving him all that belonged to Saul. He could have easily decided to be led by his fickle emotions and say “Saul did me bad. I am still very hurt; so hurt that I will even forgo my covenant with Jonathan” but instead, he was governed by kindness and allowed himself to be healed emotionally and refused to be held hostage by the evil meted out to him in the past by Saul.

The GOOD NEWS for you  today is this: Holy Spirit can help you do that in this season as you lean on him and train yourself by reason of use of every experience to develop the fruit of the spirit.

How about when the circumstances are prime for you to avoid being kind? Godwilling by Friday, I am going to release the rest of this blog

Have a blessed wednesday. Stay empowered and cultivate the seed of kindness that is in you. Your Reward is For sure amen. As always, please feel free to share on 🙂

R.

Throughout scripture, we are challenged to show kindness in a Christ-like fashion (Eph. 4:32, Matt 25:35). But the carnality of our culture has led many to misunderstand “kindness”; we have often limited “kindness” to a mere act or checklist of “goodly activities” to do for others. Also, we have sometimes labeled “kind” people as needy people with hidden agendas. But kindness is a spiritual virtue that pervades the very being of a person. it is spiritual fruit, that  can be expressed in many ways.

1. PHILANTROPY: “Kindness” can be associated with philantrophy/philantrophic acts (i.e. love in the sense of caring, and increasing the wellbeing of human-kind.)

2. MERCY: “Kindness” can be associated with “mercy” (i.e. forgoing the judgment that one deserves).

3. GENTLENESS: “Kindness” can be associated with Gentleness (i.e. amiability and careful consideration of another).

In fact, after extensive studying and research towards this blogpost, I discovered that the Greek word “Chrestotes” is often translated into English as “kindness”; this kindness embodies the aforementioned virtues of gentleness, philantrophy, mercy, benignity and even grace in a sense. So the word “kindness” is not merely an act or “checklist of goodly activities” but rather, the spiritual disposition from which a believer lives and moves. It is a divine temperament that supernaturally empowers the believer to demonstrate true “Chrestotes” flows. Today, I will blog on (1): Philantropy

Kindness From The Perspective of Philanthropy

Philantropy is good. In fact, it is biblical and highly encouraged because scripture says in James 1:27 “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.’ And I find even unbelievers embrace philantropy because that moralistic intuition in man is innate so one can uphold the moral essence of mere “good” yet apart from the recognition of deity (2 Tim 3:5). There are several celebrities who do “good deeds”, support orphanages, pioneer community initiatives etc. Now, for some unbelievers or perhaps some believers caught up in legalism, kindness might be seen as forceful duty, obligation or a thing that brings self-gratification or self-promotion to the doer of the deed. That’s not to say we should not be kind or that self-gratification is wrong. Rather, we are to assess the motive and the purpose of the deed; the act of kindness is to be motivated by love (agape) otherwise it is corruptible. The one benefiting from your kindness might not always be deserving of it and actually, the real substance of your “kindness” will be tested not when the benefactor is deserving but rather undeserving. After all,  if you (believer) can only be kind to those who are kind to you, then of what benefit is that? Even pagans can do that! (Matt 5:46).

Friend, I challenge you to do every kind deed as unto God and not unto mortal man, not out of the quest for fame or recognition of man or out of falsity at the expense of anything.

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”—Col. 3:23

“The LORD detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights.”- Pov. 11:1

“If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD–and he will repay you!”- Prov. 19:17

So Prov 19:17 (above) says when you help the poor, you are actually “lending” to God. Ha! Who is a better “borrower” to deal with than the Lord himself? Timely repayment in abundance is for sure! (PS: It is not that the Lord really needs anything from us but it is just a kind re-positioning proposal by him to put us in a place where we can access a blessing)

What Sort of “Work” is our “kindness”?

 “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”—1 Corinthians 3:13

The Lord reminds us that the day (i.e. light) shall reveal the true substance of our works here on earth. My friend, it shall be made manifest. Therefore, let us assess our “work” here on earth. Does it align with Gods word? Does it promote good or subtly support evil? Does it please the father? Does it possess hidden agendas? Does it look good on the surface yet rotten at the core? Does it stealthily promote violence, bloodshed, abuse and sin? Is it inspired by self-promotion or carnality or does it glorify Jesus? Would we still do it if the benefactors became undeserving of our kindness tomorrow or next week or next month? Lets ponder over these questions very well. Would we do it if it required more time, effort, prayer and labor on our side? Would we do it if it means pushing our egos, prides and stereotypes aside? Would we do it if it means letting go of hurts and biases? Would we do it in and out of season or just when it is convenient for us? Is it a show or it is for real? Will it stand the test of time? And in the day when all work is “tried”, what shall become of it? My friend, these are not simply “yes” or “no” questions. Out of the sincerity of our hearts we must ponder over, assess and answer these questions. Perhaps, you haven’t thought through all of it. It’s okay; I haven’t either but I am processing through them. Will you also?

PRAYER: I Pray the Lord will commend all our works in the day to come. Even if our “works” have been fueled by misguided motives, ill agendas and selfish gains, we can have a turn around by surrendering it to the Lord,repenting and asking him to create a right heart (Psalm 50) in us and consciously deciding to do “acts of kindness” for his glory. I fervently trust that he is ready to help you with that even right at this moment. Amen

Your Giftings, Inclinations, Passions Skills & Time can meet a Need Today!

First off, I applaud people, groups, institutions out there that are pioneering projects, missions for the genuine benefit of people; be it academic exploits, social entrepreneurships, community action groups and in particular orphanages to care for children who are abandoned and abused. I have personally had the opportunity to embark on missions trips and be engaged in social and health-related community ventures for the kingdom.

I had an opportunity to embark on a Global Missions trip with Dr. Patricia Bailey and a team to Jamaica to witness to and serve the needs of patients at an HIV/AIDS Hospice,a Girls Home and Orphanage while we rallied up youth in a small town for a worship night. To Gods glory, lives were transformed and we ought to continue in this spirit of service, love  & kindness.  Recently, I read and watched a live footage from an undercover journalist exposing the horrendous activities of an orphanage in another country: the Children were been abused by the so-called caretakers and my heart was broken; The paradox is that most of these children have had traumatic experiences – rejection, pain, abuse and then rescued by law enforcement officials, so it is upsetting for them to be further abused at these orphanages. But thank God for Jesus love which is shed abroad!

We as believers are called to rectify some of these things with our time, resources, influences, networks, etc so think of ways you can get involved out there in school, at work, with your NGO and so forth. At midnight today, I happened to wake up and watch a documentary about an orphanage in Tanzania run by the family of a college friend of mine. What a blessing! The accounts of these children (mostly under 15 years) was moving. This orphanage had rescued child victims from abusive households and unbelievable atrocites from their own family members! But thanks be to God, they are being housed in a safe haven, being given access to good education and above all experiencing the love of the father. Believers are in a position to do this and more because this is the very heartbeat of the father!

So, Where Do You Fit In All This?  Well…….

My challenge to you is: Think of ways you can do your part in developing the fruit of Kindness. Have you been thinking of starting an NGO to benefit a marginalized group? Has the Lord been tugging on your heart to reach out to someone in need? Is there some unmet need in society that keeps you sleepless at night? Perhaps, the Lord is calling you to meet that need so that the good news might reach the ends of the earth. Perhaps, you have a passion for social activism to pioneer needed reforms and just recompense for the poor and needy (Prov. 31:9). I challenge you to be fearless and obedient hard as it may be. It might not be easy but the returns are great. Ask someone how it is done, get help, connect with others, go to the library and read and research. Talk to people, start an action plan and follow through. Please, follow through with every action plan. Kindness is a seed within you, release the fullness of it to this world because the world is waiting!

Finally……

Friend, Thank you for taking time to read part (1). Kindness from perspective of Philantrophy. This week, I will go ahead and release the second   post (2) Kindness from the Perspective of Mercy

As always, I enjoy your feedback and questions. I gladly welcome them all and will continue to make time to respond to them as I am able to. 🙂

I’ve been up all night into dawn writing this….so (yawning) lol.  its.time to sleep for a few hours and wake up for the day 🙂

Be Kind Today & always,

R.

Hello Friends, I hope you are all well 🙂  June has seen many events and perhaps it is a time for the body of christ to be more vigilant than ever and war against the enemy’s taunting with the shield of faith and cast down strongholds by fervent prayer.

Walk fearlessly in his power and know that Love is the greatest weapon. 

 

Today i want to continue on the “Long-suffering” blog post. Specifically, I want to look at how long-suffering can develop compassion in us.

 

 What is  long-suffering teaching cultivating in me?

• LONG-SUFFERING IS PRODUCING COMPASSION IN YOU: Every situation  carries the potential to develop in you compassion for others. Compassion breeds miracles. Every miracle Jesus did was birthed from the bowels of compassion ( Matt. 14:4,  Matt 9:36, Mark 6:34). By God’s grace, sometimes I am able to help folks who come see me about several issues from academics, to relationships, to conflict resolution, to  financial hardships to family to sicknesses to private struggles etc and because I have “borne long” with these situations before, and God gave me wisdom and carried me through the process, I am able to reach out to others. These situations developed compassion in me for others, renewed my strength and actually promoted me to new heights in the Lord and life in general. And that is what people out there need: Compassion and solutions; and not mere sympathy with head knowledge. The situation you are bearing long with is sometimes a sign of the very ministry God is probably birthing in you to help others. Ask yourself “What is this situating cultivating in me?”. Instead of letting the situation make your bitter, see it as an opportunity to engage a new assignment, an opportunity to overcome and an opportunity to now bless others.

     

•  YOUR EXPERIENCE IS A SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM: If you have not failed a test before, how can you feel the burden of someone complaining to you about school? If you have not been betrayed, rejected or taken advantage of before, how can you empathize fully with someone? If you have not experienced the pressures of building a business, ministry, brand etc, how can you help someone else traveling the same path? Friend, this is why Jesus can empathize with us because what you are experiencing right now is something he has faced before; he patiently endured and overcome! He made a public ridicule of the enemy tormenting your life. Right now in Christ, you have been equipped to manifest that overcoming nature and exercise authority over the enemy! (luke 10:19, Col 1 ). Because Jesus tasted the suffering, he is able to empathize  with you in every affliction and bring you to a wealthy place.

 

“….we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”- Psalm 66:12

 

• EMBRACING THE PROCESS WILL MATURE & PROMOTE YOU: I hear many people say “God has called me to do XYZ” but they do not embrace the whole process of it. Remember that if we are to know the Lord in his victorious resurrection, then we are also to know him in his death & suffering (see Phil. 3:10, Romans 8:17). It is essential in cultivating the fruit of Long-suffering.  If we want to experience the fullness of life, then we ought to understand that the fullness of life is not only in life’s “highs”  but also its “lows”; The process of long-suffering  develops humility in us, compassion in us for others and above all growth & maturity. Honestly, there are crushing and betraying experiences I have had over the course of time which served me many purposes: some  matured me, some made me wiser and the best part is this: some humbled me and reminded me to depend on Jesus and not my own understanding! But eventually, as I went through the process, the Lord brought me to a place of honor , favor and blessing. And that is exactly what long-suffering is producing in YOU right now as you go through the process healthily.

 

 

• STRENGTH, MIGHT, RADIANCE & GLORY IS LOCKED UP IN LONGSUFFERING: The situation you are bearing long with is perhaps a miracle birthing and you might not know. Ask the Lord to give you strength to go through the process healthily and develop whatever virtues he wants you to have. Do not despair but rather allow the holy spirit to birth that beautiful work in you. There is so much power, might, strength,radiance and blessing that begins to flow on you and out of you as you partake of the fellowship with Christ in his ‘suffering’ and in his resurrection. 

 

As I wrap up for tonight’s post, I am reminded of a statement G. Cooke made which echoes these sentiments ever so deeply. He said ” It is absolutely essential that you are wounded in ministry and that you know the fellowship of His sufferings. It is such an essential part of the call, that we get wounded in the house of our friends, we get wounded by the people that we really thought we could trust, that we feel that kiss of betrayal that Jesus felt in the garden. Being betrayed and wounded is just a part of your development. If you want all the fullness of God, you have to experience all the fullness of life!”

Remember, There is so much power, might, strength,radiance and blessing that begins to flow on you and out of you as you partake of the fellowship with Christ in his ‘suffering’ and in his resurrection. 

You are blessed in Christ!

Stay Compassionate

R

Next blog post: #Gentleness……..gently wait for it 😉

NB: Are these posts blessing you? Is something not clear? Do you have particular questions? Feel free to drop them and as I am able to, I will do well to provide a response. Share this blog with someone and bless them. 🙂

Hello friends, this is a raw cut right here. Just got this word released and impressed so strong on my heart at this hour as I was communing with the father and soaking in his presence.I am posting this word here:

 

“Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.”– Proverbs 10:4-6

——–
“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”– Proverbs 14:23

Greetings my friends, last weekend i released a heartfelt message on “Long suffering: The Real Meaning, the Real Purpose & the Real Reward”. I covered the first two parts and today I want to cover the last part which is : the Reward of Long- suffering I am not insensitive to the fact that at times it can be hard to bear long with an unchanging situation. I have been there; In fact, I am there right now. But more importantly, I have learned how to use patience to my advantage and I will share some of it, backed by God’s word.

• The Real Reward of Long-suffering

The reward of “bearing-long/patience” is that you can receive NEW STRENGTH & PROMOTION through the process. Scripture says “They that WAIT ON the Lord shall RE-NEW their STRENGTH. They will SOAR on wings LIKE Eagles” (Isaiah 40:31). Hold on! I know you have heard this scripture many times but I’m going to break it down for you to catch two revelations here. They that WAIT on the Lord will renew their strength. Someone is probably thinking this doesn’t make sense. How can waiting to pass a standardized test give me new strength? How can waiting for a good relationship renew my strength? How can waiting for a thriving ministry renew my strength? How can waiting on a pending case renew my strength? How can waiting for restoration in my family renew my strength? How can re-taking a class i failed renew my strength? How can patiently going through the process of emotional healing and wholeness renew my strength? All these situations should be breaking you down, you would imagine right? It can, but it doesn’t have to!

I have learned that adversity can be disguised opportunity.

• There is a secret Opportunity in your life for you to exploit right now

Do you realize that the same sun that can burn you, is the same sun whose heat can be harnessed to produce energy? Do you realize the same water body which can drown someone is the same water which can be re-channeled to steer turbines to produce electricity? Do you realize the same storm which can destroy lives is the same storm the eagles use to soar higher? I was doing some research on birds and found out that Eagles fly to very high altitudes and when storms occur, they actually ride on the winds of the storm in order to soar higher; so with much less effort– they use the storms  to launch to higher altitudes. They are not “flock birds”; you don’t see them one flocking together. It means if you are looking to others for pity and company before you “fly” out of your situation, then you are holding yourself back; you are going to have to ruffle your wings and boldly take flight. Unlike smaller birds who are overshadowed by the storm, eagles  live on top of the storm; They are not consumed by situations. YOU– in Christ– are an eagle because you carry the God-given capacity; Situations don’t overshadow you. Even if they have, you can come out. You overshadow situations by riding on the wings of the spirit and using situations to your advantage to rise above!

“He rode upon a storm and flew; And He sped upon the wings of the wind. “-  Psalm 18:10

“He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind;”– Psalm 104:3

Not all situations are the same, i understand. But the God that solves the problems is the same. Perhaps, in your situation, you should be asking some questions in order to navigate yourself to the desired solution: You may want to ask yourself:

• What am I bearing-long/being patient with? Be acquainted with what you are dealing with. The first step to dealing with problems is first identifying the problem. Please understand that if you are in an abusive situation that is undermining your potential, your abilities, your self-esteem, your time etc or being oppressed by a demon, don’t blindly subject yourself to it and call it “patience”. That is self-destruction and the Lord would desire that you add to your faith, wisdom. Perhaps, in your current situation, you may need deliverance by prayer, perhaps wise counsel from spirit-filled mentors/leaders/friends who themselves are under authority;  certainly, guidance from the word of God & direction from holy spirit etc. My good friend, you may have to let down your ego and develop a teachable spirit because in the multitude of counsel, there is safety. There are certain advice, if i heeded to from my spiritual parents at the time they gave it, I would have saved myself a lot of headache in life but thanks be to Jesus who is an ever-present help. Always be acquainted with what you are dealing with, acknowledge it and get help. Freedom feels sooo good and Jesus wants you to experience it.

•  How do we “WAIT ON” the Lord? Is it about time? The scripture we read says “they that Wait ON the Lord shall renew their strength”. What does this scripture actually mean to me and you? Don’t miss this revelation the Lord released. Let me tell you: Waiting on God has little to do with “time” the way we think about the concept of time because time actually serves God. (2 Pet. 3:8). RATHER, waiting on God is about Disposition! Meaning, ALIGNING ourselves  to what we are waiting for; Positioning ourselves such that we live from the knowledge of the end which has been promised. For example, if you are going to meet business partners next week to negotiate a deal and you are “waiting on” that time to come, do you just sleep everyday and be idle and wait for next week to come? Or do you align yourself— thinking & doing— to the expected end by preparing to meet that time point? You do the latter! “Waiting on” something means serving and properly engaging with the process that leads to your expectation.

The Word “Waiter” comes from the term  to “wait on”, meaning “to serve”. In a restaurant, a waiter WAITS ON  tables; It means the waiter SERVES the customer. Buffalo, our town, is known for fine cuisine actually. Good restaurants  have EXCELLENT service. Their waiters KNOW how to properly WAIT ON tables (i.e. serve the customers). They SERVE the interest of their customers; They come around to check how they are doing by communicating and ENGAGING with them. They are not harsh; and very often, good waiters get a good tip. Isaiah says if we “WAIT ON” the Lord, we will receive Strength and Soar to greater heights. So “Waiting On” God is not about checking your watch to see when you will get the loan, get married, get into some leadership position you are not even ready for etc; but WAITING ON the Lord is about ENGAGING & SERVING the heart of the father towards the promise you are bound to inherit! All the patriarchs and matriarchs of old had to WAIT ON the Lord to inherit the promise ((Acts 1:4, Hebrews 6:15) ) so engage the heart of the father through prayer, the word and worship; serve the Lord with gladness of heart for great is your reward here on this earth and in heaven! Amen   Isn’t it humbling and filling what the Lord is teaching us all? It gladdens my heart and I hope it gladdens yours too! I will release another revelation of “long-suffering” the Lord taught me this evening. It has to with “Splankna” (how long-suffering produces compassion and how compassion releases miracles for you & others). Godwilling, Later this week I will release it. Pray for me as I pour out all these in words so they can continue to be life-transforming messages to many. As always, I’m glad for your feedback, questions, comments, prayers, etc so keep them coming. Love you all Wait on the Lord. R.

Hello Friends, how is it going? I trust you are pressing  past all obstacles, and abounding in Gods grace. I pray even now that his peace will overshadow you wherever you are in Jesus name amen. As I have been patiently waiting on the Lord in study and prayer, my heart is full and glad to continue this blog series on cultivating the “Fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22). Since April I’ve blogged on #Love, #Joy #Peace and today, I want to release this heartfelt message of #Long-suffering in several parts. This piece is much more dense with different layers of it and it will open your eyes to a whole level of understanding of what it means to “suffer long”, why God “suffers long with us”, what his long-suffering is meant to produce in us and how we reap the reward of long-suffering(patience).

• The Real Meaning: Does Long-Suffering Mean God wants you to suffer?

          Plainly, the word “long-suffering” means to ‘bear (or suffer) long”. BUT hold on a minute, it doesn’t mean “to make you suffer as in purposed pain”. The original word “long-suffering” in Greek is a compound word consisting of two words: “long” and “temper”. Thus, “long suffering” actually means an “enduring temper”. The word “temper” further translates as “passion [as in indignation or wrath; the kind which could lead to slaughter or sacrifice to appease one’s anger]. In other words, “long suffering” means a temper that is patient with others, patient in situations, slow in avenging wrong or— borrowing electrical terms, having a “long-fuse” so that one’s temper doesn’t “blow too quickly”.

When your heart is filled with rage, welled up in anger or feeling tired of waiting or anticipating a change in a situation, you find yourself tempted to “blow up”, hastily speak your mind, cut someone off or perhaps become physically, emotionally or physically aggressive and abusive. But these exhibitions are not the fruit of the spirit; they are the workings of the fleshly nature, whose desires are contrary to that of the spirit (Galatians 5:17).

          In helping people who presented certain situations to me, I have heard some heatedly and angrily use phrases like: “As for me, I don’t have any patience to deal with this! I cannot do anything about my anger!”. Have you experienced these situations before? Or are you experiencing them now? And are you wrestling with how to navigate your way around it or hating yourself for being short-tempered or inpatient? Don’t hate yourself! There is good news for you: God is bearing long with you…for a reason….to turn this thing you are struggling with around!

• The Real Purpose: Why God is “suffering(bearing) long with you NOW AND His expectation of you.

God himself suffers long with you. (Exodus 34:6, Psalm 86:15) .He patiently bears with you and he is very moved by your weakness BUT if you are willing to partner with him through the holy spirit, you will see yourself making progress and developing a long-suffering (enduring, patient) character with good attitude. I know this because the Lord has taken me through that process and is continually bringing me to a much better and mature place in him so I know it is very possible for every believer led by the spirit to walk in this victory. God is “suffering long” so that many come to repentance! Repentance is not just for the unbeliever; There are certain things we believers also need to repent from: habits we need to break away from, and subsequently a christ-like disposition we have to grow into. Scripture says:

“..we were disobedient when God’s Patience  WAITED….” (1 Peter 3:20).

Take a moment and read this scripture. It says God’s patience waited. The word “waited” in the scripture means, “TO expect or await something”. So there is a purpose for the “waiting of God’s patience” with mankind. (see Romans 2): God’s patience is waiting on mankind TO repent and turn to him ( 2 Peter 3:9). God’s patience is waiting for you TO surrender and return to him with your whole heart and mind. God’s patience is waiting for you TO let go of every heaviness and weight that is weighing you down ( Hebrews 12:1); TO let go of unhealthy covenants and attachments that are drawing you back to old way; TO let go of revelings and destructive lifestyles that mean you no good, TO let go of self-destructive thought patterns, TO yield that hard-heartedness to the gospel of salvation, TO yield to reproof and correction in love ( 2 Tim 3:16); TO break free from people, places and possessions that have become idols in your life and rather embrace a better promise in Christ. Perhaps you are hooked to an addiction of the past; a soulish engagement that is wrecking your soul, etc. O But the power of God can break every addiction, shatter every idol and lose you from every bondage right now (Colossians 1:13, John 8:36). Return to Jesus; his arm is wide open; ALL you ever need is in him; I tell you without a shadow of doubt

Friend, while you have time this very moment, please get to know (intimately) Jesus.Do not store up wrath and indignation for yourself by callous stubbornness and impenitent heart as Romans 4:5 warns, because at the end of time, he will judge and reward all things. So even now, while his patience waits, I beckon you to respond and run to this loving father, Jesus. He is ready to receive you today if you will confess him as Lord and accept him (Romans 10:13). And to the believer, he will rekindle that fire in you, revive you again and empower you to cultivate long-suffering(patience) because there is a great reward for you!

• The Real Reward: They that WAIT ON the Lord shall RENEW their STRENGTH

What does it to “wait on” someone? Hint: I was at a Japanese restaurant today with a couple of my science research colleagues. At a restaurant, a waiter “waits on” you right? With attitude? or with poise & rapt attention? so “waiting on God” (patience) is more than just standing in line waiting for your turn……right? Well, friends, its late here…almost 3am. So..I’ll finish this later with some mind-blowing nuggets God is teaching me. Check back here by Monday night for it

Be patient 😉

R.

Hello Friends, Hope you are doing well and trusting God to fulfill his promises towards you even as we have entered into this new month of June! Today…I am wrapping up with the final post which is…..

3. The Kind of Peace God wants to FLOW OUT of you

“And LET the PEACE of God RULE in your Hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state]…”- Colossians 3: 15a

“Guard your heart, OUT of it FLOWS the springs of Life” – Proverbs 4:23

  

               Now, the first scripture says “LET Peace RULE in your heart”. Now, If there’s a knock on your door and you say “LET that person come in”, it means you are willingly extending an invitation to that visitor to come in & join you. So God is saying, “allow Peace to come in and RULE in your hearts. In other words, let Peace be like an umpire in your heart to arbitrate on any arising matters in this changing world we live in. Continue reading Your World is Waiting For you To Unblock This Flow