Categories
Studying Bible Characters

John the Baptist II

“And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭80‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The narration of John’s story is more than an entertaining narrative; it leads us into the understanding of the mystery of godliness and God ordained purposes. I believe it explains perfectly, the subjects of consecration , parenting, purpose, holiness and the perfect will and time of God. John’s life was unusual. Rather than living a “normal” childhood, he seems drawn to spending time alone in the wilderness.

As a child l loved playing with dolls. I had one glass doll called Khethiwe. She was my favourite ever. One day when my mom was shifting things and spring cleaning, she accidentally dropped Khethiwe and she broke into half. I had to use cello tape to tape her back together because I couldn’t imagine my life without her. Some of you loved playing mama and daddy. I remember we used to even cook mud and pretend it’s food. Sometimes we would play outside till late and our parents came to look for us and found us dirty and even very hungry but we were busy being children. John was different.

John lived a consecrated life. He separated from the crowds and lived a life devoted to God. God has been pressing it in my heart to pray for children. So much bad influence from social media, television, school, there’s so many arrows against children. I believe that every parent should be extra careful about what their children see and hear. So John was protected from some external influences and the teaching of the world. Because of the way he grew up, this made his soul hear clearly the voice of the Lord. I’m not saying lock your children up or send the to the bush, you catch the drift right? Cool.

John never made any public appearances before time. I know some people have been walking with God and it seems as if you’ll never be that great man or woman of God publicly impacting lives. Wait for the appointed time. There are things God must teach you first, there are things to unlearn, we need to be fine tuned to hear the voice of God, wait. Others may seem to have gone ahead of you, I’m sure there were people teaching that time while John was in the wilderness but he was the one chosen to break the prophetic silence. He had to be groomed first. The weight of your assignment determines your training. It determines what your training looks like and how long you will be trained.

He was not brought up in the schools of the prophets, nor in the academies of the Jews, or at the feet of any of their Rabbis and doctors; that it might appear he was not taught and sent of men, but of God. He actually had no correspondence with Jesus, he had to point him out by the spirit. This leads us to our lesson today. John was strong in the spirit. Am l strong in the spirit? Are you? Or are we stronger in the flesh? Stronger in canality? Is it all muscles and flex or are we spiritually inclined and led? Yielded family are we yielded?

To be strong in the spirit is to be weak in the flesh and by this I mean, those who are spiritually strong have weakened the flesh. The flesh wants lights and buzz and entertainment. The spirit wants consecration, prayer and intimacy with God. The flesh wants fame and recognition, the spirit yields to God’s leading and gladly remains in the secret place until it’s time to appear before Israel. Some of us appeared before time and thats why our message is not changing lives , we are teaching from the well of the flesh.

The child John grew. A child that refuses to grow up is an abnormal child. We cannot remain as babies. We need to be able to decode when Holy Spirit says to withdraw into the wilderness. Grow up! Grow up! Grow up! For how long are we to feed on milk when the solids of the Word remain a mystery? Are we still stuck on the debates about whether we can choose our gender or not? My dear, that’s just basics of scripture. There are deeper things that need us to grow up and have big boy digestive system to stomach the Word. If you keep quitting your training you need to grow up. If you keep making public appearances and no secret place, you need to grow up. If you are a flesh defender, you defend sin and immorality, you need to grow up! Church of God, let’s GROW UP and be SPIRITUALLY STRONG.

And no. You don’t have to normalise the ways of the world. What’s normal to us is what God says to do even if the world may think it’s crazy.

“I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you’ve picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby’s milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God’s ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭MSG‬‬


Categories
Studying Bible Characters

John the Baptist

“But the angel reassured him, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God is showing grace to you. For I have come to tell you that your prayer for a child has been answered. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son and you are to name him John.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Happy New Week my Yielded Family. I have a good feeling about this week but more than just feelings, l have the word of God which is better than any “feeling” because it is the sure word of prophecy! Have faith. Doors are about to open. Don’t give up by the finish line. Don’t turn back when the key is already in the door. Don’t you lose hope at dawn, the sun is about to come up. Don’t let go of the plough , there is sure harvest! We shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves.

The last two weeks we have been talking about rejection from the lenses of the life of Leah the daughter of Laban and the wife of Jacob. This week we are discussing the life of John the Baptist. I love John. I would’ve married him honestly lol . Firstly, because he was Jesus’ cousin. Secondly, he was a man of truth (mos these days Eii people are Ananias and Sapphira-ing like no man’s business). Thirdly, he was a revivalist and evangelist. Any man or let me say, anyone who takes evangelism seriously, is a person you want to be around. They are wise people.

Like that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the birth of John was foretold. This means there was prophecy about him before he was conceived and born. A priest and his wife were well beyond the years when it was possible to give birth to a child. While many of us always talk about Abraham and Sarah, they were not the only couple in the bible that received their miracle baby at an old age. Not only was this personally disappointing for Zechariah and Elizabeth, but others saw it as shameful. Jewish society at that time looked down on people who could not have children. You can now imagine why Rachel upon seeing that she was barren was always nagging and complaining to Jacob. You can now understand Hannah’s pain. To any woman in the world who is married , a child is a sort of completion. Although only God can complete a human being, there are things God Himself has structured to be a source of joy for us.

One day Zechariah is serving God and an Angel shows up and tells him about John. Due to unbelief, he is put on mute 😂😅 like my phone until the boy is born. Please refer to the gospel of Luke chapter 1. GOD does not only give this couple a son, He reveals the son’s prophetic destiny and even gives the son a name. It got me thinking , all these names we have , were they a revelation from God or just cute names. I know mine wasn’t 😂 my sister said she liked the name and she told my mom and the rest is history. I was named by my older sister. What about the names of my future children, did l not fetch them from google? “Cute baby girl/boy names” and even though the meanings may be good, what has GOD named the child? What if God named me Esther and then l was given Vanessa? 😂 Eii anyway let’s move.

John had a diet chosen for him. “And he will be one of the great ones in the sight of God. He will drink no wine or strong drink, but he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even while still in his mother’s womb.” Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬ ‭TPT . God’s plan for John life was so great that He restricted him from somethings that others may engage in. One of those things is alcohol. I know some of you just shut down mentally from that point because you still love your glass of wine to “wind down” or a few sips of something but study the scripture with the intention or desire to yield rather than to read and look away only to be the same after years of beholding.

One of the things God will have you put away if you have a great destiny is alcohol. When we study the life of Samson, the angel said the same thing. Imagine a strong man who is to fight enemies but he comes to the battlefield drunk. Samson would’ve never fought and defeated his enemies if he was drunk or tipsy all the time. The Philistines would not have had to make plan after plan to capture him. The plan would be to give him a glass and they’d capture him or he’d confess in his tipsy state , the source of his power like many people who have sold themselves out because they were drunk. The number of things we could’ve avoided had we put down the glass. The number of encounters we could’ve had , drunk in the spirit and not with wine. The great things we could’ve achieved if only we were found sober enough to handle the assignment. John’s assignment had him keep away from somethings, what does your assignment require you to consecrate from? The fact that we don’t know or are not “sure” is already a tool the enemy can use to attack and disrupt us from fulfilling purpose.

I’m not in any way trying to dictate to you on how to live, even Holy Spirit does not do that but think of it. I mean really selah. For some of us Tv is not even part of our prophetic lives. I discovered that TikTok was a tool to a leak in my spirit. I would be so grieved and unable to pray. I had to do away with it . Now that’s my personal testament. Yours could be some kind of music. Others it could be alcohol. You drink as if there’s no tomorrow. For some it’s going to certain places. There’s a prophetic blueprint for your life that includes your spiritual name, your lifestyle and your purpose. We do well to pray and find out, lest we become a John the Baptist who womanises or is always found drunk. Correct name but the lifestyle is inconsistent with the prophecy. Imagine naming someone Aaron or Moses and the person is a thief. Or naming a serial killer Jesus. I meaaaaaaaaaan … Who would ever believe a drunk John? Our lifestyle could be what is stopping people from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray and find out from God Himself what things He’d like you to do or not do to become the great person He ordained you to be. Stop choosing your diet based on canality. To become great, you must key in to what God has said about you in the volume of the book. You miss one thing, you have opened a window for the devil to blind and cripple you. John the Baptist , keep away from 123. Do 123. Pursue 123. Find out from Holy Spirit and live accordingly . See you tomorrow. I love you 💗


Categories
The Overcoming Believer

Worshipping through pain

“David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭12‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s always a pleasure to worship when things are going well. When we’re happy . When you just got the new job, when you have been promoted, when the godly good man finally proposes, when the child you prayed for is in your arms, when the bills are paid off or when the doctor says ,”You are cancer free.” Those are ideal moments to worship and lift our hands and joyfully express our gratitude yes? But there are times when it feels like the world is crashing on you. When the only joygiving thing you hear is your heart beat, “Thank God I’m still alive.”

I always think of Job. The man had just heard that literally all he had was gone but he didn’t throw a tantrum, he didn’t go seeking for spiritualists or witch doctors, he didn’t even call his friends to tell them how displeased he was about God, he tore his robes and worshipped. Lately I’ve been feeling the heat of the fire and the coldness of the water. When ever it feels like my shoulders are too tired I bow before God and encourage myself in the Lord by saying His names. “Lord You are Good. Lord You are Wonderful. Lord You are Faithful.”

David just lost his son but he finds himself in a worship posture. I thought that’s the time to wail and type statuses about how unfaithful God is and why me’s. Waiting is hard. It does not only test our loyalty to God , it tests our endurance. When you keep getting bad reports does that suffocate your worship?

It’s easy to talk about worshiping in the midst of your pain . It’s easy to write blog posts, preach sermons, discuss, and sing songs about the trial and the pain. It’s even easier to advise others to do it. But what does one actually do when the situation in their lives is increasingly overwhelming.

  • When your pillows are wet from crying because you have no words to express how you feel, what does your worship look like?
  • When you lose a son or daughter, parent, spouse , what does your worship look like?
  • When you receive a terrible diagnosis and the doctor says you don’t have long to live, what does your worship look like?
  • When you suddenly lose your job, business goes down and you are between a rock and a hard place, what does your worship look like?
  • When you experience a cycle of failure and you are devoted to prayer and fasting but you’re just not arising, what does your worship look like?
  • What about being in the forefront and you are the one encouraging others to keep going, keep fighting but you aren’t getting that same encouragement and you feel weary because you have poured and poured and no one sees that you also need a refill, what does your worship look like?

By worshiping him in the midst of our suffering we force ourselves to, for a time, stop looking at ourselves and fix our eyes on the one who is faithful and steadfast – never changing in his love for us. When l lost a good job l had prayed and fasted for, I was shattered. I questioned so many things like ,”But I prayed. I testified. You know how much this was an aid in my life. Why take what feels like a gift.” I then remembered how many times l prayed “let your will be done” but did I really want His will done even if it meant losing a couple of things or going through a few trials?

I don’t know what this means for you. All l can say is, our worship to God is more than just “l feel like this and that,” it is our devotion to Him. I love it when the Bible says David encouraged himself in the Lord. How? He worshipped. Praising God through the tears is one of the most beautiful lessons I’ve learned in my faith journey. With tears in my eyes I arise and dance mightily, done it many many times. Will I worship God if everything goes wrong in my life? Would you? It’s easy to worship God when everything’s going your way. It’s easy to be a fair-weather believer. But what happens when everything goes badly in your life? Would you still trust God? That’s the ultimate test of faith. You’re going to be tested. That’s guaranteed. At some point in your life, everything is going to fall apart.

Choose to stay by His feet. Don’t you waiver. Cry if you wanna but don’t you leave. Stay right there. Give Him the glory. He has seen and He has heard.

Worship song

Categories
Studying Bible Characters

How to deal with rejection

Typically, rejection describes an instance of a person or entity pushing something or someone away or out. Rejection isn’t always about the love of your life texting and saying “It’s not you, it’s me.” Sometimes it’s not getting into your top college, not making the team, or not getting the job. Everyday situations can lead to feelings of rejection. Some people feel rejected if nobody laughs at their jokes or family don’t remember their birthday. Leah was rejected by her husband. Someone she really hoped would love her, see her, validate her emotions, laugh with her – someone she hoped would see her for more than just a baby baker. We all desire to be accepted.

It can also come through a parent whose approval always seems to be just out of reach, a parent who decided not to be your parent after all, a spouse who comes home one day to say he no longer loves you or that he loves someone else, a friend that suddenly blindsides you with betrayal, a child who turns her back on your love, suddenly hearing news that they accepted everyone at the company except you.

Rejection hurts. Terribly. Rejection is hard. It leaves scars.We all long to be accepted. When we are accepted we feel valued. Don’t try to brush off the hurt or pretend it’s not painful. The truth is it really hurts. I’ve been rejected many times. I grew up feeling rejected in my family, maaaaany rejected cvs, rejected in the work place after giving it my all, rejected as an entrepreneur, as a girlfriend (they’re crazy) , rejected applications for visas, rejected ideas and proposals .. just a whole baggage! While any rejection can be painful, some instances of rejection may be more painful than others.

Jesus was rejected by people He came to suffer and die for. Even right now, we are still praying for souls to be won because there’s still a great number of people who reject Him. Scripture tells us that “not even his brothers believed in him” (John 7:5). Jesus’ own family rejected him as the Messiah. He said He was “without honor” in His hometown. As he hung on the cross dying, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Think about it. Do you think Jesus had never needed or desired his Father’s love more than in that moment?

Sometime ago l was rejected by someone l had been with for a long time. I had literally built my life around the person. It broke me. I started questioning my value. My image. I had thoughts of low self esteem because l was trying to find a reason why I was rejected. I need to pause here for a moment and clarify the difference in feeling rejected and being rejected. Feeling rejected is an emotion brought on by your own insecurities, and prejudgements of other peoples actions. Feelings of rejection can be brought on completely of your own making. I have had people say about me. Well I don’t feel like Vanessa likes me so I’m not going to talk to her. All based on assumptions.

Let the rejection of people drive you to presence of the Lord. All the time l feel rejected l run to God. My place of acceptance with no judgement or a shadow of turning is in God. Forcing them to like you won’t make them actually do. Giving them more won’t change how they feel. Another paragraph? No. Let me reach out again maybe they didn’t see I called? No. Let me pay them a visit with big gifts so they finally accept me as a friend? No. Let me change myself to be what they might like? No. Stop doing too much. More babies might save my marriage? No sweetheart. If I have sex with him he’ll not keep going to other women? Nope. If I post more revealing clothes people will follow me and like me on social media? No! As man you could give your all to a girl and she uses your money to order clothes on Shein. What am l saying as we conclude this topic , find your tribe. How? By asking God to bring them

There are people who will love and accept you. Stop staying where you’re not accepted for who you are. Accepted with the big nose, accepted without billions, accepted with cellulite and pimples, accepted with the few certificates. Not everyone will accept you, as a matter of fact some instances of rejection are orchestrated by God to push us to places of purpose. The pain of rejection somehow wants us to cling to that toxic environment. Have you been feeling broken because of rejection? Pray this with me ;

Dear God, l have so much to say but sometimes l don’t know how to. I have many questions and a few answers which makes me constantly seek closure in places and in people even though l know I may never get it. I feel rejected. I feel unseen. I feel unworthy. It has made me afraid to try out new things, to step out again, to even speak up because the pain of yesterday makes me feel like the same will happen today. I know you understand how l feel and so l pray that you give me a hug today. Let me know that you are with me, you love me, you accept me. Like Hagah, l say of you, You are the God who sees me. Calm the storm raging inside my heart. People may discard me but you accept me. People may walk out but you walk in. I choose to believe that I’m being redirected to so much better. I cast this burden on you and l declare affliction will not arise the second time. In Jesus’ Name I pray,

Amen.

Categories
Studying Bible Characters

Dealing with rejection III

“She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭29‬:‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Happy new week family. May you week be filled with testimonies! Let’s get into it.

Perhaps this time Leah had given up on winning Jacob’s affection. She shifted her focus from Jacob to God. Although previously, God had been blessing her with children, she did not acknowledge Him, just blinded by her great desire to be seen by her husband. Maybe sometimes we desire so much to be accepted that we no longer see the blessing and give glory to God . Instead, we use the blessing to feel and look important so that those who took us for granted regret it. Weaponising the blessing.

Never allow another person to determine your worth. Why? Because they are horrible at it and it is not their job. Your worth is not determined by the man who promised to give you the world and only gave you problems plus heartbreak. Double dose. Your worth is not determined by what you earn or how much you have to your name. No! Not even the girl who keeps comparing you to other men because at the moment things are not going so well. Yesterday my spiritual father said something that changed something in me, “Only God completes me” not marriage, a car, a house. This mindset will stop us from idolising people and things.

Christians need to spend less time worrying about what other people think about us and more time rejoicing in what God thinks about us. With all her three sons, Leah is complaining. She’s desperate. She’s longing to be seen and heard. She’s seeking attention. We turn blessings into opportunities to offer complaints instead of praise. What you are complaining about right now, someone is crying themselves to sleep because they really want it. Remember thus far we haven’t heard that Rachel the other sister also gave birth. You have an opportunity to go to school but you’re complaining about how you wish it had been Harvard! My dhiye! Leah you have a womb that keeps popping healthy sons, you have a husband even though he’s half present. Pause and learn to be grateful. You’re more focused on Jacob than God.

Many of us have turned blessing into acts of pity. We downplay the fact that God has shown us love and we take that which is to be a sign of Gods love to turn it into a pity show. “I know I have a new car but I’m so sad because such and such a friend didn’t congratulate me. At work nobody posted me to celebrate me.” Leah had been that person until she reached a turning point.

She must’ve realised what I’m waiting for is not coming. He’ll never love me the way I want to be loved. I think the best part of this is the birth of Judah. Judah means praise! At this point her heart somewhat accepted. Yes I have been rejected but I still have a life, I must keep living. Rejection will not steal my joy. Rejection will not silence my praise. Yes, he won’t marry you anymore but glory be to God. Oh they keep sending emails saying they’re sorry to inform you but you praise! Instead of a pity party, you switch to Judah. Stop thinking it’ll change if you keep calling more or sending more paragraphs my dhiye. Stop making excuses for them. “Oh I’m sure Jacob got busy , he’ll visit.” No he’s with Rachel. Sometimes you’re the rejected one in the friendship circle yet you’re the one who gives more, step aside.

There are people who will rejoice to have you. That’s how special you are. Don’t allow rejection to make you forget that you are a treasure too. Leah might’ve had weak eyes but she was a travailing woman. And our greatest blessings , our salvation, our redemption came from Judah’s descendant, Jesus. When you switch from bitterness to praise! Our Jesus is in the lineage of Judah. He is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah! May God use your praise to orchestrate divine favour!

So what if they rejected you!? Enough is enough. Switch to Judah!

“Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬