Posted in HOPE, New Year Message, Safe with Jesus, SOUL FOOD, Uplifting Christ

Welcome to Your Year of Divine Movement

Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough.” (Psalms 37:18,19)

From everlasting to everlasting, He is God. And by His mercies, you are not consumed. Welcome to a new year. It is the year of the Lord.

He knows all things and sees all things. Day and night are the same to Him. The psalmist declares,
Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps” (Psalms 121:4, NLT).

The next verse went further to say that not only does God watches over Israel, but “The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as a protective shade.” (Psalms 121:5, NLT).

Listen – because He is beside you, even when you walk through the darkest valley, you do not need to be afraid. God is still in control over your life. He does not change. As He was, He is, and so He will be. Don’t be anxious about what lies ahead in the year—he has you.

In this year, you will experience God, through Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, in extraordinary ways, in Jesus’ name.

But there is a responsibility.

Nothing happens in a vacuum. God wants to work through you. You are His temple and His ambassador. Just as nations work through their ambassadors to bring change, God works through you to impact the world around you.  You were brought here on purpose.

Often, we are waiting on God to act, while God is waiting for us to act—because He has already made available the resources, authority, and grace we need.  

Let this be the year you keep doing things you would normally be afraid to do. Keep taking one step at a time, and watch what God will do through you.

Lesson from Ezekiel 37

God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones become living people again?”

Ezekiel replied, “You alone know the answer to that.”

In verses 5 and 6, God described what he would do. But before that, in verse 4, God instructed Ezekiel to do something:

 “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord!”

God told Ezekiel to speak.

What has God told you to do this year? Are you going to be obedient and act?

Ezekiel obeyed. And in verse 7, he said:

“So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly, as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley…”

The miracle followed obedience.

Perhaps you have been watching and waiting on God to bring your dry bones to life. God may be waiting for your prophetic word—your action, your obedience, your willingness.

God is waiting on you, His ambassador, to act this year. He is faithful to do His part as you obey.

Happy New Year, and welcome to your year of divine movement.

Posted in DIVINE PROTECTION, God is faithful, Motivation, Safe with Jesus, Uplifting Christ

Is Christ Your Firm Foundation?

Cody’s song “Firm Foundation (He won’t)” is (to me) an anthem for a child of God. Is Christ your Firm Foundation?

Remember, Jesus said that the person who builds on the Solid Rock has nothing to worry about…whether rain or shine.

The main reason why Christ should be your Foundation is that He Loves You unconditionally. He died for you, and He is interceding for you.
Above all, He is coming again for you. You are His purpose.

Cody highlighted God’s Faithfulness through Christ Jesus. Jesus never fails. Think about this: what has Jesus got to gain from withholding anything from you? The Scriptures say that “for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16, NLT).

Also in John 1:3 (NLT), God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

Let me put it kindly: Jesus said, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father” (John 14:13, NLT)

In the human context, what can’t Elon Musk, President Trump, or President Xi afford for their children?
There is enough for you. Amen.

credit: http://www.hamodia.com

God never fails.  He is committed to His Word. He is consistent through every generation. And He is not ready to prototype failure in our generation. There is no precedence, and there will never be. It is not in His Nature to fail, just as there is no darkness in Him.

Today, be happy that you have Him, and also be happy that you are His. Continue to build your life around/on Jesus because He won’t fail you. Let Him be your firm foundation.

‘“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock. ‘ (Matthew 7:24-25, ERV)

Posted in GIVING, GLORIFY GOD, GOD IS WITH YOU, HOPE, Motivation, OBEDIENCE, Uplifting Christ

Planting Seeds for Future Generations

Yesterday, while I walked through the park, I paused for a minute. I wanted to appreciate the effort of those who took their time to plant the trees around. I have visited this park on separate occasions and under various weather conditions. The beauty is that whenever the sun is scorching, mostly during the summer, people take shade from under these trees. You see kids playing, parents lying down, etc. So today, I decided to pause and thank the people who took the time to plant the trees.

You can recall a time you had to stand under a tree during hot weather or a downpour. The person who planted the tree looked forward to the years ahead and saw the benefits the tree could provide for future generations. So, whenever you chance upon one, do ask God to bless them.

In this post, I would consider a much broader point from the above scenario. God has gifted us with the strength and wisdom to make decisions in our lives that will impact future generations. Think about this for a moment. Compare doing homework or an assignment for yourself or a kid in the early 2000s and in 2025. Think about how you walk to the library to get a book, to research, to write, etc. Now think about how things have changed, especially with AI. Google was great until we had all these AI tools to make life easier. We have seen these changes and improvements because people decided to sacrifice their lives so that future generations will benefit.

A friend once told me about Samuel Harris Altman, who was born in 1985. Altman is the same age as him. He (probably) went through the same challenges with doing homework and assignments. But the difference between Altman and him is that Altman chose to do things that would benefit millions of people. He sacrificed his life to work on a worthy cause. I told him that “you may not be Altman to help develop and promote AI, but there is something you can do to benefit the next generation.”

Oftentimes, we look down upon ourselves when we think about the fact that we cannot be the champion of the next massive thing. We perceive this in the wrong way. There is something you can do regardless of your situation and/or circumstances. For example, if you donate to a charity, you are helping to feed children abroad. These children suffer from sickness, diseases, and hunger. This action preserves a future generation. You are saving them from what will shorten their lives, and that is a good thing.

Whenever you drive safely and prevent an accident, it is a good thing. If you can donate blood to save a life, it is a good thing. If you are taking care of yourself so that you live long to give your family a better life and a hope for a brighter future, it is a good thing.

photo credit: goodtherapy.ort

Today, even as you read this post, you can do something that will benefit future generations. I have always prayed to God to help me. I would say that I may not be Elon to facilitate transportation to Mars, but I can put a smile on the beggar on the street. I can pay school fees for the kids of my neighbor who is struggling. I can provide an opportunity for someone to better himself or herself.

The person(s) who planted the trees did what they could at the time. It might have been 5 years, 10 years, or even 25 years ago. But here we are, benefiting from their works.

I cannot end this without mentioning how God saw you in Jesus before the foundation of the world. Jesus Christ sacrificed His precious life so that we can have salvation. He did it so that you and I would not have to spend money on buying goats, sheep, cows, etc., to atone for our sins. He did it so that we can have extraordinary miracles that no human mind can understand. He did it so that through the power in His name, we can have all we ask from God. Now, since God created you in His image and likeness, you have this inherent nature. Do not judge yourself by the size of what you can do. Instead, look at the big heart of love in you to do things that will last to benefit people long after you are gone. God bless you.