The Eccentric Praise:

There's no one else like You
I get thrills when I call Your Name
At the sound of Your Name
I fluctuate between hot and cold.

I can't limit your definition
Neither can I know your boundaries
I know You're the Beginning and End
But I don't know where You begin and end.

You hold my heart in your hands
No matter the state of my heart
Whether it be crushed into a small frame
Or expanded into a voluminous size
You've never let go of my heart
Not even once.

You hold my adrenaline pump
Sometimes I wonder why my heart beats faster
Or why it slows down to the rhythm of night blues
But You're like the DJ who knows the right flow.

You've told me there is time for everything
And that You make all things beautiful in its own time
Your wisdom is beyond my understanding
Your design of the times and seasons is beyond beauty
I thank you for your allotment of the times.

This praise is eccentric because it is inarticulate
It is praise from the belly of a speechless person
I stand in awe of You
I am amazed by the works of Your hands
Even more so by the things that You're STILL going to do...

This is my early morning praise,
May it come unto You as a sweet smelling aroma...

The Flames:

It was hot. Really hot. Things were burning to her left and to her right. Everything was going up in flames, consuming anything that dared to be in the way. Fadeke held tight to what was in her hand, and then she closed her eyes. She was under a wet blanket, silently praying that she would not be devoured. She heard a loud bang. Something was falling right next to her, in bits and pieces...it sounded like the silver ceiling fan. "Oh, Lord. Please send help." The computer crashed, her CDs, the big screen TV, the couches in the living room, the dining table furniture...they were all going up in flames. She held tight to the precious thing in her hand. She will protect it. At least until someone rescued her. It was either that, or she would die protecting it. It was the scroll that contained the poem her mother wrote for her, before she passed away last year...the flames were not going to get this one.

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Many times, I have had the crazy feeling of flames consuming me, and everything I have. I have felt like Solomon felt when he said, "Vanity upon vanity, all is vanity." There have been some things I have worked for, only to see them falling down to pieces. Or only to find myself going back to square one again, starting right back from the very beginning. Just like an endless cycle. It is like the work of a ferocious fire, consuming everything that dares to come into its path. But there is hope...

The fire in this context represents something that consumes your possessions (as in your spirituality, character, strength, hard earned work, academics, career life, family, friends, relationships, and so on). The fire may come to you, but it will not devour your soul and your spirit. Like Fadeke held tight to her precious poem, God is holding tight to you. But why should there even be fire? It is because without fire you cannot be established as fine gold. Gold first has to be purified by passing it through the fire. The fire causes a washing out of senseless impurities that should not have been there in the first place. Guess what I'm trying to say? There will be an end to the fire. There will be the end of the purification process. Though it seems as though the fire prevails, it does not understand the power of the extinguisher. Your training process does not take the whole of your life. The fire only burns for a while.

So let the fire take its course. Let it be ferocious for all it wants. Those things that need to be preserved, I tell you, they WILL be preserved. YOU will be preserved. You just focus on God, and learn what you need to learn from the flames burning around you.

PHOTO by photobucket.

The Innocent:

In the distant sky one could see splashes of red light decorating the clouds, just like blobs of paint decorate an artist's canvas. The morning sun was fast approaching. The Zulu hunters were checking their bodies to make sure they had all their weapons and elements for the great kill. This was the best season to hunt for big impalas. The impalas would be grazing in vast lands of green vegetation, and therefore would be oblivious to the danger awaiting them.
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There was some noise at the middle of the pack of herdsmen. The men were shifting to the left and the right, creating a pathway in between. The head hunter, being at the front, was trying to understand why they were creating the path. He was straining his neck to see what was at the middle of the men, but he could not see anything. The he saw her. He heard the sound of beads shaking, as the two little feet walked through the crowd. She couldn't be more than 4 years old, the King's daughter. Her name was Thandiwe. She walked with grace and with an all-knowing smile. She walked up to him in confidence and spoke in IsiZulu, a Bantu language. "Umzingeli (1), my father said I should give this to you. " She handed the beads to the head hunter, a symbol that her father's authority was now bestowed upon him. "Hambani Kahle (2)" she whispered. And then she turned and walked back towards the village.

(1) Umzingeli: hunter
(2) Hambani Kahle: go well

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From the lips of an innocent child came such power and authority. I felt strangely good after reading this scripture in Psalm 8:2, "Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger."

Babes and nursing infants signify innocence, weakness, and fragility. Lack of strength. Lack of authority. Sheer innocence. So why do you think you need to prove that you are strong by yourself? Why do you need to put your physical muscles to the test? It is in your weakness that God can show off His strength.

So today, if you feel weak just lie in the arms of a strong God. Let Him use His authority to devour His enemies. You are strong because He gives you His strength, not because of your own strength. You cannot do all things by yourself, but by His grace. Have you ever felt fragile or weak in any situation? If your answer is 'yes,' through your innocence and weakness God will ordain His strength and authority. Just be a baby and a nursing infant in His arms, and He will make you strong.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Photo copyright: smwarnke4, flickr.

The Hippie:

She switched her CD player to the next song on the line up. "If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair." The original lyrics to "San Francisco" by John Phillips kept playing as she bobbed her head up and down, dressing up for the hippie festival down the street. She threw on her faded hipsters and an orange tee shirt showing a black girl with afro hair. She stuck a yellow flower in her own hair and went on a cascade down the stair-case. It was going to be a lovely hippie day in San Francisco...

*Hippie*: originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world. Hippies sought to free themselves from societal restrictions, choose their own way, and find new meaning in life. One expression of hippie independence from societal norms was found in their standard of dress and grooming, which made hippies instantly recognizable to one another, and served as a visual symbol of their respect for individual rights (wikipedia).

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I found myself reflecting today on how traditions and cultures have slowly changed as the 21st century has continued to move along. A lot of traditions have been modernized, still keeping their ancient secrets and laws, but yet flowing with the times and seasons. A lot of traditions have kept their stringent laws, not willing to let go. They have discarded the livid younger generation, their children who are not willing to bow down to strange gods. Those ones haven't changed. Today, we can still find hippies, wearing the very same clothes that their ancestors wore in the 70s, and I adore them for their strong sense of connection. They are still the same. Others have changed a little, allowing new fashions and trends into their societies.
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I see my thoughts as an opportunity to reveal to you the One who created the times and the seasons, the Almighty God. The Master of traditions, both old and new. The Maker of heaven and earth...Who was, is, and still is to come. He created them all.

So what about Him? The dilemma here is that the younger generation does not know that He has a fashion sense also for the 21st century. They see Him as the God of Moses and Elijah, but not as the God of this generation. But I tell you, until you begin to see Him as the God of our generation, He will not make an impact in your life.

Oh, He is so modern. He designed the human brain to evolve with the times. He gave architects the wisdom to design the sky-scrapers and the modern day state-of-the-art residences. He gave us the intelligence to build new bridges and underground tunnels. He even gave the unction for people to create modern musical instruments to glorify His Name. He is as modern as it gets.
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Do not relegate your Maker to the God of the old days. He still is present and evident in our every day life. Those things that He spoke before, still stand today. And He is still speaking...

But are you listening?

Photo by photobucket.

The Evidence:

The noise coming from the rest of the members around the camp fire were getting to her. They were laughing, huffing, and panting over a critical debate. So she retreated. She took a long walk along the trail, but did not go too far from the rest of the crew. She stopped by the little blue lake to feel the breeze. That's when she saw it. It wasn't her imagination. She caught a glance of the tiny sea creature as it headed back under the waters. This was only a part of the evidence...and the evidence was everywhere...

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They say that evidence is only something that is seen and felt. But what of those times when one feels an overwhelming sense of a surreal or external sensational astonishment surrounding one's entire being, yet cannot see, feel, or touch it?
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They say that the universe is what holds the planets suspended in space. But what about the magnificent unseen hand that causes these planets to spin around in their unparalleled orbits?

They say having hind-sight is key. But how come everyday people don't see the traps they set up for themselves? How come lives are saved and rescued from pot-holes and ditches by the One Who sees them before they fall? How come righteous men fall seven times and receive mercy to rise up those many times again?
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They say Mathematicians are crazy. But how come God calculated so well that He formed the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th? That His son was buried for 2 days and rose up on the 3rd day to destroy the kingdom of darkness? That the Israelites had to march around the walls of Jericho 6 times and on the 7th time give a loud shout?
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They say they don't want rules and regulations. But yet gravity holds them in place, the laws of matter are constant, the chemical properties of elements are unique and do not change unless they undergo a chemical corrosive reaction, and there is no action that does not yield an equal and opposite reaction.
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They say time heals all wounds. But yet some wounds stay for years and years, opened and slashed time and time again, the reminders of a past which cannot be hidden in the sand...until the Redeemer shows up and restores the soul.
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They say everything will pass away one day, we only get to live life once. But what about the spoken Word that always stands, whether the sun is rising or falling, whether the earthquakes are moving the grounds, whether the hurricanes are blowing, or whether the rain or snow is falling, or whether the storms are tearing the sails apart?

They say there is no God...but the evidence of His works are every where...what an awesome God is He. Know Him.

Psalm 139:7-8 "Where can I go from Your presence, or where can I flee from Your Spirit? If I ascend to heaven You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there."

The Mark:

Bosun ran down the aisle with tears streaming down her face. She was searching for what she believed she could only find by a divine miracle. Searching for "the mark", the rare distinguished anointing...that thing that shakes people right down to their bone marrows. On her way to the alter, she saw a man kneeling down to pray, perambulating from side to side, with arms raised towards the heavens. Surely, he must have what she's searching for, what she didn't have...the mark. He seemed so pleased and saturated with his heart's desires. He was laughing and speaking in tongues at the same time. Surely, she must touch even the hem of his garment...

As she was running to touch his white shirt, she saw another woman. She was running around the sanctuary...praising the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Her shouts could be heard all the way to the back of the building...even without a microphone. Shouts of delirious praise, and she danced along...dancing to her freedom and victory. Surely, this woman must have the mark too. She seemed like a righteous person.
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Little did she notice the teenage boy at the corner, hidden in the shadows, not wanting to be seen. He was silent, watching all the drama that was unfolding right before his eyes. He wasn't participating in the jubilee, neither did he seem to be moved. All that was in his heart was, "Lord, please forgive me...for I have sinned. Do it one more time Lord, forgive me again. I won't go back anymore" But that same night, he received "the mark" too...he received the full anointing of a forgiven sinner, because immediately he uttered those words, the blood of Jesus wiped out the stains from his clothes...and his talents were revealed to the kingdom of darkness.

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Do you have an anointing (the mark of God on your life)? Something tells me that in my generation, the youth are lost. They are waiting for someone to lay hands on them so that they can catch the anointing. Waiting for a sign, maybe the sign of Jonah. Waiting for a pastor, a deacon, a righteous person to welcome them...yet, none is righteous by works alone. But what they do not know is that the anointing is already inside a forgiven person...it does not matter whether you were forgiven last night...or even early this morning. You carry within you greater works than Jesus had. It's inside of you.

Don't look to others for solutions to your problems. Speak the word yourself. Move the mountains yourself. Captivate what needs to be captivated, and free what needs to be liberated. You have been forgiven, now you are a king in the kingdom...you can do and undo...you can make and break. You can now operate according to the principles of God. Yes, you have it within you...you have the mark. Don't doubt it!

*And if you think you don't have what it takes, right now receive it...open your heart, ask for your Father's hands to guide you into the right and true path, ask Him to erase yesterday's sins and pain...and He will come into your heart, and He will ANOINT you too. Welcome to the family.*
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1 John 2:12-13, 20-21 "I write to you little children, because your sins are forgiven you, for His Name's sake...I write to you young men, because you have overcome the wicked one...but you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it..."

PS: "The mark" in this context stands for "the anointing."

Photo by photobucket

~Little things that make us smile...like ice-cream~

So I was on the TERC conference today again, for those who don't know TERC means "The Early Risers Call," a phone conference with young participants from different cities, where we get to read the Word, laugh, cry, and get to know each other better (sounds like an invitation for next week Friday right? Yeah, it is!).

Anyways...so when I was getting off the phone I said, "Later every-one...go eat some ice-cream and be happy!" And I started giggling. What??? Eat some ice-cream and be happy? That was quite random. Yet, I do realize that even little things such as ice-cream can brighten a person's countenance. I know for certain that yesterday, when I sat in the soulful confines of a Starbucks shop, quietly sipping my cold creamy frappucino, I was indeed happy and delighted.

Therefore, this Friday, I'm urging everyone to celebrate the moment, even with the little things that make you happy. Building on my last post, go on and "celebrate life"...give life to others and receive life yourself (read the last post). Today's troubles are sufficient for itself, you can leave your tomorrow in the hands of the Master Potter...in the hands of the One who can re-mold the destructive clay that you molded with your own hands, and turn it into something more beautiful. In other words, those things that you see as failures in your future are not necessarily so. Things can change for good just at the twinkle of an eye. Then what would be the result of your sweat, toil, and whining?
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So why waste time debating and choreographing and plotting? One million plots of ours cannot beat an ultimate plot of God's. For me, I enjoy little things like having ice-cream on a very sunny day. Think about what you enjoy and delight on those things today...simple random thought, but truthfully delightful...praise God for the little things that make us smile. Have a lovely beautiful Friday. Disclaimer: I'm not saying you should be eating ice-cream every day! Lol.

"The only emperor is the emperor of ice cream" Wallace Stevens

What We Want from Life...or Vice Versa!

She dug her hands into the fresh soil, to feel the moistness of the earth within. Olodumare (1) had blessed the land with rain, so the time to sow her seed was right now. She wiped her left brow with her free hand as her sweat fell into the same soil, in beads of unanticipated saltiness. The sun was scorching, yet the time was right. She picked up the mustard seed and buried it beneath the earth. As she covered the soil she knew the earth had embraced her seed. Though tiny, the mustard seed would grow taller than all the herbs and become a great tree, on which even the singing birds would make their nests.

Immediately the seed was covered she felt good within. Saturated with gladness and elated with joy. She had done a good thing indeed. She now anticipated the life that would be produced. Was this what she wanted from life? The joy and satisfaction of working and planting? Or was this what life wanted from her? The sound of the earth's joyful cry while receiving her seed? What did she want from life?

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Life is in our very breaths. By giving life to other people we get satisfaction. We were not just created to populate the world, there's more than just that! There is a gift inside you and I. A purpose. A reason that defies death and withholds gravity. The life inside you is a suspension of fruits. It is the reason why God calls you "significant" and "relevant," although you may not know why yet.

God told a guy called Jeremiah one day, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the Nations." So why do some people seek less from life? Why do we sometimes search for things that bring no fulfillment? Why do we sometimes stray away from the ordination of our purpose? Why do we run away from God? No, today is your day to embrace life and receive it when God tells you He created you for a great purpose.

Yes, it is true that we all want something from life. But I realize now that our satisfaction will only result from fulfilling the purpose that God designed us for, as the confident and experienced Architect that He is. Obey this calling so that your life shall not hang in doubt before you, and so that you shall not fear day and night (the opposite of Deuteronomy 28:66).

But today, I set both "life" and "death" before you. "Therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live." Deuteronomy 30: 19-20.

Today, take JOY, have JOY, receive JOY, and give JOY. In doing so, you will get something from life. Let this message be a medium of sharing my life with you, and budding life from within you. LIVE!

(1) Olodumare: God, the Supreme Being (Yoruba Language)

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