The Response of a Lover

I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go………………………………… (Son 3:2-4 KJV)

Every time I see him my heart skips a beat, my palms begin to sweat and the smile on my face is so bright it can light a stadium. I seldom look into his eyes, not because I am shy but because the intensity of his loving gaze seems more than my mind can contain. Could a man love a woman this much? Many times when I am alone I wonder aloud, ‘can there be a greater love than this?’

In all things however, it is our fellowship with one another that I love the most. By fellowship I refer to time together spent talking, walking, holding hands, feeding on the uniqueness of each other’s celestial and terrestrial beauty, having intercourse or simply enjoying the tranquility in silently gazing at nature’s beauty. 

Please do not imagine that this relationship is all about me. It is true that I cannot equivocally say that I love him like he loves me but I keep trying.  You see, it seems as if all he needs from me is to have the right attitude to his love towards me. I see him smile when I respond to his words and his touch. It is obvious his delight emanates from my positive response to his love for me.

I look forward always to his speaking to me, talking with me or instructions for me. I delight in the wisdom in his words and the now expected positive result from heeding his instructions. Well, many of the female specie would frown at my dependence on him and fascination with who he is. But, day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year, the more I depend on him the better my relationship with him becomes. The interesting thing is; the benefits of our relationship supersedes the two of us, it brings the best out of my relationship with others and more importantly I feel whole in my body, soul and spirit.

This is my story; the story of a lover and the one he loves. I know you want to know more about me but I don’t think you need to. Anyway, let me at least intimate you with my name and the name of my lover.

My name is ‘Christian’ and my lover’s name is Jesus. 

God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1Co 1:9 AMP)

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship [Greek; koinonia: participation, communion, fellowship, intercourse] of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. (1Co 1:9 KJV)

It Will Come To Pass!

Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them. (Isa 55:10-11, MSG)

Abraham was now 70 years old and he had been married to beautiful Sarah for quite some years now. Thiers was a blissful marriage, what you would call a marriage made in heaven BUT they had no child. Year upon year it was the same story. Abraham and his wife grew old and the shame of childlessness stuck to them like a stamp. God had told Abraham he would make him the father of many nations but how could that be when Abraham didn’t even have a child. But then God visited them when every physical fact pointed to the impossibility of their situation; Sarah gave birth to a baby boy when Abraham was a hundred years old. God promised the impossible; it didn’t look like it would happen; BUT IT CAME TO PASS. [Genesis 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21]

Once upon a time there lived a young boy with his family in a certain country. This boy, though young, had great expectations for his future. He constantly shared his visions with anyone who cared to listen. The young boy believed that it was God who had given him these visions so he was confident of their fulfillment. However as time went on everything went wrong! It seems as if he was moving in the very opposite direction of the fulfillment of his dreams and he began to wonder if these visions of his were just figments of his imagination; he wasn’t sure anymore if God was the source of these visions. That boy was Joseph and it took him more than two decades and painful experiences in the pit and the prison before God’s word came to pass; BUT IT CAME TO PASS.  [Genesis 37, 39, 40, 41]

What about David, the man after God’s heart. He was a boy of seventeen when Prophet Samuel came to his father’s house and anointed him as the next king of Israel. The events that followed in the after years supposedly contradicted prophecy about him. For many years he was a fugitive in his own country running from pillar to post. King Saul was bent on destroying him but in the face of all his troubles the word of God still CAME TO PASS.

Many times as Christians we have found ourselves in similar dilemmas. We have visions that we believe God gave to us and we have believed God for the fulfillment. God has given us promises that seems would never come to pass. Months have passed and years have rolled by and the fulfillment is not in sight; at least that is what it looks like. For some, the situation about which God spoke to them about has gone from bad to worse. The question now remains: will God’s word come to pass? Can we still trust God in the midst of all these? Why does it look like there is such a wide gulf between God’s word and our experiences? 

It is obvious that when God speaks to us the manifestation of that word is usually not immediate; that is, there is usually a time interlude between when God speaks and the realization of his word. On the other hand the scripture states that God’s word CANNOT return to him void without accomplishing what it was it was sent to do (Isa 55:11).   How then do we marry these two seemingly divergent realities? What exactly do we need to understand?

Every Christian must understand that the veracity of God’s word is absolutely predicated on who God is. That is, the ‘sureness’ of the fulfillment of God’s word to a man is a direct result of the character and personality of the almighty God. And the one character of God that gives us the assurance of the fulfillment of his word is his faithfulness. What is faithfulness? Faithfulness is a firm adherence to promises, duty or friendship; it is a state of constant and sincere moral fidelity. In relation to God what this means is that God cannot lie: He means what he says and he says what he means. No wonder the bible says in the book of Hebrews chapter six verse eighteen that it is impossible for God to lie.

Many of us have held on to God’s word for a long time and it seems as if it will never come to pass.  You have believed God for the salvation of your spouse; for that promotion at work; for a house of your own; for healing of a disease and one time or the other God has spoken to you about these things but it has not yet been made manifest. At this point it is tempting to just give up and conclude that it isn’t ever going to happen. However, I stand to tell you that if God said it, and you believe it, that settles it; it will surely come to pass. I like the way the message translation of the bible put Hebrews 6; 17-19:

When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee-- God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God.

Brothers and sisters let me state unequivocally that God’s word is worth holding on to no matter the situation you are in now because IT WILL SURELY COME TO PASS.

BREAK OUT! Exploring the power of forgiveness in your relationships.

Ton

By Damilola Whenu

Tony said, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again’. Sade replied, fuming in anger, “That’s what you always say. Why do you like making me angry all the time? You always make me cry and I keep forgiving you all the time”.

We are angered and hurt by different people for varied reasons. Some are justified while some are not. It’s usually more painful when it’s a loved one that offended us. We hold on to the offense at times and expect they apologize for the wrong done to us. In relationships, it seems or appears as though our partner keeps doing what we have complained about or what we don’t like.  At times, we feel he or she is intentionally hurting our feelings. In this kind of state we often feel as if people are all out to make us miserable! First and foremost, let me say ‘chillax’, this is a blend of chill and relax!

If the hurt is not dealt with, it springs up feelings of resentment towards the ‘offender’ and as a result of this, little issues are magnified out of proportion. The issue is mainly because we didn’t truly forgive the past hurt, and that is why we still keep seeing every little mistake our partner makes or things he or she does as an intentional act of hurting us.

Forgiveness is important to sustain relationships and marriages. Some relationships and marriages have reached boiling points of conflicts and chaos just because of feelings of resentment of one partner to the other. Let’s see what the bible has to say about this issue:

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Mat 18:21-22 KJV

We can see from the above scripture verse that no one was secluded or exempted from being forgiven. So your partner (spouse as the case may be) is not an exemption. I saw it in an article that a friend put up in a post sometimes ago that says this about forgiveness: ‘Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner was you’ [Max Lucado]. Many have been held in the bondage of unforgiveness, nursing thoughts that cause them to be bitter, angry and resentful towards their spouse. When we refuse to resolve issues that make us constantly angry and hurt, our minds are hardened with bitterness and resentful feelings. This has a direct negative influence on our relationship with God. Forgiveness is not saying that what they did was okay or they’re going to get away with it. It’s simply letting go of your anger and turning over your feelings to God. Forgiveness is the oil of relationships.

Sometimes, we easily forgive others but when it comes to our spouses or those we are in a romantic relationship with, we want to punish the person and make the person also feel the hurts we are feeling inside. We want him/her to keep saying sorry or buy something to appease us for a wrong done. This is not good enough and it has damaging implications on our relationships in the long run. Forgiveness is a choice and it’s important that we make that choice. You will most likely not feel like forgiving the person. True forgiveness is a strong rational decision based on spiritual values, fueled by spiritual resources, and modeled after the spiritual principle of God’s forgiveness (Dr Ed Wheat).  To forgive is the highest form of love. In return , you will receive untold peace and happiness. When you truly forgive, you will feel relieved and discover that you were harming yourself. 

I find the story of the wicked servant in Matthew 18:23- 35 very key in understanding the destructive impact of unforgiveness. A servant was forgiven the debt he owed, which is equivalent to about 10 million dollars but couldn’t forgive his fellow servant who owed him 10 dollars. He eventually pushed himself to an undesirable end. So you see, you can’t afford to make unforgiveness a clog in the wheel of the progress of your relationship with your spouse and loved ones.

LAZARUS WAS DEAD [Celebrating the God of Possibilities]

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. (Joh 11:14 KJV)

‘Tell me, can your God change this situation? I ask because I do not think so; I think this situation is beyond repair. I know this marriage is over.’ ‘I don’t think I can ever be healed.’ ‘I have done all I can but the business just keeps recording losses. I just don’t think I can take this anymore.’ When you are in situation like this all you are saying is that ‘Lazarus is dead!’ figuratively speaking. Follow me from here and let’s discover together the bible’s answer to your questions.

There is this account in scripture that I like so much because when I think about it I ‘see’ God! Don’t worry you will get my point very soon. It is the account of a very terrible time in Israel: well, we can argue that Israel had quite a number of these terrible times and you won’t be wrong!  For me however this particular account stands out. In the book of second Kings Chapter six verse twenty four to thirty three [2 kings 6:24-33] Benhadad the king of Syria lay siege on Samaria which was at that time also refers to the kingdom of Israel.  Now because of the siege there was a great famine in Israel. So great was the famine that people had not only started eating dove shit they had also started eating their children. Yes! It was that bad. It is what you would call an impossible situation. It was so bad that the king of Israel decided to kill Elisha the prophet because he must have thought that Elisha had no usefulness if he could not beseech God on their behalf to stop the dire situation.

The next chapter opened with the prophecy of Elisha concerning the matter:

Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.(2Ki 7:1 KJV)

All of a sudden as it were, Elisha came forth and gave a prophecy that the situation will be completely reversed in about twenty four hours! Immediately one of the lords in Israel ‘revolted’ and said that even if the windows of heaven were opened it won’t still be possible. In the Nigerian pidgin English parlance I can imagine him saying something like ‘na yam’! I am sure he was not the only one who thought that way he was just unfortunate to have spoken first as we see that Elisha straight away told him that he will see it come to pass but not partake of it. My focus in this discourse however is not the ‘unbelieving lord’ but the 24 hour miraculous turnaround of an impossible situation.

Please read this text:

And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. 
And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household. So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within. And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city. 
And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see. They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king. And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. (2Ki 7:3-16 KJV)

Amazing! Isn’t it? Now who could have imagined HOW God was going to solve that situation. All I am saying to you in this write up is that God can change that supposedly impossible situation you are in. Yes the situation might look hopeless, dead and buried by human standards but what is impossible to man is possible for God. God has never seen a situation he cannot solve; He has never seen a sinner he cannot save and He has not seen a sickness he cannot heal!

Imagine for a moment the story of Lazarus the brother of Mary and Martha as written in the book of John. Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus got to their town. Lazarus was not sick and admitted to a clinic; no Lazarus was dead; four days dead; very dead indeed!

I don’t know what might represent a Lazarus situation in your life or family but I say to you today that that situation can and will change if you call on God to do what only he can do about it. Don’t bother yourself about how he will do it, just ask and believe. God is able to turn around that situation so much so that it will feel like you are dreaming. He is able to make the valley of dry bones become a field of a great host of mighty army. Hallelujah!

Prayer:

Lord you are the God of all flesh and the father of spirits. You are the sovereign One and the maker of all things. Lord I ask that you breathe life into this situation [tell him exactly what it is]. I ask therefore in the name of Jesus that you cause the resurrection power to be at work in this situation [name it]. I speak life into this situation [name it] and declare that it aligns in obedience to God. I declare that men would see what you have done and believe on the name of your Son Jesus. Thank you Lord for the testimony of this miracle. Amen