TIME TO RETREAT

Psalm 61:2-3

From the ends of the earth l call to you, l call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than l. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.

God is indeed the rock that is higher than you and l. Recently l seem to have lost my joy and the peace l have so loved and enjoyed in the Lord to pressures from commitments, tiredness from lack of sleep and rest. On my birthday this past Monday l was on my way to my church office in a rather not very good state and l met one of the young women in my church called Rose just a few yards away from the office. As she started talking to me l just broke down and all l felt was just uncontrollable pain and heart arch of sorrow, confusion and sadness. She said to me, you need to retrieve for awhile from everything  to renew your strength. That was my best birthday present to date. I just wondered why l never thought about that because knowing me l just keep going regardless even when my body clearly tells me l should take a break I don't. Something l got from my dear late mother even though l am very aware that was what caused her stroke for eight years resulting in her death at the end. Lord, that will not be my portion in Jesus Name, Amen.

I went home and decided to spend some quality time with God which l must admit l have missed so much due to busyness and lack of time. I just rush through my morning devotions because my day starts at half three in the morning and usually if l am lucky l sleep for an hour or two. How can this be life? You see when we spend good quality time with God in the high places of His love and power, we in turn gain a better understanding of our lives and our service to Him. Life viewed from the heights of Jesus will always clear our minds and help us sort through our priorities to help us manage what we do and render unto Him a better service. 

I don't know about your story but maybe you are like me who have had a rather tiresome long months of demands from church work, frustrations at work and expectations from friends. You feel your heart is growing fainter with each added pressure. I urge you to take some time off and invest solid, concentrated time with the Lord for Him to give you a whole new outlook. From the bossom of His love you will see things so differently and as they really are. 

What is threatening to distort your view of reality? Pressures? Worries? Anxiety? Relational problems? Sin? I will say it is time for vision check with the Lord. Ask God for help like am doing to put it all out of your mind. Ask for His pardon, if necessary for any offenses you have committed against Him. Enjoy His forgiveness. Swim in His peace and joy once again. Then ease back into your daily routine, walking a little higher above it all. 

By Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved 2013

WHAT ARE YOU?

"Dear friends, l urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us." 1 Peter 2:11-12

As Disciples of Christ living out the Kingdom of God here on this earth, the Bible clearly tells us not to mistaken this world for home as we are only aliens and strangers passing through. But in the same way, the scripture doesn't say we should be onlookers and spectators just causally observing from afar. You see the Bible says in Matthew 5:13-14, "You are the salt of the earth,". You are the light of the world".  This tells me that, God wants us to get involved, busy with what happens here on earth even though we are only going to be here for a season. This means we have a lot of work to do here on earth but only a short time frame to do it.

Today l want to ask you my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, do you consider yourself a  pilgrim when it comes to living out for Christ? Or are you more of an onlooker or a spectator staying at arms length from any kind of involvement in your church and community? What l am trying to say is that, there are already too many spectators and onlookers crowding their way through this life and God doesn't want anymore onlookers. He needs disciples and sons who will make an impact for Him on their way through this life and the next.

Today, God is calling you and l to hold on tightly to His hand and with that firm grasp throw ourselves into loving ministry to others and His Kingdom work. He wants to intrude into the lives of hurting, needy people around us ; through our kind words and actions. More importantly, He wants to see us sharpen one another as we encourage each other closer towards a holy living. I encourage you to look around today to see the many and countless opportunities He has laid before you and l in reaching out to a precious soul in need.

By Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved 2013.

DYING ALITTLE MORE EVERYDAY

 Mark 8:35

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it."

A lot of us are very familiar with this scripture and can even quote it in our sleep. However, as I pondered over this word this morning it came alive in my heart in a completely different way. When we choose to follow Jesus Christ, He asks us to take up our cross and follow Him. This to my understanding means; us engaging in a daily process of giving up our rights, pride, selfishness and self-righteousness by giving and submitting it all to Him.

This to me is the painful work of death, however in that process like myself and most of you, we have come to find our true selves. The selves that we never knew was even there starts to emerge gradually and beautifully. And when we don't, our urgly selves also emerges for all to see as well. Not only that, but in that dying process we realise how God has carefully and thoughtfully designed us for excellence and unique beauty as we daily surrender and submit our lives to Him. Through that people around become drawn to us desiring to become and live out this kind of excellence and beauty in their own lives. That becomes our testimony and witness to the world.  This the Bible says is how we become victorious and overcomers over our addictions, pride, self-righteouness and whatever we have been holding on to in this life in Christ Jesus (Revelation 12:11, "And they were victorious by the blood of The Lamb and by the word of his testimony and they did not love their lives unto death").

Recently, the Lord has been constantly exposing a side and an attitude in me that I have not surrendered unto Him. And that is pride and self-centeredness. For years I have lived in denial and have managed to convinced myself of how humble and selfless I am. Because in our humanness, we love to hold on to the security of our comfort zones, routines and ways of doing things. But what I found in my walk with Jesus that, the closer I get to Him the more He demands of me to let go of all all my securities by dying a little more everyday by just learning to trust Him completely and wholeheartedly.

Today, I don't know what you are holding on to but I came to encourage you it's okay to let go by surrendering it all to Jesus by dying alittle everyday for His love to find complete expression in our lives  to the glory of His name. Not only that, but also displaying the excellence and beauty we are created for.


MEMORY VERSE
"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death." Revelation 12:11


All rights reserved 2012, By Enyonam Gbekle.

 

WHAT IS YOUR REALITY?

 Psalm 1:2-3
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

Just yesterday I was having a chat with my best friend over the years and even though we have been living far apart for nearly ten years now and have made new friends; when she comes to London we always just continue and  just  catch up from where we left off. However, it just dawned on me yesterday after we have had a conversation catching up with who is doing what and just things in general. And of course me not married is always a topic for discussion because she is of the opinion that I am too fussy and too picky when it comes to men and I need to have an open mind because marriages aren't always as glossy on the inside as they are portrayed on the outside. It's about living with what you have and managing it the best you can to keep it going.

I thought that was very interesting because, that isn't my reality at all when it comes to marriage especially the kind of marriage I visualise myself in and know I will have because of who I know I am in Christ. I tried telling her that sorry but my reality isn't the masses reality, rather my reality is what Christ has promised me and certainly one beautiful, loving, fulfilling and a success in every sense of the word for as long as a perfect marriage is concern. Not only that I also came to the realisation that my best friend of over twenty years and more actually doesn't have a clue what my core interest are and  haven't really got a lot in common in terms of certain values that are close to our hearts. We are both very passionate, resilient, determined, ambitious and outgoing individuals but in certain core values in terms of a family life, we don't share the same values.

I know I have learnt and practised to get along with lots of people in the past because, my dearest late mother always said two captains cannot be in a boat and to keep certain friendships and relationships, one has to learn to be the fool and in my case I have always be the fool to bring peace. So really, a lot of my friends who have known me over the years for many many years actually think they know me but actually don't really know me that well in terms of the things I cherish and hold close to my heart deeply. You will ask why, because they haven't bothered to get to know me the real me; neither have they bothered to find out what my core values are. They have been just too busy focusing on what they see and perceive they know which really isn't the total sum of who I am in the real sense

It suddenly dawned on me that, there are things we think we know and believe it is true and hold dearly in our heart and value. But as we go through life especially when we have learnt to surrender our life totally and completely to Christ, we come to know other things that are also true and then it is up to us to make a choice which is the real truth and the only truth to follow and live out life accordingly to. I must say, through the interactions with few of my very old friends who have known me for many years, I have come to appreciate the truth I know and live by now through the grace of Jesus Christ. Today's main scripture for me sums it all up; "A man who delights in law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruits in it's season and it's leaf shall not wither and not only that; friends, whatsoever he or she does shall prosper."
 
The very last sentence says it all, whatsoever he or she does shall prosper.! Which implies that whatsoever, I do shall prosper, my marriage, family life, career, business, social life, relationships and my ministry. Whatsoever, not some things but whatsoever, I do shall prosper. I don't care if there are a thousand and I Christian marriages failing, or Christians who aren't succeeding in their businesses, family lives, social lives, relationships or ministry? the last time I checked, the Bible says, the just shall live by his or her faith not by his or her Pastor's faith, a Bishops faith, best friends faith or the reality of others, not anyone but mine and mine alone. The Bible also went on to say the Lord knows the way of the righteous and it also says for as long as I Enyonam Gbekle abide in Him the true Vine Jesus, I shall bear good fruits even when others aren't and are dying off from the economic crisis and all the junk the world and it's society try to make people believe in limiting their vision of what is real and attainable.

Lets not allow the opinion's of others to distort our reality of who we are in Christ and lets not stagger at our faith when our friends don't seem to see what we see. Instead let us hold on fast to our faith and unto the word  of God concerning our lives. And everything He has promised us shall surely come to pass in due time for all to the see the manifestation and the glory of God in and out of our lives - in our marriages, career, businesses, families, ministry and relationships. I just want o encourage you today to live by the word of God by seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness and everything else will be added no matter what it is, all you need to do is to desire it and the Lord will make it available to you. Just believe!

2012 by Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved.

WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS OF ACCEPTING JESUS?

Matthew 10:37a
He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me:

Today mark 20 years since my dearest mother Catherine Ablayo Gbekle passed away leaving behind at the time of her death, five daughters and seven grand children. On this very day my life literally came to a standstill and everything I thought I knew as a 21 year old girl then all came crushing before my very eyes. My mother had been ill for 8 years from stroke - paralysed on the right hand side of her body and before she passed away on that faithful morning of 4th July 1992, she had been in a coma for two months, bedridden, eating through tubes and was completely in darkness not knowing when it was day neither did she know when it was night.

I was shattered and at this point had lost all hope, total trust and faith in God. How could He (God ) do this to His own devoted and committed disciple? Was my question. My mother was a true Christian in the real sense. She was a woman of the  fruit of the spirit -  love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith! She lived a true a Christian life daily in how she related to people and how she did things. My older siblings used to be so crossed with her over her extreme tolerance and compassion towards people especially those who constantly hurt and abuse her trust and hospitality. She taught us to be forgiving, loving and show compassion regardless whether we are in the right or not. Not only that, to be generous and caring especially towards strangers because if we are only generous to people we know, we haven't done anything out of the ordinary.

I could go on and on but something last week got my attention as I was reading the Book of Matthew. The very words of Jesus in chapter 10:37a, "He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me:..." As l read this verse, I couldn't help it but felt the sadness it pieced that pieced my heart-- something hit my spirit as if that was the first time I was reading that verse. lt felt like a sharp knife cutting through my heart. Then it dawned on me how very ignorant I have been and how very badly I failed the test of faith and my love for Jesus at the time. As a very young girl, I loved the Lord with all my heart and as a result in my first few weeks in High School in October 1983; I accepted Jesus as my Lord and personal Saviour when I was invited to a Scripture Union meeting in my then new school as a freshman who has only been there for a few weeks. I was at the time full of enthusiasm, zeal and passion for the Lord.

However, what I didn't know at the time was how very ignorant I was of the word of God. And because I was a day student, and had to be home at a certain time after school none of the seniors who in the Scripture Union were able to help me develop my faith through the word of God properly. Now I was on fire so excited knowing that finally my faith will heal my dearest mother and it didn't matter whether her faith was weak or not. I was so confident my mother will be back to normal and everything will go back to how they were. At this point I didn't realise how much I loved my mother and how much l put her before God. I prayed for my mother, took her to healing crusades believing and trusting God for a supernatural touch.

Then not long after l joined a church called Global Revival Ministries after attending one of their crusades and seeing all the miracles that had taken place. I said in my heart this is my church but in all this I still didn't realise my coming to Christ was purely for selfish gains and not because I am a sinner who needed a Saviour to redeem, cleanse and forgive me of my sins so I can have eternal life through the finished work on the Cross through Christ Jesus. I took my mother to every prayer meeting, the ones that took place in the Achimota forest, in the church, healing crusades and every miracle hour service that took place in my church and around where we lived.

Now, as time went on, I saw no physical change in my mother's condition and that upset me so much. I first blamed it all on my mother for having weak faith and then on God for not honouring His promise as the one who heals all of our diseases. I said to God,  didn't you say if only I believed I can ask this mountain to be removed and it will and not only that I can cast out demons and heal the sick in your name? So what is happening? Why can't I heal my mother? I became very bitter, resentful, angry and unforgiving that I decided not to go to church again neither did l want to have anything to do with God. I was distraught and lost all hope in what I had believed in throughout my whole childhood into my young adult years. Then when she passed away years later in 19992, my entire world crushed right in front of me and I didn't recover until June 4th 2009 when my business went to liquidation after loosing everything I had worked so hard for.

I said an inner court prayer like Hannah's. I cried out unto the Lord and asked Him to kill me because I just couldn't bear life anymore neither did I want to live any longer since He God hated me so much to torment my soul and life by taking away everything that meant something to me. Then, I said what do you want from me Lord? Then I had a change of heart and said, please Lord don't kill me because I don't want to die now. But please preserve my life and I will do anything and everything you want I don't care what it cost me for as long as you preserve my life and free me of all this pain, anguish, bitterness and unforgiveness. The truth is, He did and gradually over the months I found my church where He God had called me to serve (my place of covenant). Since then He is been working on and within me shedding off all the junk that have accumulated in me over the many years.

He knowing very well, that 20 years since my mother died was this week had to open my eyes to this word in Matthew 10:37 once again but this time with the revelation and knowledge in understanding what and how l missed out on receiving from Him because I wasn't worthy to be called His disciple. Jesus said in Luke 9:6, "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." And the bible goes on to say in Matthew 10:38-39, "Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it" I literally lost my life when I ignorantly thought I had found it through all that the world had to offer me.  I became so much in love world and everything it had to offer. I was totally consumed by it, you didn't need to be told; you just had to see me to know who was in control of my life - the lust of this world. l got any man l wanted, wore the latest brand name clothing of my choice: not having any respect for anyone and especially for money because l was hard working, so knew how to earn so what was it that anyone could offer me? wow! 

Dear friends, what I want to share with you today is; Jesus gives us choices and numerous opportunities to come to Him but sometimes through our own selfishness we miss out on that call by not heeding to it with all sensitivity and alertness in the Spirit. I have come to understand the scripture in Matthew 6:25-34 and it has opened my eyes to what is important and what is not. I spent my life worrying about how my mother was going to be healed when I should have been seeking  first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things ( the healing, deliverance, marriage, joy, peace, understanding, wisdom, knowledge) and every other thing or things I desired would have been added and given unto me without a struggle. Very expensive lesson learnt though!!

No wonder Jesus says, for lack of knowledge His people perish. That was certainly me for a very long time until I let go of self and let He Jesus be the Lord of my life completely and totally in every single area of my life. I want to use today to thank the Lord for finding me worthy enough to give me a second chance and to open my eyes to His truth especially in this season of my life. I am in constant awe of you Lord and words cannot express my heart of  gratitude towards you for delivering me from the pits of sin and ignorance. I now know that even though at the time it wasn't very pleasant to lose my mother at such an early age, I believe you made her live for 8 years after her stroke to give me enough time to come to know you personally as Lord and Saviour. Now I do and I am forever grateful to you and I promise to serve you for all the remaining days of my life on this earth. I am happy to carry my cross daily, to follow you and to lose my life for your sake for it is only then will I find it.

My Dearest Mother Catherine, I know you are in the bosom of your loving Father and I believe you are happy to know now that I have come to know the truth and indeed it has set me free from all bitterness, anger and unforgiveness. I know some day we shall meet again in Heaven where there will no more tears but just pure joy and peace in the Lord Almighty. Love you mommy but Jesus loved you more and I love the Him.Amen!!! 

ln memory of my late mother Catherine Ablayo Gbekle who passed away twenty years today. To God be the glory!

2012 By Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved.

A GAME OF MAKE-BELIEVE

Colossians 1:10"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,.."

As Christians, we are either growing in the Lord or going backward. That doesn't  leave much room in between. It is like true love: it either grows or die. Love simply can't standstill, and neither cab our walk with Christ. No wonder the Bible makes growth such a critical issue. Again and again the writers of the New Testament implore us believers to keep moving higher, wider, deeper, and stronger. Listen to a few of them.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.-- Ephesians 1:17

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,--Philippians 1:9

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God's wonderful grace.--Colossians 1:6

Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity..--Hebrews 6:1a

Can you sense the urgency???? It goes on and on and on really there is just no room  for passivity in our Christian faith and walk. This clearly teaches us that, life in Christ is one very long string of action of verbs: grow, praise, love, learn, stretch, reach, put off, put on, run, produce, stand and fight. A healthy life will always show itself by progress and increase. Anything else begins to look like death. So now how can you and I tell if we are growing? Lets ask ourselves a few simple direct questions.

Is my sense of sin becoming deeper?
Is my hope brighter?
Is my love more extensive?
Do I love the Lord Jesus more?

If you can say a hearty yes to these questions, then you are on the growing side. If not, then you are doing worse than standing still.............you are moving backward. So wake up!!! There are grave things at stake here. Look, if your foot had gangrene, you would submit to a severe operation, possibly even amputation to save your life. In this case it is our spiritual life at stake. If we in any way think we are standstill Christians, we are just playing a game of make-believe.

Memory Verse
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.--Deuteronomy 30:19

2012 By Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved.

YOU SHALL BE FILLED

Psalm 34:10
"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good 
  thing."

Are you bored? Restless? Do you refuse to be entertained? Are you gathering more spiritual things around you and enjoying them less? It may be that you are hungry and the cravings of you new nature is giving you hunger pains. I tell you this, you will not be satisfied until you have real solid food ( the word of God). Like Jesus said in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry." 

Are you like me, desperate to quiet and satisfied your cravings? A man or woman animated by the Spirit just has to be fed and the cravings of our new nature forces us to go back to basics. And that only begins with a passion and a pursuit for God. And once your passion for God is awakened, you will filled and will not thirst neither will yo hunger ever again.

MEMORY VERSE
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteouness: for they shall be fill.---Mathew 5:6

2012 By Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved.