Posts tagged Christian

There was a garden in that place

The Christian Faith


“Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth,… sits on a hillside 1,300 feet above sea level.
The view from a Ridge allows a sweeping panorama all the way from Mt. Carmel by the ocean to the snow peak of Mt. Hermon to the north
With fertile lands, beautiful Vistas, and moderate climate, Galilee has its attractions, and clearly Jesus enjoyed growing there. The wildflowers and weeds growing among the crops, the laborious method of separating wheat and chaff, the fig trees and grape vines dotted the hillsides… ”

Culled from ” The Jesus I never knew” by Yancey Phillip
“my friend enjoys painting, but this sensitive soul often feels guilty when she is working in her studio. She wonders whether she should be doing something more “christ-like” with her time. How can I be taking up my cross if I’m doing something I enjoy? Have I become too focused on the stuff of this world?
She shouldn’t feel guilty for doing something she enjoys, for that wholesome pleasure was God’s idea first (Genesis 1:27-31). He came up with beauty, laughter, strawberries and sunny days. And while God warns us against idolatry – the sin of putting our hopes and trust in any earthly pleasure itself. Even Jesus went out of his way to recharge his batteries with worldly beauty.
The week that Jesus died, he escaped the urban chaos of Jerusalem by crossing the kidron Valley and retreating in a quiet stand of olive trees. He had made this journey so often that Judas knew right where to find him.
Judas “knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples” John 18:2.
…Jesus defeated evil by his death and resurrection. Then he ascended to heaven and sent his holy spirit to continue his campaign through us. It can be exhausting to stand for love and righteousness in this evil age so let’s follow Jesus’ lead and make time for refreshment in the pleasures of earth.
What beautiful spots inspire you? What activity energizes you? Where is your garden?”

Culled from our daily journey Annual edition, volume 7



My Comments
Is Guilt evil? I often repeated to some people I had the opportunity to teach a while back that the devil is out to get you away from God. He employs any means at his disposal. If envy won’t work this time, he goes for guilt. Guilt that you were envious yesterday or whatnot.
That’s where he traps many. We don’t often list that guilt is a strategy of the devil but it is.
It disconnects us from the father. It makes it tougher to pick up and reconcile with God after we sin.
How much more when we don’t know what we feel guilty about isn’t even a sin.
The devil traps with guilt. He makes it impossible (for the Christian who let’s him) to do anything worthwhile. It’s best to know the Devil’s devices and keep ahead.
A short while ago I listened to Joyce Meyer ministering and I quote her:
” The Israelites had a million and one feasts set by God. He loves celebration, the devil wants to steal it. Be happy. Wherever you are, whatever is happening, God wants you to be happy and enjoy everyday life. “

The balance
There is a need to know what wholesome pleasures God wants you to enjoy and what idols he wants you to destroy.
In as much as Jesus grew up by the Sea side, he understood when it was time to go about his father’s business and he did just that.
Rest, it is said, is sweeter after labour.
I attest to that. You get that feeling after completing a million and one house chores, when you shower, eat something delightful and plop down on a good sofa in the living room with good lightening and TV.
I strongly advocate that we should learn to appreciate the pleasure God intends for us. All the while, knowing when it is the proper time to go to work and when it is time to retreat to the olive groove again as Jesus did.

I’m somewhat still stuck on how Nazareth is 1,300 feet above sea level. The view of that! Jesus often went there. The smell of the sea too. Imagine the wind.

John 18:2[ GNT]
After he said this prayer, he left with his disciples and went across Kidron brook. There was a garden in that place and Jesus and his disciples went in.

More of Nazareth, work, and rest
Debby.

Teachings: FAITH

The Christian Faith

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Not having faith is like saying “God hasn’t done it”
Faith is acting on God’s word. It’s the second thing after you’re convinced  something else has taken place. In this case, it’s the second thing after God has spoken his word. 
Not claiming” by his stripes I am healed”, shows misunderstanding of the truth of God perfecting my healing already. I don’t know it has happened. 
Faith is a function of “I know whom I have believed in and I’m persuaded… “1 Tim1:12
Faith means not believing your senses only. It’s dropping your intellect for God’s word. It’s unlearning all you have grown up to know,  because it doesn’t conform to God’s word. That’s why it’s hard for the best of us to have faith. You grew up believing contrary to what you must now believe to have faith.
“but I put my body under, I bring my body under subjection…” 
This is because it is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me” Gal2:20
Knowing that my old man has been crucified with Christ, the life I live I live through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who loves me and gave himself for me
Thus my body can’t rule me. Physical senses can’t dictate. My body is ‘it’.
I have a new ancestry. For whoever is in Christ Jesus is a new creature, old things have passed away and behold all things have become new 1cor5:17
Jn3:13 “if I have told you of earthly things and ye believe not, how then shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man has ascended up to heaven except he that came down from heaven, even the son of God”
Even things Christ considers earthly, we find it hard to trust him on those subjects, how much more greater things he wants to relay. Most of these things we have difficulty with,  are things that have actually happened before and we know it. Healing; we know all divers kinds of miracles have happened but we just find it hard to key in. How much more the great and mighty things he wants to show in jer33:3? 
Noah for example had never seen an Ark built. Had never witnessed rain nor heard of it. What’s my excuse? I say I’ve never been to a big healing revival of hundreds of thousands of people, only read of it. Noah read, heard, saw, dreamt nothing. God spoke.
And Go is still speaking today. To me. To you. Through his word. “If only ye believe, ye shall see the glory of God” John 11:40
Faith affirms the integrity of God’s word. Faith is based on the word of God and if God hasn’t spoken there is absolutely no basis for faith.
God, I thank you for your word.
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A day in Adeola Odutola law library

Life Diary Non-Fiction 11 Comments

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I spent over ten minutes asking this library attendant to get me a book behind him. Over ten minutes. I was patient. I was being a Christian. I asked politely, simply. He ignored me blatantly yet slyly. He collected money from people who came to renew their library cards and gave them change and checked the list to be sure they had paid, he answered them just as they came up after me.
I felt weird. I felt abused. I was very patient, my voice loud yet small as something inside of me felt more inadequate the longer I waited. There was a guy beside me, who came after me, he asked for a textbook. Library attendant whom I’ve always greeted politely, stood up from his chair, got the book for him, sat back. The same guy asked for another book, the man stood again, got it for him. Before he sat, I asked him to get mine. A girl can never fully know if it’s her gender thats causing the bias. He ignored me, looking at others who came for library card renewal. You get that kind of pretence stance.
Something in the back of my throat knotted. I walked inside the library without the book. Tears were close. For what reason? Thoughts came, because I didn’t use makeup? Because I was polite? What was my offence? Why wasn’t I firmer in demanding when he delayed? Why did I want to cry? Why did I want to cry? Should I have been rude? Why? Why?
I’ll go back. I’ll tell him I demand a textbook. Another of my choice now, I’ve had time to rethink what I want to read. I’ll embrace the knot that formed at the back of my throat. It will speak better things for me in the years to come. I’ve lost a coat. I’m going outside now to offer another.
It’s surprising to me too, but this happened to me.
So what’s your view people?
-on the religious aspect
-On the tears
-gender
-and other themes
Fight or flight for you?

FASTING

Life Diary Non-Fiction 8 Comments

We all need to write from a place we get. A familiar place and for that I thought:
God, food, family, quiet
The thing with fasting, she thought, was that it was never fully familiar. You could do it and get used to it on most days but on certain days, it was no respecter of persons. It clubbed and clubbed until the soldiers defending you dropped down their defences and you were under seige. Captured. Your stomach desolate. Burnt down like Jerusalem*.
In this case however you’re not really comforted by knowing a day is coming when you will eat. All your focus is on that moment. That day. Perhaps an opening for a meal will arrive. Can it arrive? You know it won’t. So maybe all the prophecies brought by Isaiah and Jeremiah did not pump up the Israelites. They had lost their glory beyond redemption as they saw it.
But God had a plan.
Dear stomach, on days you’re lost and depressed, God has a plan. Jerusalem was restored. Yaaay people. Yaaay.
* Jerusalem’ capture is recorded in 2 Kings 25 and see Haggai2:9 for the hope for the later house.
N. B: I’m no foodie. I just have to write about the things on my heart, you get it:)?
Though our outer man perishes, our inner man is being renewed. Yaaaay?.
Love and more fasting,
Your girl,
Debby.