WHEN THE UNKNOWN THREATENS

Day and night are so different from each other that they have become the ultimate expression of contrast - we say things like "they're as different as day and night"
Yet, in spite of the sharp contrast, God ordained that they should co-exist - side by side. Night follows day and day follows night.
Wherever you are on the planet, no matter what it is, you can't hurt 24 hours of the day. - By the same token, you won't have 24 hours of night- And the night may have been long, dark and cold, but there is coming a morning- And the morning brings joy with it.
Night provides the perfect cover for the enemy to surprise us - When God has sown good seeds in our lives, the enemy comes under the cover of night and sows tares
So the surprise comes when the wheat is growing; and all of a sudden the tares appear.
When this happens our natural inclination is to move in quickly and try to fix the problem we must learn to:

1. Ask the right questions - "where did this come from?"

2. Don't react - leave it alone; "be still"

3. Ask God for directions.

I want to examine a crucial characteristic of the night- The night not only provides the perfect cover for the enemy to surprise you,- It provides the right atmosphere for the unknown to threaten you

1 Kings 19:1-8
One of the beautiful things about scripture is that it makes no attempt to conceal the humanity of those bible characters that we regard as super heroes.
So, from time to time, God will open a window and give us an inside view into the lives of the people He uses. - And we read, not just of the great things they accomplished, but also of the challenges they went through.
Just as their heroic feats are put on display, we get a view into their issues and oddities; the conflicts and contradictions that they had to contend with.
We get to find out that superman is after all also Clark Kent.
On the one hand we admire their strength, courage and exploits; and on the other, we deal with their weakness, insecurities, failures and frailties.- Then we get to understand that behind all of those great things that God has done, there is an ordinary human being.

Newsflash: God uses ordinary people!

This passage allows us to eavesdrop on the private conversations of a great man of God. He has just taken on 450 prophets of Baal, and single-handedly disregards them and their god. His courage has spanked revival in the land. - He has just called down fire from heaven
No doubt, Elijah had just stepped into his finest hour.
Then this wicked, manipulative, conniving, ungodly witch puts a death warrant on him.
She sends out a threat - possibly a secret threat. - She doesn't explain what she is going to do, or how she's going to do it, but she makes it clear that he has 24 hours to live.
What does a man of faith and power do when something scares him to death?- He runs! like you and me, he runs- And he does not run for one mile or two, he runs for one hour or two; he runs for a whole day and them runs some more.- He runs for dear life!
Now notice the dichotomy: People are probably still talking about how brave Elijah is and describing the awesome encounter in mount caramel - and he is running. You might ask, "What would make such a great man of God run?"- Everybody has something that will make him or her run.- It doesn't matter how tough you are, if you are faced with an issue that's big enough, you will run!
Isn't it funny how you can go from a great heroic moment of victory to a miserable moment of defeat without any warning?
Isn't it interesting how you can go from the top of the mountain to the depths of the valley without an interval, interlude or intermission?- Things can happen so fast that you don't even get to enjoy the top before hit the bottom.
"How could I have attained such glorious heights and then hit such ignominious depths within the same 24 hour period?"

- "How could I have experienced the brightness of the noonday sun and the darkness of the midnight hour - all in the same day? How?"
"How can I be so brave and heroic and courageous about this; and at the same time be so afraid and intimidated and worried that?"

- How can I be so heavy over here and so week over there?"
Now, you must understand that Elijah is not fighting a physical enemy here- You see, a physical enemy - you can get ready for- Anything you can get your hand around, you can choke to death- But the enemy we're fighting is not the type you can choke with your handsFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood.
Elijah knew what to do with an enemy you can see - after all, he had just taken on 200 of them and defeated them- But how do you fight an enemy you can't see? What weapons do you use against a phantom, a ghost? How do you tackle a nebulous entity; how do you corner an ethereal and ephemeral concept?
So Elijah started to run- Oh no! He wasn't running from Jezebel; for Jezebel he could see- He was running from her threat - the threat of the unknown.
Have you ever found yourself running from the threat of the unknown?- I'm talking about issues that nobody imagines would even cross your mind.
In case you still don't understand what I'm talking about, let me help you

- Three members of your family die in rapid succession; and the devil tells you you're next - that's the threat of the unknown.

- You've got a great job in the city but you're wondering if you will turn out an alcoholic like your father - that's the threat of the unknown.

- Your mother died of breast cancer; and you're afraid to touch your own breast for fear of what you might find - that's the threat of the unknown

- You know you are drop dead gorgeous, but you are afraid your husband will leave you. Why? Because your two older sisters could not keep a husband - that is the threat of the unknown.

- Your friend is diagnosed with AIDS and you fall to pieces because you are not sure you have AIDS too. You die many times before you get tested; you die many times between the test and the result - that is the threat of the unknown.

I could carry on …… and it is only a matter of time before I touch your won particular issue.- But whether I call your issue or not, the truth is everybody has something that makes them run.- Secret threats that people do not even know intimidate you.
=> Question: What Are You Running From Today?
Elijah runs - he runs like hi is possessed. He runs till he comes to the juniper tree.
What do you do when life beats you up, wrestles you down and drives you into a corner?

What do you do in the night, when the unknown threatens you, overwhelms you and traps you under a juniper tree?
But before we try to answer that questions, there are two practical issues we must address
Notice two things about Elijah in the passage:
1) He is Tired: Elijah is physically tired- There are no demons, there are no hex, no spell, no witch, no voodoo, no juju - he is just tired- Something as simple as that
He had defeated hostile prophets, outrun chariots, and performed many other exploits. But now, he is tired.
And people react strangely to issues when they are tired.- It is real hard to be objective when you are exhausted.
Notice what he says in verse 4: "It is enough!"- In the NIV, it says "I have had enough"- In other words, Elijah had come to his limits.
And there is nothing wrong with coming to your limits, because after all, everyone has limits.
But he over reacts - he gets suicidal. He prayed that he might die: "Now Lord take my life for I am no better than my fathers!"
Now if truth be told, Elijah does not really want to die - otherwise he would not have run from Jezebel; or at least he would have gone back.
But he gets irrational because he is tired.
You need to recognize your limits; you need to know how to stop when you are tired.- In fact you need to give yourself permission to be tired.

2) He is Hungry: Again, physically hungry.
The feeder had not been fed; the leader had not been led; the teacher could not find anyone to teach him; the counselor had not counselor of its own.
The therapist did not know where to turn to receive therapy; the comforter was not comforted; the physician had no doctor.
But God steps in and releases four kinds of power into Elijah's life that give him victory over the threat of the unknown.

i) The Power of Perspective:- Perspective is the ability to see things as they really are - to see big things as big and small things as small.- When you are faced with the threat of the unknown, ask yourself. "Am I looking at this situation correctly?"- One of the reasons why the unknown has so much power is that it assumes in exaggerated dimensions.The night has a way of creating an illusion of a situation.- You see, it is not so much what you go through that matters - it is how you feel about what you go through.- And in reality, you may not be able to change what you go through, but if you can change your perspective about it, it will dramatically enhance your ability to deal with it.- Elijah had overcome many obstacles in the past, but he saw this one as something he would not deal with or overcome.And the devil has a way of intimidating you with the very thing you feel you cannot cope with.Remember Job? The thing that I greatly feared has come upon me.- IF YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR PROBLE, CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE.If you cannot change what you are looking at, change how you look at it.- Do not magnify something that God has minimized.- Do not make it the big one when God has not made it the big one.
- Now lets see the threat from God's perspective:a) First of all, Jezebel's threat was empty.Elijah had been running for more than a day, and she said she would kill him within a day.But he was so busy running that he failed to notice that the Lord has protected him past the deadline the enemy had set.Left to your enemy, you would be long dead and gone. If Jezebel had had her way, Elijah would not have lived to see the Juniper tree.Look around you today - what is your own Juniper tree?What landmark have you achieved that, if left to your enemy, you would never have seen?Sometimes we are so busy running from what might happen that we do not notice that God has blessed us on the run.
b) Secondly, Jezebel does not even feature in God's discussion with Elijah.She is so unimportant in the scheme of things that a servant of Elijah's servant anointed the person, who kills her.
- Gain perspective - do not make your cross roads a crisis.- And this is the benefit of fellowship - the power of iron sharpening iron. Because when you get around other people, you will find out that what your are dealing with is normal; and someone else has been through it.- It is easier to cope with things when you find out they are normal.1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Peter 4:12; 5:9

ii) The Power of Preparation:- Some of the things that we call problems are simply places of preparation.What was this whole journey into the wilderness all about?From where Elijah stood, he was running from Jezebel.But as far as God was concerned, it was a way of getting Elijah's attention in order to prepare him for the second half of his ministry.- So, be careful what you pray; because the very thing you are asking God to remove may be the things he is using to prepare you for your entry into destiny.- 2 Corinthians 4:17
- So how did God prepare him?a) First He got him to rest.b) Then He got him to eat.Question: Are you as good at eating as you are at cooking?Sometimes you need to eat what you serveThe feeder too needs to be fed.Are you as good at doing as you are at teaching?Elijah needed to eat so badly, that God sent an angel to cook his foodNow notice, angels are good at rolling away stones, and parting seas, and bringing down walls.
But you are so important to God, that sometimes he will send you an angel just to make you some stir fry.You need to be on the look out for the angel who will be sent to cook your next meal - it may be the person you least expect.
One more thing here: you need to learn to feed in the place of your problem.God has a way of preparing a table before you in the presence of your enemies.
Sometimes we run away from our challenges too soon. Do not move on until you have got out of that problem everything you need to get out of it.
The angel had to wake Elijah a second time and say, "You haven't got all from this situation - arise and eat"
Samson took honey from the place of his previous battle and he said: "Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet " Judges 14:5,6,8,9,14.
Make up your mind when you go through a difficult situation: "I am going to get something out of this"

iii) The Power of Propulsion:- God uses the problem you are going through as the wind up power to propel you to your next destination.Not a single thing you went through will be wasted.Not a singe tear, sigh, trauma, pain or disappointment will go to waste.- God propels prepared people into their purpose.- When David picked stones to fight Goliath, he did not just pick up stones - he picked the smooth ones.The brook had prepared smooth stones and so they moved easily through the air.

iv) The Power of Preservation:- When God feeds you, it is for more than just the hunger of the moment.God's meal will take you through a full cycle of completion.- Some people are still running on the strength of message they heard 3,4 or 5 years ago.- Learn to preserve what you took away from the problemThe disciples gathered twelve buckets full of the leftovers from their miracle, and took them on their journey.Have you gathered the leftovers from your last encounter with God?

THE ENEMY WILL ISSUE AN THREAT IN THE NIGHT; BUT IF YOU TAP INTO GOD'S POWER AND HOLD ON TILL THE MORNING, YOU WILL FIND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN IT ANYWAY

Weeping May Endure For The Night, But Joy Comes In The Morning.

Taking ownership of your dream

Everything in God begins with a word. In the beginning was the word.
In the beginning of your life… your education……… your family………… your marriage………. Your business was the word. Verse 3 - "Without Him nothing was made that was made"
Isaiah 46:9-10. Before God commences anything in the natural. He would have first concluded it in the realm of the spirit. The only thing that starts in the natural are those things which God has finished in the spirit. Then, in order to allow it to start in the natural, he takes that completed work, encodes and encapsulates it into words and sends those words into the earthly realm.
When the word comes into the earthly realm, it contains something - it contains an assignment, an agenda from God. And usually, the word is sent to an earthly target. In order for that word to come to pass - in order for the word to become flesh, it must find an earthly target. And the word will linger in the earthly realm for as long as it takes. It will linger, waiting for someone to receive it. It cannot return to God unfulfilled. Isaiah 55:10-11
There are issues which, in the mind of God, have been concluded long ago. As far as God is concerned, it is a done deal - a closed case. Yet, in the natural, those issues have not come to pass, why? Because God is waiting for someone to take ownership of the word. In a few days, we will once again be celebrating Christmas - to commemorate the time that Jesus Christ was born 2000 years ago. But in reality, the Christmas story did not begin 2000 years ago - it had been concluded in the mind of God before even time began. Right from the time that man sinned and fell in the garden of Eden, God began to unfold the salvation plan - Genesis 3:15 Even though this was the first time that man would hear about his salvation, the issue had been settled long before.
In Revelation 13:8, Jesus is described as the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. So the Christmas story did not really begin in a manger in Bethlehem. Long before that night, God had made up His mind to step out of eternity into time. What happened in Bethlehem that night was more than merely the birth of a baby. That one who emerged from Mary's womb that night was much more than what human eyes could discern. This was God taking on human flesh - this was the word becoming flesh. This was John 1:14 coming to life.
Let's take a close look at how this really happened. How did John 1:1 become John 1:14? Luke 1:26-38 - There are seven truths I want you to see in this passage.
The initiative of God: verse 26Everything started from God - the angel was sent by God. John 1:1 - the word was with God. Many times we want God to bless what we are doing, whereas we should be doing what God has blessed.
The involvement of man: verse 27God singled out a person to cooperate with him. Every miracle is the result of the cooperation between God and man Many times God will use the most unlikely people - in this case, a virgin
The faith of God: verse 28God does not see you as you are today, He sees you as He has already concluded you are - Romans 4:17. He saw Abraham as the father of many nations. He saw Gideon as a mighty man of valour.
The limitation of man: verses 29 and 34Mary trembled at the greeting because her faith could not handle what she was hearing She questioned "how can this be……..?" She knew that a virgin could do many things - but have a baby? It was too much for her. How many times do we hear a word from God and question - how can this be? But as the angel spoke to her - her faith began to rise.
The omnipotence of God: verse 35 and 36When God gets ready to do something in your life, He will do it with or without a man. God turned Elizabeth's situation around - the name she used to be called was now no longer relevant.
The potency of God: verse 37The word "nothing " in this verse is a combination of two words - "no thing". Better translated - " no rhema". When a word goes forth from God's mouth, it has to come to pass.
The cooperation of man: verse 38Mary had to receive the word - she took ownership of the dream. She said, "let it be to me according to your word". From that moment, the dream was no longer just God's dream, it became Mary's dream too.
God has a dream for you, but you must take ownership of it. Until you do, the word cannot become flesh. Many dreams, many promises are stuck between heaven and earth because they are waiting for someone to sign for them. Like parcels sitting in the post office delivery room, they contain all kinds of treasure, but they're just sitting there wasting away. They are no good to the sender, and they are no good to the proposed receiver.
The fact that God has said something will happen in your life does not mean it will You have your own part to play. Even though God had promised the land of Canaan to the children of Israel, they still had to fight for every square inch of it.
What dreams have you failed to take possession of in this year? Well here comes another opportunity.
How do you take ownership of your dream? Very simple - by agreeing with God's word. But simple as it sounds, people miss it everyday.
When God spoke to Jeremiah, he said "I can't" - Jeremiah 1:4-7. God said: "stop saying that - I know you more than you know yourself, and I know you can".
When God gave Joseph a dream, he took ownership of it by speaking the dream Genesis 37:5-11. They hated him for his dream and his words.
The first step to incubating your dream is receiving it. To incubate something means to develop it in favourable conditions
The law of spiritual incubation is very simple - NOTHING JUST HAPPENS

LOVE CAME FOR ME

Love is a phenomenon that many people claim to understand but that only a few people have experienced - I happen to be one of them.

All through my life, I have always thought I understood the concept of love in its entirety. This is because I have been involved in organizations where I have had to communicate on the subject of love and relationships via music, drama and speaking. You could imagine how good I became at ‘doing’ love that I was nicknamed ‘Kenny Hitches’, named after Will Smith’s character, Alex Hitches, the successful love doctor in the blockbuster movie – Hitch. Somehow if you have been involved in relationships that have eventually led to happy marriages, you would feel me on this, I considered myself, a doyen of love.

You know, like every other young lad, I have always dreamt of getting married to a pretty, intelligent lady who would ultimately love the Lord but I never knew that ‘the one’ I was going to make my own was going to have all of these desirable qualities to excellent degrees.

Feel this – a lady who is a young aspiring doctor (dentist)-in-the-making, teaches the word of God passionately and accurately, possesses a sweetly generous spirit, coupled with a great body! (Am still spiritual, ok?) That, my folks, is what I consider my ‘spec’!

I always say that beauty is not all in the eye of the beholder but starts from the mind of the beheld. That underlines the importance of self confidence, she is confident and not arrogant (there is actually a thin line between the two – arrogance and confidence), but she manages to maintain the required balance that would make a man go gaga with love and desires. I fell in love with this girl and it has been joy all the way. Welcome to my world, beautifully brightened my one and only diva – Joke Smith.

WHO’S THAT GIRL?
I saw Joke Smith for the first time in 1995 at Federal Government College, Idoani. She was just transferred into the school as a junior Class student then while I was in the Senior Class. I remember seeing this innocent, neat, sweet, loving, gentle, comely and very-well-packaged girl in her blue uniform. I was magnetized by her rapacious beauty.
What constantly tickled my fancy about Joke was her curly hair. The lovely smile she constantly wore on her face was absolutely tantalizing. My God! She made me strong and weak all at the same time to the point that I couldn’t get her off my mind for hours! (Confusion, you’d say!) Would you blame me?

Joke went around with an atmosphere that portrays that of a well brought-up girl, what you would call, ‘take home to mama’, and I must be quick say that she still does. When I saw her, I concluded an angel must be missing in heaven; she is that angel because seeing her, for me, is seeing heaven.

Even though, a day never passes without thinking about her but I was spiritually and morally mature enough to know that it wasn’t the right time for both of us to be talking about love and intimacy. Moreover, my academic goals and values as well as my duties as a school prefect and as a Christian fellowship leader constrained me from approaching and telling her how much she means to me and how much I’d really love for her to be mine. Some years later, I graduated and left the school without expressing my feelings for Joke to anyone, not even her. I had achieved my academic dream by becoming the first runner up to the best graduating student from the school that year but I left with that void that only Joke’s love could fill.

For about ten years, I lost contact with sweet Joke. I wouldn’t say I forgot about her but I just didn’t remember anymore (that sounded contradictory but pause and think about it for a moment). This must have been due to my new found academic pursuits in the university. Somehow, as God would have it I had a ‘school son’, Bayode Atandeyi, who sometimes talked about her each time he came home on holiday. That, in a way, kept the thoughts of her alive.

It is necessary to say here that it matters the kind of prayer we say to God as far as our lives are concerned. Mine has always being that the good Lord should make me a prisoner of His will. That means He should orchestrate my life according to His plans with or without my consent, and I tell you, He did it in Joke’s case.

SECOND COMING
I had being in two unsuccessful affairs since the last time I saw Joke, she also had had her fair share of failed relationships as I would later find out. After high school, I understood she was admitted into the University of Accra for her undergraduate studies. For those years, we communicated online but most of the times she never really responded to me the way I expected simply because to her, 10 years was a long time to remember me. Not for me, because with what I felt for her then, it was like a day.

I was in my Ikoyi office one morning, when I received a call that turned out to be Joke. I was completely surprised considering her disposition to me whenever we chatted online. To my amazement, she was willing to see me again. As I hurriedly dashed out to see her that day, I said to myself – ‘this is another chance, boy, don’t blow it, boy!’ I drove my black Volkswagen Bora straight to our point of meet somewhere inside Victoria Garden City.

BOUNDLESS LOVE
At exactly 6:35pm, she arrived in a datsun car and before you could say Jack Robinson, my heart beats had doubled (did I say doubled, tripled!) In a matter of seconds, several thoughts ran through my head like fast-moving vehicles jostling on a busy road of Ikorodu in Lagos Metropolis. I said to myself, this is it, boy!
As she gracefully stepped out of the car, oh my God! I couldn’t help the nostalgic feeling that ran through my spine in a rush! It was like I became that young Idoani boy again. Walking in my direction, with pomp and pageantry, is that lady…….the very woman of my dreams.

After spending an hour together, it was as if we had known each other forever. We talked and believe me, I lost count of time. I experienced love like never before. A second with Joke is like heaven.

Nice story, right? The concluding part of this story will be heard on the 17th of May, 2008 when I would be ‘ringing’ her up as my WIFE (Woman Inspired For Exploits).

See http://joke-kenny.weddingannouncer.com for details.

Stay rapturable.

God Wants You Out of Debt!

Folks.....it's been a long while. I must confess I have missed my blog, you know. Of recent, my workload has been quite engaging. For instance, I was in Milano and other places on official duties......anyway, I have missed you my sweet friends and fans! I saw this article on Dr. Creflo Dollar's web (as you know, he is my spiritual father) and I thought it would bless you. Feel this.....and tell me what you think.

Everyday we are bombarded with debt—canceling methods. TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines all offer a host of ways to quickly eliminate debt; however, the best way to eliminate debt is God's way. Yes, God is a debt—canceling God! This is why the Believer is better equipped than those who don't know the Lord. God loves you, and He does not want you to carry the burden of debt. Of course, having debt is not a sin; however, it's not God's best. Debt has wreaked havoc in many lives. It can be linked to divorce and other failed relationships, and it causes stress, which can lead to serious health problems. God is able to help you live a debt—free life. In 2 Kings 6, a man was cutting down a tree, when his ax head fell into the water. The man shouted "… Alas, master! for it was borrowed" (2 Kings 6:5).

To keep the man out of debt, God performed a miracle and made the ax head swim. God would not waste His power if He didn't think canceling this man's debt was indeed necessary. God wanted this man released from debt, so He performed a miracle on his behalf; and He will do the same for you! Although, God is a debt—canceling God, it's important to understand that this doesn't mean He will cancel everyone's debt in the same manner.

There are spiritual and practical laws that govern debt cancellation. God has His part, and we have ours. For example, we must pay our bills on time, and be people of integrity and character who are diligent, hard workers, not swindlers. We also have to avoid sin, and obey God's Word; doing this will ensure that God is on our side. Sin will separate you from God, and when you are in debt, you cannot afford to be separated from God! God is merciful, and always ready to help you end the destructive cycle of debt.

However, He won't do all the work. You must make a quality decision to apply the practical principles that govern debt cancellation. For example, avoid being involved in hyper consumption. God expects you to be a good steward, and manage your money wisely. Develop a budget. This will not only help you manage your money better, it will also help you pay your bills, save money, and track your spending down to the dollar. These are some practical steps that will help you get out of debt God's way.

Tithing is a spiritual principle you must apply if you expect to see God's supernatural blessing on your finances. Malachi 3 describes how the windows of Heaven will open up and pour you out a blessing when you bring your tithes into God's house. Once you have the blessing, or an empowerment to prosper, debt can't wreak havoc in your life. Many years ago, God revealed to me that Satan wants Christians to remain heavily burdened by debt because it hinders their ability to finance the Kingdom of God. Think about it, if all your money is tied into bills, it will be difficult to support the church! God wants you out of debt, so declare war on debt starting today! Make a quality decision to get out of debt God's way by applying the spiritual and practical laws necessary for supernatural debt cancellation. Use the Word of God as a weapon against the spirit of debt, and refuse to be weighed down by debt another day.

Going beyond where we have been

There is a constant call from heaven to take us to new levels. God will not allow you to settle where you are . No matter how sublime the experience, no matter how glorious the accomplishment, there is always a place called the OTHER SIDE Mark4:35.
That expression "Let us go over to the other side" simply means let us go beyond where we have been Philippians 3:13,14.
Sometimes as we journey to the other side, we come to a place called THE MIDDLE - vs 47. The middle is an "in between" position, where you are neither here nor there. It is that place between where you have been and where you want to be.
That place between who you used to be and who you want to become. You are no longer on the shore you left behind but you are not yet on the shore you are going to. The middle is somewhere between your nightmare and your dream. Somewhere between your location and your destiny you have no fixed address.

Your past already bade you "goodbye", but your future has not greeted you "welcome". The middle is that moment of transition where a pregnant woman is no longer pregnant but she has not yet become a mother because the baby is right in the middle of the birth canal.
The middle is that place where a businessman has invested all his money into a business venture and has not yet received any returns. So he has a lot of money yet he has no money.
This is the place where you have no fixed address - you already moved from your last address but you do not have a new address yet - Hebrews 11:8-10
The middle is that place where a bride to be is no longer single yet she is not married. The middle is a place of uncertainty, a place that lacks definitions. You are no longer on the ninth floor( in the lift) but you are not yet on the tenth floor.

This is the place where the devil tries to attach people the most. Why? Because he recognizes that they are unstable during this stage - they are very vulnerable and it becomes very easy.
This is the point where we get the greatest sense of things not going right and not feeling right.
Vs 48 - The disciples were in the middle of a storm - the wind was contrary. They had been straining at the oars for nine hours. Their strength was failing them.
They were working hard - trying to integrate the darker side of their experiences with the brighter side of their expectations.

But notice, they were working against a contrary wind. They were fighting something they could not see. When you fight a contrary wind the best that will happen is you will go around in circles. The disciples' biggest problem was not the wind, it was their heart. They had lost focus of their history and their destiny. They could not see the shore they left, they could not see the one they were going.
The state of your heart per time determines your victory per time.

(To be Continued)

SAMSON! WATCH WHERE YOU LAY, YOU MIGHT LOSE YOUR HAIR?

In Judges 16:1-22, we see the account of Samson's story. It is a sad testimony of aborted destiny. It is the account of a man who forfeited his place in the annals of greatness because he could not triumph over temptation.

Let us take a close look at Samson's story. This account in Judges 16 is commonly known as the story of Samson and Delilah. But the truth is that this story did not start here. It began many many years earlier.
Samson did not fall because of what he did in Delilah's house. He fell because of certain decisions that he had made (or failed to make) long before he met Delilah.
When does a person really fall? Is it when they first sin or when their sin becomes exposed to the public? It is neither. A person falls the day they conclude in their hearts that what they're doing is okay.

In Genesis 3:6, Eve concluded that it was all right to eat the fruit. There was a certain destructive pattern that kept recurring in Samson's life. He had followed the cycle of temptation over and over again. It just so happened that this time in Delilah's lap, he ran out of grace - his time was up.
Let us examine certain tendencies that kept recurring in Samson's life.

He lacked vision
Proverbs 29:18 says where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint. There was no restraint on Samson's life because he was not a man of vision.
When the Philistines gouged out his eyes, they where only doing to him physically what he had previously done to himself spiritually. His enemies were only making to happen on the outside what he had allowed on the inside.

Samson was born to be a judge in Israel. His destiny was to deliver God's people from the Philistines - Judges 13:5. But Samson never fulfilled his destiny. Today Samson is known more for his physical prowess than he is for his ability as a leader.

He was anointed by God, but he used his anointing to fight personal battles, not to deliver God's people. He killed the Philistines, not because he was focussed, or because he had a strategy to bring deliverance to God's people. All his fights were a personal vendetta, and most of them were a reaction in anger.

Samson did not get the big picture - he wasted his time fighting small battles. He lived his life dealing with trivia - the unimportant issues in life. Choose what mountain you will die on - don't major on minors. 90% of the things you consider to be important today will mean very little to you in 5 years.
Samson had no strategy for his life. As such, he went from one crisis to another. He made shortsighted decisions, because they were based more on his feelings than on the will of God for his life. When you make decisions purely on the basis of feelings, they tend to be shortsighted. Samson never made a commitment to be the man that God called him to be, or to do what God called him to do.

He did not take the call of God on his life seriously. His enemies took the call of God on his life more seriously than he did. Samson lacked a sense of identity.
When the devil takes the call of God on your life more seriously than you do, you're in serious trouble.

Jacob valued Esau's birthright more than Esau did. Consequently Esau forfeited it.
Because of Samson's lack of vision, he could not really fulfil his destiny. What he was born to do had to be accomplished by Samuel, a few generations later. 1 Samuel 7:13.

He could not curtail his appetites. Judges 14:1-4
This brings us back to that same word - DESIRE If you don't master your appetites, they will eventually master you. If you don't control your desires, they will take over you and control you. Samson did not know how to say 'No' to his flesh; and eventually he lost his ministry. 1 Corinthians 9:27 Samson came to the point that he felt he was powerful enough to have whatever he wanted.
NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO HAVE EVERYTHING THEY WANT. Why? Because your flesh will always desire something it is not supposed to have. Samson insisted on having whatever he wanted. When you insist on having something that God has not given you, you will lose something he has given you.

David insisted on having Bathsheba - he lost his throne. Some people insist on holding on to their tithes - the devourer comes and takes everything.
Adam and Eve insisted on eating the forbidden fruit - they lost the entire garden. You will notice that what God intends for you is much greater than what you insist on having.
Part of Samson's problem was that his father did not prevail on him. His parents knew he was going against the will of God, yet they let him have his way.

Parents, you must love your children enough to deprive them of what will destroy them. If you let your children have everything they want, you are setting them up for destruction. Judges 14:3 - Samson insisted "Get her for me for she pleases me well". He was saying "I like her. I'm in love with her; I've gotta have her".
Just because you are in love with someone doesn't mean they're the right person for you. We know that what Samson had here was more of infatuation than true love. How do we know? Because when a crisis occurred, he walked away from the relationship. In fact the woman did not love him either - because she betrayed him.

If you want something badly enough, you will get it - even though it may kill you eventually. Don't always insist on having your own way. Listen to the counsel of the godly people in your life.
Something else that Samson could not control was his temper. Whenever anything upset him, he flew into a fit of rage - and went on a destructive rampage. Judges 14:19, 15:3-5, 7-8. That is not the mark of strong man - but of a weak man. Proverb 25:28, 16:32.

He Played games with the enemy
Don't play games with the devil, thinking you can walk away when you like. Samson tested the limits of his fate. He pushed his boundaries to see how far he could go. He enjoyed the adrenaline rush of teasing his enemies.

From day #1, he knew that the Philistines were the enemy of God's people - but he insisted on marrying a wife from among them. Not only that, he negotiated with them. Judges 14:10-15, 15:10-15.

Samson knew that the Philistines were after him. He knew they were out to get him. He knew that Delilah was conspiring with them against him, but he felt he could handle it. When he should have fled, he stayed and played games. But this time he went too far.
Samson was used to the Philistines coming after him. He was also used to defeating them. He took it for granted that he would always beat them at their own game - so he played along. He was too confident.

In the past the Philistines had always located Samson physically, but he had always them. Judges 16:1-3. On this occasion, however, they located him spiritually. They knew more about him than they were supposed to. In reality, it wasn't the Philistines that overcome Samson, it was his desires. Think about it, they did not even change their strategy. They just got Delilah to keep asking him the same question over and over again - until his resistance broke.
Somehow, Samson did not associate Delilah with the Philistines. He could not see the connection between the object of his affection and his enemies. He did not realise that for every bait there is a hook, a line and a rod - and that there is a hand holding the rod. It is not enough for you to know that the devil is your enemy, you must also realise that he uses people - sometimes good people.
So Samson and delilah keep playing this game, each one determined to outwit and out smart the other. But Samson underestimated the danger involved in this game. In his mind he was playing a gane with someone he loved, but in Delilah's mind, she was dealing with the enemy - and a lot of money was involved ($5,000 = in today's money) Judges 16:4-5
By round three of the game, Samson made a big mistake. - he involved his hair. He said to himself, "I will let the enemy come close, but not too close". Delilah is manipulating him, and he is falling for it. He was too involved to realise that it was not by coincidence that the Philistines were in Delilah's room on the first two occassions. Samson was carrying this game too far - he was testing the limits of God's grace and his own resistance. He wanted to see how close he could come to the edge without crossing the line.

He failed to deal with old destructive patterns
There were certain recurring patterns in Samson's life, which he failed to deal with. Lust, temper, revenge, wandering into enemy territory, betrayal by the woman in his life, negotiating with the enemy, playing games with the enemy, allowing himself to be bound …………. The list goes on. Eventually those old patterns caught up with him and destroyed him.
Old patterns don't just away with time - they simply go underground and just lie there, dormant and latent, waiting for the right opportunity to erupt. If you don't put those patterns to death, they do not die by themselves. They simply sit there waiting to be triggered. You need to be honest with yourself. Don't live in denial. Expose those patterns to God and ask him to deliver you.
Be sure of this, if these tendencies are in you, the devil knows they are there. The Philistines knew that Samson had a way of opening up to the women in his life. They knew he had not crucified that part of his life. Ephesians 4:22-24. Ask yourself: "what does the devil know about me that I don't know about myself?" Jesus said: "the prince of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me" John 14:30

He found relief in the wrong place
You see, Samson was a very strong man - he was a judge in Israel. There was a great deal of expectation from the people. He was constantly under pressure to perform - under much more pressure than normal people. He was so strong, he could over power lions, catch foxes bare handed, slaughter Philistines, remove gates, and do many other mighty exploits.
But every strong man gets tired, and when you are tires, you can fight many enemies and overpower them, you cannot fight your own tiredness or overpower it. In fact, what usually happens is that your tiredness overpowers you.

There is nothing wrong with being tired - even Jesus was tired. John 4:6. But the big question is, when you get tired where do you go to get refreshed? Where do you rest your head in your times of weariness. When fatigue sets in, how do you spell relief?
On the outside, Samson maintained his macho image, but on the inside he was deflated. And he really could not be defeated until he was deflated. Inspite of his name, fame and acclaim, there was a void within him. No one had ever really treated him like a real man. But it seemed like Delilah knew how to massage his ego.

Delilah's weapons to defeat Samson were not her lips, hips or fingertips. The greatest weapons she had were his tiredness and inner emptiness. As a matter of fact, we do not really read any description of a sexual relationship here- only of a man badly in need of rest and refreshing, who went to sleep on the wrong person's knees.
A tired man is a vulnerable man. When you are tired, you do the Samson thing - you lie down too long and open up too much. Unfortunately our world today is run by tired men - who are "exhausted but still pursuing". Judges 8:4.

When you are tired, whatever you do, don't rest your head on Delilah's lap. Your Delilah does not have to be a woman.

Your "Delilah" is anything that you find illegitimate relief in. It can be your career, an inordinate relationship, the occasional escape into the world of fantasy, experimenting with drugs, the drink that drowns your worries, the eating binge, the pornographic habit, the shopping spree. Delilah's lap is the forbidden place you go when you've had enough.

How do you recognise your Delilah? It is the thing that comes into your life to deplete your strength.

When you are under pressure, there is a wrong way to relief the pressure, but there is also a right way.

When you are tired, there is a wrong place to go for rest, but there is also a right place. Psalm 61:1-4, Isaiah 40:29-31.
There is a Rock that is higher than you - and that's the place where true relief, rest and refreshing come from. The sad thing is that Samson knew that place - Judges 15:18-19. He simply failed to go there.
Always remember to Lift up your eyes, for your help comes from the Lord

*****IF YOU CAN SEE IN THE SPIRITUAL , YOU CAN NEVER BE BOUND IN THE PHYSICAL ******

KENNY AT THE BIG BEN

It’s been like a week now that I concluded my 6-week vacation from work. The break from work was much needed for me because it was supposed to give me the opportunity to visit places and see faces both old and new ones outside my work environment. You know there are times you get so used to seeing the same set of people almost everyday and you just long for a change, not because they are not loved or beautiful but just for the sake of adventure and variety. That was my situation.

Early into the year, I had decided I was going on a summer holiday to the UK to visit some of my old school mates basically to catch up on old times and also to find out whether all we hear about London is actually true, is it really heaven on earth? That was one of the questions I intended to find out.

At exactly 11:00pm, my plane took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport heading for the London Airport at Gatwick. Visiting the UK was a big deal for me perhaps because it was my first time and I had dreamt of being there all my life. Would you blame me? We all know we live in a society where ‘have-been-tos’ are regarded as a special class of people. For the guys who have traveled, they call them ‘big boys’. You are accorded unusual esteem once people find out you have been to any country abroad. I don’t blame them too. It is all because of the poor impression we have about our home country. But all that is going to change because meaningful and relentless attempts are currently being made to re-invent the Nigeria image. I am glad I am part of the critical mass that is required to cause an eventual concrete change.

FRIEND ON BOARD
I boarded Virgin Nigeria airline and I must say that I enjoyed a fantastic customer service. Call it, in the words of Brian Sher, a reputable investment coach, ‘Magic Experience’. I enjoyed every bit of the journey, from the air hosts and hostesses to the meal served, the movies mention it. It was a Superior customer experience. The hosts and hostesses were well-mannered and refined. The ladies among them were a perfect specimen of beauty and finesse. I was tantalized by their poise and human relations. The excitement started when I woke up at about 2 am and noticed Bisi, a very good friend I met while I was serving the nation in Bayelsa State, he was one of the air hosts! We talked for hours and laughed about some of the escapades we did together during our service year. After which, I returned to watch some movies.

At about 5:30am, the weather suddenly changed (at least so I felt) I knew we were in London already; I quickly looked out through the window to see if I would see the acclaimed Big Ben. Even though, I didn’t see it what I saw was equally overwhelming; such a beautiful landscape obviously different from the one I saw at home in so many ways. Subsequently, the plane landed at the Gatwick Airport and as it taxied, what filled my heart was gratitude to God for giving me the grace to make it to the UK safely. Imagine! London, here I come! I was absolutely enraptured with ecstasy. Shortly after the landing, we proceeded for the normal check in (you know, protocols) after which I was driven by my friend, Zachman, to Luton where I would be putting up through out my stay period in the UK. On our way home, I just couldn’t help but to gaze at the picturesque view of the streets of London and was equally fascinated by the navigation software that directed us home with the aid of a GPS (Global Positioning System), I suppose.
On getting home, I went to bed and slept so soundly. You can imagine the kind of dream I had, call it dream in dreamland.

MY VISIT TO GREENWICH
After about 2 days at Luton, I had to visit some other friends in Dagenham and Charlton. I equally seized the opportunity to visit the Greenwich park. It was a worthwhile experience for me, principally because Goh Cheng Leong’s work (All Geography students would recall that name) came alive to me, I actually saw the Royal Observatory centre live at Greenwich. It was exclusively located about 6 minutes walk away from the park entrance gate. I saw several things I had read some years back in secondary school. The experience was simply awesome.

One other thing that also tickled my fancy was the fact that I witnessed civilization in the real sense of it. Civilization, I believe, is not a thing of the mouth but of the mind. It is a mentality. The Britons are very civilized in the real sense of the word. You could see it in their conduct, comportment and mannerisms. I dream of a day when we, Nigerians, would begin to conduct ourselves like the Britons do most especially in traffic conditions.

I still much to share about the lovely people I met at Epsom Surrey, my escapades with some friends at the Alton Towers, and of course, on how I almost missed my way at Euston as well as about my experience at Rhema Chapel in London. Stay with me.

To be continued.

*** IF YOU CAN SEE IN THE SPIRITUAL, YOU CAN NEVER BE BOUND IN THE PHYSICAL ***