BY Guest Writer
About two weeks ago, I was out on food distribution to the mentally challenged, and I came to one of the regular guys I give food packs. In fact, because of him, I try to pass that particular route, once a week, even when I have no business along that axis. He’s a cross between a destitute and a mental case, probably in his thirties or forties. He’s often prostrate, on his back, or belly, be it rain or sunshine, day and night.
I had considered relocating/rehabilitating him few months ago, and even gone ahead to make enquiry about relevant rehabilitation centers, but I couldn’t afford the monthly cost I would have to contend with if I moved him. Lack of funds crippled that good initiative. It is well.
When I gave him food and water two weeks ago, he was so weak, he couldn’t even get up to take the pack from me. I gently put the food and water beside him, and said, “GOD bless you”, as I usually say to everyone of them. As I turned to walk away, I felt in my spirit that I should turn back, and preach CHRIST to him, sensing that the fellow may soon die. I ignored that feeling, and drove away.
Last week, I got to his spot, and he was not there – the very first time in about a year that I’d been reaching out to him. He’d probably died, and his corpse had been removed by the Council Sanitation Team. I left that place feeling bad, sad, and guilt stricken, for not witnessing to him the week before. I expressed this to GOD, in my heart, over the next few days; and in HIS MERCY, HE reminded me of how, some 3 to 4 months ago, I had met a couple (which I wrote about then) at the spot, who approached me as they saw me give food and water to the fellow. They told me that they just gave him food also, and HAD PREACHED CHRIST TO HIM, AND GOT HIM TO SAY THE SALVATION/SINNER’S PRAYER.
Hallelujah! That brought great comfort to my soul. I had failed to preach CHRIST to him, but GOD had strategically positioned another team to take care of that aspect of his life. I had faithfully brought him food, at least once a week, but GOD had taken care of other businesses – particularly, the Greater Business of his Salvation, through someone else.
Truth is, if we all do what GOD calls, or prompts us to do, there’s hardly any soul that won’t be reached/saved by HIS GRACE. It’s true what Apostle Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but GOD gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but GOD who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” – 1 Corinthians 3:6-8.
I will certainly be more sensitive, BGG, to such promptings in the future. Amen!
In a similar situation, last week, a beloved reader called, and spoke with me on the phone for some 45 minutes. That’s one of the longest phone calls I ever got, especially from someone I had never met/seen before.
She had been moved by some things I’d written recently, and felt she should pour out her heart to me. She began by telling me how she had failed to preach CHRIST to her nephew who just passed on, how she feels she had neglected to do what GOD had called her to do, and all the other ‘guilt trips’ that satan (the accuser of the Brethren) had her on. Here’s a beloved daughter of the MOST HIGH GOD, whom HE had rescued from the ‘other religion’, many years ago.
By the Grace of GOD, I was able to COMFORT (and ENCOURAGE) her with the same COMFORT I had received, according to 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
Hallelujah!
Beloved Brothers and Sisters, don’t let the devil destroy you with guilt. Whatever you have done, or failed to do, take it through the following four (4) steps, and move on with your life.
1. TRACE IT – What is the matter? What did I do wrong. Trace it! Identify it!
2. FACE IT – Confront the issue. Don’t shy away from it. Face it head on, and find a solution to it.
3. ERASE IT – Get it out of your system: spirit, soul and body, by dealing with it spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc.
4. REPLACE IT – Don’t let guilt, anger, or any bad, toxic emotions stay in your system. After dealing with them, replace them, in your thoughts, emotions, psyche, with the WORD OF GOD, and other POSITIVE THOUGHTS and EMOTIONS.
These 4 steps are applicable to all challenges of life. All!
Life abhors a vacuum; leave none in your life, family, work and space.
In conclusion, remember the words of that powerful hymn, ‘IN CHRIST ALONE’, “No guilt in life, no fear in death…..
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck us from the LOVING HANDS OF OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST!
Till HE returns, or calls us home,
Here in the POWER OF CHRIST we’ll stand!”
Hallelujah!
Amen!
DUNAMIS – THE POWER OF HIS PRESENCE!
Yesterday, as DUNAMIS 2021 kicked off, I heard two powerful testimonies that I just must share with you.
Firstly, a lady testified of how she had given birth to a baby girl who had multiple holes in her heart, and a cleft lip. The doctors told her the baby would not live. In fact, they asked her to look beyond the baby, one of the nurses even said to her, “Let us put this baby to ‘sleep’ (death, that is), so you can get it over with, and move on with your life.
She did the natural thing a mother in that situation would do, she cried! When her parents came, and they heard the doctors’ report, her father said to her, “You heard what they said. Take heart. Forget this baby, and move on. It’s beyond you now!”
She cried even more!
Then, she called her Pastor, my Pastor, and told him what the doctors had said concerning her baby. Pastor said, “Are they GOD?! Don’t bother yourself. BELIEVE GOD! All will be well!” So, when the doctor asked her whether they should put the baby to ‘sleep’ or not, she answered, “Don’t! She will LIVE! I BELIEVE!” And, the doctor asked her, “Are you a Christian? If you say you believe, it’s okay. We’ll commence treatment.” She’s a Born-again Christian, whom GOD had saved from the other religion.
While treatment commenced, before they could operate on the baby, two holes closed up. The doctors, and radiologist, were astounded! Then, more holes closed up, and the only operation that was eventually done on the baby was the cleft lip correction. She summed up her testimony with the words, “When I look at her now, I see GOD!”
Hallelujah!
Secondly, a young man testified of how he’d been delivered from drug addiction. He was living in Abuja, and doing big things there. Then, he swayed into drugs, and got trapped. Within weeks of taking up the terrible habit, one of his accounts went from #29 million to 77 something thousand, or was it 7,000 plus!!!!
He told us how his elder brother, his business partner, had flown to Abuja to discuss a business deal with him and the team. Hear him, “The contract came to some #1 billion plus, and logistics et al came to #200 million plus. I was to execute the job, but all I could think about, even as we discussed, was drugs. So, I said to my brother, ‘Please, do you have #100K there? I need to quickly tidy up something. I’ll be back shortly.’ He gave me the money. I got the cocaine, went home, and I was high! I later called my brother to tell him that el Zak Zaky had taken over the roads, and thus couldn’t make it back to the office – a big lie!
At a point, the only account number I knew offhand, was the account details of the guy who sold me drugs. Once, I pawned my Mercedes Benz keys for cocaine, but I later took it back by force!
Then, I remembered home, and returned to this city. I came to see Pastor, and he prayed for me, and handed me over to another Pastor for Counseling. It was tough. For nights, I couldn’t sleep. The drugs would not allow me to sleep. At a point, I stopped cocaine, and started taking ‘Colorado!’
But, GOD delivered me! Now I sleep. I have returned to Abuja, and things are fine again.”
He concluded by saying, “If you know/have anyone who is a drug addict, don’t try to advise them or change them, JUST PRAY FOR THEM, because they are on another level all together, and they can’t understand you!”
The same JESUS CHRIST Who delivered him, is still DELIVERING millions and billions of those who call upon HIM. If you would call upon the Name of the LORD today, you shall be saved.
Like a song, sung yesterday, says, “Everything else that happens outside Your Presence is just noise, pure noise. You’re all that matters.”
GOD is all that matters. Can you say the same about your life, family and work, that GOD is all that matters?
DUNAMIS is the Greek word for POWER. It means a POWER SOURCE that reproduces itself without reduction in intensity. Awesome!
Selah!
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