SOUL REST

I was in a prayer meeting with a friend and as we began to worship in song, a very powerful chorus was rendered to the Lord. A song I so love, not knowing I have always murdered the lyrics. The song goes thus: “Thanks thanks, I give you thanks for all you have done, I am so blessed my soul is at rest, oh Lord, I give you thanks”. The line I have always done injustice to is: “my soul is at rest” which I always sing as “and so exalted”. Songs are powerful; inspired ones. So, as he took the line correctly, the words struck my spirit so very much. I began to search in my spirit what my soul being at rest meant and if that is really the case.

In the beginning God created Man from the dust of the ground and the scripture made us to understand that God breathed into his nostrils and he became a living SOUL. Man had no issues to worry about, no fears or concerns that were so overwhelming. The most interesting part of it was that he had no reason to be afraid of God. God wasn’t a fear father-figure. He didn’t need any permission from God to do anything. God validated everything he does as correct.

The soul (Greek, “psyche”) is a combination of the mind, the will and emotions. Adam’s mind was exactly a product of God’s mind. Each time he saw an animal, he would conceive a picture of the name he feels good for the animal and that was it. His will was also in line to do the dictates of God; Eve mentioned to the serpent how they have been keeping to the instructions of God not to eat a certain fruit. Adam must have tutored Eve on this, to channel their will in God. The emotion of man at this time was also positive; each time God came into the garden they were always excited. In essence, man’s soul was at rest.

Innovator's Letter

From

The Innovator

To

His Beloved

Dearly beloved,

I hope this letter finds you in the best of health and spirits. I am doing quite well here and as usual glued to my ball point and paper to convey His message to you. There is something He described to me while I was preparing to go deliver a message to some of His sons yesterday which I dim fit to share with you in order to make the most out of this seemingly trying time. Yes! Of course He is aware of all you feel and go through, all the hurts and wishes. So, I thought of penning down a few lines to check things with you.

When there is so much trouble in the sea, then there is a big fish in there. A time of troubling in the sea may seem as if there is going to be a disorder in the sea. But, that is the only way the presence of the big fish is quickly observed. It can’t hide because of its magnificence. Where you see from determines if you see that as a time of troubling only. What do you see?

One person could see inconvenience in the water body, while the other could see the presence of a big fish profitable for commercial and personal consumption. Remember the twelve spies? Ten of them saw the troubled water, only two of them could see the big fish. The challenge here is if you can’t see the big fish you can’t calm the troubled sea!

What you concentrate on determines your thoughts and in turn your outcome. The troubled water or the big fish?

When you concentrate on the troubled water, two things may likely happen:

1). you won’t experience the calm of the sea and;

2). You won’t have access to the big fish.

On the other hand, when you concentrate on the big fish, you would have also two things likely to happen;

1). You will be ignited to think along the line of getting the fish and

2). Haven gotten the fish, by default the sea becomes calm.

The ten spies who only saw the troubled water never made it to the Promised Land, only the two (Joshua and Caleb) who saw the big fish eventually saw the calm of the sea and possessed the fish (Land).

What are you concentrating on?

I know all that confronts you obviously, but they are just as the troubled water. There wouldn’t be a troubled water if there isn’t an opportunity- the big fish. Yes, I know I can’t understand, but, He understands and He promised you good and an expected end. However, friend to be able to see the big fish in the troubled water, you have to cultivate the act of engaging in prayers wherewith you receive the word for your sea and meditating on this consistently.

You are not going to break, this time is to bring out the glory of God in you. Beloved, will you start seeing the big fish and ignore the troubled water? What you can see becomes what you see.

I need to go now, really need to get some rest, it’s been a busy week. My regards to your family and get this letter across to them.

I do love you. Stay innovated.

Your Innovator

Olufemi Ibitoye

Just like Cain!

I have read different thoughts as regards the sacrifice of Cain and Abel. Diverse epistles on why the sacrifice of Cain was rejected and that of Abel accepted by the Lord. I was invited to share with some brethren on the topic “man and His service” and the story of Cain and Abel was the reference scripture. I was having a hard time relating the topic to the bible text. As such I had almost nothing prepared down to share. However, the Holy Ghost led us into discussing the reason why Cain’s sacrifice was rejected, the importance of this to our present world and to you as a Christian in the new covenant.

 

“And in the process of time came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offerings. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell” Gen4vs4

 

Reading this scripture could bring reasons to why Cain’s sacrifice was rejected. I have heard some submissions on this and one of the most prominent one is that Cain offered unto God a sacrifice that had no blood.

 

The Wisdom in Egypt

There are period and times everything seems to turn just the other way round. It’s not just happening the way you planned or desire. Economic recession is sweeping over investments, things are becoming harder by the day. Young and energetic men are losing strength. This can be so destabilizing and you may want to shift your ground on Jesus. It has happened before and the only solution then is still what you need now- The Wisdom in Egypt.

Permissive Will?

“It could be God’s permissive will or God’s perfect will”… I have heard this expression so many a times at different places and have just always wondered how true that can be. I had a discussion along making a choice with a friend who then mentioned this again and I immediately retorted because this has been strange to the teaching of the scriptures have known. Is there really anything like God’s permissive will in the scriptures?

STOP MYSTIFYING

It has become a common phenomenon to accuse the devil of many offences he has no knowledge of. You are a tripartite being and you are supposed to approach the world with this understanding. Things happen that are as a result of the natural world we are but when you have become so fed with the idea of the devil, you “mystify” everything and this births wrong revelations.

It is sad that culture has somehow robbed off on Christianity that you begin to apply some old cultural beliefs to address the present reality of your new birth. This happens as a result of the wrong teachings we feed on. The dark world is well addressed in the church, that we are more conscious of their activities than the blessedness of God. On the other way Nollywood made us to believe in the dark world they don’t mention the name of Jesus- that’s Nollywood anyway, but we can make a sense of what transpires in the two world from there.

The Sharp Divide

It’s quite surprising how the real deal of salvation has become a context of sharp divide in the Christian circle. It is as the treasure left by a father with the instruction that his two children should live on it. One feels they should not venture into something else while the other feels it’s wise to add more to it. There comes the problem of interpreting “live on it”. I see both of them interested in what will bring honour to the name of the departed father but from different lenses.

A section of the church feels very uncomfortable when they hear the other talk about GRACE. When words as “we are longer under the law” is taught at these places, they seem not to be comfortable with it. Some call it heresy. This section of the church equates RIGHTEOUSNESS to living up to some moral standards earmarked by the church and those who are not on same page are probably backsliding, unbelieving and if possible on their way to hell. Simply put, they are not RIGHTEOUS.