Awaken the Dreamers- The importance of Scheduling

Do you have anything in your heart you’ve carried over the years? A deep burning desire within to accomplish something? If you don’t then i’d like to encourage you to begin to think outside the box.

If you were me then you would want to learn to play a guitar skillfully? You may want to speak a second language fluently? You may want to be a person that walks in deep intimacy with Jesus? You may also want to be walk in excellence in your career?

I can go on and on with several dreams and goals that i’m currently pregnant with. I’ve felt drawn into a season of fresh awakening of hope and dreams, and i feel like many of you may be feeling the same. Don’t abort that baby! Sometimes you just need to let go of regrets and disappointments. It can be difficult to dream again after going through disappointment. Move beyond the fear of failure.

Lastly, very practical advice- if you have a dream or desires to achieve certain goals you must have an action plan! This is where most destinies are lost. This is probably why many people start the year with new year resolutions but never follow through. We want to be people that carry dreams faithfully and diligently.

How do we that? I propose you may need a schedule. It sounds like such an ugly word doesn’t it? But its so simple that many neglect it. You get yourself goals, then you get an action plan for those goals, then you schedule time to actually engage in activities that help you move one step closer into bringing those dreams into reality.

I’d encourage you to begin evaluating how much time you spend daily in your pursuit of your dreams. For example the most important pursuit of my life is intimacy with Jesus that overflows into obedience to His will, and love and servanthood towards others. It is very clear scripturally that it is impossible to do that without living a life of prayer. We only love Him as we grow in our understanding of His love for us. This had led me to commit myself to spending time in long and loving meditation on the Word which includes a focused intellectual study of the Bible. This also includes a devotional study where i bring myself directly to the Man Christ Jesus on the right hand of the Father and talk to Him, in full confidence that His eyes are on me in that moment and He’s attentive to me.

Its sad, but many people would find that they spend very little time pursuing the things that are priority in their lives. Its called the tyranny of the urgent. I’ve found social media(which includes facebook, instagram and so on) to be one of the greatest distractions to living in a focused way. It may be something different for you. We don’t have to live that way, we can live with purpose- Starting with today.

If you want to learn more i have found this worksheet very helpful in action planning/scheduling: http://a1forerunners.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/20100108-power-of-a-focused-life_sheet_en1.pdf

Like a lily among thorns…

I still can’t believe i’m done with exams! I know i promised to publish an entry about my experiences as a Nigerian student studying in the UK; sadly there’s hardly been any time. I intend to do it sometime soon 🙂 I believe one of the greatest hindrances to a life of freedom, contentment and joy is busyness and anxiety. They creep up on every man before he even knows it. Life is a vapor, fading fast.

One of my favorite people in the Bible(I’m sure you’ll be able to tell if you read my blog) is Mary of Bethany, John the Beloved, David. They lived simple lives of contemplation on the beauty of God. It says that a gentle and quiet spirit is incorruptible in beauty and precious in God’s eyes(1 Peter 2:4). I don’t believe its a personality thing. You can be an extrovert, and cultivate that gentle and quiet spirit.

For me what i needed after all those rigors of the past few weeks was some time in the Song of Solomon. By the way, if you want to understand the allegorical interpretation of Song of Songs you can look at http://mikebickle.org/resources/series/encountering-jesus-in-the-song-of-solomon. I needed this, we all need this.

‘Like a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters’(Song 2:1). First of all, i love poetry and the language used. However, if this is really Jesus talking about us it changes everything. I kept wrestling with this- it can’t be true that He sees us this way, perhaps. The human spirit is very prone to rejection and condemnation and confidence in the love of God takes time. Quoting Mike Bickle,

‘The King saw her like a pure lily among the thorns of a fallen and sinful world.
Thorns speak of sin; they came as the result of Adam’s fall (Gen. 3:17-18; Heb. 6:7-8).
17To Adam He said, “…cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it…
18Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you…” (Gen. 3:17-18)’

He goes on to say, ‘Jesus awaits the Bride—the great prize of
all the ages. The affections of the human heart are a most precious possession to Him; this is
what He deeply desires. He died to redeem and, thus, fully possess human affections.’

I dare you to take time out and ask God if He really feels this way. I believe this is what Holiness is, or the beauty of Holiness as described in the Bible. Holiness was never intended to be dull drudgery, but living fascinated in the pleasures of loving God. Again, He invites the rich, the poor, the lonely, the abandoned and all the scum of the earth. Everyone is invited to the wedding- to be equally yoked with Jesus forever.

We’re invited to have access to His affections for us, to have access to His authority and power. Our longing to be loved fulfilled ultimately by encountering the vast ocean of His love and our longing for impact and to be great fulfilled ultimately when we inherit all the wealth and glory of the nations with Him and sit and rule with Him forever from Jerusalem. When we understand this, we can’t help but love Him with our time, our money, our speech, our affections, minds, personalities, our talents. We just give it all away. And we wouldn’t see ourselves as so noble and devout, afterall this was what He did. He left all the glory and wealth of being the Eternal Uncreated Son in unbroken fellowship with His Father, put on human flesh and expressed His love in the most radical way possible. He knew if He did this, He would have to be a Man forever, but He still did. Jesus’ incarnation and death are the most radical ways He could ever express how He feels about weak and broken human beings.

(mikebickle.org is an awesome website that has helped me greatly and may be helpful to you if you want to understand who Jesus is as the Bridegroom God, King of the Nations, and Righteous Judge)

What I’ve learnt from the West: A Nigerian Peering Into the Cultures of the World

Throughout the course of the past few days, i have pondered how my personal worldview has been dramatically changed by my experiences whilst studying in the UK. This is my 4th year in the UK, and i have gone through the lows of culture shock, and the highs cultural fascination. I have grown to appreciate the Nigerian culture more, but also grown to be very critical of so many other concepts and ideas i have been accustomed to by being born and bred in Lagos, Nigeria. I’ve grown to regret not speaking any Nigerian Language fluently, and grown to question why i believed in the existence of God. Who says it is not ‘modern’ to speak your mother tongue? Do i believe in God because of my family, or fear of rejection from a religious Nigerian society as an atheist?

Although, my worldview may always shift slightly from time to time, i think it’d be exciting to blog about how i see the world now as an international student from Nigeria, studying in multicultural Leicester in the UK. Expect to hear more in the days to come!

The Glories and Beauty of Abandonment

These have been some of the gushings and ponderings of my heart this week. I have so many muslim friends around me, and there’s nothing i appreciate more about them than their devotion, and love for one another.

Personally in my own life, i have set my heart to live differently- Wholeheartedly! February is a new month; January went quickly and i was struck by how broken we are outside of the love of God. This month i’m making very specific decisions concerning lifestyle changes.

I reject slothfulness and laziness in my life that leads to a dull spirit. I can’t live dead on the inside and consumed with worry and anxiety. I must meditate and gaze on the beauty of God like David, and must allow myself to be washed with the water of the Word like Mary of Bethany.

There’s something beautiful about Devotion

There’s something transcendent about a lifestyle of self-denial and obedience.

The fasted lifestyle is a lifestyle of love and abandonment(Matthew 5-7).

This is the beginning and the end of it all: I’m in love with God, and God’s in love with me. I choose to pursue wholehearted obedience no matter the cost. I’m pursuing freedom from the glittering bonds and chains of the spirit of the age.

 

I am yoked to Jesus.

Youthful Exuberance, Maturity and Eternity

I love the book of Ecclesiastes. It’s definitely one of my favorite books to read in the Bible. I was thinking about this year, my age(I’m in my late teens at the moment) and just life in general. Apparently some argue that the 12 disciples of Jesus were in their teens when they decided to follow Jesus! I’m not sure how true that is, but what i do definitely believe is that they were below 30.

On Maturity…

In society today, people are either classified as babies, children, teens or adults. However i think the expectation of maturity greatly differs in various parts of the world. Someone else suggested that Mary the mother of Jesus was in her late teens(16-20) when she was pregnant to give birth to Jesus and betrothed to be married to Joseph. This also is a huge shock to me! Coming from Nigeria, in my opinion and from my perspective, there’s a lower expectation for teenagers to be mature in that context(Seems that way to me!). Studying in the UK, my observation from amongst my friendship circles has been varied. Whilst some still doubt they believe in the institution of marriage, some are engaged to be married by 20/21. The latter has also been a huge culture shock to me as well! However, i greatly admire the fact that many start to work on paid jobs from their teenage years in the UK. I believe this helps to increase their self-confidence as well as expose young adults to the value of responsibility.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 would advice,

Remember your Creator
    in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
    and the years approach when you will say,
    “I find no pleasure in them”

I remember we had this verse stuck somewhere on the wall, when i went to my Christian boarding school in Nigeria. Although i never really paid attention to it, these words are plaguing my mind once again today.

On Eternity…

It is a lie to believe that you won’t ever die. It’s not reality. It might be optimistic, but it’s not reality.  I want more than optimism, i want reality.  So why waste your time on what does not satisfy? It’s meaningless. Why waste your time clinging to the spirit of the age? It’s all fleeting, passing away quickly.

On Youthful Exuberance…

The young shall grow.  Youth is wasted on the young, says an online blog i read today. I don’t believe you have to be foolish because you’re young. I believe we need to call more young people to maturity rather than pampering them. Sadly, as a young teenager, i’ve been to so many christian youth groups that feed one another with video games and meaningless conversations. Don’t get me wrong- I believe there is a room for light talk and a bit of banter. However, i find that the older people get to be taught the ‘meaty’ stuff. There’s nothing as beautiful as seeing devoted and dedicated young people who have wisdom at a young age. I love reading about the lifestyle of John the Baptist- this man that was described by Jesus as a burning and a shining lamp, and the greatest man born of woman. This man lived a radical lifestyle of prayer, fasting and meditation on the Word, and was martyred at 30. That may look so foolish on this side of time but then Jesus would answer and defend this man’s life and say, ‘Wisdom will be justified by her children’.  In other ways, “I will vindicate this man’s lifestyle on that day. He will be great for billions and billions of years in the eternal city. You have said he is demonised, but i will openly declare the wisdom in this man’s choices. And though it seems like a short time to live in this present age, this man’s eyes are fixed on something more, something lasting of greater splendor, beauty, magnificence and glory”.

Any thoughts? 🙂

The pursuit of happiness, beauty, relevance…

My heart overflows with a noble theme

My mind wanders to a land far away from me yet so close to me

Only that i see the rest of humanity in this mysterious land

Its a land full of ponderings. A land full of wisdom. A land ancient, and famous for its mystery throughout the ages

There’s a vast world within. Not for the faint. Silence. Solitude.

Life’s a paradox; The only way up is down

The only way to live is to die.

Vanity upon vanity all is vanity. I’m searching for reality. I’m searching for happiness. I’m searching for beauty. I’m searching for relevance.

The voice of humanity echoes through my mind.

I once met a wise Teacher

He claimed to be the answer to the voices in my head.

The yelling of humanity.

He said, “the only way to live is to die. You’ll come alive when you learn to die”

He walked me through this mysterious land. He beckoned me to go with Him. He was taking me to my destiny.

Terrified.

I nearly said no, but then i saw then i saw the Fire in His Eyes.

There was something about those eyes. Desire.

I went with Him, still going with Him.

Oh the beauty of Transcendence! Happy Holiness, Joyful Righteousness.

Though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil.

The questions of the great philosophers answered!

Now i must embrace my pilgrimage to the eternal city.

I’m an ambassador, inviting all to the wedding.

For in that day, the first shall be the last, the last shall be the first. Kings and paupers. Queens and maids. The rich and the powerful and the forgotten of the earth.

The great Equaliser.

Therefore you kings, be wise. Be warned you rulers of the earth,

The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up His zeal, with a shout He will raise up the battle cry and will triumph over His enemies.

(P.S  I have no idea exactly what that was haha but i was having a good time writing that :). I have also referenced 2 Bible verses in the end- Psalm 2:8 and Isaiah 42:13)

The Global Shift of History at the End of the Age

As you may know if you’ve been following my recent blog posts, i have been posturing myself prayerfully to receive understanding on the book of Revelation. I would like to share my thoughts and observations with you all, as i set my heart to go on a journey into this great end time prophetic book. I’ve literally been journalling down my observations and most of this will be straight off my journal(so you should feel very privileged to have a peek into my journal :P)

1. The book of Revelation is the action plan/ strategy of Jesus to transition all the nations of the earth from this present age to the coming age. It is His plan to purify the earth of evil, and the receiving of the fullness of His inheritance of the government of the nations.It is His plan to remove all that hinders love. This strategy has been designed with great care and is an expression of the wisdom of God and the love of God. It can also be described as the end time book of Acts written before its fulfillment, as the greatest outpouring of miracles and ingathering of souls happens at this time in history(Psalm 2, Joel 2:28-32)The greater works referred to by Jesus in John 14 comes to its fullest manifestation at the end of the age. There is also a similarity between what happens before the coming of the Lord and the exodus of Israel from Egypt in the time of Pharaoh. God released plagues on Egypt through the partnership of Moses(His stretching out of the rod);the end time church releases very similar plagues in the trumpet judgements on the end time Pharaoh, the Antichrist. Israel is protected in the midst of the plagues; God seals the saints as the judgements are being released through prayer. Infact, the book of Revelation is the end-time prayer manual for the church.
2. The ‘god of this world’ as the Bible refers to Satan who has had the ‘kingdoms of this world’ will oppose and resist Jesus in His inheriting of the government of the nations. The tribulation is mostly about the judgements of God released by the praying Church on the Antichrist and his world empire, as the church partners with Jesus in removing evil, injustice and oppression from the earth. There is an element of the persecution of the saints in the book(Revelation 13:7). This is however a secondary theme of the book in comparison to the primary theme of the handing over of the leadership of the nations by the Father to Jesus and the Bride(believers from the 1st to the last generations in this age). For example, the book of Acts speaks about the revival at the birth of the Church, but there was also the theme of the persecution of the saints. However, this is not the main theme of the book. Undeniably, some will be martyred, as some were in the early church, but God will deliver some from martyrdom, as He delivered many in the early church. There’s a supernatural seal on all saints during this time in history that prevents them from being affected by the judgements(Revelation 7:2, 9:4)
3. Revelation 1 is a chapter on the majesty of Jesus as the God-Man. Jesus reveals His glory through John for His people to be strengthened and to partner with Him and not be offended by Him, or resist His leadership at the end of the age. These descriptions of Jesus strengthen our hearts to love Jesus and to partner with Him in the release of the judgements on the Antichrist. Some of these descriptions include- ‘The faithful witness’, ‘First-begotten of the dead’, ‘Prince of the kings of the earth’, ‘Alpha and Omega’, ‘The Almighty’ and many more. There is a description of the beauty of Jesus as He is revealed as the Son of Man(an expression of His humanity), clothed with a garment to the foot(He’s the sympathetic High Priest), with His head and hair as white as snow(His eternal existence before there was anything called creation and His unsearchable wisdom), His eyes were like a flame of fire(He produces holiness in His people, He searches the hearts and minds to bring purity, an expression of His burning heart of desire for His people). Again, i’ve barely scratched the surface. We want to be meditating on the descriptions of Jesus in the book of Revelation for decades as it equips our minds and strengthens our hearts to love Jesus and partner with Him. If i’m correct i think there are about 28 descriptions of Jesus in the book of Revelation.
4. Revelation 2&3 are letters to seven literal churches in Asia at the time when John wrote the book, that portray the conditions of the churches. However, it has an individual application, a prophetic application to local churches throughout the ages, and a specific application to the church at the end of the age. Some believe it also has a dispensational application(portraying 7 distinct church ages since the early church). Jesus commends and rebukes these churches, and reveals a particular aspect of His majesty that will motivate the churches to respond to His message. He also uses eternal rewards to motivate response from the churches. Some of the warnings in these letters may appear ‘harsh’ at face value but i believe Jesus speaks tenderly to these churches. His call to abandonment is an expression of His love and fiery jealousy for relationship with His people.
5. Revelation 4&5 are chapters on the beauty realm of God before the throne and the Heavenly commissioning of Jesus by the Father at the end of the age, respectively. Revelation 4 is the prayer and worship scene around the throne of God and reveals aspects of the beauty of God, the throne, the saints and the activity around the throne.  The Father is seen like a sardius stone(which i think is deep red representing the all consuming fiery heart of God and His burning affections for His people). A rainbow is seen around the throne(God’s covenant mercy and tenderness). There are vast layers of meaning and revelation in every description of God, the throne scene, the activity around the throne and the elders around the throne.  4 living creatures around God’s throne cry out day and night, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY- Transcendent Beauty!!! They don’t stop resting as they are overwhelmed by the knowledge of God and the beauty of God.  As they cry out, there are heightened new realities opened up by the activity of the Spirit to the 24 elders and they respond by casting their crowns before the throne as they are overwhelmed by the beauty of God.
6. Revelation 5 talks about the heavenly commissioning of Jesus, as the Father hands the ‘Scroll’ or in my own words, the action plan and strategy for the shifting of human history to Jesus. This scroll has been sealed by the Father and only Jesus has the right and authority to open its seals and reveal its contents, as He is the one that has paid the price with His blood. This is His reward. This is His inheritance. It’s also got to be a human being. The leadership of the nations was given by God for men to rule. Jesus is the worthy Man, who knows how to rule the nations in righteousness, truth, meekness and justice. A very important point to note is that Jesus will not and is not opening the seals and releasing the judgements until the prayer and worship movements come into full maturity. In Revelation 5:8 it says-‘And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.’ The harp speaks about the music the worship movement, and the golden bowls which are ‘full'(speaking about maturity) are the prayers of the saints. It is in the context of the harp and golden bowls that Jesus releases the judgements on the Antichrist’s empire on the earth. Revelation 8:1-6 also describe how the prayer movement in partnership with Jesus releases ‘thunderings, lightnings, voices and an earthquake’ in the earth.
7. Although i intend to talk about the judgements in more detail in another post, i thought it was a good point to note that Jesus comes at the ‘Last Trumpet’. 1 Corinthians 15:52 states-in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  The judgements are comprised of 7 Seals(Revelation6&7), 7 Trumpets(8,9,11:15-19) and 7 Bowls(Revelation 16). Revelation 11:15  says ‘The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”  This talks about the governments of the world being handed over to Jesus and the Church. Literally, the meek inherit the earth to govern the earth forever! This happens after the 7th trumpet is sounded as identified by Paul.

The more i read this book, the more excited and sober i get. Its global implications are so vast that its almost beyond my comprehension. Being a Nigerian, i have often thought about the applications of the various judgements in that part of the world. From my little knowledge of history we haven’t been involved in many wars in Nigeria, and its almost so hard for me to wrap my head around this. I recently read Revelation 9:13-21 that talks about a global worship movement of literal idols and signs and wonders being released in a global dimension by these worshippers and it really made me wonder how this would fit in to the Western world. I mean, now everyone’s used to seeing atheists or agnostics around them. I can’t even imagine the western world with idol worship and sorcery in a prominent way. I’d love to hear your thoughts! 🙂

Fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit

Here’s a question for some thought: Why do we exist? Why are we alive? Why are you on a planet called earth that’s apparently in a galaxy called Milky Way by scientists. This galaxy is also apparently just one galaxy in a vast expanse that no man knows the ends of called the universe. What’s the point?

Did you ever know that you will never cease to exist. Okay so let’s fast forward to a billion years from now. Did you know you can make plans for a billion years from now?

If you’re a christian, i’m guessing you’re having some thoughts about possible answers to these questions. But i’ll like to ask- yeah we’ve been saved by Jesus, and we’ve been brought into the family of God. This is glorious! But why do we even have to be here now if God’s saved us already? God could have decided to take us straight to be with Him after He saved us but He chose not to.

I think the answer is very simple but easily forgotten. It is so easy to live under the sun, using Solomon’s words. It is so easy to be caught up in the daily activities of life, even as a Christian, without living a life of meaning. It’s so easy to be caught up in anxiety, distractions and the spirit of the age that blinds us to why we exist in the first place.

Jesus in His prayer to the Father declared, ‘Now this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent’. Wow there we go! This is the point of salvation. This is the point of life. It’s so simple that it is easy to forget. We exist and we will exist in eternity for the Knowledge of God.

I’ve been thinking about a certain aspect of living a life of meaning(The Knowledge of God). This is referred to as the Fellowship of the Spirit in scripture.

2 Corinthians 13:14 says-
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

I want to go straight to the point. I heard this quote from someone, ‘You walk in the Spirit as much as you talk to the Spirit’. Holy Spirit is the teacher, the helper, the Spirit of Jesus. Jesus said it was better than He went away because the Holy Spirit was coming. He said the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us forever. Did you know in a billion years, even in your resurrected body, the Holy Spirit will still be living in you as a Teacher and Helper? Do you know God longs for you to talk to Him. We would refer to this as prayer. But why does He require us to ask Him for things before He gave us? James 4:3 clearly says we have not because we don’t ask. I believe God knows that when we talk to Him, and turn our attention to Him it opens up our inner man to encounter and connect with Him. Hence, prayer is more than religious activity. It is the way to a life of meaning. It is a way into fellowship with God. Prayer is life to the soul, as water is life to the body.

God created us for fellowship with Him. He created that interior world on the inside of you for His Presence to dwell and rest in. Just a simple practical exercise if you’re reading this. Close your eyes. Sit quiet before God. You see that interior screen, the interior world, the Holy Spirit is waiting there for you right now. God really does hear you when you talk. He’s more real than anything else is on the earth. Many times we know the doctrines of prayer, but now you get to apply it. You actually get to be a doer of the Word. There’s no time better than now. Your inner man is God’s garden. Jesus said so. He spoke about the planting of the Word into the heart(Luke 8:15). Now you may be wondering what to say to the Holy Spirit. Take the Word(you can try something as simple as Genesis 1:1 that talks about God being the Creator), and use it as conversation material. Also allow Him talk back to you. As we abide(talk to God) in God, God abides(talks to us) in us- John 15. I’m not saying you hear an audible voice(although He may decide to do that, the point is not about how He speaks but that He speaks). He’ll make you discern His Presence in a small way. Maybe He’ll give you a picture. Maybe He’ll whisper something in your spirit. However, we must make room for Him to talk back to us. Infact i would advice, to be quiet for longer than you actually talk. Just sit still in His Presence and allow Him wash you with His words. Gaze into the beauty of God like David. Become a Mary of Bethany that lives a life of one thing. Lean into Jesus like the Apostle John. Another practical advice- having music on the background can help. It helps me. But feel free to move along with where you’re sensing God is taking you.

As simple as it is- that is what fellowshipping with the Spirit is about. This is the the way to a vibrant heart, a renewed mind. If you want to change your emotional chemistry, this is the way. Even as the disciples on the road to Emmaus said their hearts burned within them as Jesus spoke to them. This is the way to the fullness of joy. This is the way to happiness. This is the way to peace. This is way to utter satisfaction, contentment. This is the way to encountering the love of God. Paul says that the Holy Spirit is the One that pours out the love of God in that inner space called the heart.

It’s so simple right? Yes that’s the point! Anyone can do it. Anyone can love God and fulfil the greatest commandment by living from the inside out. Now do it 🙂 Don’t just talk about it, do it. Schedule time to do this. If this is the point of life, then go after it with all your heart. Also, did you know if you spent your life doing this, there are eternal rewards? This is because the beginning to living a sermon on the Mount lifestyle(Matthew 5,6 & 7) starts with connecting with the Spirit of Jesus inside us. Jesus makes it very clear in several places in the Bible that we can lay up treasures in the age to come. He makes it clear that although He loves all believers equally, our greatness in eternity is not the same. Even Paul says our resurrected bodies are of varying glory, one like the Sun, and one like the Moon(1 Corinthians 15:41,42).This is how much God wants time with you! He’s in love with you! He wants you! I’ll end with Jesus’s exhortation to us as His disciples.

Matthew 6:25b- “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?“. Luke 10:41,42- “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

The book of Revelation: Symbolic, Mysterious, Relevant for today, Exciting?

Hi people! 😀 I would like to know what you think about the book of Revelation. Is it all symbolic and so difficult to understand that we must neglect it?

I intend to set my heart to gaining understanding and revelation from this book. 

Firstly, i believe we’ve all made it too complex by making everything in the book symbolic. Quoting from Dake’s Annotated Bible, ‘As to the literalness of the events of the 7 trumpets, they are to be just as literal as the revelation gives them. Should we make symbolic that which is plainly literal? The plagues in Egypt were literal so why not these? Some interpret the earthquake of 6:12-17 as the breaking up of society; the sun darkened as Christ rejected and God dethroned; the moon turned to blood as the destruction of derived authority; the stars falling as the downfall of religious leaders from the ecclesiastical heavens; the heavens departed as the destruction of organized Christianity;…’ 

WOW. That’s a whole lotta symbols right there. Looking at old testament messianic prophecies about the 1st coming of Jesus, can give us clues on how to interpret biblical prophecy i believe. It was prophesied that He will be sold for thirty pieces of silver. ‘Silver’ did not mean some transformation or wealth or something weird. It said that He will ride a donkey into Jerusalem. That was fulfilled literally during His procession to Jerusalem on a donkey as the prophets prophesied. 

So, let’s get rid of myth number 1- The book of Revelation is for all Christians to understand. It is not just for theologians with a degree in theology, although they can be really helpful! It is for those who have the Holy Spirit living inside them. He is the great Teacher. 

I love this quote from Mike Bickle on the book of Revelation- “Jesus uses the least severe means to reach the most people at the deepest level of love, without violating their free will”. This is so true. Jesus is coming and revealing Himself as Bridegroom, King and Judge. He will judge the nations that rage against Him(Psalm 2), whilst at the same time purifying the Bride of all that hinders love. He will come as a King- LITERALLY! That blows my mind but it is true! One day a Jewish Man, who is fully God, will come to the planet and will get rid of evil and rule all the nations. All 232(?) of them! He is the One that is worthy to take the scrolls and open the seals of judgements, as He judges the end time Antichrist’s empire(Revelation 4:2). You might be thinking, how can this be? How can a God of Love, be so intense? How can the gentle Lamb of God, be the One that causes people to kill one another in Revelation 6:4. How can He be the one that causes a third part of men to be slain in Revelation 9:15?! Imagine that happening today- one third of the population of the earth dying in a war of some kind. There are about 7 billion people on the earth today? one third of that is over 2 billion people dying at the same time! This is chaotic. The worst disasters in human history thus far, are nothing close to what is to come. And most of the church is unprepared. These events are offensive to the human mind. Almost confusing if we don’t understand the why behind the what. This book however says that the people of God are in agreement with the judgements of God as they sing in Revelation 19:2 ‘For true and righteous are His judgements…’ The saints won’t be offended, or confused. Some will. I believe part of the great falling away of many from the church will be from the offense and confusion as people question the righteousness of the judgements of Jesus. 

However, we must realise that God is judging evil, and the antichrist. He isn’t judging the church. I used to believe in the pretribulation rapture- which basically says we go up to be with Jesus so we ‘escape’ the judgements. I’m starting to think otherwise now. The why behind the what(at least part of it) is that Jesus is removing all that hinders love. I honor believers that believe in the pretribulation rapture, however, i would advise that we diligently search the scriptures for truth. There are huge implications if we don’t get raptured during the great tribulation. I don’t think we have to argue about this in a way that will not be godly or in a humble spirit, but we do have to know the truth. We need to study this book for decades. We don’t know the day or the hour of the return of Jesus, but He gave us ‘Signs of the times’. We must be watchful. We must read the old testament prophets such as Isaiah, Zechariah, and many others that give very detailed information about this time in human history referred to as the ‘great and terrible day of the Lord’. Yes, God will be terrible in His judgements. But the scriptures also speak about a great day! A day of the greatest end time revival- Greater than the book of acts! This is an exciting time, but also a time we need a specific watchfulness and focus to prepare ourselves for. There is a release of the spirit of prophecy in a major way in that generation with the 2 witnesses in Revelation 11. 

I’ve made a lot of statements that many may not agree with, but the point is we all need to be searching the scriptures in a posture of watchfulness for the coming of Jesus. He is not coming, until the church is made glorious, and His bride has made herself ready. I believe the bride is far from ready now. 2 Peter 3:12 also implies we can ‘hasten the Lord’s return’, by making ourselves ready. We must be wise. We must meditate on these scriptures and pray for wisdom and understanding. We must rend out hearts, and go after a unique understanding of the end times. God will raise up John the Baptists. He will raise up prophetic messengers who live a radical lifestyle of abandonment to Him, and will prepare His people to respond rightly to Him in the day that He shakes everything that can be shaken. At the end of the story, there’s an eternal celebration. Everything that hinders love is removed. We are eternally married to the Lamb. This is a mystery as Paul rightly states. We rule the nations with Him. We live on the earth forever and forever. I feel like a pilgrim, one at the beginning of the beginning of my destiny. God is a beautiful mystery. His ways are past finding out. He will fascinate us with the revelation of His heart for billions and billions of years. He is eternally exciting and so not boring! 

I want to conclude this with an exhortation that the Holy Spirit gives in His wisdom and love to the church on the right attitude to relating to the book of Revelation. Again, we want to spend decades like John the Baptist in studying this book with its many layers of revelation and insight into the heart of Jesus and the events at the end of the age. Practical advice from me to you- Schedule time to do this! Find some commentaries. Pray for the spirit of revelation and wisdom. Don’t just do ‘Bible study’- turn your ‘Bible study’ into conversation with Jesus. His desire was to show us what must shortly come to pass(Revelation 1:1) not hide anything from us! He wants to give you understanding more than you want understanding. Another practical principle is ‘little by little’. You won’t get a download and prophetic insight into this book in 5 mins or 5 hours. But if you devote yourself to prayerfully studying it, in the next decade you’ll be shocked at how much this book has transformed your mind, and your understanding of Jesus. 

Revelation 1:3- Blessed is the one that reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

CATCH UP WITH BLOGGERS AND BEING A FRIEND OF GOD

Hi everyone 🙂

I’m so happy i can finally blog on here. I’ve been studying in university for such a long time it has hardly left any time for me to post anything. I finally finished my exams today!! I’ve got from now until october to relax and do other things! I’m very excited as you would imagine! Firstly because i can spend more hours alone with Jesus in the glory realm 😀 and secondly because i get to share my little journey with Jesus with all of you! I’m in love with Jesus! Father God has completely won my heart. Holy Spirit’s my best friend- He’s my companion. I want God to wreck your heart as much as He has wrecked my heart. 

Wow has it been an exciting journey!! The Lord has been speaking to me about being a friend of God and i’ll like to share that with you. 

I was walking back home today with Holy Spirit after such a long day of having an exam, and He started to tell me how much He wanted more of me. He wants more of me, and He wants more of you!

God specifically identified with 2 people in the Bible as His friends. Think about it! The Lord God Almighty called mere mortals His friends. In all of His glory and all of His majesty He still identified with these people as His friends. 

I believe this leads us to a certain aspect of God that most of us wouldn’t think about normally. Do you know God likes to be liked?(Well He asks us to love Him in the Bible) Do you know He has feelings just like we do? Do you know God’s heart is broken when we reject Him? This reveals a certain aspect of God that many would not be very familiar. God has the softest heart in the universe. 

James 2:23 says ‘And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 

Now Abraham inspires me! Many would like to think they’re God’s friends because they’re saved. Yes God loves each and everyone of His kids so much. But not all of them have come to know how much He loves them. The measure of your love for God is directly proportional to the measure in which you know His love for you. God’s heart literally burns with passion and desire for us all. We can sing ‘I am a friend of God’, but this is much more than a song. It is much more than words from your lips affirming a relationship that is non-existent. The thing about friendship is that it is always 2-way. It is never one way. So friendship with God must be a 2-way thing where we know that God loves us so much that we respond to His love. Now Abraham moved the heart of God. He abandoned himself completely to God. He left his family because he heard the voice of God. Walked away from his country and all of what he had been used to for years and years just because God told him to. Faith moves the heart of God. The foundation for any relationship is trust. Think about this- How far are you willing to be inconvenienced at the expense of the passionate love burning in your heart for God?

Exodus 33:11a says, ‘The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend’.

Do you want this? How much do you want this? That was the old covenant if you remember. It says in the Bible that the new covenant we live in, is a covenant with much greater glory than the old covenant(2 Corinthians 3:6-18). Do you want to see the face of God daily? Do you want to live in this place of radical love for Jesus, and radical obedience to the voice of Holy Spirit? The thing is God wants more of you. He wants you to go to the secret place and be with Him. He longs for you and yearns for you to know Him more deeply. Some christians have made up a doctrine that we don’t have to feel anything for God for us to love Him. Well, i used to believe that until recently. Jesus has asked us to love Him with all of our hearts. What does that look like? The heart composes of our feelings. Yes we do not stop there. Because of the fiery passionate love burning in our hearts for Him, we obey Him. The ones that obey Him are the ones that love Him. This doesn’t mean obeying God out of compulsion though. It means obeying Him from the love we feel in our hearts for Him which we can not have unless we know His love for us. 

Of course, when you’re His friend He tells you His secrets. Psalm 25:14 says ‘the Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them’. Of course, this shouldn’t be the motives in our hearts for wanting to be His friend. If you were rich you wouldn’t want to be married because of your money would you? You’d want people to love you for being you. Well, same with God. Ask yourself why you want to be His friend. He really loves you and wants you to know that. 

I believe that the greatest sign of the coming of the Lord Jesus is His bride (Matthew 25:1-13). How much does the bride love Him and want Him back? How much does the bride’s heart ache for the beloved Bridegroom, Jesus? Holy Spirit is hovering and transforming the universal bride, filling her with desire for her Bridegroom. Until all of the bride has come into this intimacy with the Bridegroom then He won’t come back. We need the oil of intimacy. We need the oil of His Presence everyday as we cry out with Holy Spirit, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’. And in the days closer to His return the universal bride will cry because of her lovesickness for her Beloved, and she will cry with the Spirit, who is the best friend of the Bridegroom, ‘Come Lord Jesus'(Revelation 22:17). Of course, the closer you lean on the Bridegroom, you hear Him calling out for His lost sheep. Hence, another sign of the second coming will be a harvest of souls that has never been recorded in history(Matthew 24:14). Let’s stop looking at how the world is being shaken with all sorts and fix our eyes on the One who ever loves us and has loosed us from the power of darkness by His own blood! We can’t afford to keep going back and forth in the doctrine of salvation. Many christians argue for years and years on ‘what can you do to lose your salvation’ or ‘once saved, always saved?’. There is more! We have to leave the milk and go to the meat! The meat is His Presence, His love, His heart, His beauty. That is the true test of our knowledge of God. It is way beyond mere intellectualism and goes deep into our hearts. And yes i can prove that from scripture haha. 

1 John 4:7-8 says, ‘⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.’

‘He that loves has been born of God and knows God’. To the extent that we love God and the ones in front of us, that is the measure of our knowledge of God. Sometimes when we talk about love its almost like, ‘the side thing’ or ‘doing nice stuff for people’. I’ll like to argue its a bit more than that. It is passionate and full of life and powerful! Read the whole book of Song of Solomon. Doesn’t sound like the old dry love we have in our minds. 

Song of Songs 8:6-7

⁶ Place me like a seal over your heart,
    like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
    its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
    like a mighty flame.
⁷ Many waters cannot quench love;
    rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
    all the wealth of one’s house for love,
    it would be utterly scorned.