There’s not a mountain too tall
There’s not a problem too small
That Jesus can’t resolve
In time He’ll get involved
Our God He cares about us

So wait on the Lord
Wait on the Lord
Wait on the Lord
And He’ll renew your strength

There’s not a light too dark
A journey too long to embark
Jesus will see you through
In time He’ll make you new
Our God He cares about us

‘Cause He’s ordering, He’s ordering your strength
You’ve got to wait, you’ve got to wait

• Wait on the Lord – Brandon Wilson

This is what my fiancé said to me, “This has taught me patience.”

The background story?

It was a simple renovation to a small apartment God had blessed my fiancé and I with. Or so it seemed. Our initial plan was to change all the windows and also give all the ceilings in the house a facelift. We wanted to change the ceiling from the original-styled plywood to a Plaster of Paris styled (P.O.P) ceiling.

I once heard someone say that construction work is never within budget. Can that usher over there hand that someone a microphone to repeat it?!!

I am convinced that two things never ever stay within a budget; a wedding and construction project budget. Lol.

The renovation project started small, and the plan was for it to stay small. However, before I could finish sipping my non-alcoholic sparkling wine, the budget for the project grew like a disrespectful forehead pimple that suddenly appears gets bigger when you have a hot date in a few days. No matter how much we sulked, the cost stayed and grew.

The good news is that the ceiling designs we chose for all the rooms including our small hallway were absolutely beautiful designs. But there was bad news as well. By the time the work was done, the ceiling in our hallway like my fiance put it, looked like “a monstrosity”.

Considering how small the hallway was, it looked like the Hulk in Bruce Banner’s clothes after transformation. It looked like “too much” in the small space.

The inflated balloon of our expectation for that hallway design popped so hard it was probably heard in the “multiverse” lol (I need to lay off this Marvel comic imagery). The other rooms had turned out perfectly. We expected that this last part (the hallway) of the project would be the final crowning glory, especially because it was the entry point into the house. But alas! the monstrosity stole our laughter.

I am not throwing my fiancé (now husband) under the bus but he entered into complaint mode. We started exploring all the options to remedy “the fault”. We considered removing the parts of the design from the ceiling that made it look ostentatious. “What do we do?” was the question. We were scared that we would be laughed at. We saw what looked like our dreams of a beautifully decorated place go down the drain. But like the pimple I spoke about, this too we could not remove. So we took comfort in the fact that we would own our mistake and brave it out as hardcore-we-don’t-give-a-hoot-what-you-think gang. lol. But we actually cared. Don’t buy our fake bravado.

Eventually, we just thought to ourselves, “you know what? perhaps the aesthetic was disrupted by the ghastly yellow and black wallpaper on one side of the wall and the wine-painted color on the other part of the walls” – features we intended to change but constituted the final stage of the entire project. So we decided to execute “Plan Mitigate”. We consulted with each other and some interior design blogging sites. We finally decided to go all white for the walls to match the white of the ceiling.

Good news! It turned out fantastic in the end. Once the ceiling lights were fixed, the distracting wallpaper and paint scraped off, and a new rich coat of all white paint applied, Voila! The true beauty of the ceiling popped. It stood there without all the distracting factors and it was a work of art. No more the monstrosity we had initially judged it to be.

Then my fiancé said, “I am so glad we waited. Imagine what we would have lost had we decided too quickly and interfered with the design. THIS HAS TAUGHT ME TO BE PATIENT.”

We learned a big lesson that day.

Anyone can be in such a place in life. In the small hallways of our lives, our issues, problems, projects, dreams and like matters may like the ceiling appear monstrous. They seem to overshadow the entirety of our existence. It can be a person who doesn’t behave the way we want them to. Or a season of pain, hurt, disappointment, and all the craziness of this life. A situation that looks ghastly at the beginning. Often, it becomes all we see.  Yet, the beauty of that situation or person may be obstructed by all the other things happening around us. Unfortunately, we may judge too early. Act too fast. We sometimes act based on the fear of the opinion of others; scared to be laughed at. Sometimes it simply looks bad from certain angles from which we look at it.

But! If you would give it time. Wait. Wait till the end. The diamond in the rough will shine ever brightly. The value of patience is indeed great. Our perspective is oft times the main issue and not what we are facing. We need to consider our perspective.

It is not easy to be patient. Especially in our present world where everything and everyone is on a fast track race. Our perspectives are so limited. We can only see from where we stand. Unfortunately, where we stand is not always perfect. We can make wrong or hurried choices if we do not learn how to wait. The right attitude matters. The right motive matters. The right perspective also matters.

With our humble ailing project, a little bit of patience saved us from a mistake. We managed to avoid a greater destruction. Yet often, the issues of our lives are much more complicated than this ceiling problem. They are the stuff that can make or break us. The stuff that stretch us to our breaking point. And we often want to resort to our own ways to resolve them.

When Abraham moved too quickly, relying on his own ways ahead of God’s time, he made a choice that has had generational impact. He bore a son out of works. He bore a son out of his impatience instead of waiting in faith.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land

Psalm 37:7-9

God wants us to wait. At the place of indecision, wait on Him. Why should we wait on God? First of all, he is not in a hurry. His timing is right. Secondly, he has the right perspective. He decides and designs all things from a position of perfection and so we are assured that we cannot get it wrong with him. We cannot lose when we trust wholly and completely in Him.

We have a perfect example; a perfect man who did not rush. He patiently endured having foresight of the end from the beginning. He already had a clear view of the grand design and the finishing of it. Therefore, He was unperturbed by the agitations happening all around Him. He trusted in His Father in Heaven – wholly and completely. He was unmoved by false accusations or praises. He did not judge by external appearances nor loose sight of what He knew to be the perfect end for Him. That man is Jesus Christ. He was never a step out of time. Every Christian is called to be conformed to His image; to focus on Him and imitate Him.

When He followed God faithfully until the very end, not seeking His own way, He finally declared “It is Finished”. Now His name is exalted above every name, having fulfilled the will of God for Him on the cross.

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I press towards the mark of the high calling. I’m pressing on to reach my goal. I press toward the mark of the high calling.

I press. I press. I press.

I forget those things that are behind me and I stretch myself to what’s ahead of me. I press towards the mark of the high calling.

I press. I press. I press.

I will never give up.

I’ve been binge watching Netflix competitive shows for a while now. My favourites are obstacle courses that test your endurance, perseverance, tenacity, strength and determination. I found a particularly captivating one that had me on my tippy toes. “The Ultimate Beast-Master”.

It was a joy to watch athletes put in their very best to overcome greatly challenging obstacles and tests of their strength and will to win. A particular athlete quickly stood out for me. Firstly, because he had a beautiful family and a super cute baby rooting for him. Secondly, because he was previously diagnosed with autoimmune multiple sclerosis but had overcome the disease to become a full blown athlete. Thirdly, because there was a light about him I couldn’t quite place my finger on. I just found myself rooting for him from the start.

By the semi-finals, a little background story revealed him to be a Christian missionary. At first, I thought, “every Christian missionary should look like that!” Lol. It was no wonder that I just supported the super ripped handsome Christian guy on the TV.

Now to the fun part. I hope I describe the scenario properly.

The semi-finals was down to six athletes and only the top three could progress to the final. The obstacle course comprised three separate parts. Each athlete had a chance to go at it twice. Therefore, if they failed at the first try, they had the chance to try it one more time although with a penalty.

The first athlete to run the course had a whopping mark which put him at the top of the leader board because he managed to run through the first and second parts of the course.

My favourite, whom I will call Christian was the second athlete to run the course. Before he run, he spoke about his missionary experience and love for God. He also shared another significant thing. The scripture he had read that morning. Psalm 115. He stated that he was not in the race for himself, but for the Lord because the Lord had given him the strength to run. And he wanted all glory to belong to God. Lastly, he said this, “it is not about competing, I am running my own race to win the prize.”

Wow. If I was half-heartedly rooting for him at the beginning, he had my full support from this point until the end.

Now, let me get to the interesting part of this story. Christian started the first part of the course, and just as he was almost at the end of it, he fell! Bummer right? He had a decision to make. He either had to use his lifesaver to run the course again (therefore loosing some points) and hope to finish the first part completely, or reject the lifesaver and stick with the points he had – hoping he could still somehow make it to the finals. Bear in mind that he was unable to beat the athlete in first place. He had no idea how the other athletes after him would do. His marks were also average at best. But he said something. He said that a voice deep inside him had told him not to do it again. He had done his best with his strength. Christian admitted that the area he had failed at was a weakness for him as an athlete and he was not sure he would be able to finish it even if he did it a second time. Yikes! I’ll bet that people thought he was a quitter.

The commentators called his decision a chess move of chance. I called it faith. He took a leap of faith. To be honest, the odds were against him. There were four excellent athletes attempting the course after him who had done waaay better than he did in previous rounds. His decision seemed to be completely foolish. The worst thing was that the immediate athlete who run the course just just after Christian messed up at the same place he did but decided on a do over. That do over took that athlete at first place and put Christian in danger of being eliminated. I was on the edge of my seat!

Christian understandably began to doubt if he had made the right decision. At this point, I was almost giving up with him. But people! Keep the faith. Because what came next blew my mind. The final three athletes who had to beat his mark to oust him all failed in their first courses. They failed right before the area that he had failed at. What even made it more interesting was that they all used their lifesavers yet still they all could not complete the course. It was as if an angel was at the exact same point of the obstacle, blocking them and pushing them into the water. It was hilarious. It was miraculous! I was grinning from ear to ear like a clown. I could not contain my excitement. I was blown away. So blown away that I picked up my Bible to see exactly what was written in Psalm 115!

I will share from verse 1 to 11 below:

Psalm 115

Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name goes all the glory
for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
Why let the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens,
and he does as he wishes.
Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,
shaped by human hands.
They have mouths but cannot speak,
and eyes but cannot see.
They have ears but cannot hear,
and noses but cannot smell.
They have hands but cannot feel,
and feet but cannot walk,
and throats but cannot make a sound.
And those who make idols are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.
Israel, trust the Lord!
He is your helper and your shield.
O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord!
He is your helper and your shield.
All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!
He is your helper and your shield.

Wow. This is the kind of revelation that empowers you for any obstacle.

First of all, my first lesson was to do my devotion. Because it is that word that will lead me to make a winning decision in my day.

Most importantly, this showed me how God works. Our God is not asleep. Everyone thought Christian was done for. But instead, they all watched the rest of the athletes fall like helpless dominoes attempting obstacles they had previously bested. Right there, Christian realised that his faith in God had not failed. God showed him in the most fantastic way how He works. God does as He wishes. And men are but mere men. Christian realised where his strength ended and where God’s sovereignty could elevate him to. It was marvellous to see.

In 2 Corinthians 12:10, Paul had a weakness, and he wanted it to just go away, but he had to learn that God’s strength is perfected in his weakness. Christian learned that on this course. And I also got to learn it too as I watched it unfold. I especially needed it because I have been trying my best to overcome my own weaknesses. Hoping that going at it again and again will do the trick. But my strength can only go so far. Grace is what I need.

Grace is also what you need. Grace doesn’t say keep trying, it says keep trusting. The point has come to trust in God’s all encompassing grace. The grace that covers our wrongs and shortcomings. The grace that tells us that no matter how much you go at it, your strength will fail so trust in Me. Trust even if you fail. Trust in My divine power. Trust in My mercy. Trust in My love. Trust in My Son who gave His life to perfect you. Trust in the One who can make you into what He wants you to be.

Like Christian said, we are each running our race. Running not against each other. But running to each win our prize. We are on our own obstacle courses filled with so many weights and sins and temptations. Trying to tame the beast. The biggest obstacle in the race being our own selves and our weaknesses. But like Paul said in Hebrews 12, we get to run and finish only with our eyes set on Jesus. The grace giver. The prize giver. The author and finisher of our faith.

So it might seem like you have failed. It may seem like you have fallen into the water with a big splosh. it may feel like you have hit the hard ground with a huge splat. But where your strength ‘felled’ you. Grace will lift you up. And you will finish knowing that grace won you the race.

Press on by faith.

This one is an all time favorite. Don’t pass it over and be blessed.

The post The Ultimate Beast-Master: Running by Faith first appeared on .

God is God and I am not.

I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting.

God is God and I am man.

So I’ll never understand it all.

For Only God is God.

The world would so quickly blame God for the things wrong with it.

The world would blame God for the actions of man rather than man for the actions of man.

The world would rather deny God credit for good yet quickly credit man for it.

The world would blame God for His supposed inaction and blame Him for His actions too.

The world doesn’t want to be controlled by God but accuses His lack of interference.

The world would rather blame God for the sickness in the body of a man rather than the man in charge of his own body.

The world would rather blame God for the ones born “imperfect” and ignore those born “perfect”. But wait a minute. It is man who looks on the outside and determines who is perfect. God looks at the heart and searches for perfection there.

The world would blame God for the nimble athlete paralyzed by the car accident rather than the careless driver.

The world would rather blame God for the sad plight of the innocent abused little girl rather than the evil inclinations of the pedophile who heartlessly abused her.

The world would blame God for hunger and starvation when man selfishly stores up wealth and watches his neighbor starve.

The world would blame God for inequality when man bends another under the whip of dictatorship and tyranny.

History has never seen an atomic bomb drop from the heavens nor biological weapons sprout from the ground.

Why is God blamed for the chaos in the world when the active participant is man?
Why is God blamed for the hurricanes and floods when man blows billows of C₂O into the atmosphere like chimneys from the 18th century; melting the ice caps in Antarctica like butter in a hot pan?
Why is God blamed for the wars and deaths of millions when men pick up the guns to fight and put refugees to flight.
Why do we blame God for the unfairness in the world when we are the ones doing it to each other?

Isn’t that unfair to God?

We would rather God be blamed and the world absolved from every wrong, yet, the world would take credit and God discredit for every right. If God is to blame for all the wrongs in the world then surely every good is also to His credit. Or?

Why would we deny God His existence because of how wicked man is?

How about the time He said do not steal? How about the time He said do not kill? How about the time He said do not covet? How about the time He said love your neighbor? How about the time He died for you so that you could be a different, better you? For that is what a good God that exists would do. He would tell you the right thing to do. He would show you the right thing to do. He will make Himself an example to you. Literally. So that our world can be perfect as we want it to be.

But the world would rather not listen. The world would rather not see. The world would rather not do it. The world would rather not believe. Instead it would choose to go after its own way. Steal. kill. Covet and Hate.

In the wake of indulgence in the carnality of true nature, and the fruits of carnal ways have yielded in the chaos that is our world, the most calculated worst of it all is executed. The world credits all the wrongs to God’s bank and blames Him for the negative returns. Wow, we love to play the blame game don’t we? But like Ola Rotimi stated, “The ‘gods’ are not to blame.”

Do you believe that our innate man is capable of goodness? Do you sincerely believe in a default state of good in man? Do you believe that the voice deep inside of man wants to unselfishly put someone else first rather than “myself”? “You” instead of “me”? Hahahahaha. Hilarious. Do you absolutely believe that the nature of man is love? Then why can’t man just be man? Why is it so hard to be ourselves then?

Maybe, finding an alien from outer space is a crucial turning point for humanity. For the alien will objectively examine the issues from an external point of view and let us see the folly of our flawed logic.

I always say to the God critics.
If God be a fickle of my imagination then I would make that imagination my reality for without it where is the good in me?

Would I rather deny God and place my hopes and faith in a man I so clearly see is flawed in too many ways?  Full of injustice?

You may say that the devil I know is better than the angel I do not know. Thank God I don’t have to believe that. Because man says so. I would say the angel I know is better than the devil I know. For I know this God. I know that He is good and the reason for any goodness in me; He is the reason we glimpse any iota of good in this fallen world. The only source of light in an ever darkening world. The only source of hope in an existence yoked with despondence.

I’ve trusted and tested and tried Him. I’m done playing the blame game and surrendered.

Please, leave me be in my “fool’s paradise” for I would rather have the foolishness of God than the wisdom of earth’s wise.

Awaken.

What convinces you that God exists or not? Share in the comment section below.

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The post Let Us Put the Blame on God. Shall We? first appeared on .

My hope is built on nothing less but Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood; When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found; In Him, my righteousness, alone. Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the sold rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.

Before I begin this post, I would want to put forward that none of the words I speak are intended to condemn anyone, it is definitely not to vilify the subject of my write-up or others who may be in a position such as his. It is to encourage soldiers in the faith battle. A poke at the enemy because he has to know we are not shaken by his machinations. And a morale boost for those at the precipice of doubt. Hang in there, please.

Now to the issue at hand. I have recently discovered the proliferate news of Christians falling away from the Faith. This is even observable among those considered to be active Christians in the eyes of the public. It may possibly be that due to the age of technology and social media, such news are easy to find or easy to hype. Perhaps, faith falling believers are losing the battle to doubt and unbelief. It is however worthy to note that the many Christians still holding on to Faith hardly makes the headlines, which leaves me wondering about the news. That would be another subject for another bright day. The news I mean.

Anyway, the bible tells us in 1 Timothy 4 that in the last days, many shall fall away from the faith, chasing after the false doctrines of demons (paraphrased). I am inclined therefore, to believe that the fulfillment of scripture is the phenomena playing out before our eyes. And Jesus tells us in Matthew 24 that it is only going to get worse as lawlessness increases and love for Him grows cold.

A quite recent and sad fall away is bestselling author Joshua Harris. If the name sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because you may have read one of his very popular bestselling books. “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”. I recall getting a copy of this book in the university but unfortunately, I never went beyond chapter one (1). (Very typical of me and books in the university. Aside my textbooks of course) Anyway, now I wish I did make time to complete the book because, he has completely renounced that book and the doctrines espoused in it, leaving my curiosity at its peak!

Joshua, as the media puts it, has kissed Christianity goodbye. Definitely not a bestseller if you ask me. Although saddening, it is not surprising as well. Why do I say this? Joshua was a baaaad guy in school……. lol. Just kidding. Gotchu. Didn’t I?

In the wake of the news on his departure from the Faith, I have encountered various articles and thoughts on his actions. Some have lauded it (mostly unbelievers) and others condemned it (often time Christians). There are also those trying to answer questions like I am doing right now.

What sucked about the whole situation was how the people of the world rejoiced and wrote articles to celebrate his falling away. And for many such breakaways similar to Joshua, the world happily welcomes such into their fold. This is expected even though it sucks.

In a battle between two very opposing sides, a win over of a defector is a glorious celebration. Christians are joyful when a soul is won from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Christ and in the same reaction, the world is too. The world feels a justification in the win of a Christian who has lost faith. Technically, we don’t consider a loss, what was never ours, but let me not get ahead of myself.

For the Kingdom of Christ, anyone who falls away from the faith presents no surprise to the brethren. Although, the world finds it an extraordinary feat, the Faith community takes it in stride through prayer and the word. We look to Jesus Christ, our Head, to find answers. In prayer, we do our part to rein in that person to whom Faith is seemingly lost.

Christ always gives answers through His trusted word and I found the answer in this.

Jesus had with Him twelve disciples. The famous Peter, James and John, among others, and the infamous Judas Iscariot. Now mind you, by this scenario I am about to expatiate, I am in no way making Joshua Harris a Judas character nor am I condemning him to the fate of Judas. No way. I am rather drawing your attention to an expected reality of which the world is surprised, but the Christian should not. Certain Christians get surprised or shocked into unbelief when such things happen. But let us be of the mind not to question our faith based on seeming ardent believers who fall away.

In fact, in some years from now, if you find that I have fallen from the faith (which by God’s grace I hope never to) it should in no way cause you to question whom you have believed in. I recall hearing Dag Heward Mills (Founder of Light House Chapel International Church) say in one of his sermons, a statement that stuck with me. He said (paraphrased) that if he falls sick and even dies from it, it will not stop him from believing that God is a healer. It goes with the bible text in Job 13:15(a) that says, though He slay me, yet still shall I trust Him. Our faith should be  uncompromising in the face of all circumstances. We should not practice conditional faith. It is expedient to build a rock solid faith. That solid rock to build on is Jesus Christ.

Sand building believers find their faith collapsing in the storm of world events, personal tragedy, worldly desires, false doctrines etc. For some, the next point of call becomes the denouncement of the Lord Jesus Christ and the existence of His Father. Unfortunately, this happens out of overlooking the rock solid foundation freely given in Jesus Christ.

So please follow me with this illustration as we try to place a right block on a right foundation. Now, back to Jesus Christ and His disciples. 

Judas (is carrot as we say in jest) was a disciple of Jesus. Note that by disciple, he was not just a part of the throng that followed Jesus. He was neither a part of the seventy extended discipleship team Jesus sent out. Nor was he even just a random self appointed follower of Jesus. Judas was a member of the Twelve. Carefully, handpicked by Jesus. He walked with Jesus throughout His three-year  tenure of ministry. He went where Jesus went. He heard what Jesus taught. He ate and drank with Jesus. He slept where Jesus slept. He had an important role in the team as a money keeper. The minister of finance if I might say. He was friends with the other eleven disciples. They had fellowship together with Jesus. All of them.

But Judas kissed Jesus goodbye in the Garden (lool. sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun). He invented the metaphor “kiss of death” when he offered his Rabbi to be murdered for crimes He did not commit at a bribe of 30 silver pieces. Contrary to what everyone may have seen of Judas ardently following Jesus, his secret foundation on which he was building was money. Someone whom he had called Master and Teacher for three years, he gave up for some coins.

Look. There are so many people who are seemingly walking with Jesus but have hearts far away from Him. They may seem to be doing the works, singing the songs, writing the books, going to church, hanging out with other Christians but have hearts far way from Him. Judas literally followed Jesus everywhere He went but figuratively followed his selfish desires.

When Judas betrayed Jesus, it did not in anyway undermine Jesus or the work He came to do. On the contrary, Jesus had the upper hand all along. He did what He came to do on earth and that was to save mankind from eternal damnation through his death on the cross. Even if Judas chose to exclude himself or not, Jesus’ work for which He was sent by the Father got done. For as the one (1) chose to perish, remember the other eleven (11) chose to live. Jesus was not surprised at Judas’ antics. Christ has always had the victory and the upper hand.

The world feels justified in its standpoint of faithlessness simply because a Christian has lost faith. But, the thought that a believer falling away from the Faith undermines it is flawed thinking. The Gospel of  Jesus Christ is built on no other foundation but Himself. The firm foundation. Unshakable and immovable in its purpose to save the souls of men. A win for the world  it may seemingly be but not in the greater scheme of things.  Who knows? The apostate may never have been Jesus’ in the first place. Why? Jesus said that anyone given Him by the Father, He shall never lose. And I tend to believe what Jesus says. Check out John 6:39.

Are we apathetic to the fallen one, not at all.  For even as that soul remains on this earth he or she may very well belong to the Lord. He alone knows those that are His. What we do is pray. 

The truth of the Gospel of the Kingdom is singular and unshakable in spite of those who truly believe and those who do not. The very gates of hell cannot contend with it. Why? Hell cannot contend in a war already decided. Jesus won. If you must know.

What are my sentiments toward Joshua because he really got be putting my thinking cap on. I pray he would search for truth. When we lose our way, it doesn’t spell doom for us. When we have doubts, it doesn’t align us to condemnation. Rather, it begs us to really find that which is true. Re-affirm faith. It begs us to dig even deeper.

Someone else failed Jesus too. Peter did. He swore and cursed himself in denial of any relation to Jesus. Three solid confident times, he said in no same words, “Who the heck is Jesus. I have no idea who He is. I have not even seen Him before.” But the difference between denier (who even swore to Jesus he would not deny him) and  betrayer, was repentance. Peter made a choice not to entirely give up on whom he first believed, leading him to become the legendary Peter we know. The story was not so for Judas. He only saw his mistake. His way out; a noose by no other hand but his own.

The reality is that the Lord knows those that are His. I don’t. No one knows but He who searches the heart. No one can be forced to believe in Him as Truth. Joshua cannot be forced, I cannot be forced. You cannot be forced. Nobody can be forced. We are only graciously chosen to choose Him.

As you read this, if you feel a nudge in your heart to surrender to this truth, at this moment, forget about the extraneous factors of who does or does not believe in Him. Focus on this.

Jesus is the only Way, the real Truth and the real Life. Absolutely, no one comes into reconciliation and eternal fellowship with the Father except by believing in Him and His finished works on the cross. He loves & calls you.

That is the Unshakable Foundational Truth of the FAITH.

The post I Kissed Christianity Goodbye…(When encumbered with doubts in the Faith, is it aurevoir to the Savior) first appeared on .

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength
But sometimes I wonder what He can do for me
No great success to show, no glory of my own
Yet in my weakness He is there to let me know

His strength is perfect when our strength is gone
He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on
Raised in His power, the weak becomes strong
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect

My brothers and I nicknamed my dad, Papa Lee, last week among the thousand other nicknames he has lol. This particular one was given him because of his recent fascination with a biography series about the life of Bruce Lee. In case you are a millennial without any clue who Bruce is, this nineties girl will enlighten you in a short Wikipedia history. I actually did not know any of this information until I researched for this article. Lol.

Bruce Lee is a well known name in Hollywood’s hall of fame. For many old school fans of martial arts movies, he is considered the most influential martial artist of all time; developing his own branch of martial arts known as Jeet Kune Do. He was a celebrated movie actor, director, producer, philosopher among other achievements. After a quick read about him, you will like me, conclude that he led a very illustrious life on earth. A quick search online will give you more than enough content to turn this article into a boring or maybe interesting history of a multi talented Chinese/Hong Kong fighter but thankfully, that is not the reason why I’m writing or the reason you are reading this. Lol. So we move.

My brothers and I wondered why my dad was so taken by this particular biography. My dad explained that the character of Bruce was fascinating to him. He described Bruce as an extremely intelligent, focused, talented, arrogant, perfectionist and workaholic who was absolutely brilliant at what he did. I took the time to sit in with my dad in one episode one evening and guess what? It was the last episode. Coincidence or the Holy Spirit? This article is proof of which it is.

In the episode, Bruce blacked out while shooting a movie called, “Enter the Dragon” (name gave me the creeps honestly). I discovered that he had experienced several similar blackouts in previous episodes and these blackouts elongated progressively. According to the doctors in the film, Bruce had by his enthusiasm for martial arts and movie making, stretched his body beyond limit, even to the point where he had no iota of fat in his body. The doctors considered him a walking man of steel (step aside Superman, you’ve got nothing on Bruce). After the diagnosis, following his recent blackout, a recommendation was made to him which we will discuss later in the write-up.

Anyway, right before I fell asleep, the plot of the film reached its climax. Bruce Lee was preparing to act His last movie, “Game of Death” (which also gave me the creeps). I would love to tell you I was awake to catch all the juicy details but I went to La La Land. Later in the night, when I woke and consulted with my dad, I was told death beat Bruce at the game. I was shocked. Bruce was a virile 32 year old with a body of steel before I dozed off. Now he was dead. (well technically he died in 1973). Did he die from an accident? Was he assassinated? Was he poisoned? What caused his death?

No rest.

One crucial thing the doctor told Bruce was that he needed to rest. He needed to allow his body, mind and emotions to take a break, to be treated and to heal. Rest. Although a prescription drug is considered the trigger of the brain edema which killed him, doctors believed it was largely due to a slow unseen breakdown of a system pushed far beyond its limit. He died from lack of rest. And so at a ripe young age of 32, with a final blackout, Bruce expired. Tragic. Avoidable. Yet inevitable.

With this super long introduction, it would be nice to talk about the advantages of taking a long nice vacation to rest on an island just to sip cool coconuts and bask in warm beautiful sunsets. Which is good. But there is a better offer of rest I want to discuss which you can enjoy from the comfort or discomfort of your home (hopefully it is the former).

There are many Bruce Lee Christians. We have embodied religion like steel but we are internally breaking down. Often unbeknownst to us. Unfortunately, the religious machine we rely on will suddenly shutdown because it runs mercilessly without halt. We are doing everything and anything for God. We are playing “the Game of Death- Religion Version.” The spiritual fainting spells and blackouts are warning us that something is off but we have refused to accept what the Doctor is offering. Rest. We are running around feeling superficially strong when our spiritual bodies are clearly protesting the futility of our ways.

On the outside we seem fine. We are clearly doing church. Present in the front seat every Sunday (excluding those reserved for the deacons and elders) even on weekdays and holidays. Singing in the choir. Looking very spiritual. Speaking mighty tongues and lifting holy hands in worship. Fasting 21 days and binding every demon in the milky way. Yet in spite of all these activities, we feel dry. We are sick emotionally, physically and cognitively. We are missing divine realities. We feel at the same time unfulfilled and overwhelmed with life. We cannot seem to grasp the spark of the Faith we so profess. We are aware of how hard we have been trying to live right. We are paying tithe without fail. Eating holy communion. Constantly asking forgiveness for our wrongs. Obeying commandments and fleeing from sin even faster than Joseph run from Potiphar’s tempting wife. Yet still, the spark of our Faith is elusive. We seem strong to the eyes of the world and sometimes even to ourselves. But the yoke of religion is terribly heavy and difficult to pull. Like Bruce, we may suddenly close our eyes and never wake.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matt. 11:28-30

There are many of us Christians that need to revisit this offer from Jesus Christ. Why? Because we have become so lost in our own burdensome works. If you are not a Believer, this offer is also for you.

Hebrews 4 says in verses 9-11, There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their [disobedient Israel’s] example of disobedience.

Why act “the Game of Death”? When we can take the recommended rest presented freely. This is an eternal vacation we don’t pay a single dime for. We receive a rest so perfect and true. The kind that is not centered on a place but a being. The kind that permeates spirit, soul and body. The kind that secures our existence here, now and forever. Rest in Jesus Christ.

He clearly tells us union with Him will present rest for our souls. So if you are missing rest, if your yoke is heavy and burden thick and weighty, then I prescribe a re-examination of whether you are yoked to Christ. He promises freedom, ease and lightness.

How do we enter this rest? Simply by believing in Him as Savior and Lord of our lives. How do we fully benefit? Understanding and accepting to the fullest extent all of what Christ has done for us. I cannot explain how crucial this gift is. It is the best reality of my entire life. I recommend it to you.

You know, Bruce Lee never accepted the doctor’s recommendation. He was convinced he could keep on in the same direction he had previously been. He did not allow the doctors to treat him. He did not allow his friends and family to convince him. He decided to rest after shooting the Game of Death. But death did the shooting instead. He never got to take the rest avidly advocated by those who cared for him and his health. Some might say he is at rest now. Well, that is to be discovered when this life is no more.

Jesus Christ loves us dearly. It is His desire to give us 100% rest in every nook and cranny of our lives. Time and time again, He proffers this precious gift to anyone who would take a second to listen to Him and another second to accept.

What did the Psalmist say in verse 7 & 8 of chapter 95 and the writer in Hebrews 4? “Today when you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.”

Awaken.

I discovered this song as I wrote this and have had it on repeat. Come to an end of your strength and hook up with the perfect strength. Grace upon grace.

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