Great and Mighty

Hi Everyone,

I hope your week was good. Mine was really emotionally draining. I don't have much to write today, I'm just going to share two songs I've used to remind myself of God's goodness the last few days. 

It's titled "Great and Mighty" and its written by a friend, music minister and pastor - Pastor Wale Adenuga. It's reminded me that no matter what I face, God is still God. I may not understand, but He's still good. Whether I praise Him or not, it doesn't change His worth. So, I might as well align myself with Him, choose to praise in spite of what I see and trust Him that it will end in praise.

The second song reminds me that God is a miracle worker and He can work miracles, no matter how long the situation has persisted, He's able to turn things around. Its "Miracle Worker" by Glowreeyah Braimah.

I trust these songs bless and minister to you. Have a wonderful week ahead and we'll catch up again next week. I'm going to be writing about what I term "Generation G" next week. I look forward to sharing with you then.

Blessings on you and yours.

Pressing Forward

Hi Friends,

How have you been? I've had a quiet and restful week. It's been good to be able to wake up when I want and sleep in the afternoon, something I haven't done in a long while. It is really refreshing to take time off work and everything else and just take things easy. I didn't realize how much has been crammed into my year so far until I took this short time out.

One of the things I've been thinking about this past week while decompressing is the need to press on, irrespective of where I'm coming from and the circumstances (good and not so good) that I've come through and still am in.

I've reflected on the past 8 months and it's really been a mixed bag. I was reading some of Paul's writings and I had to take time to think about what he said - "not that I have already attained, or become perfect, but this one thing he does - forgetting that which is past, and pressing on to the future" - slightly paraphrased by moi.

The future. That unknown, intangible, sometimes elusive thing we look forward to. It's scary sometimes isn't it? That today is the future we talked about yesterday. The future comes too soon sometimes. Sometimes I wish I could freeze today, and not have to go into tomorrow because tomorrow has so many unknowns, some hopes that I am afraid might not be fulfilled.

But, you know me, never one to fool myself, I admit to myself that tomorrow will come whether I want it to or not. I best be prepared to face whatever it brings. 

Act 1, Scene 2 - tomorrow is here. What I see in my tomorrow isn't always like the movies. Movies are usually predictable aren't they? We know the bad guy will get caught (99% of the time) and the good guys will somehow, win. Unlike the movies, if I drive my car through a glass window on a high floor, I mostly likely will wake up to see Jesus face to face. Lol, slight digression - anyone watched Furious 7? That was beyond belief wasn't it?

So how am I going to secure tomorrow to a large extent? First off, I acknowledge there's no running away from it. I need to make a plan, seek counsel and direction and help from the one who's seen the end of the movie. I need to ask the scriptwriter what he planned, what the conditions are for that plan to come to pass.

Let's talk about destiny briefly. I read somewhere (don't remember where right now), something that struck a chord. Someone asked why we bother to pray if our destiny has been mapped out by God. The answer was - because there are terms and conditions!

Yes, God has a good plan for us. However, because we are humans with free will, He can't compel us to fall in line. We need to find out the terms and conditions for that plan and choose to walk in it.

We can't be 100% certain of the future, but we can increase our chances of getting to that wonderful dream place by choosing to ask, listen to and obey God's counsel. His counsel comes in various ways - through His Word, other people, circumstances around us, even nature itself sometimes teaches us things. Getting there will involve hard work, there are no shortcuts. We also need to pray for favour. It is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, it is God who shows mercy, positioning us, so that time and chance favour us. Without Favour, we may run and still not attain the goal. May we not labour in vain. 

Finally, my friends, trust in God. Trust in His goodness and His sure mercies. When we commit our ways to Him, He will help us.

Do have a wonderful week. Blessings on you and yours.

Your friend,

Olubunmi

Taste and See

Hi folks, 

It's great to sit and write again this week. How was your week? I had a good one and I hope you did also.

The week ended on quite a nice note for me as I was invited to a food tasting session. I had a sampling of about 8 different really nice dishes and by the time we were done, I was completely sated and almost bursting. The tasting was put on by a caterer we are considering for an event at work. 

As I thought about what to write this week, a scripture slipped into my mind - "Taste and See that the Lord is good", brought on by the delicious food I ate. Boy, Was I glad that so much good food brought me to a fresh realization of God's goodness. 

What the catering company did is similar to what God wants to do. When we are considering who to serve, I imagine a scenario where mentally, we are weighing God and a few other something or someone else. Just as we spoke with various companies and asked about their services. When the discussions were done, the company said - give us a date and we will arrange a tasting session for you. Similarly, God is calling to us - Give me some time, allow me into your life, come taste and see that I am good. 

The first thing that struck me afresh was - much as I would have loved to be lazy and stay in my office, I had to go to the caterers office. I had to go to where the kitchen was to sample the delicious food. God is the same way. We have to take that first step, go to Him and allow Him to show us His goodness in the course of our daily life. 

God causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine in the just and the unjust. That's just a tiny sample of His goodness. 

I don't often do this so overtly on Incredible Courage, preferring to hint at God's goodness by my testimonies. Today however, I want to urge that if you haven't given Him control of your life and heart, consider it. Come, taste and See that the Lord is good. If you come, and don't like the taste of the food, just to use our example, you are of course free to turn your back and say I'm not staying. But, you've got to give Him a chance first. What have you got to lose? 

If you've turned back in the past because of some bad experience you've had, would you give Him a second chance? The Christian life isn't a smooth ride, we still live in a world largely controlled by a system not of God. In fact the Bible says many are the afflictions of the righteous. But! It doesn't end there. It ends by saying that the Lord delivers him out of them ALL. All, my friends. God delivers us, not always at the time that we think He should but at the time that's ultimately in our best interests, He does. 

In spite of the pain and evil around us, our God is good. He's the reason it's not worse than it currently is. Coming to Him is simple - a prayer of faith, trust and surrender. 

I think Chris Rice sings a great story that tells it from beginning to end in "Come to Jesus". 

If you want to surrender your life or rededicate yours, pray this simple prayer with me: 

Heavenly Father, I come to you in response to your invitation to come and taste of your goodness. I admit I don't have the power to handle my life and destiny by myself. I surrender my life to you, give you control of my life. Thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus that opened the door of salvation to me. I accept His sacrifice. Thank you for forgiving my sins and washing me clean. Holy Spirit, come and help me. Thank you that I am now born again, I can call you Father. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Welcome my friend. It's a new day, a new dawn. Find a bible believing church where you can enjoy fellowship and learn about your new life. I'll be praying for you. Let's continue the journey of courage together. It's a roller coaster sometimes, but I'd rather do the roller coaster with God than without. 

God Bless you and keep you and yours. 

 Yours In Him, 

 Olubunmi

God, You Understand...

Hello Friends,

How was your week? Mine was pretty busy but good. I felt a good sense of accomplishment because I achieved the main thing I planned to do and I got a quick win at work.

I had an encounter in the middle of the week which led me to this topic. I'd gone somewhere to make a quick payment which should only have taken me 5 minutes. I ensured I got there by 8, planning to do a quick turn around and still get to work before 8.30. As it turned out, the staff weren't at their duty posts at 8 am.

I looked for and eventually found a supervisor to complain to. She asked me to be patient, saying they would soon come. I told her that wasn't acceptable as they advertised work starts at 8 am and people come expecting to be served by 8. She then went on to say I should understand, that they may have been caught in traffic!

"How can I expect your staff to be repentant or change their work attitude if you as their supervisor understand and justify their coming late?" I asked her. I was quite annoyed because their tardiness was going to make me tardy by extension. As I was getting upset within myself I heard the Holy Spirit ask if I wasn't guilty of the same.

I literally stopped short in my thoughts and was like - Beg your pardon? I don't condone any excuses for tardiness. As I thought about it, I then remembered that a lot of times I've done things which aren't exactly right, but I usually would raise a silent plea to God saying - You understand, don't you, Lord? I'm human I would say in justification. I'm not yet perfect, I would plead. I don't condone tardiness, but there are a few areas where I condone behavior that's less than the standard of His Word.

Yes, my friends, when we do things we know we shouldn't on the pretext that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, we are no better than that supervisor who was asking me to understand why her staff were late. So, two lessons immediately. 

1. Before rushing to condemn others, be sure you have removed the log in your own eye first.

2. We need to take God for granted less

I asked for forgiveness and did a mental shift. I know those tendencies and issues won't magically disappear, but now I am more conscious of the fact that I need to be more careful about taking God's grace and mercy for granted.

Our God is very loving and forgiving but as Paul said, "shall we continue to sin in order that grace may abound"? The flesh is indeed weaker than the Spirit but with conscious effort, we can forgo the pleasures of sin that last for a season and focus on eternal things that matter.

While we are on this topic, let me quickly say that the "sin" I am talking about aren't necessarily the big ticket items. Ordinary "white lies" which we tell and expect God to understand and forgive qualify . A lot of the time, we feel we are doing well because we don't commit the big ticket sins. I won't bother naming them. We know what they are. The Word declares that all sin is sin. There isn't any one that's bigger than the other. God wants us to seek to live holy and righteous because he has made us so. He has justified us already, we have His nature, we just need to let that nature find full expression.

Dear friends, do have a lovely weekend. May God help us all to be faithful stewards. Blessings on you and yours. The grace of God be upon us all.

Your Friend,

Olubunmi

Imagine Me Without You

Hello Dear Friends,

I trust you've had a good week. I had a good, normal week. This week I thought I'd just share a song with you that expresses my heart towards God. 

Jaci Velasquez is one of my fave Christian artistes. I'm sharing her song - "Imagine Me Without You" this week. I hope you enjoy it and it ministers to you. God is our all in all, I pray you come into deeper and deeper levels of relationship with Him. 

I'll leave you with the words of Apostle Paul in Philippians 3v10, taken from the Amplified Bible:

"[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [[a]which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death"

And here is the link to the video by Jaci: 

And the lyrics:

"Imagine Me Without You"

As long as stars shine down from heaven
And the rivers run into the sea
Till the end of time forever
You're the only love I'll need

In my life You're all that matters
In my eyes the only truth I see
When my hopes and dreams have shattered
You're the one that's there for me

When I found You I was blessed
And I will never leave You
I need You

Imagine me without You
I'd be lost and so confused
I wouldn't last a day without
You there to see me through
Imagine me without You
Lord You know it's just impossible
Because of You it's all brand new
My life is now worthwhile
I can't imagine me without You

When You caught me I was falling
You're love lifted me back on my feet
It was like You heard me calling
And You rushed to set me free

When I found You I was blessed
And I will never leave You
I need You

Imagine me without You
I'd be lost and so confused
I wouldn't last a day without You there to see me
through
Imagine me without You
Lord You know it's just impossible
Because of You it's all brand new
My life is now worthwhile
I can't imagine me without You

(Lyrics taken from A-Z Lyrics)

Blessings on you and yours. Have a great week.