This morning I am filled afresh with the sweetness of the Holy spirit. I feel deep inside of me that holy sensation of pure joy that urges everything in me to scream Abba all praise and glory to your name. I see clearly the brightness of the morning which has made clear and glorious those things which are hidden by the night. Likewise my Lord, your light, ever so pure has made beautiful and splendid those souls in whom you chose to illuminate. Oh this candid joy this increasing pleasure and delight. Oh, my bread and my wine; delay no longer my soul for he has given you the invitation. Come quickly to your seat and satisfy your members with the sweetest bread and succulence wine.
K.Oni
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Friday, 29 July 2011
Another soul lost to hell
It remains an unpopular notion to speak of souls who have departed this life that now they are in hell. It furiates the souls of men of which I can take pity but yet the truth of God must be upheld and with all trembling and boldness we must speak it to our fellow men in order to prevent them from eternal misery. I must apologise on behalf of my fellow evangelicals that at times hell is spoken of with a sneer but despite their lack of pity yet we must speak with necessity as to snatch many hell bound souls into a happy eternity.
Recently we have heard of the massacre in Norway, the death of a popular singer and the ongoing conflict in the middle east and the famine in the horn of Africa. These calamities have taking the lives of men, women and children. It is increasingly sorrowful and painful and as I contemplate the many lives lost I am filled with sadness and a great weight of sorrow. I dread to think of how many of these souls having passed into eternity are now in the burning fires of hell because of their great sins which they have committed against a holy God. It is not natural for the mind to ponder such afflictions but gripped by the reality of Christ crucifixion and resurrection I cannot help but be satisfied with hell’s reality.
It is a horrible existence to endure and one cannot comprehend the misery and dread of having to spend an eternity of which there is no escape. We must not delude ourselves that many who have passed from this life without Christ are at peace and thus this should raise our affections and earnestness in seeking to pray and reach out to our fellow friends, families and neighbours to trust in Christ before their certain departure from this world.
Paul knowing that everyone must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, knowing the fear of the Lord sought with all of his energy to persuade men to flee from the wrath to come for he knew that hell was an awful place and heaven in comparison is a bliss and comfort. Paul was under no delusion and therefore his life was soaked in the gospel seeking to reconcile men back to God.
As a Christian am I living my life in a way that aims to prevent as many souls from entering hell or am I in apathy of hell’s reality? It is a sin to see the church loose ground on such a stone that unless we stand upon its reality we shall be no more earnest in our duties. I am not advocating of scaring souls into heaven but I am advocating that we live our lives with the awful reality of hell so that our endeavours are spent towards seeing men come to Christ. The kingdom of Christ is of infinite joy and satisfaction and I pray that more souls may be won into his kingdom so as to see another soul not perish in hell.
K.Oni
Recently we have heard of the massacre in Norway, the death of a popular singer and the ongoing conflict in the middle east and the famine in the horn of Africa. These calamities have taking the lives of men, women and children. It is increasingly sorrowful and painful and as I contemplate the many lives lost I am filled with sadness and a great weight of sorrow. I dread to think of how many of these souls having passed into eternity are now in the burning fires of hell because of their great sins which they have committed against a holy God. It is not natural for the mind to ponder such afflictions but gripped by the reality of Christ crucifixion and resurrection I cannot help but be satisfied with hell’s reality.
It is a horrible existence to endure and one cannot comprehend the misery and dread of having to spend an eternity of which there is no escape. We must not delude ourselves that many who have passed from this life without Christ are at peace and thus this should raise our affections and earnestness in seeking to pray and reach out to our fellow friends, families and neighbours to trust in Christ before their certain departure from this world.
Paul knowing that everyone must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, knowing the fear of the Lord sought with all of his energy to persuade men to flee from the wrath to come for he knew that hell was an awful place and heaven in comparison is a bliss and comfort. Paul was under no delusion and therefore his life was soaked in the gospel seeking to reconcile men back to God.
As a Christian am I living my life in a way that aims to prevent as many souls from entering hell or am I in apathy of hell’s reality? It is a sin to see the church loose ground on such a stone that unless we stand upon its reality we shall be no more earnest in our duties. I am not advocating of scaring souls into heaven but I am advocating that we live our lives with the awful reality of hell so that our endeavours are spent towards seeing men come to Christ. The kingdom of Christ is of infinite joy and satisfaction and I pray that more souls may be won into his kingdom so as to see another soul not perish in hell.
K.Oni
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Rene and Poet 10
On a spring day, Rene and Poet sat beneath an oak tree; protected from the fuming rays of the sun began to speak of a tranquil subject which delighted Poets soul.
Rene: My darling friend, do not be unaware of the real power of love which I have for you. It is a formidable force, an unbreakable defence that even the Titans cannot rent a tear.
Poet: I am not unaware my sweet friend. The past year have made me a friend to it. The depths of love deepens in regards to its object and while I maintain that God is the highest being whose love sees no end, yet I know something of its nature because of my love for her.
Rene: Oh heart of my own heart; do not loose ground on this remarkable love and yet do not delay the proposal of your bill lest the ground be occupied by another.
Poet: I will not tarry my dear, I will be swift and gentle. And whatever she may choose, she is at perfect liberty to vote as she sees fit.
She intrudes into my daily thoughts and conversations. At times I feel I stand and live in her world. Oh this pleasing pain, this terrible and awesome affliction that Adam must have felt for Eve after she successfully tempted him. Yet she is no Eve. She is of a more noble and righteous disposition for she learnt wisely from Eve's mistake and her years have been spent in the house of righteousness. No serpent may oblige or charm her. Oh what grace and purity manifested.
Rene: Brother, your words are ever so lofty.
Rene smiled gracefully and Poet laid his head on Rene's chest listening to nature's pacing beat.
K.Oni
Rene: My darling friend, do not be unaware of the real power of love which I have for you. It is a formidable force, an unbreakable defence that even the Titans cannot rent a tear.
Poet: I am not unaware my sweet friend. The past year have made me a friend to it. The depths of love deepens in regards to its object and while I maintain that God is the highest being whose love sees no end, yet I know something of its nature because of my love for her.
Rene: Oh heart of my own heart; do not loose ground on this remarkable love and yet do not delay the proposal of your bill lest the ground be occupied by another.
Poet: I will not tarry my dear, I will be swift and gentle. And whatever she may choose, she is at perfect liberty to vote as she sees fit.
She intrudes into my daily thoughts and conversations. At times I feel I stand and live in her world. Oh this pleasing pain, this terrible and awesome affliction that Adam must have felt for Eve after she successfully tempted him. Yet she is no Eve. She is of a more noble and righteous disposition for she learnt wisely from Eve's mistake and her years have been spent in the house of righteousness. No serpent may oblige or charm her. Oh what grace and purity manifested.
Rene: Brother, your words are ever so lofty.
Rene smiled gracefully and Poet laid his head on Rene's chest listening to nature's pacing beat.
K.Oni
Monday, 25 July 2011
Miscellanies 11 - How could she believe unless I preach
I was sitting on a bench and an old rough looking woman sat next to me. I turned my head to look at her but she took no notice of me. I looked at her and thought I wonder if she knows the Lord, if she is safe in his kingdom. I lingered my stare and thought more that how can she believe unless someone tells her, preaches (declares) the gospel to her. I looked away and when i turned my eyes back towards her she was gone. I know not of her eternal destiny but if she is an unbeliever then I pray that God may bring someone into her life to declare the gospel to her and if she is a believer that she may present the gospel to others.
How can they believe at work, at university, in churches, on the streets, in sports, in leisure unless someone preaches it to them? How can they know of the eternal hope which lays beautifully inside of you? How can they know? But some of us are ashamed, some of us are scared, some of us want to but don't know how, and some of us do declare it and thus suffer the reproach and praise the acceptance of our message. How can they believe unless we preach, unless we declare it with our words and live it with our lives.
For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
How can they believe at work, at university, in churches, on the streets, in sports, in leisure unless someone preaches it to them? How can they know of the eternal hope which lays beautifully inside of you? How can they know? But some of us are ashamed, some of us are scared, some of us want to but don't know how, and some of us do declare it and thus suffer the reproach and praise the acceptance of our message. How can they believe unless we preach, unless we declare it with our words and live it with our lives.
For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written,"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:13-17
K.Oni
But one thing I do!
It is true I believe that many of us who call ourselves Christians are not living with a great seriousness and energy for Christ. Christ is the first word in Christian and many of us to a degree neglect that name and live for ourselves. Among this number I enlist myself and if you cannot enlist yourself among this fold then I applaud you and wish that many of us may follow your example because you are imitating Paul who imitated Christ. I do not show this weakness to condemn but rather to create an excitement of the great potentials which those who live their lives with great energy and seriousness may do and accomplish for the kingdom of Christ. The weakness which I am exposing is that many of us have rejected that first principle of seeking first the kingdom of Christ and his righteousness. Although many of us may confess this verbally yet the principle is missing in the depths of our heart. We see the deep thirst for worldly satisfaction and a shallow hunger for his kingdom. And because of this imbalance and neglect of the first principles we see in our lives the display of what lies hidden in our souls. We see an imbalance, for the majority of our conducts and imaginations are all to do with our comfort, security and worry in this present life. By way of example I ask you dear reader - when you wake, what is it that occupies your mind? What are your first activities and throughout the day what captures your heart? Also when drawing your priorities, which activities do you give the most earnestness and attention and is it because these activities work towards your comfort and security and eliminates all of your worries? And when you have to make space to do other earnest duties, which activities are the first to go? Are they prayer, bible study and reading, evangelism and church services?* These I believe will be the first to go because men having lost that eternal perspective are apt to give more attention to those things which promote their earthly satisfaction. And this is a great sin of the church that many members have no great seriousness and energy for Christ and his kingdom and because of this awful neglect the church as well as those who are perishing suffers.
Would you not like your life to count and your story told in the recount of the redemption story of how you died to yourself and lived entirely for His kingdom and because of your diligence many escaped the fiery hell. If so then I beseech you to remember those first principles of seeking first Christ and his kingdom and righteousness with great energy and seriousness.
We see a perfect example in the life of Paul the apostle. For he says ‘but one thing I do’. What is this one thing that he does? ‘forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’. Pause and meditate on those words. And because Paul only does one thing here is how he viewed his life ‘But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him..’ Philippians 3. Paul sought the kingdom of Christ and his righteousness with a great energy and seriousness. Because Paul lived for one thing and consequently only does one thing he ‘made himself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.. I have become all things to all people that, that by all means I might save some of them. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings….So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself become disqualified’ 1 Corinthians 9.
Imagine now if you and everyone truly sought first the kingdom of Christ and his righteousness as the Apostle did. There is no excuse to think that this is unattainable because Paul was an apostle. Paul himself declared to the Thessalonians ‘For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you’ 2 Thessalonians 3:7. If we all lived this way that is with great energy and seriousness for Christ Kingdom and his righteousness how different or how radical would the impact of the church be in the world?
K.Oni
*There is no distinction between sacred and ordinary work, all works are ought to be done to the glory of God. All of our works are meant to have as its chief focus as being done unto the Lord.
Would you not like your life to count and your story told in the recount of the redemption story of how you died to yourself and lived entirely for His kingdom and because of your diligence many escaped the fiery hell. If so then I beseech you to remember those first principles of seeking first Christ and his kingdom and righteousness with great energy and seriousness.
We see a perfect example in the life of Paul the apostle. For he says ‘but one thing I do’. What is this one thing that he does? ‘forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’. Pause and meditate on those words. And because Paul only does one thing here is how he viewed his life ‘But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him..’ Philippians 3. Paul sought the kingdom of Christ and his righteousness with a great energy and seriousness. Because Paul lived for one thing and consequently only does one thing he ‘made himself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.. I have become all things to all people that, that by all means I might save some of them. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings….So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself become disqualified’ 1 Corinthians 9.
Imagine now if you and everyone truly sought first the kingdom of Christ and his righteousness as the Apostle did. There is no excuse to think that this is unattainable because Paul was an apostle. Paul himself declared to the Thessalonians ‘For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you’ 2 Thessalonians 3:7. If we all lived this way that is with great energy and seriousness for Christ Kingdom and his righteousness how different or how radical would the impact of the church be in the world?
K.Oni
*There is no distinction between sacred and ordinary work, all works are ought to be done to the glory of God. All of our works are meant to have as its chief focus as being done unto the Lord.
Thursday, 21 July 2011
The Real me
Over the last month or so I have been recollecting about how much people have had negative comments and actions because I believe in Jesus dying for us. It is truly astounding to hear the sheer amount of people who seem nice to me but want to say bad things about me? Interesting. . .
People are always going to have a problem that no matter what you do or say. It's even more eye opening to see how controversial Jesus was in the day 2000 years ago as well as today. Sometimes many can directly give you stick about following Jesus, others simply act fake and do it behind your back. Either way its a problem they hold. But they never had these things to say before? So now it means the problem is with Jesus? The very person who loved us all so much that he got beaten almost to death and nailed to a cross taking our sin? Even more so interesting! Either talk to God or to a Christian about it if there is a problem. No hostility should be handed out your way. How will you ever know more if you don't ask about it?
The point I' am writing about today is again identity issues, but more particularly what is the REAL me? Well lets start and see if I had to always act the same Rory to every kind of person. The answer seemingly is NO. Before I came to Jesus, I had to act so many different Rory's. Honestly I do not know how I kept up with my multiple personality disorder! And don't sit there reading this denying you ever feel like you do this. . . because EVERYBODY does!
Yes what you are reading is true. With my parents I could not use the language, talk about the stuff I did to say as I would my best mates. My teachers at school, I had to act completely different! It was literally like an acting career! To little children, I couldn't use foul language and do certain actions in which would effect them to maybe replicate in the near future. All of these different "beings," to please every person I could have encountered. Why couldn't I just be FREE by doing, saying, and feeling whatever I could. One problem. . . you can't simply do that 100% of the time. Furthermore, you hold different conversations to a 9 year old than to a 55 year old. It's simple. One cannot hold a conversation about topics that are simply out of their knowledge or understanding. But the real issue here is that it can be heavily reduced!
Who ever knew the REAL Rory? The answer is nobody! Not even my self knew because it changed so much.
Now that I have an extremely steady and stable being as a Christian. It is fabulous to literally no longer have to shift so frequently and rapidly to different temperaments. Your conscience isn't driving you wild reminding you to keep up to say and not to say certain thing, as well as do certain things. Christianity allows you to realise you are not perfect and the reason why we all have to shift "beings/state of minds," to please others. When the truth is that Jesus shows you He is the ONLY perfect person, so to be a CHRISTian makes you shadow His perfection and awesomeness. Over time He makes this evident in your life to others around you :)
Once a person receives Jesus in their heart and accepts that He died on a cross for their sins they don't have to keep trying to please the world. They don't have to keep switching who they are. They simply go back to their original identity, which is with Jesus. Frankly, one will mess up everyday and that's the beauty of faith. . . chasing God more and more. Christians aren't perfect, people think they're perfect but we are not until we die. But in Jesus' eye we are perfect because we are in His image and likeness again for accepting that truth already :)
The more people refuse, slate, bash, hate, turn from Jesus the same they shall be. Continual switching of how to be, continual change of how to talk. Doesn't that seem like nonsense? To be on edge the time hoping to not put to put a foot or two wrong? To have approval of the world, when we are not entirely sure whom possesses the best approval? Why not try Christ? Who gives you a free identity.
And that people is the REAL me! It could be the REAL you too! Trust me, I've tried being too many Rory's and it just don't cut it.
Romans 6:7, 6:18, 8:2 1 Corinthians 9:1, 9:18-19
John 8:32 2 Corinthians 3:17, 10:4
Exodus 6:6 Luke 13:12
Mark 3:1-6, 5:29, 5:34 Ephesians 3:12
Galatians 5:1, 5:13 Psalms 116:16, 136:24
Job 33:9 Deuteronomy 7:15
1 Peter 2:16
People are always going to have a problem that no matter what you do or say. It's even more eye opening to see how controversial Jesus was in the day 2000 years ago as well as today. Sometimes many can directly give you stick about following Jesus, others simply act fake and do it behind your back. Either way its a problem they hold. But they never had these things to say before? So now it means the problem is with Jesus? The very person who loved us all so much that he got beaten almost to death and nailed to a cross taking our sin? Even more so interesting! Either talk to God or to a Christian about it if there is a problem. No hostility should be handed out your way. How will you ever know more if you don't ask about it?
The point I' am writing about today is again identity issues, but more particularly what is the REAL me? Well lets start and see if I had to always act the same Rory to every kind of person. The answer seemingly is NO. Before I came to Jesus, I had to act so many different Rory's. Honestly I do not know how I kept up with my multiple personality disorder! And don't sit there reading this denying you ever feel like you do this. . . because EVERYBODY does!
Yes what you are reading is true. With my parents I could not use the language, talk about the stuff I did to say as I would my best mates. My teachers at school, I had to act completely different! It was literally like an acting career! To little children, I couldn't use foul language and do certain actions in which would effect them to maybe replicate in the near future. All of these different "beings," to please every person I could have encountered. Why couldn't I just be FREE by doing, saying, and feeling whatever I could. One problem. . . you can't simply do that 100% of the time. Furthermore, you hold different conversations to a 9 year old than to a 55 year old. It's simple. One cannot hold a conversation about topics that are simply out of their knowledge or understanding. But the real issue here is that it can be heavily reduced!
Who ever knew the REAL Rory? The answer is nobody! Not even my self knew because it changed so much.
Now that I have an extremely steady and stable being as a Christian. It is fabulous to literally no longer have to shift so frequently and rapidly to different temperaments. Your conscience isn't driving you wild reminding you to keep up to say and not to say certain thing, as well as do certain things. Christianity allows you to realise you are not perfect and the reason why we all have to shift "beings/state of minds," to please others. When the truth is that Jesus shows you He is the ONLY perfect person, so to be a CHRISTian makes you shadow His perfection and awesomeness. Over time He makes this evident in your life to others around you :)
Once a person receives Jesus in their heart and accepts that He died on a cross for their sins they don't have to keep trying to please the world. They don't have to keep switching who they are. They simply go back to their original identity, which is with Jesus. Frankly, one will mess up everyday and that's the beauty of faith. . . chasing God more and more. Christians aren't perfect, people think they're perfect but we are not until we die. But in Jesus' eye we are perfect because we are in His image and likeness again for accepting that truth already :)
The more people refuse, slate, bash, hate, turn from Jesus the same they shall be. Continual switching of how to be, continual change of how to talk. Doesn't that seem like nonsense? To be on edge the time hoping to not put to put a foot or two wrong? To have approval of the world, when we are not entirely sure whom possesses the best approval? Why not try Christ? Who gives you a free identity.
And that people is the REAL me! It could be the REAL you too! Trust me, I've tried being too many Rory's and it just don't cut it.
Romans 6:7, 6:18, 8:2 1 Corinthians 9:1, 9:18-19
John 8:32 2 Corinthians 3:17, 10:4
Exodus 6:6 Luke 13:12
Mark 3:1-6, 5:29, 5:34 Ephesians 3:12
Galatians 5:1, 5:13 Psalms 116:16, 136:24
Job 33:9 Deuteronomy 7:15
1 Peter 2:16
Article by Rory Green - visit his blog
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
I told my People
No one knows of my misery
I feel the pain every night before I go to sleep
I can imagine all my enemies
Plotting my demise while my best friends trying to take me down.
Do you see my life, I’m in constant danger
Can’t walk a mile without someone screaming go and die.
It happened quickly, transfixed by a vision
Caught guilty with no hope for a plea.
What I my to do, so I kept running for many days
Everywhere I go I see the same man starring at my face.
We all alone I knew my guilt confessed screaming
I’m the man who did the wrongs if I could I would take em all back but please free me.
No more denials, walk up the aisle
Told my people but they all laughed
I repeated, then some began to shout.
Screaming for my life, I look to my mama but she turned her eyes.
Is this the life of the born again
Lord Jesus please come and release this pleasing pain.
I feel the pain every night before I go to sleep
I can imagine all my enemies
Plotting my demise while my best friends trying to take me down.
Do you see my life, I’m in constant danger
Can’t walk a mile without someone screaming go and die.
It happened quickly, transfixed by a vision
Caught guilty with no hope for a plea.
What I my to do, so I kept running for many days
Everywhere I go I see the same man starring at my face.
We all alone I knew my guilt confessed screaming
I’m the man who did the wrongs if I could I would take em all back but please free me.
No more denials, walk up the aisle
Told my people but they all laughed
I repeated, then some began to shout.
Screaming for my life, I look to my mama but she turned her eyes.
Is this the life of the born again
Lord Jesus please come and release this pleasing pain.
K.Oni
Monday, 18 July 2011
Miscellanies 10 - When tempted to sin
There was a man who wrote of his temptation and how he dealt with it. ‘I had awoken with an unwanted desire to satisfy my natural cravings which were contrary to the law of Christ. I had this bestial affection in me which lusted for the satisfaction which could quench its thirst. But I knew, being a man learned in the scriptures that this means of satisfaction was wrong. In time past, my desires had been so resilent that it overpowered me and often I succumb to that hellish satisfaction which wages war against my soul. Lately I have been a man moved by the Holy Spirit and awed by the invading nature of divine grace so that it appears tangibly that heaven is only at a arms reach. I was a heavenly man, having no care nor worry but only of that which was of the kingdom. But I woke with this foreign desire and I knew immediately I must not let it breathe. To combat this devilish craving I at once fled my bed and dwelt in the secret of a quiet place where I abruptly began to declare the praises of my king and meditate to him in prayer. I felt slowly but ever increasingly my cravings being satisfied and my soul was in a blissful paradise because it beheld the face of that glorious Lion who is the surpassing beauty of all there is and will be.'
K.Oni
K.Oni
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Who then can be saved?
I am here to show that it is possible for any man to be saved but it is impossible for any man to save himself except God saves him. ‘As Jesus was setting out on his journey a man ran up and knelt before Him and asked him “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to Him.. “You know the commandments…”. And he said to Him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth”. And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go sell all that you have and give to the poor , and you will have treasure in heaven and come and follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples , “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God..” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God”, Mark 10:17-27.
The question asked by our Lord’s disciples “Who then can be saved?” and our Lord’s reply “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” is the focus of this paper. I will show that it is possible for any man to be saved but it is impossible for any man to save themselves except God saves them.
It is possible for any man to be saved -
The disciples were astonished by the difficulty put forward by our Lord in his analogy when he said “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” Mark 10:24. Upon hearing this that is his disciples ‘they were exceedingly astonished’. The evangelist in his gospel heightened their astonishment by adding the word exceedingly which means to an unusually high degree in their hearing of our Lord’s analogy which disposed them to asked the fearful question “who then can be saved?” Jesus replied to their question in a negative in regards to man’s ability of saving himself but positively in regards to God. Who then can be saved? This question can easily be answered by observing other passages of scripture which clearly offers salvation to every one without distinction. For example, John 3:16 ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life’. The offer for salvation in this passage is without distinction, it is offered to all and whoever believes shall not perish. Another example is found in Acts 17:30 ‘The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent..’ The command for repentance is to all men therefore implying that if any man should repent and trust in Christ they will be saved. Another example is found in Matthew 28:19 ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’. Jesus did not restrict those who may be disciples to a few nations or selected coloured men, but his appeal was universal, it is to all nations. From the passages quoted we can affirm that it is possible for any man to be saved and we have Paul’s testimony in the book of Romans which affirms that all are guilty before God consequently everyone needs the same salvation. Therefore it is possible for any man to be saved, but it is impossible for any man to save themselves because in order to be saved one needs to believe and trust in Jesus Christ. And here is found the difficulty, Man cannot save themselves unless it is done by God.
With man it is impossible to save themselves except God saves them -
Our Lord Jesus Christ could have answered the disciples question when they asked ‘who then can be saved?’ with an answer which exalts man over his own salvation. Jesus could have said that ‘man only needs to believe in himself, or man needs only to try harder in observing and keeping the commandment. Or that man only needs to be a good person and he/she will be saved. But our Lord gave no such responses but emphatically declared “with man it is impossible”. How impossible is this impossibility? It is in the absolute sense just like Lazarus could not bring himself out of that tomb except by the absolute authoritative voice of Jesus Christ. It is so with man, man cannot save themselves that is that man cannot inherit eternal life by any merits of their own. With man there is no hope of ever inheriting salvation or entering that blissful paradise which the Lord Almighty has promised to man if they should heed his commandment. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 2 gives us the natural condition of man’s spirituality which is that it is dead. It is dead to its necessity of living for that which is righteous and wrapped in its own covetousness, pursues its poisonous will which is naturally pacing itself away from God. Men in general are self-seeking and idolaters, they are by nature corrupt and unwilling to come to God. Therefore it is said 'all are worthless and their righteousness are filthy rags’. If this offends you I make no apology because I can only work for the truth and forbid I to slander the truth of Christ as to accommodate the fanciful notions of man’s pride of itself. Our Lord declares that it is impossible for man to save themselves as the famous song echoes ‘Who O Lord can save themselves, their own souls could heal?’
Thus far it is established that 1. It is possible for any man to be saved and 2. It is impossible for any man to save themselves. If we were left with this two clauses without any hope of man achieving actual salvation then man is truly a miserable creature who when of good conscience has zero hope of salvation. But man has an unfailing hope which is that although with man it is impossible to save themselves it is entirely possible with God without no effort at all.
Man’s only hope of ever achieving salvation lies ultimately in the Sovereign hands of God. To understand this doctrine and be at peace with it, it is wise for the individual to understand man’s hopelessness and total responsibility in its own inability of achieving salvation. The young man who came to our Lord Jesus with a question of how it was possible to inherit eternal life went away sorrowful when he realized what he had to give up and whom he had to follow in order to possess eternal life. He went away sorrowful because the inheritance was not in accordance with how he perceived it was to be attained and it is so with many today. I am sure that you are friends with many souls who are decent people and see themselves to be good in their own sight and can affirm the keeping of the commandments to a degree of good sufficiency and yet when you ask them to follow Jesus they see no need of it. Or if you ask a man of another conviction, or of another faith to follow Jesus, they will mock your offer or may kindly reject you. This is to prove what Jesus said when he asserted ‘No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him’ John 6:44. It is impossible for man to save themselves unless God draws them to Christ. Elsewhere it is affirmed that ‘unless you are born again you will not see the kingdom of God’ and it is the Spirit which causes a soul to be born again. With man it is impossible but not with God, for Paul writes ‘But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved… For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God’ Ephesians 2:4-8. You see, Paul stands in total agreement with our Lord Jesus that it is impossible for man to save himself (it is not of your own doing) but with God it is possible (God made us alive, for by grace you have been saved through faith, it is the gift of God).
I hope you have seen thus far that it is possible for any man to be saved and that it is impossible for any man to save himself except God saves him. Salvation is only possible with God and although God beckons all men to repent and offers them salvation, yet man is unwilling unless God actually saves them by drawing them to his Son and regenerating their souls through His divine Spirit. Salvation is therefore entirely possible with God and it is a gift. Therefore, anyone who has left everything for the sake of Christ will indeed inherit eternal life because with man salvation is impossible but with God it is possible because His divine grace makes us able to respond to the divine calling. I hope you may affirm with me ‘Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me’.
K.Oni
The question asked by our Lord’s disciples “Who then can be saved?” and our Lord’s reply “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” is the focus of this paper. I will show that it is possible for any man to be saved but it is impossible for any man to save themselves except God saves them.
It is possible for any man to be saved -
The disciples were astonished by the difficulty put forward by our Lord in his analogy when he said “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” Mark 10:24. Upon hearing this that is his disciples ‘they were exceedingly astonished’. The evangelist in his gospel heightened their astonishment by adding the word exceedingly which means to an unusually high degree in their hearing of our Lord’s analogy which disposed them to asked the fearful question “who then can be saved?” Jesus replied to their question in a negative in regards to man’s ability of saving himself but positively in regards to God. Who then can be saved? This question can easily be answered by observing other passages of scripture which clearly offers salvation to every one without distinction. For example, John 3:16 ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life’. The offer for salvation in this passage is without distinction, it is offered to all and whoever believes shall not perish. Another example is found in Acts 17:30 ‘The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent..’ The command for repentance is to all men therefore implying that if any man should repent and trust in Christ they will be saved. Another example is found in Matthew 28:19 ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’. Jesus did not restrict those who may be disciples to a few nations or selected coloured men, but his appeal was universal, it is to all nations. From the passages quoted we can affirm that it is possible for any man to be saved and we have Paul’s testimony in the book of Romans which affirms that all are guilty before God consequently everyone needs the same salvation. Therefore it is possible for any man to be saved, but it is impossible for any man to save themselves because in order to be saved one needs to believe and trust in Jesus Christ. And here is found the difficulty, Man cannot save themselves unless it is done by God.
With man it is impossible to save themselves except God saves them -
Our Lord Jesus Christ could have answered the disciples question when they asked ‘who then can be saved?’ with an answer which exalts man over his own salvation. Jesus could have said that ‘man only needs to believe in himself, or man needs only to try harder in observing and keeping the commandment. Or that man only needs to be a good person and he/she will be saved. But our Lord gave no such responses but emphatically declared “with man it is impossible”. How impossible is this impossibility? It is in the absolute sense just like Lazarus could not bring himself out of that tomb except by the absolute authoritative voice of Jesus Christ. It is so with man, man cannot save themselves that is that man cannot inherit eternal life by any merits of their own. With man there is no hope of ever inheriting salvation or entering that blissful paradise which the Lord Almighty has promised to man if they should heed his commandment. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 2 gives us the natural condition of man’s spirituality which is that it is dead. It is dead to its necessity of living for that which is righteous and wrapped in its own covetousness, pursues its poisonous will which is naturally pacing itself away from God. Men in general are self-seeking and idolaters, they are by nature corrupt and unwilling to come to God. Therefore it is said 'all are worthless and their righteousness are filthy rags’. If this offends you I make no apology because I can only work for the truth and forbid I to slander the truth of Christ as to accommodate the fanciful notions of man’s pride of itself. Our Lord declares that it is impossible for man to save themselves as the famous song echoes ‘Who O Lord can save themselves, their own souls could heal?’
Thus far it is established that 1. It is possible for any man to be saved and 2. It is impossible for any man to save themselves. If we were left with this two clauses without any hope of man achieving actual salvation then man is truly a miserable creature who when of good conscience has zero hope of salvation. But man has an unfailing hope which is that although with man it is impossible to save themselves it is entirely possible with God without no effort at all.
Man’s only hope of ever achieving salvation lies ultimately in the Sovereign hands of God. To understand this doctrine and be at peace with it, it is wise for the individual to understand man’s hopelessness and total responsibility in its own inability of achieving salvation. The young man who came to our Lord Jesus with a question of how it was possible to inherit eternal life went away sorrowful when he realized what he had to give up and whom he had to follow in order to possess eternal life. He went away sorrowful because the inheritance was not in accordance with how he perceived it was to be attained and it is so with many today. I am sure that you are friends with many souls who are decent people and see themselves to be good in their own sight and can affirm the keeping of the commandments to a degree of good sufficiency and yet when you ask them to follow Jesus they see no need of it. Or if you ask a man of another conviction, or of another faith to follow Jesus, they will mock your offer or may kindly reject you. This is to prove what Jesus said when he asserted ‘No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him’ John 6:44. It is impossible for man to save themselves unless God draws them to Christ. Elsewhere it is affirmed that ‘unless you are born again you will not see the kingdom of God’ and it is the Spirit which causes a soul to be born again. With man it is impossible but not with God, for Paul writes ‘But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved… For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God’ Ephesians 2:4-8. You see, Paul stands in total agreement with our Lord Jesus that it is impossible for man to save himself (it is not of your own doing) but with God it is possible (God made us alive, for by grace you have been saved through faith, it is the gift of God).
I hope you have seen thus far that it is possible for any man to be saved and that it is impossible for any man to save himself except God saves him. Salvation is only possible with God and although God beckons all men to repent and offers them salvation, yet man is unwilling unless God actually saves them by drawing them to his Son and regenerating their souls through His divine Spirit. Salvation is therefore entirely possible with God and it is a gift. Therefore, anyone who has left everything for the sake of Christ will indeed inherit eternal life because with man salvation is impossible but with God it is possible because His divine grace makes us able to respond to the divine calling. I hope you may affirm with me ‘Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me’.
K.Oni
Friday, 15 July 2011
A Prayer for my Soul
Oh Lord we pray for your light to penetrate this present darkness
For your people to be willing to die
To be ready to carry their cross to the hills
To the camp of evil knowing that it is there where the Light shines brightest.
Protect us from the evil one
But use our lives to bring you glory.
If my death will bring a lost soul to you
Then let me die a thousand times.
I will be a watchmen, I will be a prophet
Only steady my hands and remove the dross in me.
Creation is asking ‘where are the Sons of God?’
Oh Lord! make a powerful revelation of us
Let us be like Christ your Son whose light outshone the Sun
That we may glorify you and set the captives free.
Harden not their hearts but open their ears
That they may hear and believe.
Oh Lord we pray for your light to penetrate this present darkness.
Amen.
For your people to be willing to die
To be ready to carry their cross to the hills
To the camp of evil knowing that it is there where the Light shines brightest.
Protect us from the evil one
But use our lives to bring you glory.
If my death will bring a lost soul to you
Then let me die a thousand times.
I will be a watchmen, I will be a prophet
Only steady my hands and remove the dross in me.
Creation is asking ‘where are the Sons of God?’
Oh Lord! make a powerful revelation of us
Let us be like Christ your Son whose light outshone the Sun
That we may glorify you and set the captives free.
Harden not their hearts but open their ears
That they may hear and believe.
Oh Lord we pray for your light to penetrate this present darkness.
Amen.
K.Oni
Tired of crying alone
I’m tired of crying alone
You always seem at a distance
Every time I feel I’m near
Then you go away
My sky is black and grey
You have taken my feeling of love away
There’s no party here
You’re my happiness
My sky is black and grey
Oh Lord Why wont you see me
I’m crying right here.
K.Oni
You always seem at a distance
Every time I feel I’m near
Then you go away
My sky is black and grey
You have taken my feeling of love away
There’s no party here
You’re my happiness
My sky is black and grey
Oh Lord Why wont you see me
I’m crying right here.
K.Oni
Who is the Judge? Jesus or Yahweh
The new testament Portrays Jesus to be the Judge of the whole earth and of the nations while in the old testament it is attributed to Yahweh. Is there a conflict in this or as the role of Judge been passed on to Jesus by the Father. Jesus clearly mentions in John 5:22 “Moreover, the Father Judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father”. So it is clear that the Father has entrusted the role of Judgment to the Son.
Before we begin to see whether there is a conflict with the old testament scriptures* which says that Yahweh is the judge even of eschatological issues and with the new testament which attributes all eschatological judgements to Christ, it is first wise to understand who Jesus Christ is.
Jesus Christ in the gospel of John identifies himself to be Yahweh of the Old testament when in John chapter 8:24 and 58 he clearly says “If you do not believe that I AM you will die in your sins… Before Abraham was born I AM”. Jesus here identifies himself to be the Yahweh of the Old testament, that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When Jesus identified himself as Yahweh the Jews wanted to kill him because they did not know that He was telling the truth. Thus in the New testament we see a clear revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and because He is God he is able to judge perfectly. See 2 Corinthians 5:10 1Corinthians 4:5 cf. Jeremiah 17:10
Therefore there is no conflict between the Old testament and the new testament. Yahweh is assigned the role of Judge and because Jesus is Yahweh he is very capable to fulfil this duty. The new testament brings about a fuller revelation of who God is. That is that God is Father, Son and Spirit and although there are allusions to this in the old testament the New testament displays the full reality. See 1 Corinthians 4:5 Hebrews 1
But what is the Father’s role? Jesus came to make known the will of the Father, and the will of the Father was for Jesus to have authority to judge because Jesus is the son of man (John 5:27) which is a reference to Daniel 7:13-14. Also the Father’s will is that any one who looks to and believes in Jesus will have eternal life and Jesus will raise them on the last day (John 6:39).
But the Judgment of Jesus is not merely his own Judgment but he works in unison with His Father. “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is Just, for I seek not to please myself but the one who sent me”, John 5:30.
The Father has entrusted all judgement to Jesus Christ His Son and the Father’s role I believe is that He is working in unison with His Son and while the Father will not be doing the Judging in a physical sense yet His will is being enacted because whatever judgement Jesus passes, it is as if the Father passes it also because they are “One”. See Romans 2:16
Jesus is the Kyrios and the Father has placed all things into his hand (Matthew 28:18) so that all may worship and honour Jesus just as they honour the Father. The Father appointed Jesus to be the judge of all. This is a revelation. See Acts 10:42 Acts 17:30-31
* 1 Samuel 2:10 Psalm 94:1-2 Psalm 7:6-8 Isaiah 66:15-16 Joel 3:1-2, 11-17 Isaiah 33:22
Before we begin to see whether there is a conflict with the old testament scriptures* which says that Yahweh is the judge even of eschatological issues and with the new testament which attributes all eschatological judgements to Christ, it is first wise to understand who Jesus Christ is.
Jesus Christ in the gospel of John identifies himself to be Yahweh of the Old testament when in John chapter 8:24 and 58 he clearly says “If you do not believe that I AM you will die in your sins… Before Abraham was born I AM”. Jesus here identifies himself to be the Yahweh of the Old testament, that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When Jesus identified himself as Yahweh the Jews wanted to kill him because they did not know that He was telling the truth. Thus in the New testament we see a clear revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and because He is God he is able to judge perfectly. See 2 Corinthians 5:10 1Corinthians 4:5 cf. Jeremiah 17:10
Therefore there is no conflict between the Old testament and the new testament. Yahweh is assigned the role of Judge and because Jesus is Yahweh he is very capable to fulfil this duty. The new testament brings about a fuller revelation of who God is. That is that God is Father, Son and Spirit and although there are allusions to this in the old testament the New testament displays the full reality. See 1 Corinthians 4:5 Hebrews 1
But what is the Father’s role? Jesus came to make known the will of the Father, and the will of the Father was for Jesus to have authority to judge because Jesus is the son of man (John 5:27) which is a reference to Daniel 7:13-14. Also the Father’s will is that any one who looks to and believes in Jesus will have eternal life and Jesus will raise them on the last day (John 6:39).
But the Judgment of Jesus is not merely his own Judgment but he works in unison with His Father. “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is Just, for I seek not to please myself but the one who sent me”, John 5:30.
The Father has entrusted all judgement to Jesus Christ His Son and the Father’s role I believe is that He is working in unison with His Son and while the Father will not be doing the Judging in a physical sense yet His will is being enacted because whatever judgement Jesus passes, it is as if the Father passes it also because they are “One”. See Romans 2:16
Jesus is the Kyrios and the Father has placed all things into his hand (Matthew 28:18) so that all may worship and honour Jesus just as they honour the Father. The Father appointed Jesus to be the judge of all. This is a revelation. See Acts 10:42 Acts 17:30-31
* 1 Samuel 2:10 Psalm 94:1-2 Psalm 7:6-8 Isaiah 66:15-16 Joel 3:1-2, 11-17 Isaiah 33:22
This has not been dealt with exhaustively so please asks questions and I will react to your questions.
K.Oni
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
The Past Month
Its been a long time since I’ve given a summary of what’s been happening in this life of mine. Well, there’s many things I could write but this will be very brief and only highlight the major events and not bore you with tiny details.
I’m back in London well Kent in Greenhithe and life seems very peaceful although rather linear at times but there’s been a few disruption to the same old activities. You may wonder what the same old activities are. Well let me tell you. My day normally consist of sleeping late and waking early and probably in between have a nap. Whilst awake I am found to be on my Laptop doing a range of activities generally carried and dictated according to how I feel. If my soul is at peace then I am generally with a wonderful heavenly disposition seeking my beloved and always thinking of Him but if I feel melancholy due to the corruptness of my flesh then I am a distant figure until he comes to restore me with the gentle kisses of grace. This past month has been a mixture of both knowing the root cause of my misery and the foundation of my Joy.
I left Bristol in rather a joyish mood, in the excitement of coming back home and perhaps to never live in Bristol again. That made me sad because of those souls I have made residence in my heart and have created a space for me in their joy. Them I would miss and with some having regrets that I was never to the full with them. I arrived home and all was exceedingly jovial as I glimpse once again the sight of my blessed family.
The following week I was found at my old secondary school for a reunion and how glad and merry the occasion was. I saw fellow friends and teachers whose face I had missed for four long years and brief was our encounter. To some the conversation was long and to others it was mere formalities.
That same day I chilled with some of my old boys, friends whom I see regularly that I love as deep as space itself and would soon give my life for them. We saw transformers, a very action packed films with cool cars that transforms into this mega super fighting robots but with a life of their own. I loved transformers since I was little and remembered having a discussion about whether they would ever make a movie. I was not disappointed.
The same week, a friend from Romania arrived, well she became a friend. She stayed at the house for a week and on the Wednesday had the pleasure to take her to see London with my cousin and to finish of the day we dined at Nandos. It was her first time and she loved it. After her departure her mother revealed something to me which made me blush and now my prayers are for her to prosper in all that she does.
The following days saw a series of takeaways and dining out. And this passing weekend we took a trip to Brighton. We had a lovely time and the Friday night me and my cousin explored the night life. It was alive but dead. We chilled at a club but it was not the place for my soul. I had no business there - the music were mainly ungodly, the girls and boys were mainly seeking one thing but some of the beats brought back old memories. Sunday we departed and arrived in the comforts of our home.
That same evening I checked in at my local church to see if there was an evening service but I was disappointed. I need to find a church one that is local.
My soul has been a constant mixture of Joy of highest degree and sadness of low degrees and rarely found to be high although at times may appear a little melancholy. I sit and contemplate my future and see only one direct path ahead of me. Many saints have walked this road and I pray that I like Adoniram Judson may die so hard.
K.Oni
I’m back in London well Kent in Greenhithe and life seems very peaceful although rather linear at times but there’s been a few disruption to the same old activities. You may wonder what the same old activities are. Well let me tell you. My day normally consist of sleeping late and waking early and probably in between have a nap. Whilst awake I am found to be on my Laptop doing a range of activities generally carried and dictated according to how I feel. If my soul is at peace then I am generally with a wonderful heavenly disposition seeking my beloved and always thinking of Him but if I feel melancholy due to the corruptness of my flesh then I am a distant figure until he comes to restore me with the gentle kisses of grace. This past month has been a mixture of both knowing the root cause of my misery and the foundation of my Joy.I left Bristol in rather a joyish mood, in the excitement of coming back home and perhaps to never live in Bristol again. That made me sad because of those souls I have made residence in my heart and have created a space for me in their joy. Them I would miss and with some having regrets that I was never to the full with them. I arrived home and all was exceedingly jovial as I glimpse once again the sight of my blessed family.
The following week I was found at my old secondary school for a reunion and how glad and merry the occasion was. I saw fellow friends and teachers whose face I had missed for four long years and brief was our encounter. To some the conversation was long and to others it was mere formalities.
That same day I chilled with some of my old boys, friends whom I see regularly that I love as deep as space itself and would soon give my life for them. We saw transformers, a very action packed films with cool cars that transforms into this mega super fighting robots but with a life of their own. I loved transformers since I was little and remembered having a discussion about whether they would ever make a movie. I was not disappointed.
The same week, a friend from Romania arrived, well she became a friend. She stayed at the house for a week and on the Wednesday had the pleasure to take her to see London with my cousin and to finish of the day we dined at Nandos. It was her first time and she loved it. After her departure her mother revealed something to me which made me blush and now my prayers are for her to prosper in all that she does.
That same evening I checked in at my local church to see if there was an evening service but I was disappointed. I need to find a church one that is local.
My soul has been a constant mixture of Joy of highest degree and sadness of low degrees and rarely found to be high although at times may appear a little melancholy. I sit and contemplate my future and see only one direct path ahead of me. Many saints have walked this road and I pray that I like Adoniram Judson may die so hard.
K.Oni
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
I'm Hearing rumours of Love
I’m hearing rumours of love
But I’ve been bought by the blood
Sold to a King of infinite love.
I’m hearing rumours of love
But I’ve got a solemn vision
To live and die only for my heavenly King
I’m hearing rumours of love
But I’m only living to seek
The treasure of my priestly king
I’m hearing rumours of Love
To heed will only hinder
My walk with my heavenly King
I’m hearing rumours of Love
I dare not comply
Although it breaks me to decline.
I’m hearing rumours of Love
But I’ve resolved to Be alone
That I may entirely be for Him.
K.Oni
But I’ve been bought by the blood
Sold to a King of infinite love.
I’m hearing rumours of love
But I’ve got a solemn vision
To live and die only for my heavenly King
I’m hearing rumours of love
But I’m only living to seek
The treasure of my priestly king
I’m hearing rumours of Love
To heed will only hinder
My walk with my heavenly King
I’m hearing rumours of Love
I dare not comply
Although it breaks me to decline.
I’m hearing rumours of Love
But I’ve resolved to Be alone
That I may entirely be for Him.
K.Oni
When Winter comes
The dewy lawn the starless sky
Laid I with the grief my senses still supply .
When her sight is hushed
I am found to feel the touch that memory provides.
“Cry not friend, winter is yet to come”.
But I see winter running with an athlete’s speed.
The long summer is done, her cheerfulness is gone.
“Save thy tears then my fellow friend”.
What wealth the summer to me has brought
Her gentle kiss and dancing breeze
Made the air sing with bliss
A common pleasure she was to all.
When winter comes the darkness will fall
“Hurry in! all enter the Inn!”
But I am a Summer’s tree
“Winter will kill the summer if they meet”.
The dewy lawn the starless sky
Laid I with the joy my senses still supply
For Her sight is gone......
I am left with the warmth her memory provides.
K.Oni
Laid I with the grief my senses still supply .
When her sight is hushed
I am found to feel the touch that memory provides.
“Cry not friend, winter is yet to come”.
But I see winter running with an athlete’s speed.
The long summer is done, her cheerfulness is gone.
“Save thy tears then my fellow friend”.
What wealth the summer to me has brought
Her gentle kiss and dancing breeze
Made the air sing with bliss
A common pleasure she was to all.
When winter comes the darkness will fall
“Hurry in! all enter the Inn!”
But I am a Summer’s tree
“Winter will kill the summer if they meet”.
The dewy lawn the starless sky
Laid I with the joy my senses still supply
For Her sight is gone......
I am left with the warmth her memory provides.
K.Oni
Forgive me for my life of Sin
Lord Jesus Please, forgive me for my life of sin
For ten years I’ve been running like a thief
Committed felony, against the law of God
Ever since I’ve been living this life of wrong.
Screaming Westside as a little kid
I sold my soul to the fiends for the highest bid.
Living a life of pleasure, getting with chicks past midnight
Drinking and slanging until I pass out.
The drugs were just the antidote
To kill my conscience escape reality of my guilty life.
Somebody save me was my secret cry
But with my boys I put my shades on so they can’t see my desperate eyes.
Its all wrong my mama once told me
This lifestyle she really tried to save me*.
This is the fate of a ghetto kid, I could have changed
But I march to the beat of the streets.
I maintain this passion for so many years
Until I heard a voice come calling.
Couldn’t resist, it was irresistible
I guess I saw the white light
Brought me on my knees
As I screamed
Lord Jesus Please, forgive me for my life of Sin.
* or raise me right
K.Oni
For ten years I’ve been running like a thief
Committed felony, against the law of God
Ever since I’ve been living this life of wrong.
Screaming Westside as a little kid
I sold my soul to the fiends for the highest bid.
Living a life of pleasure, getting with chicks past midnight
Drinking and slanging until I pass out.
The drugs were just the antidote
To kill my conscience escape reality of my guilty life.
Somebody save me was my secret cry
But with my boys I put my shades on so they can’t see my desperate eyes.
Its all wrong my mama once told me
This lifestyle she really tried to save me*.
This is the fate of a ghetto kid, I could have changed
But I march to the beat of the streets.
I maintain this passion for so many years
Until I heard a voice come calling.
Couldn’t resist, it was irresistible
I guess I saw the white light
Brought me on my knees
As I screamed
Lord Jesus Please, forgive me for my life of Sin.
* or raise me right
K.Oni
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Help me fight it
I can’t fight it
The situation keeps me awake
I feel I’m slipping
Sinking deep beneath the sea
I can’t win it.
Death seems like life to me
I’ve gotta keep breathing
Drinking in the fountains of hope
I’ve gotta Keep believing.
Dreaming of the end of my woes
When sunny days will roll
And I’ll be firm like the solid grounds.
Somebody please give me a call
Tell me its cool before I reach
The end of this fall.
I can’t fight it
The situation keeps me awake
I’ve gotta try it
The only way I’m keeping this will
Is if you help me fight it!
K.Oni
The situation keeps me awake
I feel I’m slipping
Sinking deep beneath the sea
I can’t win it.
Death seems like life to me
I’ve gotta keep breathing
Drinking in the fountains of hope
I’ve gotta Keep believing.
Dreaming of the end of my woes
When sunny days will roll
And I’ll be firm like the solid grounds.
Somebody please give me a call
Tell me its cool before I reach
The end of this fall.
I can’t fight it
The situation keeps me awake
I’ve gotta try it
The only way I’m keeping this will
Is if you help me fight it!
K.Oni
What did I go out to see?
What did I go out to see?
A reed swayed by the wind?
A man dressed in fine clothes?
No!
Those who dress in fine clothes are in the Kings’ palaces
But
I did go to see a Prophet
Yes,
More than a Prophet
But
not more than a Man.
A prophet who was the greatest born of a Woman.
I did see this rugged looking man with Camels hair
A Leather belt around His waist
With locusts and Wild Honey for His food.
I did see him preach and reach
Baptize and teach proclaiming and
Preparing the way for a King.
K.Oni
A reed swayed by the wind?
A man dressed in fine clothes?
No!
Those who dress in fine clothes are in the Kings’ palaces
But
I did go to see a Prophet
Yes,
More than a Prophet
But
not more than a Man.
A prophet who was the greatest born of a Woman.
I did see this rugged looking man with Camels hair
A Leather belt around His waist
With locusts and Wild Honey for His food.
I did see him preach and reach
Baptize and teach proclaiming and
Preparing the way for a King.
K.Oni
Does God Love His Enemies?
I can still remember the chair I was sitting in years ago when I read a life-changing page in John MacArthur’s book The God Who Loves. In an economy of words, John exposed, confronted, and changed my thinking on one of the most critical areas of theology, the nature of God. My understanding of God’s love—specifically His love for the non-elect—was never the same.
For months, I had been wrestling with the question of whether God’s love extends beyond those He chose for salvation. “Does God love all humanity, even the Judas Iscariots and Adolf Hitlers of the world?” At the time, I couldn’t answer that question with any degree of certainty. And although I was sitting under sound biblical teaching, I had begun entertaining the idea that God’s elect have a monopoly on His love. I couldn't reconcile the idea of God loving His enemies with the following texts:
- Psalm 5:5, “You hate all workers of iniquity.”
- Psalm 7:11, “God is angry with the wicked every day.”
- Psalm 26:5, “I have hated the assembly of evil doers.”
Beyond those troubling texts, I was grappling with God’s explicit statements about hating Esau found in Romans 9 and Malachi 1. “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” You have to admit, that’s a hard verse to refute. God’s hatred was unrelated to Esau’s conduct or character. It was rooted in His eternal, sovereign purposes.
The more I pondered those verses, the more resistant I became to acknowledging God’s love to all humanity. I failed to see the tragic effects such thinking had on my evangelistic fervency. I had adopted a self-righteous mindset, thinking God was absolutely repulsed by unbelievers—probably just as repulsed as I was. I became blind to all the Scriptures speaking to God’s steadfast love and compassion for the lost. Somewhere along the way, my love and compassion for sinners waned.
I was convinced in my own mind. God loves the elect and hates the non-elect. End of discussion.
But then, I read the following words by John MacArthur:
Scripture clearly says that God is love. “The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works” (Ps. 145:9). Christ even commands us to love our enemies, and the reason He gives is this: “In order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:45). The clear implication is that in some sense God loves His enemies. He loves both “the evil and the good,” both “the righteous and the unrighteous” in precisely the same sense we are commanded to love our enemies.
In fact, the second greatest commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk. 12:31; cf. Lev. 19:18), is a commandment for us to love everyone. We can be certain the scope of this commandment is universal, because Luke 10 records that a lawyer, “wishing to justify himself … said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (Lk. 10:29)—and Jesus answered with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The point? Even Samaritans, a semi-pagan race who had utterly corrupted Jewish worship and whom the Jews generally detested as enemies of God, were neighbors whom they were commanded to love. In other words, the command to love one’s “neighbor” applies to everyone. This love commanded here is clearly a universal, indiscriminate love.
Consider this: Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law in every respect (Matt. 5:17–18), including this command for universal love. His love for others was surely as far-reaching as His own application of the commandment in Luke 10. Therefore, we can be certain that He loved everyone. He must have loved everyone in order to fulfill the Law. After all, the apostle Paul wrote, “The whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal. 5:14). He reiterates this theme in Romans 13:8: “He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” Therefore, Jesus must have loved His “neighbor.” And since He Himself defined “neighbor” in universal terms, we know that His love while on earth was universal.
Do we imagine that Jesus as perfect man loves those whom Jesus as God does not love? Would God command us to love in a way that He does not? Would God demand that our love be more far-reaching than His own? And did Christ, having loved all humanity during His earthly sojourn, then revert after His ascension to pure hatred for the non-elect? Such would be unthinkable; “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever” (Heb 13:8) (John MacArthur, The God Who Loves, 102-03).
John’s simple explanation of those Scriptures compelled me to rethink my position on God’s love. Jesus was God. Jesus loved His neighbors—even His non-elect neighbors. Jesus was a friendto sinners. Jesus loved His enemies—all of them. How could I have missed that? What caused me to overlook such clear, vital truths about the character of God? The answer is pride, that hideous sin lurking in all of us, waiting for the opportunity to express itself.
If you wrestle with some of the verses I listed, or struggle to reconcile God’s love with his wrath, I’d recommend you pick up a copy of John’s book The God Who Loves.
Tommy Clayton
Content Developer and Broadcast Editor http://www.gty.org/Blog/B110706
Content Developer and Broadcast Editor http://www.gty.org/Blog/B110706
Sunday, 3 July 2011
Open Window
Although a week a stranger she was to meBut now a familiar face of fantastic delight.
From two avenues we came to join
Still yet I blush and dare not linger my stare.
One morning the Sun shining in its glory
She shone in my eyes
To wave me dimineata*.
I dare not linger my stare
Lest her reddish hair wins me away.
For I am abandoned to another's bright afternoon love.
This is an open window I must close.
K.Oni
*dimineata means morning
A Prayer for my soul - Fill this place
Fill this place Lord with your Power, Spirit and Love.
Fill it with the fullness of your presence that we may encounter you in a new way
Or that old way where the weight of your glory overwhelms us.
Fill this place Oh Lord for the sake of your name.
Should not the nations declare the glory of your name?
Should not the people bow before the Sovereign King?
Should you not be jealous for your glory?
Oh God our heavenly Father,
Oh Christ our heavenly Saviour,
Oh Spirit our heavenly Comforter
Come and dwell upon us
Increase your dwelling in us that we may be full of power, full of love and full of your presence
That we may do the mighty works that our Lord did while he walked this earth.
We are thirsty, We are hungry, We are not satisfied until you come.
So we will persevere, we will endure the barren times
For we know a storm is coming when He will drench us with His Spirit
And the Sons of God will appear with Power.
Then it shall be fulfilled 'The whole earth is full of His glory'.
K.Oni
Fill it with the fullness of your presence that we may encounter you in a new way
Or that old way where the weight of your glory overwhelms us.
Fill this place Oh Lord for the sake of your name.
Should not the nations declare the glory of your name?
Should not the people bow before the Sovereign King?
Should you not be jealous for your glory?
Oh God our heavenly Father,
Oh Christ our heavenly Saviour,
Oh Spirit our heavenly Comforter
Come and dwell upon us
Increase your dwelling in us that we may be full of power, full of love and full of your presence
That we may do the mighty works that our Lord did while he walked this earth.
We are thirsty, We are hungry, We are not satisfied until you come.
So we will persevere, we will endure the barren times
For we know a storm is coming when He will drench us with His Spirit
And the Sons of God will appear with Power.
Then it shall be fulfilled 'The whole earth is full of His glory'.
K.Oni
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Staying awake this summer
Last year for the summer holidays, I set up a facebook group called Staying awake this summer. The aim of the group was to help us maintain a healthy reading of the bible because many of us will be going back home away from the Christian union and the church. Therefore it is easy to sleep through the summer period and backslide in your Christian walk. To help us from this danger I set up the group and we read all of Paul's letters and this year I have done the same thing but we will be reading through the gospels beginning at Matthew. We have started already and I am impressed with the comments that people have made on the chapters they have read and it has been a great encouragement to me. I will be posting people's comment on the chapters taking directly from Facebook. We read two chapters a day but the individual can dictate their own pace. If you would like to join us here is the Link, it would be a pleasure to have you involve. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_239817449364674&ap=1
You see God uses signs all the time, we too stubborn to notice; The Star(Matt 2:2, 2:7, 2:9-11), which also can be related in Psalm 48:14, "He will be our guide forever." He visits Joseph 3 times if I recall in dreams, and Archelaus (Herod's Son). We don't take dreams seriously that all are from God trying to give us a sign or message. God always speaks to us in the prophetic. Matthew 1:22-23, Matthew 2:5-6, Matthew 2:15, Matthew 2:17-18, Matthew 2:23.
He spoke to the Magi/Wise men in a dream, even saving them because they came to worship Jesus :) The father loves that :) He sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17). God tells us things through natural disasters too, the reason being to shake us up and bring us to Him. It was really cool how the Magi got overwhelmed with joy when the star stopped! ONLY God the Father can grant us true JOY, not happiness which is of the world and does not satisfy! I can't imagine what joy the overcame them for seeing the Messiah!
Interesting how they gave Jesus gifts too; gold, frankincence, and myrrh. The only gift we can truly give to Jesus is our SIN! We can do do do, try try try, work work work. But if we give Jesus our filthy record of sin, in exchange shockingly we get eternal life with him :O AWESOME.
Once again GOD is sovereign over EVERYTHING. He shows He is in complete control due to the protection from the enemy working in Herod. I think its a message for todays church. Be like Joseph and the Magi! Don't do it yours/man's/the world's way do it God's way! Because sometimes we are wrong with out God's voice, and correcting is a good thing. He shall truly protect us from the darkness :)
Sorry I wrote an essay I just LOVE this stuff! :) Leonard Ravenhill once said, "What are you going to do when you get to eternity, if you can't stick in an hour with God down here? In God's name, what are you going to do in a million years in God's presence? Expect some reports from earth about football or something?" lol LEDGE
another point of interest is the genealogy. Notice it mentions five women. this is different from the norm and the woman mentioned were of mixed lifestyles. Tamar dressed as a harlot, Rahab was a Harlot, Bathsheba slept with David whilst married, Ruth was a Moabite (a non-jew) and Mary was thought to have committed adultery but we know that she was pure. This inclusion is a departure from the ordinary and Jesus in His ministry departs from the ordinary by welcoming outsiders into his kingdom.
Also the wise men worshipped Jesus I think pointing to his divinity.
People's comments on the first two chapters of Matthew:
Rebekah: Chapter 1 and 2 remind me about the great gift God sent us, His son Jesus! And about the amazing ways God talks to us and how faithful He is to us! I love the fact that I am reminded that the star led the people to Jesus, and recently I have decided to get myself an object that will be my reminder that God is good, and is always with me, so I can try and put all my requests etc to Him...and this object is a star, What a generous God!
Richard: The thing that struck me most from these chapters is how God is responsible fro basically everything that happens. The only person acting independently is Herod. It's really encouraging to know how much God takes the initiative in every part of our lives.
Rory: I see SIGNS as the theme of the first two chapters. You have a 400 year gap of oppression between Malachi and JESUS' birth Hallelujah HE CAME THEN, for us unworthy Gentiles so that we could be saved! His coming was prophetically spoken about for hundreds and hundreds of years, and more particularly since the fall of men in the garden. All these PERFECT sacrifices the Jews had to make. . no longer the great sacrifice was born, the LAMB OF GOD :) :) :)
You see God uses signs all the time, we too stubborn to notice; The Star(Matt 2:2, 2:7, 2:9-11), which also can be related in Psalm 48:14, "He will be our guide forever." He visits Joseph 3 times if I recall in dreams, and Archelaus (Herod's Son). We don't take dreams seriously that all are from God trying to give us a sign or message. God always speaks to us in the prophetic. Matthew 1:22-23, Matthew 2:5-6, Matthew 2:15, Matthew 2:17-18, Matthew 2:23.
He spoke to the Magi/Wise men in a dream, even saving them because they came to worship Jesus :) The father loves that :) He sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17). God tells us things through natural disasters too, the reason being to shake us up and bring us to Him. It was really cool how the Magi got overwhelmed with joy when the star stopped! ONLY God the Father can grant us true JOY, not happiness which is of the world and does not satisfy! I can't imagine what joy the overcame them for seeing the Messiah!
Interesting how they gave Jesus gifts too; gold, frankincence, and myrrh. The only gift we can truly give to Jesus is our SIN! We can do do do, try try try, work work work. But if we give Jesus our filthy record of sin, in exchange shockingly we get eternal life with him :O AWESOME.
Once again GOD is sovereign over EVERYTHING. He shows He is in complete control due to the protection from the enemy working in Herod. I think its a message for todays church. Be like Joseph and the Magi! Don't do it yours/man's/the world's way do it God's way! Because sometimes we are wrong with out God's voice, and correcting is a good thing. He shall truly protect us from the darkness :)
Sorry I wrote an essay I just LOVE this stuff! :) Leonard Ravenhill once said, "What are you going to do when you get to eternity, if you can't stick in an hour with God down here? In God's name, what are you going to do in a million years in God's presence? Expect some reports from earth about football or something?" lol LEDGE
Charnelle: I can really see how God is completely in control. Throughout these chapters, setbacks came (in the form of Herod etc) but through it all, God was completely in control and all the things that were foretold were fulfilled. These chapters really made me think about our lives and the promises that God has made about them. Yes, setbacks may come but ultimately, God is fully in control of our lives and knows exactly what he wants for us and NOTHING is going to stand in the way of what God wants for us :) These chapters also made me think about what incredible faith Mary and Joseph must have had through all of this and how wonderful it is to have faith in our Lord! It's amazing how i've heard the story of the birth of Jesus so many times yet sitting down and reading it today, God has revealed to me so many amazing things - our Lord is incredible and Jesus Christ was and is truly an amazing gift :D
Will: What particularly stood out for me reading it this time has been seeing God's amazing faithfulness! All that he says is fulfilled, even in that passage most of what happend has been told through prophets, by God, years before. It also gives me a massive encouragement of God's ultimate faithfulness shown on the cross, with only the start of the story it shouldn't be a surprise even (as it has already been written) though it is incredible! Isaiah 7:14 'Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.' GOD IS WITH US!! Look to God today guys! It is only by what Jesus has done on the cross that God is with us personally! How great is our God!
Ken: From the first two Chapters I learnt that Jesus was divine, that he will save his people from their sins, He was born King, he is a shepherd, He is with us and predicted in the old testament.
Also another interesting thing is that Jesus was to be called Emmanuel (God with us) and if you fast forward to the great commission Jesus promises to maintain his presence with his disciples when he said that I am with you always. So He is still with us today. Jesus is still Emanuel.another point of interest is the genealogy. Notice it mentions five women. this is different from the norm and the woman mentioned were of mixed lifestyles. Tamar dressed as a harlot, Rahab was a Harlot, Bathsheba slept with David whilst married, Ruth was a Moabite (a non-jew) and Mary was thought to have committed adultery but we know that she was pure. This inclusion is a departure from the ordinary and Jesus in His ministry departs from the ordinary by welcoming outsiders into his kingdom.
Also the wise men worshipped Jesus I think pointing to his divinity.
K.Oni
Miscellanies 9 - To see your face and die
My heart is ever pressing on to know of that infinite satisfaction of Yahweh. To taste in full all of the impressions and dimensions of the love which abounds in unequal measure in the Godhead. I am prone to wonder, to dream daily of that day when the incorruptible will swallow up the corruptible. When this feeble flesh will be utterly resilient to all the temptation of the devil and hell. I long as a father for his lost son to be found in the drowning sea of Yahweh's Love. Here I am unsatisfied because I see but dimly. Yahweh, a masterful arouser knows the perfect means to awake my soul, to leave me with the dew of the morning and make me strive for the evening rain. Better it is oh infinitely better it is for me to spend a day in His presence than for me to enjoy all of the pleasing pleasures of this earth for all eternity. My heart is entirely abandoned to your face, let me see it and gladly will I die, yes to see your face and die - to see your face and die.
K.Oni
K.Oni
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