Miscellanies 29 - This very year you may die

Thus says the LORD:  'Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the LORD.'" Jeremiah 28:16

This year my friends, you may die - any one of us may be found prey to deaths hammer and cut of from the pleasures of life. Everything you have ever known to be good will all of a sudden be ripped away from you. You shall bid your eternal farewell to it all. Dancing, games, TV, Family, friends, food and drinks will all be stripped away from you. If you die still lingering in your sins, all of the prospect that the pleasures of all this world thrust will be denied you. No more shall you ever dance with pleasure or have a drop of sweetness. No more shall the light shine upon you, because whilst here on earth it does not shine on you willingly but the creator has subjected it to shine on you.  In heaven having been set free from its bondage, Light will turn away from you for he has no part with those who rebel against their creator.

Cut off you may be this year, young and old - you know not what tomorrow brings. Your youthful energy will be drained and your oldness will not be renewed. What awaits you tomorrow or this year may be that drop into that fix gulf where misery reigns forever - hope forever lost and love no where to be found. This year you may die, and if you die without Christ, you will live without him. The source of all joy and pleasure will forsake you, he will reject you as you have rejected him here. There you will plead, beg and cry, even having a love for your family and friends wanting to come back to be the most eager of evangelist to warn them of the sorrow to come - but it will be to late. By then death is forever your portion, you lingered in sin like Lot’s wife and desired its fruit. There you will receive received its wages. And God, the Father of all mercies will have no more mercy left for you - whilst here his mercies are renewed every morning but there in that abyss His wrath is renewed every hour.

O sinner unclench your grip and release your sin, the devil cannot damn you, only your sins are at this moment sending you to hell. But Christ was crucified to take away its effect. Believe and surrender, put down the weapon of your rebellion. Harden not your heart, surrender your will, surrender your will and like a man forfeit your rights and live by His. O dear sinner I am not one to preach you a jellyfish Christianity, to bring you a jellyfish message and to bring you a jellyfish security.

I know that there are some of you sitting in the pews, listening ever so attentive to this sermon for long years and you have never known Christ. You are still an alien to his kingdom, a foreigner and a gentile. You have the marks of religion but you deny its power. You have confused morality with the Holy Spirit. You have confused regeneration for moral improvements. O I fear for you - if you have not been born again, If the Holy Spirit has not quickened your heart, if you have not faith like a little child, I fear for you. This year you may die and there there will be no sympathising friends, no pastor to comfort your soul, no more evangelist to declare to you the gospel, no more hope for glory, no more opportunities to repent, no more no more but what awaits you is everlasting torments at the hands of an Holy omnipotent God whose glory and honour you have trampled upon, whose love you have declined, and whose Son who shed his blood for you, you have spat upon. O then there will be nothing for you - darkness will be your portion - This year you may die, give him your life today, surrender and trust in His salvation.

K.Oni

A Prayer for my soul - For your church to care

O Heavenly Father, thou art compassionate and merciful, great and glorious. Your name is excellent and so are your deeds. You cause the storm to rise and the mountains to fall. You still the waves and limit its boundaries.  The whole heaven declares your glory and earth is your footstool. You alone with your Son and thy Spirit has worked and accomplished the glorious work of redemption and to this I now turn. I pray dear Father, that you behold your church, the Church of your Son and have great pity upon them especially the suffering churches. Cease the hands of oppression and uphold the arms of justice. Cause the hearts of your saints to persevere, cause our hearts to cry and care. O Father, that your church may be one as you are one. That we may feel each striking blow inflicted upon our brothers and sisters, that we may feel each day lived without food, that our senses may be heightened due to the immediate fear, that we may be able to emphasize just as your Son was able to emphasize with our sufferings. O, cause our heart to break, that we may rise in desperation to seek their prosperity. That we may no longer linger in apathy but dwell in prayer. That we may empty our pockets and purchase materials of blessings, that we may know of what it is to partake in their sufferings. Help us Father, awake your people and I thank you for the many caring saints who have taking up their cause. I delight in them Father. Jesus, continue to build your church and as you build it there, forget not us, but come to us and establish your throne in this camp dominated by materialism and intellectualism. Remove our dross, inspire us once again with your teaching to live simply and radically. Remind us again of community, remind us again of solidarity, remind us again of sacrifice, remind us again of LOVE.

I pray also for the world, for the whole world is in your hands and you have all authority and power. I pray for many governments who have the power to do good but at current are willing evil, that they may turn from their ways and do the duty of their office. We pray for light in our darkness, peace in war torn places, prosperity instead of poverty, grant ways to overcome sickness, above all I pray that the world may come to know and love your Son, Jesus Christ who is Saviour of all who believe.

K.Oni

A treasure Hid on a Saturday night

A treasure was hid on a Saturday night 
By a Scot of a brilliant mind
With housemates near, which one did bump
The other did play a beautiful song. 
Hear the anthem of God’s chosen ones 
Attracting a peacock to peak our joy
Let it rain the skies declined as we marched through the mud-spattered wood 
Where thickets lurch and boys did climb upon a church 
Which once did have a love like ours for Jesus Christ
Verily verily he often would say pray the father for his kingdom come 
With arms held high in unity bound students weigh what contour love may take 
The treasure found by a group of hounds 
A fitting find to end the night 
She did smile a summers smile 
The bump diminished none of her glow which did spring 
From knowing God’s good show


K.Oni

The garden eclipsed by the bright Sun

The garden eclipsed by the bright Sun
Where daises beautiful and bold play out their songs -
It was delightful, no ruins breathing but lilies whistling.
What landscapes blossoms the uprising afternoons - 
Couples twice seen luring the minnowy brooks,
Awaken affections; heavily tapestry gently weave love 
Between greener banks of happy doves  -
Young lambs in springtime adorn the uncounted primroses.
 Laid I webbed sweetened and restrained 
By the beauty of Nature’s sight!


K.Oni

Letters to Sybil (2)

My darling Sybil, the rain poured much this morning almost drowning the tent in which we lay. Cold are the nights and leaden in the sunlight hours. Even when the sun does pay us a smile without you near it is all a glare. If a bullet or the thrusting of an enemies knife kills me not then the distance that partitions us will eventually murder me. I am not alone in this feeling, for I have made an agreeable comrade. His name is Aemon and long we converse into the late midnight hours talking about many an imperative subject, discoursing about the distressing nature of politics and useless ends of philosophy. We disagree on many themes but both like twin brothers agree on this topic of love where many of our comrades comprehend as a feminine affair. They are beast thrown into a paradise who regards it just like the wild from which they were taken - we are no less men for speaking of such a tranquil weighty subject for we take our course from Him who created it all.


When I speak of it I talk much of you and of Him who gave his life for humanity. It is this activeness of it which has amputated me from your velvety embracing arms. I long to be held by them again and this such longing may yet keep me alive. The first of June will soon draw nigh when your beloved will take up arms against the foe whom so far has no genial spirit or warmth but malicious and malevolent to mother and child. Much would I have preferred the way of peace but these barbarians comprehend or appreciate nothing of her so in conflict we must endeavour and hope without doubt, understanding the fate of our civilization rest in our victory.   


My Dear, sleep I pray in the night and be at watch in the day that perhaps the hands of providence will favour my end; so as to be, you and I will meet and embrace and marry till death steals our love in our old becoming age.


With all the Love and more that a good man can give
Sebastian

The writings of Sunny Caane (1)

It didn’t seem a trifle task when I endeavour to put my hands to the plough. But upon labouring on the task, I felt so much strain that the weight almost became unbearable. It was like walking underneath a scorching heat, like treading on nails and walking a tight rope. I considered much whether to fold my hands and submit to where I came; then I remembered that the master of the business is not so forgiven to those who shrink back. The reflection on quitting became an un-desirous possibility for the weight of it all that is the force of the Master’s wrath will be much more than if I bore this current burden. So I persevered and achieved a noble end; the master was much glad and I too was filled with smiles of tiredness and gladness.

At first I saw him do things that good men ought not to do - it all became clear that men can clothe themselves in godly apparels but when naked they are worse than the devil. It was so with Tom; the shock of uncovering his sin was like the discovery of America by Columbus except I was filled with much sadness. The night was yet young so I encouraged myself to go to his house. Tom lived ten minutes away so I exercised my legs. There was much joy in the air as kids hung round the corner and little ones were leaving the park with their parents. To my surprise tom left his front door on a hatch so I let myself in. In astonishment as I walked to his living room I saw him lying with a woman that was not his wife  - Tom looked up and our eyes met.

Ever since of late I have held on to a fragile hope of love ever since the midnight when I saw her by the bar sitting as lovely as ever a goddess could. I knew her before and my feelings for her came suddenly like a rush of wind on a clear sunny day, it blew and overcame my mind. Since then I have been weak at her appearance and now seems a good chance to tell her. So I did. I approached her walking uprightly and then sat right next to her. Claire I said - she responded surprised that she knew my name. I continued and told her how beautiful she was and dared her to let me be hers. She smiled with her eyes twinkling and then stared into my eyes to say that it was impossible for us to be. I probed her to give me sound reasons why this cannot be and she insisted on a past hurt - she said little of it but this memory has placed a tear in her heart. Unwilling to accept her rejection, I told her that I know its not easy to give up your heart but she must move on from her past, no one is perfect and we all carry a history of which future we can change. I told her to give me a chance, that I would walk the extra mile - I will be the man who will run the hills and valleys with her. 

There is always something sweet, something sorrowful when I come to sit beneath the weeping and happy midnight stars. My thoughts hastily hasten to his small brown eyes where life as sweet as peace once dwelt so abundantly that all who saw and held him were captivated and secured in his joyfulness. I know that much of him is engraved among the stars and the reason why one star in particular shines brighter than the rest since his passing away is because of his uncompressible joy. The tears still fall from my eyes, wetting the blanket on which I lie. 

K.Oni

Storms of life

A glance at the news this week reminds us of the power of the ocean. On the one hand, a 16-year-old girl has become the youngest sailor to single-handedly circumnavigate the Earth. On the other, a cruise liner lies wrecked off the Tuscan coast. As I write, the death toll stands at 16, with more still unaccounted for.
 
To some the sea is a challenge to overcome. To others, a dangerous enemy.
 
Other news stories describe various storms and shakings; terrorist attacks in Nigeria, and the IMF’s warning that the world’s economy is “deep into the danger zone”. In the face of such challenges, Christians must draw strength and comfort from their faith in God. The Psalmist writes: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the Earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3). As the Psalm continues, the writer contrasts the violent sea with a stream that makes glad the City of God (verse 4).
 
Even in the midst of storms, God provides comfort. 
 
Many people in our society have no belief in a personal deity who offers peace or intervenes in history. When they find themselves shaken by the storms of life, we must be able to offer them a glimpse of the peace that can only come from hope in the Christian God.
 
On one occasion, the disciples were on a boat in a storm, terrified for their lives. They woke Jesus, who uttered two words - “be still” - and the sea turned calm. It’s this kind of God that the world needs to know right now; a caring, powerful God who immersed Himself into our experience, faced the storms head-on, and in an instant calmed them. As we introduce people to the storm-stilling Jesus, they ought to wonder, as the disciples did: “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him!” (Mark 4:41)
 
The message of Christianity, however, is not simply comfort now, but hope for the future. In Scripture the sea is a symbol of evil, chaos, or hostile powers, so when John writes: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth […] and there was no longer any sea” (Revelation 21:1). He anticipates a day when all elements that currently stand against God’s purposes will be banished forever. With language echoing Psalm 46, John describes a river of life that makes glad the City of God (Revelation 22:1-3). In this New Creation, world economies will no longer collapse, for in it will be the wealth of nations (Isaiah 60:11). There will be no suffering, sickness or death; God will wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4).
 
The Christian hope is not that God will evacuate us from earth to a disembodied existence elsewhere; a dramatic rescue from a sinking ship. Rather, God will renew creation, undoing the brokenness once and for all. The storms of life are like birth pains, anticipating the day when God will make everything new (Romans 8:18-25). Until then, we are to proclaim the gospel message of hope. We should seek to alleviate suffering, care for the poor, and give people a taste of what life will be like in God’s New Creation.
 
Whatever storms you may be facing, take comfort from the promise of hope, and seek to extend His peace to those around you. The same God who said “be still” to a raging sea, encourages us likewise: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). 

David Stroud is the leader ChristChurch London and host of the Everything Conference on 17 March with keynote speaker Os Guinness
everythingconference.org