2013 - CHAPEL OF GRACE BRADFORD

PRAYERS
FOR CHILDREN
Acts 19:20
Isa. 54:13
Prov. 13:1
Isa. 54:13
Prov. 2:6
1Pet. 1:14
1Pet. 1:15
1Pet. 2:2
Jas. 1:19
Heb. 13:5
Heb. 13:5
Heb. 13:16
2Pet. 3:18
1Thes. 4:1
1Pet. 5:5
1Pet. 5:5
1Pet. 5:7
Jas. 1:22
Ph’m. 1:6
2Tim. 1:7
2Tim. 1:9
2Tim. 1:9
2Tim. 4:18
John 10:5
2Tim. 2:22
Jas. 3:10
1Jn. 5:18
Ps. 91:11
Ps. 4:8
1Jn. 2:5
1Jn . 2:15
3Jn. 1:11
1Jn. 1:7
Jas. 4:8
2Tim. 2:22
Heb. 13:18
Prov. 3:4
I thank you Father that Your Word prevails over our children.
That they are taught of the Lord and continue to be
The fruit of godly instruction and correction.
Great is their peace and undisturbed composure.
Father, give us counsel and wisdom in bringing up our children.
I say they are obedient, not conforming to the things of the flesh,
but holy, in all conduct.
desiring the pure milk of the Word that they may grow thereby.
That they are swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.
Their conduct is without covetousness,
and they are content with what they have.
They do not forget to do what is right and to share.
I pray that they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord,
and abound more and more in how they should walk and please You.
That they submit to their elders, and to one another,
being clothed with humility.
That they cast their cares upon You, Father, for You care for them.
I thank You that they are doers of the Word, and not hearers only,
effectively sharing their faith.
not having a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
Father, You have saved them and called them with a holy calling,
not according to works, but according to Your own purpose.
Deliver them from every evil work and preserve them.
They will by no means follow strangers, not knowing their voices.
They abide with others who call on the Lord out of a pure heart,
and cursing comes not out of their mouth.
Because Jesus keeps them safe, the wicked one does not touch them.
Give Your angels special charge to accompany, defend, preserve
and provide safety for them, day and night.
Because they keep Your Word, Your love is being perfected in them.
They do not love the world or the things in the world,
and they do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.
They walk in the light as You are in the Light,
cleansing their hands and purifying their hearts,
They follow after righteousness, faith, love, and peace.
They have a good conscience and desire to live honourably,
having favour and high esteem with God and man.
...restoring lives, giving hope
IN THIS ISSUE:
* MANIFESTATION
* THE POWER OF ENCOURAGEMENT
* OVERCOMING TIMES OF CRISIS
* ALIVE FOR A PURPOSE
* PRE-MARITAL COUNSELING
* FORCEFULLY ADVANCING
* AND MUCH MORE!
If you would like to receive inspirational and uplifting articles and
news of our events straight to your inbox why not sign up for our
E-Newsletter via the form on our website www.chapelofgrace.org.uk
Of Faucets and Sinkholes
I stood staring blankly ahead of me, like one Don't we meet people that are like faucets and
transfixed, lost in my own thoughts.
sinkholes everyday?
“They are constantly in my thoughts.
I cannot stop thinking about your mighty
works”. Psalm 77:12 (NLT)
I like to clean, when I can afford the energy and time
to do so. I like my things to be in order as much as
possible. Yeah, I can be fussy about putting things
in order when I'm in the mood. Guess 'little apple'me didn't fall far from 'my tree'-mum, in that regard.
But there are some times when all I want to do is sit
back, relax and just take in the scenery around me.
Calvary greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ who has brought us this far in our year of Great Wonders.
This year our theme scripture has been 1 Corinthians 2:9 which
says “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him.” So far, God has been
very faithful.
This year’s Divine Encounter conference is the fifth since we
began and number five is the symbol of grace. Therefore, I decree that the grace of God will be sufficient onto you this year in
Jesus name (2 Corinthians 12:9). Yes, talking about God’s
grace, the great Apostle Paul had a "thorn" in the flesh, yet Paul
was not alone for God was with him. God will be with you also in
Jesus name. In Deuteronomy 31:6, we are encouraged to “Be
strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of
them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave
you nor forsake you” (NIV).
To many, there seems to be a thorn in their lives. Jesus Christ,
Our Saviour wore a crown of thorns. Apostle Paul's thorn was
never disclosed to us. Paul even begged that his thorn might be
removed. He thought it was exceptionally painful. There is no
hint that Paul complained. He prayed. He said for to me to live is
Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Each of us may think
that our thorn is worse than that of others. Affliction should drive
us to God, not away from Him. Affliction should draw us nearer
and nearer to Him. Job said though he slay me, yet will I trust in
him (Job 13:15). If our prayer preceded our complaining, we
would probably bless rather than blame. Paul's prayer was definite and repeated. Paul said: "For this thing I besought the Lord
thrice, that it might depart from me" (2 Corinthians 12:8). Paul’s
cry was urgent and persistent. We may say Paul's prayer was
not answered? It was answered and gloriously answered, but
not in the way that we would acknowledge. The answer was:
"He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness …." (2 Corinthians 12:9). You may
have wondered sometimes whether God really cares? You may
have wondered why a particular trouble has come your way or
why is it not removed? Why is my prayer not answered?
I can imagine you saying does God really care when my heart is
pained to even sing a song? Let Christ’s personal assurance to
Paul be a heartening guarantee that He does indeed care. "…
He said unto me…” Paul said. Perhaps, no verse of Scripture
has brought more comfort to Christian hearts than this one. "He
said unto me."! This was Paul’s personal experience. "My grace
is sufficient for thee." This year God told us at the cross over
service that in the midst of the storms of life, we will find peace.
John 14:27 says “Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now
give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to
you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be
afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed;
and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and
cowardly and unsettled] (AMP).
I want to assure you that this God is still the Sovereign One. You
shall laugh last in Jesus name. No matter the situation you are
passing through the Word in 1 Peter 5:10 says that the God of all
grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after
you have suffered a while, shall perfect, establish, strengthen,
and settle you (NKJV). May you be a recipient of His abundant
grace in Jesus name.
In Psalm 77:11-14 the psalmist Asaph says “But then I recall all
you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of
long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop
thinking about your mighty works”. O God, your ways are holy. Is
there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations”. In this scripture, Asaph, though by the leading of the Holy
Spirit was the human author of Psalm 77 was crying out to God,
feeling that that perhaps God has left him because he was so
troubled. He was a Levite who lived in the days of David and
undoubtedly was a great musician. Do you ever feel troubled?
The enemy uses these down times to cause us to doubt God.
However Asaph didn’t continue in this mode of thinking for very
long. By remembering what God has done before, Asaph was
encouraged and strengthened. This is why Rev. 12:11 says that
we overcome the enemy by the word of our testimony. Has God
ever done anything good in your life? He will do even more now
and in the future. Hold fast and don’t faint. The Bible is packed
full of testimonies that we can read over and over again to assure us that we do indeed serve a God who does mighty works.
You are just an inch to becoming a recipient of His mighty works.
It is all tied to your faith. Jesus Christ said in Mark 9:23 that “… If
you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Your miracle is on the way. Hebrews 11:6 says that no one can
please God without faith. Raise your faith today, if need be cry to
God like the man in Mark 9:24 who said “And straightway the
father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe;
help thou mine unbelief”. Jesus heard his cry and went ahead to
cast out the deaf and dumb spirit from his son. Once we can
raise our faith to believe that God can do mighty works in our life,
we need to go another level. The Bible tells us that we will do
greater works than Jesus. Jesus did Mighty Works and we are
to do even greater. This is in John 14:12 which says “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do
shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father”.
Now, the theme for this year’s conference is Mighty Works. This
theme has long been given to us by the leading of the Holy Spirit I decree that you shall begin to rise to a new dimension in Jesus
almost a year ago. Precisely, it was announced on June 10th name. May the Lord Almighty manifest His glory in your life in
2012 at the conclusion of the Divine Encounter Conference 2012 Jesus name.
while we were thanking the Almighty God for making it possible
Shalom,
for us to soar on eagles’ wings (Exodus 19:14). We are seeing
... Dr. Akpo Onduku
the great wonders of God as a people. God is indeed a faithful
(Pastor, RCCG Chapel of Grace)
God. Psalm 105:5 urges us to “remember his marvellous works
that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.”
Such times as this moment, I do not particularly feel
like cleaning and I wonder whatever I did to deserve
the pile of dirty dishes hideously staring back at me.
They appear like they would come together any
moment, like some hi-tech robot, jump out of the
kitchen sink and give me the chase of my life, while
shooting grease bubbles at me! (Sigh! There, my
imagination running away with me again!).
I revel in such moments. Rapturous moments in
which I can allow my mind wander free, without the
reins of duty, responsibility, task or the many issues
that spring out from everyday living. Those 'Golden
Moments' that never fail to point to me lessons from
the simplest things in life.
'Faucets' always have something to give. Always
filled with 'bubbly' life, they are that friend, parent,
sibling, boss, sub-ordinate, co-worker, spouse,
partner, teacher, neighbour that always seems to
have a word of encouragement for you when the
'chips are down'. They always wear a smile, they still
believe in you even when you make the silliest of
mistakes. They comfort you when life hits you hard,
they give you a shoulder when you cry. They push
you on to reach your goals and live your dreams.
They are the little bit of sunshine that shows up on
your 'rainy day', people you can lean on. They are
the people you can dare to trust with your darkest
secrets and weaknesses without the fear of being
judged.
History is full of such people who have given without
reservation, some up to the point of paying the
ultimate sacrifice.They make life beautiful.
'Sinkholes' consistently take everything that
other people have to give or offer, they rarely have
anything of real value to offer in return. And they
never tire to ask for more!
As I stood there painstakingly reducing my mountain
of dishes, one piece of greasy 'ceramic' after
another, my wandering mind came to fix on the open
faucet, soothingly splashing and sprinkling warm
water on the dishes, making them clean and
sparkle. And the sink hole that had nothing to offer,
except to suck in whatever the faucet had to give.
My message?
Apply yourself to life. Like the faucet, give whatever
you hold that could make a difference in someone
else's life. It doesn't matter the magnitude of what it
is, material or immaterial. A little touch goes a long
way. Start from a smile. Work it up, from information,
through trust, all the way to love.
The more the 'tap' sprayed and sprinkled, the more Go into the world and do great and mighty
the sinkhole sucked and drained! It didn't matter works.
how much water the faucet sprayed and splashed Olusola Omibiyi
and even gushed. The sinkhole always drained all.
WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
SUNDAYS
Workers Meeting
Sunday School
Worship Service
9:30am-10:00am
10:00am-10:45am
10:45am-12:30pm
.Children’s Sunday School is available during the
“A merry heart
does good like
medicine”
The temporary Sunday School
teacher was struggling to open
a combination lock on the supply cabinet. She had been told
the combination, but couldn't
quite remember it.
Finally she went to the pastor's
study and asked for help. The
pastor came into the room and
began to turn the dial.
After the first two numbers he
paused and stared blankly for a
moment.
Finally he looked serenely
heavenward and his lips moved
silently.
Then he looked back at the
lock, and quickly turned to the
final number, and opened the
lock.
The teacher was amazed. "I'm
in awe at your faith, pastor,"
she said.
"It's really nothing," he answered. "The number is on a
piece of tape on the ceiling."
UPCOMING EVENTS
July Divine Encounter
(An interdenominational power packed evening of deep worship, intense prayers and inspirational teaching.)
Date: Friday July 5th 2013
Time: 7pm-10pm
service.
TUESDAYS
Digging Deep
(Bible Study)
July Summer Barbeque and Fun Day
(Fun for all the family)
7:00pm - 8.30pm
Date: To be Confirmed (TBC)
FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH
Divine Encounter
7:00pm-10:00pm
EXPLOSION
(A music concert featuring top UK gospel artists)
This is an interdenominational power packed night
of worship, prayers and miracles.
Date: (TBC)
Time: 7pm-10pm
SATURDAYS
Evangelism
Prayer
The Lord Reigns
(14 days of prayer & fasting featuring daily intercessory
prayer meetings culminating in a powerful Prayer Summit)
Date: October 21st – November 3rd 2013
1:00pm - 3:00pm
3:00pm - 4:00pm
QUARTERLY 24 HOUR PRAYER CHAIN
Intercession for ourselves, our families, churches,
cities and nations
2
Proverbs 22:17
For details of other events please sign up for our
e-newsletter via www.chapelofgrace.org.uk
7
The Audacity Of Faith
God said it, we believed it and that settled it!
Chapel of Grace Bradford was founded in June 2007 as a church plant of RCCG Strongtower Parish Bradford. Its pioneer pastoral team was Dr. Ken & Ngozi Omeje. In December 2008, Dr. Ken
Omeje relocated to Kenya as a Professor in the United States International University in Nairobi,
Kenya. The current pastoral team of Dr. Akpo & Andrea Onduku having returned from the USA took
over the leadership of Chapel of Grace on 1st January 2009. At that time, the church met in Bolton
Woods Community Centre in the BD2 area of Bradford.
In April 2009, the first Divine Encounter event titled ‘Break Free’, an interdenominational outreach Bolton Woods Community Centre
event was held and God has sustained the event every month since then. The first Divine Encounter Conference was in June 2009 with Guest Speaker Pastor Paul Brady from N.Ireland. Also, from April 5th 2009, the Building Better Relationships Ministry was launched with a course that ran for 6 weeks.
Dr. Ron Kenoly @ The Great Victoria Hotel
In October 2009 Chapel of Grace hosted a now annual music concert at The
Great Hall in Bradford University with Dwayne Tryumf, Phillipa Hanna and
other local music artists titled ‘Xplosion. To the Glory of God this brought a
number of students to Chapel of Grace. The church was located quite a distance from the university and so every week the church paid for minibus taxis to shuttle members to church. In January 2010, the church hosted an
evening with Dr. Ron Kenoly in The Great Victoria Hotel which saw the hall
packed to capacity. As the ministry was growing, there became a need for a
permanent office space. While looking for this office space, the Pastors
found a centre called Grange Interlink close to the university which was able
to lease a two room office which we began to use to co-ordinate administrative activities. There was a hall that was also available for rent and so on the
28th February 2010, Chapel of Grace relocated to Grange Interlink in BD7
for Sunday services while midweek services were held at All Saints Church
in BD5.
The Royal Daughters Ministry was launched and had their first ladies conference
with Guest Speaker Funke Ewuosho in March 2010. In April 19th 2010 Chapel of
Grace began a daily prayer meeting at 12pm-2pm and the two room office was
often packed to overflow. God used these prayer times to speak to the church
about purchasing a building. In May 2010, the Pastors saw a building for sale
that was a former church and made enquiries. Incidentally the building had previously been the World Missionary Headquarters of the Apostolic Church which
planted churches all over the world and as such was a landmark building. In
June 2010, God moved powerfully in the Divine Encounter Conference. The
theme was Arise (Genesis 13:17) and the Guest speakers were Pastor Paul
Brady and Pastor Celia Apeagyei Collins. Pastor Celia gave a prophetic word
that it was time for us to move from our location. She related the story of the IsAn MP candidate’s visit at Grange Interlink
raelites who would set up camp and the cloud of God’s presence would rest at
the entrance of the tent. When the cloud would move, this was a signal that the Israelites should pack up the tent and leave
(Numbers 9:17). They would follow the presence of God until He instructed them where to settle again and rebuild the camp. She
also related that it is dangerous to stay in a place when God has already left, we must follow Him and He will lead us. With this revelation, the church put in a bid for the property which consisted of 2 buildings and was to cost £275,000.
This was a large leap of faith as physically the church did not have even a fraction of the down payment in the bank account. Unsurprisingly we did not win the bid but God had told us that the building was ours so the church held fast and did not waver in faith as
stated in James 1:6 which says “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind”. Indeed God intervened and the Pastor of the
selling church agreed to take the building off the market and lease it to us with an incremental rent with an agreement that we would
buy the building. Great Horton Road in September 2010. God continued to expand the church with many more families with children
joining the church throughout 2011 and 2012.
The building was full of chairs, musical equipment, children’s toys, electronic
equipment, tables, filing cabinets and kitchen appliances which to the amazement
of everyone were all given to the church to keep. Chapel of Grace relocated to
355.
In January 2011 Chapel of Grace was honoured to host Chevelle Franklyn for a
night of celebration which saw people squeezed into every available space in the
building. The journey to purchasing the property was one that stretched the faith
of every member of the church and challenged the church that if God says it and
we believe it, then that settles it! The down payment to be raised for the mortgage
was £80,000. The favour of God was again evident when the selling price of
Chevelle Franklyn at 355 Great Horton Road
the building was reduced to £200,000. This reduced the down payment need
to £60,000. The church did everything to raise funds, going around the community and city centre with fundraising buckets. A
fundraising dinner was held with the Mayor of Bradford and Mr. M. C. Anozie (Head of Trade & Economy) representing the Nigerian High Commissioner and other guests. Members of the church gave sacrificially and partners from around the world also sent
financial support. Still the finances gathered did not total the £60,000 needed. The Church held on to the Word and began to
praise God for the victory. Every Sunday the Pastors, Ministers and members would dance all around the church all praising God
for the victory already won. The song that prevailed during those praise times was ‘God said it, I believe it and that settles it’. Indeed God did settle it in His own way.
During the annual 2012 RCCG Worldwide fasting, the church continued to meet every day to pray as has been the case since the
daily prayers started in April 2010. On 23rd February 2012, a call came and a gentleman known to the church but not a member
asked if it was ok for him to give £40,000 to the church for the building project to be paid back whenever we were ready. By 26th
February a cheque for £40,000 was written to the church and appeared in the church account
soon after. God had done more than the church could have dreamt or imagined! £40,000 in just
one single donation! The church continued to praise God for victory and in August, the church
received another donation of £25,000 which enabled the down payment for the mortgage to be
paid and all the other legal fees and financial obligations. The legal paperwork was concluded in
November 2012 and Chapel of Grace officially owned the building. Hallelujah!
Now that Chapel of Grace owned the building, God gave the scripture 2 Chronicles 3:6 which
says “And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of
Parvaim”. This scripture describes how Solomon beautified God’s temple. In this regard Chapel
of Grace began a refurbishment project in March 2013 with a budget of £100,000. To the Glory
of God, phase 1 has been completed which is the main church hall where new sound, lighting
and projection equipment has been installed and painting, decorating and carpeting has also
been completed. Phase 2 will involve work needed on the outside of the building and phase 3 is
extensive refurbishment needed on the second 3 floor community building which is at the rear of
Refurbishment
the church hall to enable it to be a fully equipped community centre used for various purposes.
God continues to be faithful and the church continues to look forward with expectation towards all the Mighty Works that God will
do.
Be assured today that God can do Mighty Works, all one needs to do is to trust Him and have faith no-matter what the situation
looks like. Jeremiah 32:27 says “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me? Do your
possible best and God will do the impossible rest because with Him nothing is impossible! Luke 1:37 says “For nothing is impossible with God”. 1 Cor. 3:9 says “For we are laborers together with God: you
are God's husbandry, you are God's building”. This means that God wants to
join with you to show forth His glory for all to see. God has been the partner of
Chapel of Grace through this journey. When God said to move the church
moved and when He took a step, the church took a step. It was a partnership
throughout and this has been the formula for success.
Remember to get a Word from God regarding your situation, believe it, do not
waver and praise Him for the victory. If God, said it, believe it and that settles
it!
Recent Service at Chapel of Grace
4
5
COME UNTO ME
It is almost incomprehensible that Jesus, the Son of God,
washed the feet of the disciples (John 13:1-17). It is incredible
that the all-mighty God himself would do such an act of humility. Yet, we can sometimes dare not even consider doing something because we view it as beneath us or not worthy of our
time. But, Jesus himself set the standard.
We should obviously not allow people to
take advantage of us but at the same time
we should not disadvantage others because we are thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3).
It is encouraging to know that through Christ’s humility we were
able to have a Saviour and be saved. As written in Philippians
2 ‘He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even
death on a cross!’ Jesus did not have to lay down his life or
carry out the numerous other acts throughout
his lifetime. Yet, He did because he loved us so
much. In addition humility, as shown by Jesus,
requires great strength. Jesus was innocent and
without sin yet he bore everything on Himself.
Just to depict the severity of His suffering the
Bible says that whilst in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed so hard that “His sweat beHumility is not a trait that is automatically
came like drops of blood." (Luke 22:44) For this
switched on within our character at a certo occur it requires a person to be under extain moment in time. It generally takes
time to develop. It is not easy to relinquish your claim to have treme duress. It is difficult not to respect such humility and
done something and the credit/recognition associated with it. In love! We too can resemble Christ more by allowing God to nurtruth, we know that it is only God who deserves all the glory ture that same virtue of humility within us.
and admiration. Thankfully, the experiences we go through in
life can chip away at the pride within our own hearts. We can By: Holly Wood
also seek God in prayer and ask that He humble us.
IN AWE I STAND
I stand in awe of Him;
Who can do all things;
Whose might is beyond human imagination;
Whose power is too great for my comprehension.
Watching your gallery;
I am awestruck at Your artistic skill;
The exquisite pastel of the sky;
The eagle soaring high, wondrous in every eye;
I marvel at your Craftsmanship
O, in joyous adoration I do worship;
Mighty seas, rumble of thunder;
The majestic mountains’ splendour makes me wonder;
CARTOON CORNER
6
The beautiful stars, wondrous to behold
Your mighty works never wax old;
And truth only lies in Your word;
In awe I stand of You, Lord
By: Elijah Ifetayo Gloria
You will rise again to Promised Land. Take this to heart, let God be true and every
stand on the shoulders man a liar (Romans 3:4): your good works shall never be in vain
of giants; thereat, you (1 Corinthians 15:58).
will see far beyond the
visions of today. Your
nursed ambitions will
merge into fruition. You
shall build up castles of
love, prosperity and
blissfulness on the foundations of faith and
hope. You will latch on
what needs to be done in every time and season. If only you will
dwell daily in my tabernacle and accept my gift of love (Psalm
91:1). I will be a sure forte for your weary soul and a healing
balm for your broken heart. I will mend your unscrupulous ways
and I will redirect your ill will (Isaiah 40:4). Your dry stream will
spring forth waters and your deserts will yield vegetations (Isaiah
43:19). If only you will come unto me.
Your eyes reach for the altar, but you left your heart at the door
(Isaiah 29:13). You long for a change, but all you’ve known to
be in existence are a cold room of sinfulness, a slippery floor of
fate and the face of a broken will starring in a mirror of remorsefulness. I will make thee whole and new (Isaiah 1:18 and Matthew 9:12). Even if a mistrustful zeal and an inoperable heart
have made you forget and neglect the reflections of my love
(Jeremiah 17:9), I am still the friend who loved you first (Romans
5:8 and John 15: 15-16). In the midst of friendships and laughter,
do you still see the illusions and the placards of deceptions and
unfaithfulness as you once knew? Do you feel He who placed
you here and made you a child of the universe has left you to
figure it all out on your own? Are you cumbered by the rollercoaster stages and phases of life? Are you carrying more weight
than you can ever be able to bear? It is time to cut loose and
embrace my savoury touch. I am an ever-present help in the
The day is nigh and the hour has come when nations and indi- time of need (Psalm 46:1).
viduals seek after a place of liberation; an altar where are all
hearts are spiritual and true (John 4:23-24). The time is now ‘How can this be true? How can I be so loved? Still, you question
when the penitence of your faith ought to be made manifest in and doubt deep within your heart. Who would care for such a
the wondrous works spoken into being by words of virtue and dog as I?’ You probe further. I am able to make a place in the
power (Romans 4:17). Godliness will prevail in every will palace for the pitiable man who had long dwelt in ‘Lo-debar’
(Jeremiah 24:7) and the power thereof shall be made manifest knowing only the walls of dryness, aloofness and lonesomeness
amongst men, women and children who in attitude and servitude (2 Samuel 9). ‘But this is the world I have known, the silence that
have learnt to distinguish between the echoes of mercy innate in accompanies unseen shadows and a shell that never breaks in
the whispers of love from the facades that adorn every gathering spite of an intensifying heat’, you reiterate. Nonetheless, I will
move you safely over onto the other side to be a partaker of the
of God’s creation (1 Kings 22).
newness and freshness of grace and truth. And remember as
What circumstances spur the necessities in your life? And who you stride and sojourn, I will always be with you (Matthew 28:19knows what tunes the serenades from your lonely heart render 20).
in an unfeigned audition? You have questioned the veracity of
prophesies and you have stood amidst the congregation in doubt
of a spoken word reaching the pew from the pulpit. Of a truth,
you are yet to find that aloof place where earthly gains reckon
not (Hebrews 13:12-14). Wondering in thoughts and lost in the
glades, you are yet to embrace the auspices of that which was
which is and which is to come (Revelation 1:8). And you least
understand why the good road must appear to be narrow and
the journey to eternal life must suffer to be unexpectedly long
(Matthew 7: 3-14).
I am the beaming light at the end of the journey through life’s
tumultuous tunnel (John 8:12). I am the oasis that awaits the
approach of the solitary traveller weary and worn from the sojourn on earth’s dusty roads. Though the plight of heaviness pervades through the night, I will quicken and wake you with a blissful cheer every dawning of a new day. I’ve made outcasts to be
acceptable and that which is unclean is made clean by my word
(John 15:3). The once dark treacherous paths of your soul shall
become the blazing highways of integrity. The haughtiness in
your heart shall be removed and I will make thee of a lowly spirit
(Ezekiel 36:26). I will part your deep sea of retrogression and
despair and I will make a clear path for you to walk through. I will
send my word from the altar of Grace and I will replace your
heart of stone (Ezekiel 36:26). I will give you rest, if only you will
come unto me (Matthew 11:28).
Though all hope seems lost and familiarities are no more, there
is no waiting at the camp of retreat for the heaven bound soldier
(Proverbs 24:10). You brace up only to get knocked down time
and time again, but the real showdown is by the nook and it isn’t
yet over (Proverbs 24:16). You are so acquainted with failure
that you find it difficult to nurse the feelings of success even in
the face of hard efforts. O taste and see, I am the Lord who By: Mobayode Akinsolu
takes delight in fiascos (Psalm 126:1). I am an artisan of radical
changes. Though joys grow dim and glories pass away, I cannot
change (James 1:17). Maybe it appears no one seems to notice
your travails amidst the mixed multitude in the quest for the
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