Love Who???

A new heart also will I give you...

The other day I cried... I mean snot-making, drool-draining, mouth-distorting, shoulder-shaking sobs... I cried till I had no more tears left in me... Why? You may ask - Because I'm greedy! and I want more of Him and the best of His!... After the deluge, came the calm ... I knew He'd heard my voice, and now I am waiting for the manifestation of the more, and I know it will come... It then hit me that I was very happy that I cried, that I could STILL cry, because for a while this had not been the case! My heart had become slightly hardened and somewhat blasé about my faith, about life... So in addition to being thankful for the more, I was now also thankful for a heart that is still able to cry out - For a crying heart is not always the mark of a sorrowful heart, but may actually the lifeblood that beats through and preserves the heart that is still tender towards God... So I am grateful Lord for you taking away the heart of stone, and replacing it with a heart of flesh that still beats for You...

Ezekiel 36:26
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh...

The ”IT” factor…

Some people just have “It”! That aura that sets one person apart from others in their sphere … “It” usually cannot be explained away but is certainly always there - albeit intangible, but very much perceptible…

For example a guy might have that certain “it” in terms of style, panache and charisma. He may not be classically handsome or even have a lot of money, but people especially the ladies, just love him and want to be his friend, even if they know not the first thing about him… The phrase ‘I don’t know why but….’ Always will always seem to follow him around. I have a friend like that, and even I who have known him for a while still find myself just mesmerized by this person occasionally… Everyone just wants to be his friend! I’m sure you also can bring to mind one or two such people in your universe who are like that.

So I got to thinking – what is this “it” thing? Charisma, pull, “swank”, charm, call it what you will, but what is it ?? Even in the bible certain individuals had “it” – David the “baddest boy” on the block had “it”, Joseph the “cocky dreamer” also had “it”, as also did Jacob the “savvy swindler”, and Daniel the “consummate Statesman”. Even the “pardoned prostitute” Mary Magdalene, and the “career divorcee” – The woman at the well had ‘it’, to name a few of our colorful bible characters.

After thinking about this “it” for a while I came to the realization that even though such people are not perfect and may well nigh be fatally flawed in some instances, they all have one thing in common: They have a certain awareness that they are part of a plan greater than they are, and they set themselves to align to it, with the excellence of spirit, attire, attitude, and any other attitude demanded by the plan, dedicating themselves wholly to the pursuit of “it”, whether it be money, fame, pleasure, or any other passion, A sense which invariably sets them apart from their peers… These are people who see things in their own future that others don’t, and they themselves may not fully understand, but which gives them a certain “Je ne sais quoi” aura…

The dictionary even bears me out in this:
It - Idiom: Slang
1. Aware of or knowledgeable about the latest trends or developments.
2. Mentally responsive and perceptive
Informal Used to refer to something that is the best, the most desirable, or without equal, having a desirable quality or ability

So a person who has “it” may be described as a person of desirable quality or one who has the desirable ability to be mentally responsive and knowledgeable about the latest trends or developments before they become an “in” thing… In essence people who have “it” are trendsetters in their own peculiar way. This quality is not limited by pedigree, financial status, mental dexterity or physical attractiveness, although in most cases these attributes usually accompany “it” and or catch up to it, accenting that quality, and it actually draws or attracts more of the same.

So this “it” thing can it be acquired seeing that it so desirable?  I submit to you that it can. Especially if one aligns oneself to the One with the bigger plan, who has determined the destiny of every created being from before the beginning of time.

So how does one get it? In God’s kingdom, one gets “it” by becoming a part of the celestial “in” crowd i.e. the ones who form the cornerstone pillars of the eternal plan. The ones who determine the yet to be manifested trends and happenings…

In Christendom this is what is called being ‘born-again’ a translation which gives one the entrée into this rarified milieu of highly desirable. Thereafter the “it” imparting Personality of the Godhead - The Holy Spirit then comes to indwell, imbuing with that quality called ‘Dunamis’ or Charisma as is written of in the Old testament regarding Saul:

…And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. 1 Samuel 10:6

And as was prophesied regarding the outpouring of the spirit in the last days:

…And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions… Joel 2:28

Also in the New Testament regarding us God’s engrafted children:

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13

And as was said of Stephen:
…And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Acts 6:10
…But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. I Cor 6:17


That’s right the Holy Spirit then imparts the “it” factor that sets us apart, and this is what is called the anointing – the charisma of the Godhead. This charisma is available for whosoever wants or  desires it:

… The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  I Cor 12:7

But “it” cannot be faked, or assumed for ulterior motives, without disastrous consequences:

 13Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
 14And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
 15And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
16And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 
Acts 19:13-16

 But when one has “it” it is evident to all, and it affords whosoever has “it” the opportunity of being a part of something much bigger than them, for posterity.

...But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. Numbers 14:24

So what I am saying is that WE ALL and not a select few can come to have that “it” factor. All we have to do is to first recognize it as being valid and unique but available, then aligning ourselves to the ones who will make it happen, and voila! We will have “it”!

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
II Cor 3:18

Then we become bags of chips and all that, because HE has made us so….

Shalom
OluPero Mettabel, Dec 2011

If God could use an Ass, He can use a Fortune cookie…

I had just gone through a really emotional few days. It wasn’t as if there was anything wrong in particular, and it was one of those days where I couldn’t seem to do anything right in my own eyes! After a particularly brutal self-flagellating session, I sat down to eat a dinner that I didn’t really feel like eating even though it was my favorite Thai dish. Before I started eating I cracked open one of the Fortune cookies that were included with the meal and I read the following: ‘You will discover something wonderful about yourself’ Yeah right! I muttered, but after a few seconds I started smiling and a few moments later I was laughing albeit all by myself. What caused this transformation? It was the Lord using those words to release me – He said to me, ‘Yes you will discover that you are human! And that you will make mistakes and mess up!!’ He said to me child you are not perfect and the more you try to compare yourself to perfection, the more you will fall short. What you need to do is to trust yourself to Perfection; that He will do His work in you to bring about needed change… Rest in me and trust me to make all things right He said … Needless to say my heart was immediately lightened… So as I have determined to do with all divine gifts that I receive, I pass this God-given Fortune cookie message to all who may right now find themselves falling into this same cesspool of self-flagellation, so that as we turn to Perfection himself confessing our sins, we are changed as we begin to reflect His glory….

 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8,9

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.                                                                                     
2 Corinthians 3:18

Forty - Not just a number

Forty - Just a number right? Maybe… But this number marches through scripture in consonant to some very significant events. This caught my attention and brought to mind a dream I had a long time ago... I do not exactly remember which year I had this dream but I knew that in the dream I saw a Forty-something year old version of myself doing some things that I believe He is still going to accomplish in and through me. Those images I saw were pretty awesome, but the main thing that struck me then, and still continues to resonate today is the timing of the events I saw, as it pertained to my age. I was very definitely FORTY… Why had the Lord emphasized that number as my age in the dream?
At that time I did not fully understand it, but I as began to learn more about the scriptures I got to realize that Forty is a very important number in the plan of God as it symbolizes the timing or deployment of an assignment or prophetic dispensation that launches a person, a purpose or a call into it’s era of maximal power and influence, or catapults it into it’s next level … a level of supreme preeminence!
So we get it! Forty is very important… Let’s take a look at some biblically significant events that this number is featured in…

• God destroyed the whole earth with rain and flood to restart civilization with Noah – the only righteous man at the time, his family, and the animals that were with him in the ark:

For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. Gen 7:4

• Isaac the son of Abraham got married at the age of forty, and his son Esau also did the same – the start of the next generation in the promise of God:

And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. Gen 25:20
And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. Gen 26:34

• Joseph dreamt his dream at the age of seventeen, became second in command to Pharaoh at the age of thirty, and was reunited with his brethren again after two years of famine had passed after the seven years of plenty- In the beginning of his fortieth year!

For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Gen 45: 6,7

• Moses lived in Pharaoh's palace for forty years until the Lord placed it in his heart to search out his people

And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. Acts 7:23

• He dwelt for forty years in the desert of Midian until he came to Mount Sinai and saw the burning bush.

And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. Acts 7:30

• God fed His children with manna for forty years, to tide them over from the time they were in the desert land till they got to inhabited land:

And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan. Ex 16:35

• Moses spent forty days and forty nights up on mount Horeb TWICE to receive the Ten commandments from the hand of God:

And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights. Ex 24:18

And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. Ex 34:28

• The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years

Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. Nehemiah 9:21

• Joshua was forty years old when Moses sent him to spy out Jericho

Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Josh 14:7

• Goliath presented himself to the Israelites for forty days:

 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. I Sam 17:6

• Both David and his son Solomon reigned in Israel for forty years:

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
II Sam 5:4
And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
I Kings 11:42

• Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights, was tempted in the desert by Satan and returned in the power of the Spirit:

 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. Mark 1:13

• Jesus showed himself to his disciples for forty days after the resurrection:

 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3



This is certainly not an exhaustive list but it firmly establishes the fact that the number Forty - Whether it be in days, years or in number, is symbolic of the time taken to complete an assignment … Now this is all well and good, but what does that have to do with you, my dream and I?

Well what I believe is that God has appointed for man to live 120 years on earth as is stated in Gen 6:3, and each segment of life is meant to prepare one to go from one stage to the next; The forty days as extrapolated from scriptures, were times of transfer of authority and power from God to man to accomplish a purpose - Moses receiving the ten commandments, Jesus launching into his earthly ministry, David slaying Goliath, Jesus appearing to His disciples before ascending into heaven, etc, and The forty years - The time taken to establish and complete prophetic dispensations in the timeline of God i.e. Joseph’s birth through his dream and his testing to his place of promise – being sent ahead to usher Jacob into Israel – The first step in God getting His people into the promised land…

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years…

When we look at the life of Moses, for the first forty years of his life he lived in Pharaoh’s palace, the second forty in the desert of Midian where he also got married. At the end of the second forty, He met God at the burning bush and God sent him to deliver His people. The Israelites were supposed to get to Canaan in forty days, but because of sin and disobedience, it took them forty years, Moses died when the end of his third forty years were fulfilled, with him looking into the Promised Land… He had fulfilled his ministry of leading God’s people there, even though he himself did not enter in….

My conclusion:
The number Forty is representative of the timeline for the transfer of authority, power and purpose from God unto His Kingdom players, for the fulfillment of His will here on earth; But whether you are in the first, second, or third forty year segment of your life, or whether you are taking forty minutes to pray or forty days out to fast, know that the integral and non negotiable part of this equation is not the time taken, (as our God dwells outside of time), but in maintaining the firm awareness that you were born for a purpose, and called to the service of the King for such a time as this...


So as I approached my fortieth birthday, just like Moses my heart began to be stirred, I became dissatisfied with my 'status quo', and the Lord started a work in me, which is still ongoing. I began to desire for more, I began to seek for more and in my fortieth year, I entered into what I believe is the next phase of God’s plan for my life.

Now whether you are the beginning, the middle or the end of your 1st, 2nd or 3rd forty-year segment, the most important thing is for you refuse status quo! Just like these men we have read about … Like Noah build an ark, like Joseph follow your dream, like Moses step aside to see; Like David step up to the plate to slay Goliath, like Jesus separate yourself to fast, pray and be ministered to by the Lord ... And you will see that the transfer of power and the grace to fulfill and complete your assigned dispensation will come…. IT WILL COME!

Weep not child...

Jemimah Tolu 'Layo on Isaiah 60:15

"Although you have been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations"  Isaiah 60:15

We all have to deal with rejection at some point in life and boy, does it hurt or what. It can be a very painful experience but through it all, we can choose to be better people rather than bitter. Sometimes people reject you not because they've stopped liking you or you're a bad person but cos they can't accommodate your anointing, they are intimidated by your gifts and frustrated by your spirituality. They make you feel like you don't match up to them when in fact they are afraid of your spiritual power and your anointing is a major threat to them.

The Bible says in 1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us."

Never be intimidated by man's rejection. The moment you get rejected, God places His hands on you. If folks wanna walk away from you, LET THEM GO! Your destiny is not tied to whoever leaves you. You can be all God wants you to be without them. Trust God and say good bye!!!
Never compromise to keep anyone around, especially spiritually. Anyone you try to keep around through compromise becomes a demi-god and you unconsciously exalt them over God and remember, God is a jealous God. If they leave you for no reason, be sure not to let them back with excuses!
All who have rejected you in the past will be forced to reckon with you someday and recognize who you are in Christ. You will be celebrated where you've been rejected. Like the stone that the builders rejected, God is getting ready to make you the cornerstone.....it's just a matter of time! Heaven is negotiating on your behalf!!

The switch is in the Word!

A Word to Live By - No name calling please!!!

Of Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia...

I am not an expert on eschatology, neither am I an authority in Christian apologetics, but a few days ago I came across some verses that blew my mind! I hear about end-time prophecies all the time and I always ask the Lord to explain things to me, because to mind sometimes the facts as presented seem to me, to be so subjectively esoteric as to be almost fueled by 'doomsday' fanaticism and a desire to invoke 'fire and brimstone' scare tactics with the aim to keep us holy and scared spitless with regards to sinning!

As with all forms of blindness when the light finally shines through, it introduces a whole 'nother level of sensory awareness that puts paid to all doctrinal disputes in the mind of the newly enlightened:

John 9:25
He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
This verse referencing the blind man that Jesus healed.

At the risk of droning and I hovering, I will share with you the verses that the Lord showed me. These verses were so on point as to the current state of world affairs with regards to recent happenings in Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya, that after reading through a few times, I could not but agree with my brother and sister end-time preachers out there that the end is near and God is firmly at the helm of affairs in the financial, political and world power tussle arena... He has a plan! And He wants His children at this time not to be fearful, but to watch, pray, preach the Word and be a witness...

Please take the time to read these verses and I pray that you will see what I saw: That WE ARE TRULY IN THE END TIMES!!!

Ezekiel 30
Egypt and Her Allies Will Fall
 1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:

      “ Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’
       3 For the day is near,
      Even the day of the LORD is near;
      It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.
       4 The sword shall come upon Egypt,
      And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia,
      When the slain fall in Egypt,
      And they take away her wealth,
      And her foundations are broken down.

5 “Ethiopia, Libya,[a] Lydia,[b] all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.”
6 ‘Thus says the LORD:


      “ Those who uphold Egypt shall fall,
      And the pride of her power shall come down.
      From Migdol to Syene
      Those within her shall fall by the sword,”
      Says the Lord GOD.
       7 “ They shall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries,
      And her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste.
       8 Then they will know that I am the LORD,
      When I have set a fire in Egypt
      And all her helpers are destroyed.
       9 On that day messengers shall go forth from Me in ships
      To make the careless Ethiopians afraid,
      And great anguish shall come upon them,
      As on the day of Egypt;
      For indeed it is coming!”

10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:


      “ I will also make a multitude of Egypt to cease
      By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
       11 He and his people with him, the most terrible of the nations,
      Shall be brought to destroy the land;
      They shall draw their swords against Egypt,
      And fill the land with the slain.
       12 I will make the rivers dry,
      And sell the land into the hand of the wicked;
      I will make the land waste, and all that is in it,
      By the hand of aliens.
      I, the LORD, have spoken.”

13 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:


      “ I will also destroy the idols,
      And cause the images to cease from Noph;[c]
      There shall no longer be princes from the land of Egypt;
      I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
       14 I will make Pathros desolate,
      Set fire to Zoan,
      And execute judgments in No.[d]
       15 I will pour My fury on Sin,[e] the strength of Egypt;
      I will cut off the multitude of No,
       16 And set a fire in Egypt;
      Sin shall have great pain,
      No shall be split open,
      And Noph shall be in distress daily.
       17 The young men of Aven[f] and Pi Beseth shall fall by the sword,
      And these cities shall go into captivity.
       18 At Tehaphnehes[g] the day shall also be darkened,[h]
      When I break the yokes of Egypt there.
      And her arrogant strength shall cease in her;
      As for her, a cloud shall cover her,
      And her daughters shall go into captivity.
       19 Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt,
      Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”’”

I cannot claim to understand all of this and let me assure you that I have not written this to stir up any kind of controversy, but I write this as a prophetic word from the Lord, to encourage us actually, that God is in control and all these seemingly unrelated events are part of God's end time plan...

So what should we do about this? Certainly I cannot go to Washington, or carry a placard, I cannot go on the radio or make appearances on TV, but I can preach the Word, I can love my neighbors, I can lay my hands on the sick, I can support missionaries in the preaching of the gospel, I CAN PRAY, I can be Jesus' heart, hand and mouth to the people that he died for... I can like John the Baptist be

“ The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘ Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’”
Mark 1:3

Jesus IS coming back again!! And He died so that we may live through the coming wrath and judgment of God, and live with Him forever!!!

So as we rejoice, because we belong to HIM, we also set a goal to rejoice with the ones whom we shall bring to him as we continue to do what He has asked us to do, by His grace...


Maranatha.

A Word to Live By - Shrinking Violet/Victor?

Of Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia...

I am not an expert in eschatology, neither am I an authority in Christian apologetics, but a few days ago I came across some verses that blew my mind! I hear about end-time prophecies all the time and I always ask the Lord to explain things to me, because to mind sometimes the facts as presented seem to me, to be so subjectively esoteric as to be almost fueled by 'doomsday' fanaticism and a desire to invoke 'fire and brimstone' scare tactics with the aim to keep us holy and scared spitless with regards to sinning!

As with all forms of blindness when the light finally shines through, it introduces a whole 'nother level of sensory awareness that puts paid to all doctrinal disputes in the mind of the newly enlightened:

John 9:25
He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
This verse referencing the blind man that Jesus healed.

At the risk of droning and I hovering, I will share with you the verses that the Lord showed me. These verses were so on point as to the current state of world affairs with regards to recent happenings in Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya, that after reading through a few times, I could not but agree with my brother and sister end-time preachers out there that the end is near and God is firmly at the helm of affairs in the financial, political and world power tussle arena... He has a plan! And He wants His children at this time not to be fearful, but to watch, pray, preach the Word and be a witness...

Please take the time to read these verses and I pray that you will see what I saw: That WE ARE TRULY IN THE END TIMES!!!

Ezekiel 30
Egypt and Her Allies Will Fall
 1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:

      “ Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’
       3 For the day is near,
      Even the day of the LORD is near;
      It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.
       4 The sword shall come upon Egypt,
      And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia,
      When the slain fall in Egypt,
      And they take away her wealth,
      And her foundations are broken down.

5 “Ethiopia, Libya,[a] Lydia,[b] all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.”
6 ‘Thus says the LORD:


      “ Those who uphold Egypt shall fall,
      And the pride of her power shall come down.
      From Migdol to Syene
      Those within her shall fall by the sword,”
      Says the Lord GOD.
       7 “ They shall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries,
      And her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste.
       8 Then they will know that I am the LORD,
      When I have set a fire in Egypt
      And all her helpers are destroyed.
       9 On that day messengers shall go forth from Me in ships
      To make the careless Ethiopians afraid,
      And great anguish shall come upon them,
      As on the day of Egypt;
      For indeed it is coming!”

10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:


      “ I will also make a multitude of Egypt to cease
      By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
       11 He and his people with him, the most terrible of the nations,
      Shall be brought to destroy the land;
      They shall draw their swords against Egypt,
      And fill the land with the slain.
       12 I will make the rivers dry,
      And sell the land into the hand of the wicked;
      I will make the land waste, and all that is in it,
      By the hand of aliens.
      I, the LORD, have spoken.”

13 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:


      “ I will also destroy the idols,
      And cause the images to cease from Noph;[c]
      There shall no longer be princes from the land of Egypt;
      I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
       14 I will make Pathros desolate,
      Set fire to Zoan,
      And execute judgments in No.[d]
       15 I will pour My fury on Sin,[e] the strength of Egypt;
      I will cut off the multitude of No,
       16 And set a fire in Egypt;
      Sin shall have great pain,
      No shall be split open,
      And Noph shall be in distress daily.
       17 The young men of Aven[f] and Pi Beseth shall fall by the sword,
      And these cities shall go into captivity.
       18 At Tehaphnehes[g] the day shall also be darkened,[h]
      When I break the yokes of Egypt there.
      And her arrogant strength shall cease in her;
      As for her, a cloud shall cover her,
      And her daughters shall go into captivity.
       19 Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt,
      Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”’”

I cannot claim to understand all of this and let me assure you that I have not written this to stir up any kind of controversy, but I write this as a prophetic word from the Lord, to encourage us actually, that God is in control and all these seemingly unrelated events are part of God's end time plan...

So what should we do about this? Certainly I cannot go to Washington, or carry a placard, I cannot go on the radio or make appearances on TV, but I can preach the Word, I can love my neighbors, I can lay my hands on the sick, I can support missionaries in the preaching of the gospel, I CAN PRAY, I can be Jesus' heart, hand and mouth to the people that he died for... I can like John the Baptist be

“ The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘ Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’”
Mark 1:3

Jesus IS coming back again!! And He died so that we may live through the coming wrath and judgment of God, and live with Him forever!!!

So as we rejoice, because we belong to HIM, we also set a goal to rejoice with the ones whom we shall bring to him as we continue to do what He has asked us to do, by His grace...


Maranatha.

A Word to Live By

Mettabel's Must Read List

 This is an amazing and life-changing book... A must read for anyone who desires more of a Spirit-led walk.

http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Spirit-Power-Praying-Tongues/dp/1929339100/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319

The thief called Assumption...

A Word To Live By - Thou shalt not take the name of The Lord in vain!

Mettabel's 'Must Read' list

http://www.amazon.com/God-Wants-You-Well-Walking/dp/160683004X

Go ahead... Manifest!

A Word To Live By: This One Thing I Do...

Love is for the good, the bad and not so good.....

You gotta hold on….

Sometimes it’s hard

When you can’t see the end in sight

But you keep on telling yourself

‘You gotta hold on’

Sometimes …..

Even when you have all the answers

Still nothing seems to add up

You keep telling yourself

‘You gotta hold on’

When friends leave,

And silence reigns

The rustle of the leaves

The whisper of the wind

Appear to echo the refrain

‘Child you gotta hold on’

By the skin of your teeth,

By the seat of your pants

Through stormy gale,

And fiery furnace

I am with you...

So yes! ‘You gotta hold on’

‘Cos when all’s said and done

The curtain’s been drawn

When the night has passed

And the tears have dried

I promise you this my child

I promise you that you will look back

Down the passage of time

And the words, the encore

That will ring through your heart:

Thank God the one who said to my soul

Don’t give up, don’t give in;

‘You gotta hold on’

To those who are holding on; Don’t give up!

Weeping may endure for a night

But in the morning, joy will come….

Again I say, ‘You gotta hold on’….

Psalm 30:5

For His anger is but for a moment,His favor is for life;

Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning

Greater Love

I once wrote a poem called “Reel life” about the kind of love that is portrayed on the big screen, that thrives solely on chemistry: The chiseled guy, who sizzles, fizzles, with the scene ending with the lovers kissing in the drizzling rain and then the caption – THE END…. But it’s not really the end is it? It’s actually the beginning… The beginning of a journey initiated by a decision… TO LOVE.

I sat down with my friend who has been married for over thirty years and listened to him as he asked me speak to his wife because they have grown apart and they are struggling in their marriage. STRUGGLING… I was amazed! I knew these people! I had seen them both up close and personal and I felt that they had a good thing going on all around, but here we were today… They love each other that I’m sure of, but still…. I knew that this was break or make point for them… What to say…

I turned to my friend and I said (I, the yet to be married one): ‘you know something I’ve come to realize? ‘Love is not something one feels, it’s a decision one makes, determining not to give oneself an “out” ‘. ‘The moment one decides there that might be an “out”, love ceases to grow and will eventually die. How did I arrive at this deep seated and wise conclusion? From the originator of love himself - who made a decision to love without giving himself an “out” – GOD in the form of Christ; who even in the face of intense agony and terror (Yes he was terrified at what he was about to go through), did not balk. Because HE HAD MADE THE DECISION TO LOVE …. Without recourse to rescind…. For God so loved the world that he gave and gave and gave, all the way to death….

Love, He said is not based on reciprocity, it’s a decision to act, with or without reciprocity; and when that decision is met by another decision to do the same…. It becomes a beautiful and eternally cataclysmic fusion that allows an alloyed (Alloy- a metallic substance made by mixing and fusing two or more metals, or a metal and a nonmetal, to obtain desirable qualities such as hardness, lightness, and strength. Brass, bronze, and steel are all alloys) connection to be formed.

I once told a friend: ‘There is nothing you could ever do to me that would offend me’ my friend said to me: wow …. That’s deep, but do you think that is possible? Yes I answered ‘because I have made the decision to NEVER be offended at you’. ‘Will you ever hurt me? Will you ever annoy me? Will I ever be tempted to be offended? ‘ Yes to all those questions… yet many days have passed since I made that statement, and never once have I been offended…. Why? Because it is a decision that I have made…. Well you might say that this decision was made in the context of friendship and not an intimate love relationship, but I submit to you that the principles of love remain the same across the spectrum of friend through lover to lifelong soul mate….

Jonathan in the bible made a decision to love David and the bible records that their souls were knit together…

I Sam 18:1-4
Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt. So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war.

… And even though Jonathan knew in his heart that he would not be king because the Lord had anointed David to succeed Saul, that did not affect his love for David…. He made a decision to LOVE, he STRIPPED HIMSELF of his armor, and GAVE it to David – the epitome of selflessness in the face of a higher purpose… which when we look at the components of armor: helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, girdle of truth, sword of the spirit, feet shod with good news, shield of faith, all mirror what love does, and what Jesus did for us entirely mirrors what Jonathan did for David…. He made a decision to love us, He stripped himself of his glory, and gave it to us, his soul being knit to ours in covenant…. Wow!

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

The sages characterized the relationship between Jonathan and David in the following Mishnah:
“Whenever love depends on some selfish end, when the end passes away, the love passes away; but if it does not depend on some selfish end, it will never pass away. Which love depended on a selfish end? This was the love of Amnon and Tamar. And which did not depend on a selfish end? This was the love of David and Jonathan. (Avot 5:15)

So what I am saying? Love is a decision, not a feeling, love is not dependent on reciprocity, loves strips of oneself, and willingly gives to another without the option of rescinding, to the purpose of giving life to, and through another…. Any surprise that in marriage the giving in the act of love results both in the rejuvenation and giving of life?

What or who gives one the power to love? It is love himself….

Phil 2: 6-13
Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

God works in us to will and to do when we make a decision to obey him…. LOVE – a beautiful, complex, deep, self stripping, giving, and when truly given, irreversible covenant decision that results in Glory…

So in conclusion, do I have a simple answer? No …. But I have the principle, and God help me to work at it and God help us all to work at it, that as we all make that decision to love it will be met with reciprocity, and ignited by covenant, and fueled by divinity….
Amen

PS this was a difficult one to write, as I surely have not come to grasp it’s full implication… maybe I never will… But I decide daily to continue to love…. SO HELP ME GOD…


Reel Life

The end is said
The credits roll
Hearts forever joined as one
Beating, syncing
Riding off, sunset rich
Just where am I?
Oh 'twas just a reel
In no manner real
Representation of life surreal
If only it were really real
The end revealed
Reel life divine
The lights come up
Real life begins.

Healing and the whole 9.... no 10 yards...

My Knight in shining armor....

Acceptance conceded defeat,

Reality set in

And now let the pity-party begin!

But only by invitation please,

Bouncers at the door

Your qualifications required,

Or no entry permit

Misery the pass phrase,

ID stamped, hand aglow,

Emerging when ?

Oh that I do not know

Commotion at the doorway

How dare they intrude!

Told to stay put,

When I left a while ago

But oh no had to forgo

And not alone I see

Your closest friends with,

Persistence, Hope and Faith

To the rescue, to the rescue!

The three musketeers indeed

For sure thought

You’d have something

On the ready to say

For you had not accepted my

‘We’re over and done with’

Here come again

My dark corner to invade

Bringing the light

Rejected but secretly desired

Speaking what I long to hear

Not with words,

But loving touch

Smile so tender

I, you propel

Over and over

Message communicate

‘Here baby, you do not belong’

The “Teers” flanking

Like a shield

Dark acquaintances held at bay

Gotta get you back

Getting you home

Back where you belong

Of Psalms 43

I will walk;

He is with me

Head held high;

Ne’er forsake me

‘Midst the floods;

Right beside me

Rivers flow;

Yet not o’er me

Deep waters roil;

Arms convey me

Fires burn;

Do not scorch me

Though flames ignite;

Won’t consume me

Fierce battles rage;

Strong He saves me

Calls me out;

Oh renames me

Once despised;

How He honors me

Twice refused;

Poured His love on me

In His courts;

Grace surrounds me

Purpose cries;

Faith defines me

For His own;

Yes He made me

And I am His;

I proclaim it!

© OluPero Mettabel, June 13 2011

Isaiah 43:1-7

But now thus saith the LORD who created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior; I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life.

Fear not, for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west;

I will say to the north,` Give up,' and to the south, `Keep not back.' Bring My sons from far and My daughters from the ends of the earth,

Even every one that is called by My name: For I have created him for My glory; I have formed him; yea, I have made him."

A Word to Live By

I had a dream in 1988

I had a dream in 1988. The dream was so real and vivid; I remember every detail of that dream like it was yesterday…..

I dreamt that I was standing outside I was alone and for some reason I was looking up into the sky. I wasn’t looking for, or at anything in particular, my eyes just seemed to be drawn upwards… All of a sudden I saw Jesus in the sky and even though I had not been aware that there were people standing around me, I started seeing people lift off the ground, hurtling towards sky, like reverse shooting stars!!!!… All around me, all I could hear was whoosh, whoosh, and whoosh!!! As still yet another body took off….

I realized quickly that what I experiencing (but not being a part of) was the rapture, that I had just heard preached about in the fellowship! I began to get alarmed… Why wasn’t I being lifted also? I was born again… or wasn’t I? I began to panic and started running around, all the time with people still continuing to fly up around me, but still nothing was happening to me! I then started calling on the name of the Lord – Jesus, Jesus, JESUS!!!! While looking upwards and as I continued to look upwards, I felt myself being lifted, and all of a sudden whoosh I too shot up into the skies and all of a sudden all I saw was LIGHT! And I felt completely at PEACE…. Light, peace…

I woke up with a start; I was initially scared and very perplexed that I was not been taken up at once, and I began to question the Lord about this… Was I not completely saved?, was there something in my life that made me almost miss the rapture? As I turned this dream over and over in my mind, this is what the Lord told me: He told me that the reason why I wasn’t immediately taken up in the dream was because I had beheld him a first, but had then taken my eyes off him as I started noting the activity around me, and what I saw caused me to panic still with my eyes off him; But the minute I started to call on him and to look up to him I got lifted… He said to me: 'It is only those who look out for my coming, and keep their eyes firmly on me who will be saved'…. As long as you keep your eyes on me, you will not miss me….

I have never forgotten this dream it has stayed with me since then; and every once in a while, it comes back to remind me to keep my eyes on the Lord….

What brought this dream to mind? It was a curious message that my Pastor preached today on ‘What to do if you miss the rapture’ What a title! It focused on the fact that the rapture IS real, and it will happen, maybe sooner than we think…. The timing for sure is important, but most importantly we need to not only focus our eyes on Jesus, we also need to pray for our loved ones and for souls and to preach the Word in and out of season….
Political correctness is the way of the world today, but as one of my pastors would say, ‘The world is going to hell in a hand basket’, and we are helping to accessorize with the shoes to match (the latter half, my words) hastening their steps along their way, if we do not preach the Word…

Jesus is coming back again, and he is not willing that any should perish, so let’s keep our eyes on Jesus… not people, not places, not doctrine or creed, not what others have done or are doing, but on JESUS, while continuing to draw others to him…. We shall behold him, someday we shall, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it… Maranatha.

Romans 10:13
For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

I Thess 4:15-18
According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Luke 21:34
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.


2 Timothy 4:8
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing....

PS You can catch the message later this week at www.lwcc.org under the multimedia tab

Shalom

Let there be... And there was

Chaos, chaos on the face of the deep

Emptiness, chasm; No fall so steep

Void of sight; No illumination

Rumblings inside; reflecting rumination

Waiting, straining; Wanting to being

Now intense the Spirit hovering

Over the cloak and the covering

The Word; The utterance

The Power; Oh the glory

Spoken, speaking, Rising to awakening

Light out of darkness

Vital from starkness

The Force, The terror

The Elation of Creation

Beginning of the end

End of the beginning

Unending; Unfailing

The Godhead Supreme

The Voice thunders: Let there be….

And behold; Behold, Behold….

And there was!

WHEN HOPE IS BROKEN, THE SOUL IS DISQUIETED

I woke up this morning in a foul mood. My brothers and my mom, who unfortunately called me during this time, got the brunt of my displeasure. After I had called back all but one of them and apologized, and had done a little bit of soul-searching, I realized the reason why I was feeling this way: My hope was broken!

WHEN HOPE IS BROKEN, THE SOUL IS DISQUIETED

Yes! My hope regarding a particular thing that I had been believing God for was wounded and broken. This caused a rip in my soul and the hemorrhage that ensued, caused quite a bit of disquiet within me.

At the risk of sounding gory, when a freshly inflicted wound bleeds, it soaks into anything that it comes into contact with, and even the material that is used in the staunching of it’s flow; and until the hemorrhage is stayed the seepage continues.

So what stays the hemorrhage? It is the healing of the wound; IT IS THE RESTORATION OF HOPE! And where can that hope be regained? It can only be restored in the presence of the Lord.

David was in a similar situation when his hope in God had been broken, and rather than seeing the desire of his heart; the realization of what God had said to him in the secret place and even acknowledged in the presence of witnesses (albeit hostile witnesses, even though he sought after the Lord passionately), he was instead faced with exile, ridicule and delay upon delay of the realization of his dreams. What did he do?

Ps 42:4

When I remember these things,

I pour out my soul within me.

He cried unto God and brought to his remembrance what the Lord had said, and thus encouraged himself in the Lord:

Ps 42:11

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.

So as I think on these things today, that is what I will do: I will yet hope in Him for I would have lost hope if I had not believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living or as the NIV version puts it, I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13).

Are you like I am hemorrhaging today? PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD! Remembering that He has come to bind up the brokenhearted, and we do not have to bleed any longer, because He has already shed his blood for us…. I am encouraged.

I hope in God!

For you and I will yet see the realization and the fulfillment of all our hearts desires…. Amen

Psalm 42

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation[a] of the sons of Korah.

1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So pants my soul for You, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?[b]

3

My tears have been my food day and night,

While they continually say to me,

“Where is your God?”

4 When I remember these things,

I pour out my soul within me.

For I used to go with the multitude;

I went with them to the house of God,

With the voice of joy and praise,

With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

For the help of His countenance.[c]

6 O my God,[d] my soul is cast down within me;

Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,

And from the heights of Hermon,

From the Hill Mizar.

7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;

All Your waves and billows have gone over me.

8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,

And in the night His song shall be with me—

A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my Rock,

“Why have You forgotten me?

Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

10 As with a breaking of my bones,

My enemies reproach me,

While they say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.

Train up a child...

I used to be a pediatrician and in that my other life, I had cause to see all sorts of children…. Good children, not so good children, respectful and disciplined children, and children from you know where… God used my exposure to these kids to teach me an important principle that I hope to put into practice in bringing up my own children and I hope it will resonate with all the parents that are out there.
Have you ever wondered why it is that some of the most devout and godly people we know sometimes have some of the worst behaved kids? Have we ever wondered why it is that PKs (Pastor’s kids) very often do not turn out to be stellar and upstanding kingdom citizens? This is not a broad generalization, but a sad truth in Christendom. This is also borne out in scriptures as in the cases of Eli and David’s sons… So why is this so?
In my pediatric practice I would ask teenagers the following question: Do you smoke? And of course the answer would be nooooooo….. Well why not? I would counter with the kids looking at me in amazement and the parents with horror surely thinking ‘ What kind of god-awful doctor have I brought my child to?’…. Well why not? I would repeat and the most common answer was a mumbled ‘I dunno’ then I would say well if you don’t know why you’re not doing what you’re not doing someone WILL come along and give you a reason TO DO IT…. Great sigh of relief from the parents…. :-). You see I found out that in bringing up their children, people sometimes tell their children what NOT TO DO, without giving them a reason why or without teaching them why THEY SHOULD DO the correct thing…. Many a time I have heard parents saying: If I catch you doing this or that I will…. Only to have the kids turn around and do that very thing why ??? I believe it is because telling them what not to do without proper and balanced instruction, sensitizes them to actually doing that wrong thing!…. Is that so? Well according to scripture yes!
Romans 7:7
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”

So what would the Lord have us do?

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way HE SHOULD GO (Not the way he shouldn’t go), And when he is old he will not depart from it.

So what do it mean to train?

train (trn)
verb
1. To coach in or accustom to a mode of behavior or performance.
2. To make proficient with specialized instruction and practice.
3. To prepare physically, as with a regimen: train athletes for track-and-field competition.
4. To focus on or aim at (a goal, mark, or target); direct.

So when the bible says train it means to give specific instruction IN THE WORD….
Is moral instruction wrong? No! but it creates an awareness of sin, AND it does not have any power to effect change; but when we train our children in the WORD the word that is quick and powerful and able to effect change and give life will cause deep seated change to occur and because the WORD abides forever that seed planted will also abide

Deuteronomy 11:18-19
18 “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

So needs must that every Christian parent must know the Word… and study to show themselves approved unto God so that they may train the children that the Lord has given them…. The heritage of the Lord…

Shalom

And for those who are doing this, be encouraged:

Isaiah 54:13
All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children.

GREAT SHALL BE THE PEACE OF OUR CHILDREN... AMEN


PS I recent asked some school aged kids who did not want to fasten their seatbelts if they knew why they had to fasten their seat belts; and they answered: ‘ It’s so we won’t get a ticket’…. :-).... and of course aunty told them…