Friday 13 January 2017

HAPPY NEW YOU


Through the years I have watched corruption blossom in our land, I have watched terrorists destroy the life and good fortune of people, I have heard of men who rape and leave women for the dead, I have heard of women doing the unspeakable just for a few dollars in the pocket, I have seen addiction drive men to their early graves, I have heard of selfish contractors who have blood on their hands because money in the pocket is worth more than the life of a citizen, I have heard of husbands killing wives for the love of money, I have seen people fighting on the streets, breaking bottles and piercing the hearts of weak opponents with a sharp knife, I have seen friends lie to one another, I have seen lovers deceive each other for the love of another, I have heard of men who wouldn’t give without taking and I have watched humans become numb to violence.
So when the bells of 2017 started to ring once again, I sat and wondered what was really changing, are we celebrating dates or the lives that keep swimming in depths of wickedness and deceit. Then I ask ‘where is our conscience?’ Where is that gift of conscience that the maker put as a check for every action? Dead? Weakened? Alive? Seared? Defiled?
Where is your conscience when you take that bribe?
Where is your conscience when you steal from another?
Where is your conscience when you drug and rape girls at will?
Where is your conscience when you leave yet another girl on the altar of singleness?
Where is your conscience when you destroy the life that took someone years of labour to build?
Where is your conscience when you fail to help that man, that woman who called you ‘last hope’
Where is your conscience when you sit with friends who rape a lady in turn and then you say ‘I am just an onlooker?’
Where is your conscience when you commit horrible crimes against humanity?
Where is your conscience when you steal from that guy and sing the MAGA song of celebration?
Where is your conscience when you fail to hear the pleadings of another man?
Where is your conscience when you join a secret cult?
Where is your conscious when you choose money over the lives of precious citizens?
Where is your conscience when you lie to those who hold you in high esteem?
Where is your conscience when you abuse that little boy, that little girl?
Where is your conscience when you mock that man to his grave?
Where is your conscience?
We are twelve days into the New Year and let me tell you things people have said to me when they called me up:
‘I just lost my sister’
‘There was an accident and I wouldn’t be able to make it to work’
‘Do you have a minute? I need to share my pain with you’
‘My friend hurt me bad and I just don’t know if I can forgive her’
‘I just lost my job’
‘Do you know anyone in Road Safety, they towed my car’
‘He said he wouldn’t hurt me but he did and then he ended up breaking up with me’
‘I am behind in the study of the word and I can’t even get my prayer time right’
‘I’m tired, I’m exhausted and I want to give it all up’
Dear friends it’s not even two weeks into the new year, the deaths have started, the accidents are re occurring, the pains have started to sting and they won’t go away, friends have started with the lies all over again, people are jobless, the uniform men haven’t stopped taking bribes, hearts are still being broken and frozen, people are already falling for the MAGA move, relationship with God is still dwindling and people are still looking for the slightest opportunity to give up and just end it all. And yet many people have tagged this year their year of breakthrough, year of no carry over, year of recover and overtake. While there are no issues with making claims and promises, it will be hypocritical to make those claims without genuine action.
Most of the problems people face are caused by people. Yet we all happily sing songs of a new year when we have failed to see beyond ourselves. How do we know this year won’t be like the last when we still are the same conscience confused people?
What are you doing with your conscience this New Year? Are you going to awaken it to good works? We have become a generation of selfish people, we don’t look out for the good in others, our hearts pray for others to fail so we can rise up, we would do anything just for money, we would hurt the nearest person to us just for a moment’s happiness, we would crave the unspeakable just to satisfy the desires of the world, we would make jest of people who are struggling just to make it past another day, we would turn people’s pain into the comedy relief of the day, we would overlook the struggles of another. We have become so involved with ourselves that nothing else matters. Yet we forget that we didn’t create ourselves, we forget that there is a cause, we forget that the world wasn’t birthed in our hands, we forget that the good of another should be the good of all.
Where is our conscience?
1 Timothy 1:19
Keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.
Hebrews 10:22
Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
You truly want a New Year then it should be about a New you. A new conscience void of offense towards God and towards man. Every good you do you do to God, do one good at a time, offer help, spread cheer around, give hope. That is what you have been called to do.
Let’s stop the hating, let’s stop the violence, let’s stop the killing, let’s stop the pain, we need each other to make the world a better place. So really as we celebrate a new year it’s actually supposed to be a celebration of a new person. Share love and don’t stop doing it until the world is love choked. I imagine when that day will come. But I know it begins with a clear conscience.
Happy New You People.

THIS TIME NEXT YEAR


Another year has come and gone. Before our eyes another 365days has ended. Just as a bride eagerly counts down to her wedding day we have once again just like we did in 2015 counted down to the year 2017. The only unfortunate thing is that we are always very quick to forget the past year, it is unfortunate because the blocks of the New Year are to be built on the lessons of the past year. But we tend to forget the year, we ignore the signs and blindly begin the hustle again without pre acquired instructions from the past year. I know that we aren’t supposed to dwell on the past but the truth is when we dwell on the past right, the future is clearer. We are not dwelling on the past with a heart of regret or discontentment, we remember the past to pick up lessons, we remember to continue a cycle of determination and avoid mistakes made before, we contemplate on what brought us joy, we reflect upon what really counts and remember those ones that enriched our lives.
As the New Year begins, we are another year closer to the end, another step closer to the coming of our king. It is not about the changing dates, or the wishes it brings, the New Year more than a celebration is a reminder of things to come, a fresh opportunity, and a new book in which every day presents a page and a pen. Your actions and lifestyle eventually make the book an interesting or a regrettable read.
In the New Year, many people around the world make promises, resolutions, plans and goals, however, many of the resolutions made by people are rarely fulfilled. Webster defines a resolution as: "a) a resolving, or determining; deciding b) the thing determined upon; decision as to future action; resolve." It is good to make resolutions, the only problem is that people make resolutions without determination, it’s more of a lip service and when our resolutions meet with the work required, we give up and forget the desire to be resolute. Usually, resolutions make people feel good about themselves, they have a sense of responsibility, at least if nothing else happens, they have written out goals for the coming year. However, having a RESOLUTION does not necessarily result in a REVOLUTION if there is no determination. Every resolution has to result in a revolution, Kirk Franklin wrote in his song titled REVOLTUTION:
NO CRIME! NO DYING! POLITICIANS LYING! EVERYBODYS TRYING TO MAKE A DOLLAR,
THE WAY THEY DO MY LIFE
THERES GOING TO BE A BRIGHTER DAY, ALL THE TROUBLES GOING TO PASS AWAY
THE SOLUTION? A REVOLUTION
A REVOLTION IS COMING, YES IT IS COMING
Millions of people every year make resolutions, yet the rate of crime and ungodliness has increased far beyond reach in this generation. The reason is because many of our resolutions do not produce a revolution (a complete radical change of any kind).
As believers we must know that it doesn’t matter how the years go by, the expectation and mandate of God for His children remain the same - unchanging, unfailing.
2Timothy 2: 19 - Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
As we usher in the New Year we need to decide what pattern our lives will be taking. Resolutions are good but what is the point of a resolution that does not effect the desired change?
Look back at the past year, what were the gains? What were the losses? Year in year out we must take account and apply our hearts to wisdom. A new year is another fresh page, none like it has existed before. An opportunity to begin again, an opportunity to right the wrong and achieve something in the race of life.
In the year 2016, many were killed, many took their lives by their hands, many couldn’t go on again because the hardship was too much. There is nothing more frustrating than a life without purpose and direction. But you are still standing, despite the hardship, despite all you have been through, the turmoil and heartache you survived, wouldn’t you rather make your existence count? Wouldn’t you rather make the survival worth it?
We must resolve to spend less time talking and more time doing, maybe we spent so much time gossiping and talking in the past year that we forgot to make relevant impact. This year we cannot afford such luxury. There is so much assignment to be done so it is action time. You ask what assignment:
2 – two hands working diligently, two eyes seeing the good in everyone, two ears obeying even isn difficult times, two legs walking in the fulfilment of purpose,
0 – zero tolerance for sin and all unrighteousness
1 – one act of kindness every day of the year
7 – seven days in every week dedicated to a closer walk with God
Take a look at the past year and choose to apply wisdom in this coming year. Make resolutions that result in revolution. Deicide that in 2017you will be part of the agents that God will use to redefine a generation that is fast becoming lost in the pleasures of the world.
Don’t let 2017 go in a rush, don’t be in haste to count down to 2018, do something that 2017 will be grateful to you for. So that by this same time next you can make a clear distinction between where you were January 1 2017 and where you would be January 1, 2018.
By this time next year, would you have experienced a revolution?
I Thessalonians 5:21-22
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Love is all that matters

Never miss an opportunity to put a smile on someone's face.  Support the drive to share and express the love of Jesus this season...