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“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof” Ecclesiastes 7:8
Look at David’s Lord and Master; see his beginning. He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Would you see the end? He sits at his Father’s right hand, expecting until his enemies be made his footstool
“As he is, so are we also in this world”
You must bear the cross, or you shall never wear the crown; you must wade through the mire, or you shall never walk the golden pavement. Cheer up, then, poor Christian “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof”
See that creeping worm, how contemptible its appearance! It is the beginning of a thing. Mark that insect with gorgeous wings, playing in the sunbeams, sipping at the flower bells, full of happiness and life; that is the end thereof. That caterpillar is yourself, until you are wrapped up in the chrysalis of death; but when Christ shall appear you shall be like him, for you shall see him as he is. Be content to be like him, a worm and no man, that like him you may be satisfied when you wake up in his likeness.
That rough-looking diamond is put upon the wheel of the lapidary. He cuts it on all sides. It loses much—much that seemed costly to itself. The king is crowned; the diadem is put upon the monarch’s head with trumpet’s joyful sound. A glittering ray flashes from that coronet, and it beams from that very diamond which was just now so sorely vexed by the lapidary.
You may venture to compare yourself to such a diamond, for you are one of God’s people; and this is the time of the cutting process. Let faith and patience have their perfect work, for in the day when the crown shall be set upon the head of the King, Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, one ray of glory shall stream from you “They shall be mine,” saith the Lord, “in the day when I make up my jewels” “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof”
© Spurgeon
It shall turn to you for a testimony – Luke 21:13
Life is a steep climb, and it does the heart good to have somebody “call back” and cheerily beckon us on up the high hill. We are all climbers together, and we must help one another. This mountain climbing is serious business, but glorious. It takes strength and steady step to find the summits. The outlook widens with the altitude. If anyone among us has found anything worth while, we ought to “call back.”
If you have gone a little way ahead of me, call back—
’Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track;
And if, perchance, Faith’s light is dim, because the oil is low,
Your call will guide my lagging course as wearily I go.
Call back, and tell me that He went with you into the storm;
Call back, and say He kept you when the forest’s roots were torn;
That, when the heavens thunder and the earthquake shook the hill,
He bore you up and held you where the very air was still.
Oh, friend, call back, and tell me for I cannot see your face,
They say it glows with triumph, and your feet bound in the race;
But there are mists between us and my spirit eyes are dim,
And I cannot see the glory, though I long for word of Him.
But if you’ll say He heard you when your prayer was but a cry,
And if you’ll say He saw you through the night’s sin-darkened sky
If you have gone a little way ahead, oh, friend, call back—
’Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track.
—Selected
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds” Proverbs 27:23 Every wise merchant will occasionally hold a stock-taking, when he will cast up his accounts, examine what he has on hand, and ascertain decisively whether his trade is prosperous or declining. Every man who is wise in the kingdom of heaven, will cry, “Search me, O God, and try me”; and he will frequently set apart special seasons for self-examination, to discover whether things are right between God and his soul. The God whom we worship is a great heart-searcher; and of old his servants knew him as “the Lord which searcheth the heart and trieth the reins of the children of men” Let me stir you up in his name to make diligent search and solemn trial of your state, lest you come short of the promised rest. That which every wise man does, that which God himself does with us all, I exhort you to do with yourself this evening. Let the oldest saint look well to the fundamentals of his piety, for grey heads may cover black hearts: and let not the young professor despise the word of warning, for the greenness of youth may be joined to the rottenness of hypocrisy. Every now and then a cedar falls into our midst. The enemy still continues to sow tares among the wheat. It is not my aim to introduce doubts and fears into your mind; nay, verily, but I shall hope the rather that the rough wind of self-examination may help to drive them away. It is not security, but carnal security, which we would kill; not confidence, but fleshly confidence, which we would overthrow; not peace, but false peace, which we would destroy. By the precious blood of Christ, which was not shed to make you a hypocrite, but that sincere souls might show forth his praise, I beseech you, search and look, lest at the last it be said of you, “Mene, Mene, Tekel: thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting”
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The trial of your faith”
1 Peter 1:7
Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. When a calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship moves not to its harbour; for on a slumbering ocean the keel sleeps too. Let the winds rush howling forth, and let the waters lift up themselves, then, though the vessel may rock, and her deck may be washed with waves, and her mast may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, it is then that she makes headway towards her desired haven. No flowers wear so lovely a blue as those which grow at the foot of the frozen glacier; no stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky; no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand; and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. Tried faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God’s strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods. Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too. Let not this, however, discourage those who are young in faith. You will have trials enough without seeking them: the full portion will be measured out to you in due season.
Meanwhile, if you cannot yet claim the result of long experience, thank God for what grace you have; praise him for that degree of holy confidence whereunto you have attained: walk according to that rule, and you shall yet have more and more of the blessing of God, till your faith shall remove mountains and conquer impossibilities
WAIT PATIENTLY
And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise – Heb 6:15
Abraham was long tried, but he was richly rewarded. The Lord tried him by delaying to fulfill His promise. Satan tried him by temptation; men tried him by jealousy, distrust, and opposition; Sarah tried him by her peevishness. But he patiently endured. He did not question God’s veracity, nor limit His power, nor doubt His faithfulness, nor grieve His love; but he bowed to Divine Sovereignty, submitted to Infinite Wisdom, and was silent under delays, waiting the Lord’s time. And so, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
God’s promises cannot fail of their accomplishment. Patient waiters cannot be disappointed. Believing expectation shall be realized.
Beloved, Abraham’s conduct condemns a hasty spirit, reproves a murmuring one, commends a patient one, and encourages quiet submission to God’s will and way. Remember, Abraham was tried; he patiently waited; he received the promise, and was satisfied. Imitate his example, and you will share the same blessing.—Selected
©STREAMS IN THE DESERT
Perfection of Suffering
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me – Ps 138:8
There is a Divine mystery in suffering, a strange and supernatural power in it, which has never been fathomed by the human reason. There never has been known great saintliness of soul which did not pass through great suffering. When the suffering soul reaches a calm sweet carelessness, when it can inwardly smile at its own suffering, and does not even ask God to deliver it from suffering, then it has wrought its blessed ministry; then patience has its perfect work; then the crucifixion begins to weave itself into a crown.
It is in this state of the perfection of suffering that the Holy Spirit works many marvelous things in our souls. In such a condition, our whole being lies perfectly still under the hand of God; every faculty of the mind and will and heart are at last subdued; a quietness of eternity settles down into the whole being; the tongue grows still, and has but few words to say; it stops asking God questions; it stops crying, “Why hast thou forsaken me?”
The imagination stops building air castles, or running off on foolish lines; the reason is tame and gentle; the choices are annihilated; it has no choice in anything but the purpose of God. The affections are weaned from all creatures and all things; it is so dead that nothing can hurt it, nothing can offend it, nothing can hinder it, nothing can get in its way; for, let the circumstances be what they may, it seeks only for God and His will, and it feels assured that God is making everything in the universe, good or bad, past or present, work together for its good.
Oh, the blessedness of being absolutely conquered! of losing our own strength, and wisdom, and plans, and desires, and being where every atom of our nature is like placid Galilee under the omnipotent feet of our Jesus. —Soul Food
The great thing is to suffer without being discouraged. —Fenelon
© Streams in the Desert
DEEPER
Not much earth – Matt 13:5
Shallow! It would seem from the teaching of this parable that we have something to do with the soil. The fruitful seed fell into “good and honest hearts.” I suppose the shallow people are the soil without much earth—those who have no real purpose, are moved by a tender appeal, a good sermon, a pathetic melody, and at first it looks as if they would amount to something; but not much earth—no depth, no deep, honest purpose, no earnest desire to know duty in order to do it. Let us look after the soil of our hearts.
When a Roman soldier was told by his guide that if he insisted on taking a certain journey it would probably be fatal, he answered, “It is necessary for me to go; it is not necessary for me to live.”
This was depth. When we are convicted something like that we shall come to something. The shallow nature lives in its impulses, its impressions, its intuitions, its instincts, and very largely its surroundings. The profound character looks beyond all these, and moves steadily on, sailing past all storms and clouds into the clear sunshine which is always on the other side, and waiting for the afterwards which always brings the reversion of sorrow, seeming defeat and failure.
When God has deepened us, then He can give us His deeper truths, His profoundest secrets, and His mightier trusts. Lord, lead me into the depths of Thy life and save me from a shallow experience!
On to broader fields of holy vision;
On to loftier heights of faith and love;
Onward, upward, apprehending wholly,
All for which He calls thee from above.
—A. B. Simpson
On to loftier heights of faith and love;
Onward, upward, apprehending wholly,
All for which He calls thee from above.
—A. B. Simpson
© STREAMS IN THE DESERT
He Who Eats the Grapes of Sodom
“All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.”
Numbers 6:4Nazarites had taken, among other vows, one which debarred them from the use of wine. In order that they might not violate the obligation, they were forbidden to drink the vinegar of wine or strong liquors, and to make the rule still more clear, they were not to touch the unfermented juice of grapes, nor even to eat the fruit either fresh or dried. In order, altogether, to secure the integrity of the vow, they were not even allowed anything that had to do with the vine; they were, in fact, to avoid the appearance of evil. Surely this is a lesson to the Lord’s separated ones, teaching them to come away from sin in every form, to avoid not merely its grosser shapes, but even its spirit and similitude. Strict walking is much despised in these days, but rest assured, dear reader, it is both the safest and the happiest. He who yields a point or two to the world is in fearful peril; he who eats the grapes of Sodom will soon drink the wine of Gomorrah. A little crevice in the sea-bank in Holland lets in the sea, and the gap speedily swells till a province is drowned. Worldly conformity, in any degree, is a snare to the soul, and makes it more and more liable to presumptuous sins. Moreover, as the Nazarite who drank grape juice could not be quite sure whether it might not have endured a degree of fermentation, and consequently could not be clear in heart that his vow was intact, so the yielding, temporizing Christian cannot wear a conscience void of offence, but must feel that the inward monitor is in doubt of him. Things doubtful we need not doubt about; they are wrong to us. Things tempting we must not dally with, but flee from them with speed. Better be sneered at as a Puritan than be despised as a hypocrite. Careful walking may involve much self-denial, but it has pleasures of its own which are more than a sufficient
recompense.
recompense.
© Charles Spurgeon
Shaped Stones
I will lay thy stones with fair colors – Isa 54:11
The stones from the wall said, "We come from the mountains far away, from the sides of the craggy hills. Fire and water have worked on us for ages, but made us only crags. Human hands have made us into a dwelling where the children of your immortal race are born, and suffer, and rejoice, and find rest and shelter, and learn the lessons set them by our Maker and yours. But we have passed through much to fit us for this. Gunpowder has rent our very heart; pickaxes have cleaved and broken us, it seemed to us often with out design or meaning, as we lay misshapen stones in the quarry; but gradually we were cut into blocks, and some of us were chiseled with finer instruments to a sharper edge. But we are complete now, and are in our places, and are of service.
You are in the quarry still, and not complete, and therefore to you, as once to us, much is inexplicable. But you are destined for a higher building, and one day you will be placed in it by hands not human, a living stone in a heavenly temple.
“In the still air the music lies unheard;
In the rough marble beauty hides unseen;
To make the music and the beauty needs
The master’s touch, the sculptor’s chisel keen.
“Great Master, touch us with Thy skillful hands;
Let not the music that is in us die!
Great Sculptor, hew and polish us; nor let,
Hidden and lost, thy form within us lie!”
© Streams in the Desert
Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed – John 20:29
How strong is the snare of the things that are seen, and how necessary for God to keep us in the things that are unseen! If Peter is to walk on the water he must walk; if he is going to swim, he must swim, but he cannot do both. If the bird is going to fly it must keep away from fences and the trees, and trust to its buoyant wings. But if it tries to keep within easy reach of the ground, it will make poor work of flying.
God had to bring Abraham to the end of his own strength, and to let him see that in his own body he could do nothing. He had to consider his own body as good as dead, and then take God for the whole work; and when he looked away from himself, and trusted God alone, then he became fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able to perform. That is what God is teaching us, and He has to keep away encouraging results until we learn to trust without them, and then He loves to make His Word real in fact as well as faith.—A. B. Simpson
I do not ask that He must prove
His Word is true to me,
And that before I can believe
He first must let me see.
It is enough for me to know
’Tis true because He says ’tis so;
On His unchanging Word I’ll stand
And trust till I can understand.
—E. M. Winter
© Streams in the Desert
Shall we take a moment to ponder about excellence. Take the measuring tape of wisdom and tell me where you place a sluggish brain and a sound mind in the sphere of intellect. Do not be baffled if you hear the psalmist say, "I have more understanding than my teachers". That's not an expression of pride but a statement of fact. One could be ladened with western degrees and still be as brainless as the dropping rain. If you can puff a smoke at the Majesty of heaven or speak about His divinity with pride in your heart, you are equally foolish. All you know cannot cross the river of death to the great beyond. You should not underestimate the ruins a godless brain can do to the soul and you cannot exaggerate the blessings of a God-given smartness. Children of God, you have the well of excellence residing inside of you because your heart is the temple where the fullness of God dwells. A soundness of mind that make you overcome the limitations of mortality and the penury of eternity. Excellence is your life my friend. "There is a spir t in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding" (Isaiah 32: 8)
© Olatuja Oloyede
Every feet walking this earth carries a greatness within the ribcage of their hearts. But not too many realises that excellent radiation of glory hanging idly to the darkness of mortal soul. There is something awesome about that unseen destiny imprinted on every palm toiling out there in the cold of an old rugged street. Unfortunately, our world has known too much tragedy than it can possibly endure. Humanity is gradually sinking into the abyss of war and failed leadership because too many people had gone down the sacred stairs of death ladened with huge loads of an unfulfilled life. The mighty ones rot away in the weak chains of feeble enemies because they can't recognise where the secret of their strength lies. Anyone who drinks from this fountain I know shall move mountains. Anyone who travels on the wings of the Almighty shall travel far. My dear friend, "commit thy works unto the Lord, and your plans shall be established" (Proverbs 16:3)
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© Olatuja Oloyede
© Olatuja Oloyede
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This is a huge question indeed as there are many conflicting ideas and schools of thought.
I actually love solo spirituals but I'm a fan of some secular music too.... But as I grow in faith, I kept deleting, re-downloading, and deleting certain songs finding it hard to synchronize them with my spiritual life... The same goes for secular movies too, especially season films.... This is not a deliberate action but an involuntary reaction from within. I get really troubled in my spirit when worldly music is blaring from the stereo set... We should start by giving a working definition of the so-called worldly music.
The opposite of worldly is godly. Worldly here is anything inspired by the system of the world which is usually at loggerheads with the will of God. We can safely assume therefore that a song or movie that represents or celebrates ideas that are anti-God is worldly. Love songs becomes worldly when its celebrates fornication and adultery. Social songs or movies can be termed worldly if its propagates the spirit of fraudulence, gangsterism, disloyalty and rebellion. However, a song that speaks about the lot of the commoners may not necessary be hymns or spiritual in production but could serve as a reminder that the world has some people in the ghetto that needs our attention and love. Some songs recreate and imitate ... So the complexities of the genres of songs may become little problematic in terms of proper classification.
But Jesus Himself make some points clear about our individual lives..... This is what He says
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.
John 14:26
It means that the spirit of God in us will serve as a prompter and counselor streamlining our lives into the will of God. He will create in us what I call compatibility mechanism, a configured mind that is fashioned to flow with the will of God. At this point, it won't matter the linguistic class of the song but the spiritual relevance, thematic relevance, the spirit behind its production and the power sponsoring the song....
Wait.... Have not said much really.... If you've got irritated at some songs or movies probably because of your faith..pause and check... The spirit of God may be saying that the song isn't good for the one in whom the spirit of the Most High dwells, delete it. You won't want to indulge in what Christ Himself won't encourage right?.... Have you some songs which celebrate revenge, wickedness, lusts, pride, prodigality, profanity, immorality etc. . . obviously... You've got to get off that track before your emotions and psychology become a slave of worldliness... But you see, just the way some literatures aside spiritual ones can add to your knowledge about the world of humanity, so will some songs do... The Spirit of God in you will lead and direct you. You won't have to ask which songs should I listen or not listen to. God himself will direct your path into His will. Draw closer to God and the rest is settled.
Hope that helps.
© Olatuja Oloyede
*A WALK WITH GOD*
Genesis 5:20-24
One of the shortest verses of the Bible is "Enoch walked with God and he was no more, because God took him away". The beauty of this verse is not only its simplicity and direct word but the rest of Enoch's life was spent with God. Methuselah was the only child of Enoch and giving birth to him at age 65 gave him the chance of walking with God. He possibly had not been having enough time working with God as early as possible in his early life but a point came that he discovered the secret of knowing God "Walking with God"
Many a time we forgot that the secret of God dwell with his people i.e those who are walking daily with him. Walking with God is movement from one stage to another. Adam would have been the best person to walk with the Lord but he stopped the communication immediately they were sent out of the garden.
When Enoch understood and enjoyed the fellowship with God, he was transformed by the light to be the best friend of God. God had to withheld him from living in a corrupt world, he took him away.
Today, the walk with the Lord is made much more easier than before, we have the Holy Spirit to constantly help us to connect to the Father, a constant work with God gives you a direct access to the Father.
Let there be a release of the Spirit and an outward break of the flesh to enable the spirit to penetrate through every other parts of the soul.
BE WISE: Learning daily from God is living on him daily
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Take time out to admire the beauty surrounding us. The flowery glades, the dazzling lilies of the meadow, the hanging mountains, the sweet melodies of the birds singing across the blue sky, and the amazing creatures of the sea, the hands of our Father had made them all. He is the hand that weaved the fabrics of life, the brain behind every existence, the strength that suspend the sky above the earth. No need looking on the distant horizon of the future with the eyes of fears and heart of anxiety. The one who has promised you peace can never lie. "Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved." (Psalm 55:22)
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©Olatuja Oloyede
This message was sent to me this morning by a dear friend!
"Prepare to come and bury me, prepare to come and weep at my funeral (literary). Sir if in this year or next I don't have or bring forth revival. I must have a revival or death and if need be i must have it and die. The line has been drawn but I can't stand the sight of souls languishing anymore. Sir You are a witness of this thing"
And I join my friend in his burden praying: " Oh that you would rend the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might flow down at your presence, As when the melting fire burns, the fire causes the waters to boil, to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence. (Isaiah 64:1-2)
God send down another flood of revival.
Good morning
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© Olatuja Oloyede
Life may sometimes turn its ugly sides and its seems all friends are gone. Before you drop a tear, remember it could just be God at work. Hopes may be dashed as dear promises come in the packages of disappointment, remember it could just be God at work. A love one decides to leave and your heart is broken, before you drop a tear, remember it could just be God at work. The furnace of affliction is one place where greatness is fashioned into God's children and the dessert is sometimes the path leading to the flood. There is a blessing which comes in disguise and we all must be able to say, O Lord, Thy will alone be done. "Take note of this, I have refined you; but not with silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction." (Isaiah 48:10)
Do have a wonderful week ahead
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© Olatuja Oloyede
So many promises fade into oblivion after a long wait of disappointment. Too many friends is not the cure of loneliness. A man may be surrounded by multitude and still feel deserted. There are dangers in placing all the trusts in mortality. We learn the secret of a long happy life the moment we learn to trust God more and man less. Forgiveness we be much easier and acceptance of other's weaknesses will come with less stress. Don't be surprise why there are too many tears in the eyes of a brokenhearted man, though it won't wash the pain or heal the wounds, "'this is what the Lord says: curse is the one who puts his trust in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns from the Lord." (Jeremiah 17 : 5)
Trust God more and have an inspired Sunday
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© Olatuja Oloyede
Our world has known so many promises from politicians and yet refuse to change for good. Many institutions are struggling to fix a world ever tearing apart. The armies with all their skills cannot heal a "peace-less" world. The wisdoms of great physicians bow in defeat when nature decides to have its course. Is there still hope in humanity? There is a man whose prayer can stop the sun, whose rod can part the sea, whose mouth can lock the rain behind the iron gates of heaven for years, whose hands can break the jaws of lion. Our world is only in need of that man who will rise as an arrow from the quiver of a mighty God. A man who will hold to schemes of hell and the government of darkness at bay. A man that can make the difference and that man can be you!! God said this about you: "You are my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I destroy kingdoms" (Jeremiah 51: 20)
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© Olatuja Oloyede
The world has been a cruel place to too many people and to many more, it is a long unfriendly ride. The future sometimes holds promises it can never fulfill and many dream of better days that will never come. Even the fishes sometimes get drowned in the river and the birds sometimes gets lost in the sky. The strength of the warriors also fail them at the hour of need. Going through the long dark journey of life into the unknown requires on skill. We must be able to say, I'm a child and I know not which way to go. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil" (Proverbs 3: 5 - 8)
Stay humble, stay close and have a blessed day!!
© Olatuja Oloyede
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