Month: October 2007

How Human was God?

Since, then, the children have partaken of flesh and blood, in like manner He Himself also shared the same things… Heb 2:14 (LITV)

…but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren… Heb 2:16-17 (KJV)

And the Word was made flesh…Joh 1:14

1. Did he ever wince in pain while helping Joe in the shed?
2. Did he ever want more ice cream?
3. Did he ever get into a football fight?
4. Did he ever do something his folks forbid?
5. Did he snore while he slept?
6. Did he kick his siblings in his sleep?
7. Did he want to win the neighborhood kid race?
8. Did he fancy the girl who lived down the street?
9. Did he attend birthday parties?
10. Did he take part in dancing chairs?
11. Did he get tired and fatigued?
12. Did he feel disappointed when his folks didn’t permit something?
13. Did he feel lonely when he couldn’t tell anybody that he might be God?
14. Did he ever throw stones at birds and lizards?
15. Did he get angry and irritated?
16. Did he enjoy doing laundry?
17. Did he have best friends?
18. Did he have “when I grow up I want to be…” dreams?
19. Did he ever get pissed off?
20. Did he want to die young?
21. Did he ever have an erection?
22. Did he ever pee or poop?
23. Did he have difficulty with maths and aramaic?

I couldn’t have said it better…

Culled from vee

This post is based on Romans 14 which I’m finding pretty practical when it comes to how I relate to the Christian world and the non- Christian world. In particular over certain issues such as should women be pastors, or should women dress in a particular manner, or over the importance of certain days… you know, the stuff we Christians love debating about (and in some occasions, lording it over others that we are more in line with God because we observe a, b, c, d whereas you don’t!) Obviously Paul is speaking about contentious issues in the roman church at that time (clean and unclean foods and the observance of the Sabbath). I’ve highlighted the verses that are particularly poignant.

The Law of Liberty

1 Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about doubtful issues. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, but one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat; and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does, because God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to criticize another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And stand he will! For the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person considers one day to be above another day.
Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully
convinced in his own mind. 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it to the
Lord. Whoever eats, eats to the Lord, since he gives thanks to God;
and whoever does not eat, it is to the Lord that he does not eat, yet he
thanks God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord.
Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died
and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the
living. 10 But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why
do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat
of God. 11 For it is written:
As I live,
says the Lord,
every knee will bow to Me,
and every tongue will give praise to God.

12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

The Law of Love
13 Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another, but instead decide not to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way. 14 (I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean. 15 For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. By what you eat, do not destroy that one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore, do not
let your good be slandered, 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and
drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18
Whoever serves the Messiah in this way is acceptable to God and approved
by men.
19 So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. 20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats. 21 It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble. 22 Do you have faith? Keep it to yourself before God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin.

What I love about Paul’s writing here is that it’s clear that his focus is on love and wisdom and building each other up, and not having somewhat useless debates about what we should and should not do. Especially v22 which is such a humbling verse because it speaks about keep your contentious beliefs to yourself and not making the whole world feel judged because what you believe contradicts with what another Christian believes. As a result I’m re-evaluating what I post on my blog. For me Christianity is all about love. I want others especially those who do not know HIM, to feel HIS love when they come to lil-bit-of-heaven and not the constant stream of judgement that makes one feel as if they don’t measure up to what He wants us to be. I’m also therefore going to be careful about what I endorse on other blogs and what discussions I get into because really, most of them are not necessary! What gets me though, is that quite a number of Christians I know don’t get this, they don’t know its about love, and as a result have entangled themselves into all these rules and laws in an attempt to “follow His word” which have led them to become quite myopic and judgemental which makes hanging around them a bit difficult for those who might want to get to know the God they serve, hence my last post! But then I’m reminded of Romans 14 v 13 and I realise I’m now guilty of criticising my brother and not operating in love so I decide to shut up!

Her Mothering

I found one of my old poems on poetry.com.
Blogger World, MY MOM ROCKS!!!

Her mothering, leaves me not wandering,
A Rose-bedded life; often spotted with thorns
Your love dose drives away all mourn
Infant eyes behold your affectionate smile
In discomfort, i find haven in your arms
Which keep me, shield me, from all harm
As the Potter with the clay
Moulding, bending, shaping me day by day
The farmer sows; wisdom is your seed
Harvesting discretion in all my deeds
To love and to cherish, you gave your word
When i fail to be clever you spare not the rod
Now that am older, wiser and stronger
Your name i’ll whisper in all of my prayers

PS: Abba, it hurts sometimes when i think of mama. Then i remember Jacob aka Israel. You let him hurt for a while when you took Joseph from him, because you wanted him to have forever when you brought him back to Joseph. Be it unto mom and i, too.

Destiny decisions

Sometimes we have to make decisions that determine our destinies. I call them destiny decisions. They are the decisions that we must make that will either place us right smack in the middle of who and what we are, or take us completely out of destiny.

I recently made a destiny decision. I also learned that some decisions are based on information, other are based on revelation.

I made a destiny decision based on revelation. at least i hope that’s what it was.

Ok, that’s as far as i can go. KM said to write little drafts. this is my first draft of an overdue post….

Ofcourse Jaybabe you are much welcome here. I never really learned how to say no to a lady yet…

I swear it’s not…

No. It’s not writer’s block. I swear. I’ve not been that busy either. Just plain ole lazy. i was out of town for a while, but it’s still not why. I just been too lazy to construct into words the thoughts that have been running riot in my head.

KM left me a tip though that might help. Hope it work’s for me.

Before I Tell My Story…

Dear Pea,
I have been gone too long, but I believe I am back now. Thanks for checking up on me.
I have read your posts about women pastoring, and was saddened by it. One reason being that Yomi’s posts has influenced you, and I believe I once linked you to his blog. I do not subscribe to his beliefs. I occasionally visit his blog and read, especially, his posts on Christianity. Many of them set me thinking, wondering, pondering – which is why I visit his blog. I am unpersuaded with his convictions. But this is not about Yomi.

And I don’t really want to address the issue of women being pastors, though I probably will end up saying something about it. There’s little I can add to the pros and cons already given. I want to talk about Pea being a Pastor. My dear friend, what has God said to you? Because I believe that is all that matters. I once said to you in a chat session that you come across to me as more of an old-testament person. I consider myself to be more of a new-testament person. But irrespective of our point of views, becoming acquainted with your writing has persuaded me that you are born again, and a woman after God’s heart. And that is the picture of you I hold before my eyes. I do not see your denomination, or convictions, or beliefs. Because I believe that God deals with each one of us individually. I only see you, Pea, as God’s New Creation (2 Corinthians 5v17). And I am persuaded by scriptures and the Holy Spirit that God “[instructs] the [paths] of the [Christian]”. (Psalm 1v 6.)

So Pea, I have two questions for you:
1. Has God told you to be a pastor?
2. Has God told you not to be a pastor?

You should do whatever God has told you Pea, irrespective of what anybody else says. Because this is your race, not ours. And yet, I do not believe that God’s instructions to you will be His instructions to me, or another Christian.
I believe the bible is God’s word. I believe the bible is God’s answers. I do not believe the bible has all the answers. I believe that is one reason why we were given the Holy Spirit, to speak to us things that we might be in the dark about. I believe the Holy Spirit does not contradict scripture. I also believe the Holy Spirit is not restricted to scripture. Because God did not stop talking after the last page of the bible. There are things that God has said after the ink dried off the pages of the bible.

The best example I know is me. And yet my example will in no way match yours. I spent seven years in university studying computer science, and bagged both a diploma and degree. I had (have) dreams of being the best computer scientist in the world, and beating bill gates. I asked God after my final exams what to do with the rest of my life. Nowhere in scripture could I find an answer to help me choose between a software company or my church. The answer came to my spirit. And then a scripture came in confirmation of my inward witness. So I picked church. And though I would prefer a software company, the same inward witness convinces me to stay as a church staff. I spent seven years studying computer science and end up working in church because I believe that publishing the gospel is no longer restricted to Jesus’ or the bible methods. And God planned to make a preacher out of me through my laptop. Should every other preacher then be a web programmer to do the work of the Lord?
Ok, before I sound like I am going off on a tangent here, the issue of women being pastors is a controversial matter that the Christian church will probably never totally agree on. But then that doesn’t make us less Christians. You know, I once saw a picture of you on your blog in trousers. Some Christian groups in Nigeria would label you sinner just because of that, and they have sufficient scripture to back up what they believe. So Pea, are you a sinner? And sticking to the same Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 11v7, was/am I a sinner the day I said a prayer to God wearing a baseball hat? And since Paul also recommends that we greet each other with a holy kiss (no specifics given, so could be a peck, or lip to lip, or French, right? …lol), I refuse to imagine the uproar should I go about kissing every sister in my church, not to talk of the men. He he.

I will never know the God who turned “murderous Saul” into “missionary Paul”. And he will never know the God who turned “good-kid-on-the-block-Ayo” into “born-again Ayo”. And I will never know the God who turned “past-Pea” into “present-Pea”. But we all know the God who died for our sins, and resurrected for our justification. And we will be the best person to preach to our kind the same God, using different pictures.
You know all the scriptures that apparently disallow women from being pastors. You also know the story of Judges 4 , zoom in on verse 4 and 5, and the other women of the bible. So no woman ever wrote a verse in the bible. At least they got featured in it, and their stories instruct both men and women today. Their lives are preaching to us, women and men, today. Scripture seems to condone masters and slaves. Should we then resurrect the slave trade?

Finally, is God man or woman? Is the New Creation male or female? Should I be killed for my faith because the apostles were killed for their faith? Should all prophets have preached from the wilderness because John the Baptist did? Should I be an alcoholic because Jesus turned water into wine, and Paul recommended wine for timothy? Should every other male in Samson’s time have married from the taboo tribe because the Lord moved Samson to do so? (Judges 14v3-4). Should women be pastors?
Rom 14:23 … whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

2Ti 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Gal 3:27- 28 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

My question is, should Pea be a Pastor?
I am persuaded from scripture that God loves you enough to watch over your steps and ensure that you do not stumble, and I am persuaded from your writings that you love God enough to recognize His voice and obey. But what is it to you if God calls Paula White, or Juanita Bynum, or Joyce Meyer, or Anita Oyakhilome to be a Pastor? You follow Him.

Love,
Ayo