Everyone knew I was a good man; one of the best really. I kept the law, respected the leaders and never missed a day of worship at the synagogue. Everything was fine and life was going well until this man Jesus, calling Himself the Son of God, came along talking about eternal life and things that made my conscience unsettled. I mean, I don’t even know why I felt uneasy because if anyone deserved eternal life and all the riches heaven held, it was me. I knew that, I’m sure everyone else would agree, but I needed to make sure Jesus thought so too. So, I went to see Him.
I started off with a question to see what laws were most important to Him so that I could let Him know that I respected those as well. He told me what I wanted to hear and I was satisfied— or at least I thought I was. Something in me was still not convinced but I didn’t want Him to think I doubted myself so I asked again to clarify, “What else?”, and that’s when He said it.
“If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” He had to be joking. Give all I had away? This man clearly didn’t know all that I had. All I had worked for, strived to earn. What did He have but the clothes on His back? Comfort clearly meant nothing to Him and so it was obviously easy for Him to say something like that. He didn’t have anything He was being asked to give up. I, on the other hand had too much and I wasn’t ready to let any of it go. Not now, not ever.
As a merchant, the only things that caught my eye were things of high quality. Only the best of the best. I wasn’t your regular trader or procurer of goods. My wealth and unique eye had given me a reputation in society and I intended to maintain that. I had assets. Assets that people would honestly kill and deny blood relatives for. Whatever I desired, I could have at no fatal cost. From jewelry to fabrics, to property; whatever society regarded as valuable, I possessed a large quantity of.
One day as I perused the markets, I came across a piece that changed my life. I wasn’t expecting to be as captivated as I was with this item. But the moment I laid my eyes on it, I knew that I had to have it. I would not leave until it was mine. However, on closer inspection, I discovered something even more unsettling; this was no ordinary pearl.
Nothing I owned in my life, nothing I had devoted years to acquiring could compare to this pearl. It was simply priceless. I didn’t know how to obtain it. How much would it cost? The seller said nothing, but I knew deep within me that this pearl would go for nothing less that every single thing I owned. So I went home and after a life devoted to getting, I sold it all.
I didn't mind giving my body to men. It was just the body right? We determine what we want to use it for right? I chose to use mine to give people pleasure,make them happy and get paid while doing that. It wasn't wrong as far as people were happy and getting what they wanted right? However, there was this part of me that was always looking for a way out. There was this void in me that i thought an independent life could fill. So i kept giving my body out. That was the only job i knew how to do well.I always got paid and hoped that one day the money will be enough for me to be free.
I was living in darkness without even knowing it. Little did i know that I was doing more harm than good to the people, to their loved ones and most especially to myself. I didn't know all this until a man named Hosea came into my life. The first time I met him, I thought he just came for the pleasure, but then he said he loved me and wanted to marry me. I had heard that a billion times but there was something about him that made the words hit different.He said it every time he came, yet he didn't sleep with me. Well, I was looking for a way out, so I agreed. I didn't love him, I just had to agree to marry him, so he could take me out of here.
So i became a married woman. Not long after staying with Him, it felt like I moved from one prison to another prison. Even though he had not asked for my body, I knew it wasn't going to be long till he did. He told me I was free but i still felt caged. Even though he showed me so(too) much love, taught me so many things, told me about God, told me God loved me, always reassured me he was a safe place and that he wasn't going to touch me till i felt the same way for him_I still felt caged. It was too good to be true. I was too dirty for such an innocent and loving man like him. He deserved better and i didn't even love him. He always made me hope, made me feel like everything was going to be alright. But i hated those feelings because when I hung to those feelings in the past, they always disappointed me.
So I ran away. I went back to my old life so i could earn enough to live an 'independent' life. I ran, not once, not twice. And anytime I ran back, he ALWAYS came looking for me, even though it cost him so much pain and money (if not all), yet he always came. And guess what? Anytime I came back to him, I always came with more baggage for him to carry. However, his love never changed. Never ever This never changing love was what gradually opened my eyes to see the darkness that I was in, understand that true love exists, true love never gives up and light is never scared of darkness. No wonder I could not comprehend him
Jesus is the gate to eternal life_ the life we are all meant to live. so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. John 10:7 NLT _ Hi there! I’m Joshua and I own a large sheep pen, passed down from my father. I learnt how to be a shepherd from my dad and now I run the pen. I guard these sheep with my life because they’re precious to me and I would never want them to get hurt, missing or worse, stolen by thieves who try to jump over the fence to get to them. This is why I work with a gatekeeper who is always stationed at the entrance of the sheep pen. At times when the gates are broken and need fixing, the gate keeper and I lie in the entrance and use our bodies as the gates so our precious sheep’s can’t run out on their own. Every night we barely get a shut eye/ wink of sleep, but we don’t mind.
The gatekeeper only opens the gates for me and what joy it is for me every morning when I call out to my sheep’s and they hear me and come running towards me. Then our daily routine begins! 1, 2, 3, 4…. I count each one of them to be sure that none of the sheep’s entrusted to me by my father is missing. I examine their bodies for scratch marks. Are their eyes cloudy? Any discharge from their ears , fur changes? I’m looking out for any of that because their health is my priority.
Everyday, I am the gate for my sheep. I count them before and on their return from finding pasture. No one else can do this because the authority was given to me alone by my Father and no other person knows this flock like I do. We spend so much time together! I even delivered most of them at birth with my hands. Sometimes we have other sheep join us from pasture. They listen to my voice and become my flock. It always gladdens my heart to have an increase . The gatekeeper does not allow any shepherd in but me, so my flock are kept safe. Any sheep that comes through me, I will not turn away. It becomes a part of my flock and I make it sure I give it the best pasture. They all are precious to me. __ Come to the Father through Christ, and enjoy abundant life.
Question: What does being intimate with God mean to you?
Answer:
Wow Thank you for that question, Let me try to answer it like a poem
Oh the times you visited me in the cool of the day
I could smell you from afar
Afar?
No, I could always smell you because you were always there
I was in your presence.
In Eden
You did not need to visit me
I was the one that had to focus my attention on you because you were always there
I remember when you told me my mandate
I remember how engrossed I always was with your being
This is my creator?
'I must be very special', I always said to myself.
We were so intimate. So close
As close as my breath is to me
Your voice.
The only voice I needed to know to do life and please you
You gave me everything
You knew what I needed before I even thought of it
You only allowed me to get to the point of thinking of what I needed so when it came I will appreciate it more.
Everything you did for me was to put me in a position to know you more.
To love you
To love like you
To act like you
To be fruitful like you.
You gave me everything
But
I began to lose focus when I stopped turning my attention to you
When I stopped longing to hear your voice 'first
I had let other words to fill my heart
I had begun to take matters into my hands instead of running to you 'first'
I began to take everything you gave to me as my everything instead of you being my everything
I remember when the glory left
Oh I knew
It left a void
I knew whatever happened to me drew me away from you
When my heart tried to turn its attention to you and heard you (Genesis 3:8)
I hid from you (Genesis 3:10)
I hid because seeing you would have made me to see myself and I did not like what I knew I would see.
The most important part of your image had left me.
The most important component of your breathe
True light. True light that had no guile
I became naked.
I became vulnerable to the enemy
Is it too late?
I don't think so.
Even though all I do now is remember the beginning
It can still be a reality
It can still be your reality
Through Jesus Christ.
Because in Him, there's always a chance of being intimate with God.
Through Jesus, I can be in Eden again
Better still, I can even become Eden.
And you can too when you believe in Him
My dear brethren
Intimacy with God only happens when God is first in your life and let
His voice be the only one you so long to hear everyday.
Question:What does been intimate with God mean to you?
Reply:
Intimacy with God for me means and looks like many things. It looks like enjoying God and God enjoying you. It looks like being available for God. As a vessel God will use to help people see Him no matter what that looks like, whether in a smooth or turbulent way It looks like 'trusting' God 'again' and 'again' to carry you through a mountain because you have a testimony of how He helped you before It looks like recognising the hand of God on people's live and honouring God in their lives It looks like not going ahead of God and not rushing seasons
It looks like dancing for God in an undignified way when He comes through for you no matter the social class you are in life. It looks like always thinking about what God thinks first, before what others think It looks like living like God is literally your oxygen. That you cannot breathe or live without Him It looks like waiting on His word. Not moving until He says you should and moving when He says you should It looks allowing God help you get back up when you fall It looks like not giving up on your relationship with God when your life does not 'yet' look like what He said it will be It looks like always giving room for God to reach you when you journey to darkness or the storms of life hit you. It looks like knowing God's word and always exalting it above your situation It looks like always telling God how you feel because you know He cares It looks like being about His kingdom It looks like living your life as a living sacrifice to Him.
See My journey with God has really been something He has made me run against troops and made me leap over walls I have seen God in the valley and mountain seasons of my life He has used my life to showcase a side of His glory I didn't desire to know God because I wanted these accolades But they just followed My biggest flaunt in life is not that I killed a giant, some big animals, won many battles or ruled God's people My biggest flaunt in life is that I know God I hope it will be yours too Intimacy with God is a place and it births the life you were made to live. It's the only rich place in life.
Evangelism is a mandate given by Jesus to His disciples to win souls and disciple them after Him. Evangelism is a necessity and that is why in LIFG, one of our mission is to win souls for God. We are deliberate about preaching the goodnews of Christ to everyone and encourage fellow believers to do the same. Bible Text: Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
We carry out this mandate primarily through two ways;
Street Evangelism - Twice a month we go out as a team to specific locations with social gatherings such as shopping malls, sport centers etc. and evangelize to people one on one. This allows us interact with the people we meet, share God’s love with them and answer some questions they might have regarding a walk with Jesus Christ. To join us, please kindly send us a direct message on our instagram page (lifg_) or a mail (LivingintentionallyforGod@gmail.com)
School outreach - Our vision is to raise generations that will live intentionally for God, therefore, we are deliberate about passing the knowledge of God to successive generations and one of the ways we do this is by reaching the adolescents and young adults with the message of the gospel as well as stirring them to live purposeful live for God. The comprehension of the gospel has no age limits as far as the one being evangelized to can understand. We endeavour to go to secondary schools every year to evangelize and encourage young believers in the faith.
Welfare Outreach - Matthew 25:34-40 [34] Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: [35] for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; [36] I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ [37] “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? [38] When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? [39] Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ [40] And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
We go to special needs schools and prisons to evangelize and give welfare packages making sure the gospel reaches everyone.
For financial support and contributions, kindly send an email to - LivingintentionallyforGod@gmail.com
Community outreach - With Matthew 25:34-40 as the anchor scripture, we endeavour to organize an evangelical and community welfare outreach at the end of each year. During the program, the love of Christ is shared through the gospel, distribution of welfare packages especially to the needy in the society and provision of free medical care.
Prayer:
Matthew 21:13a NKJV And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ Man ought to always pray
Join us - Every Wednesday by 6pm WAT as we intercede for Nations
Weekends by 6am as we refresh ourselves in the place of prayer
Venue: Google meet - https://meet.google.com/dki-jhxj-bkn
