Month: August 2020

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, I used everything you gave me.” – Chadwick Boseman.

Thursday 28^th August 2020 is a day I will never forget. The world lost Chadwick Boseman to colon cancer at the tender age of 43. My heart is still heavy; to begin, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to his family, friends and loved ones. May God continue to strengthen and uphold them during this time.

His death was an initial shock because Chadwick played king T’Challa in my favourite film Black Panther. But when I learnt he had battled with colon cancer the entire time he made the film, and a string of other awesome movies; I was mortified. Thoughts of his suffering in silence plagued my mind for days; but then, the Spirit of the Lord began to speak.

I first discovered that Chadwick Boseman was a Christian after hearing his speech at an awards ceremony for Denzel Washington, and he pronounced an Ephesians 3:20 blessing on him. I had not heard him speak like this before, and I knew right away that there was an anointing on his life.

After going through several posts on social media, it became clear to me that Chadwick was filled with the Holy Spirit. Every time he spoke, he delivered a word from God. He used his platform to glorify the name of Jesus in so many ways.

I have received several revelations over the last few days, but one of the most profound was the similarities between his life and the life of the Messiah.

Jesus came to earth knowing He was going to die as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. But not once do you read of him complaining about his impending death. He fulfilled His purpose, everything He was called to do was fully accomplished. He healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, prayed for and ministered to people, and encouraged the downtrodden. Jesus carried His burden with grace and did not allow it to stop Him from living His purpose.

Chadwick Boseman did the same, he knew he had colon cancer, and possibly knew he was going to die. But he kept making films, kept being a blessing to everyone he came into contact with, and refused to let the sickness stop him from fulfilling his destiny. He went to his grave without one regret, knowing that every assignment given to him had been completed. When Boseman was ushered into the presence of the Lord, I believe without a shadow of a doubt that he heard the words, “Well done, My good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:21-23).

If there is one thing every human being can expect from life, it’s death. None of us will escape it; in fact, the Bible describes our time on earth as a vapor (James 4:14). In other words, it is here one minute and gone the next. We all know we are going to die, but none of us are aware of the time or method in which we will cease to exist. Most people do not consider eternity; but yet, we seem to have amnesia that our time here is short. It is only when deaths like Chadwick Boseman’s occur that we are reminded of this fact.

But since we know we are going to die, and we don’t know when it will happen, everyone of us should live as if each day was our last. And I don’t mean have as much fun as you can, I mean live out your purpose daily. Think about it another way,

how would you live if you were born with two certificates, one for your birth, and another for your death? How would you live if you knew the exact day and time of your death? Click To Tweet

how would you live if you were born with two certificates, one for your birth, and another for your death? How would you live if you knew the exact day and time of your death?

Tomorrow is not promised, thousands of people went to sleep last night with plans for the following morning and didn’t wake up. Chadwick Boseman showed the world that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. I cannot even begin to imagine the resilience it took for him to carry that affliction. He fulfilled his commission, and he has left a legacy that will remain for eternity. Another level of hope, courage and determination has been birthed in my soul because of the way Chadwick Boseman lived his life.

Thank you for daring to live as an active dreamer, and for showing us that anything is possible. You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith, now receive your crown of righteousness. Rest in Power my King! Forever loved, forever missed… until we meet in eternity.

“You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.” – Psalms 23:5

I had plenty of enemies in my teens, and rightly so, I was rude, obnoxious and would start fights because I felt like it. ⁠
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But when I became a Christian, I learnt what it meant to have enemies for no reason.⁠
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Before I learnt that lesson, I got the revelation that according to Ephesians 6:12, our battle is not physical, but spiritual. In other words, when people are unjustly coming against you, it’s not because they just decided to attack you, Satan assigned a spirit to an individual to wage war against you. ⁠
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Therefore, there is no point in fighting the person; you’ve got to launch the attack against the spirit working through that person. ⁠
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The women in prison were either drawn to my light, or they were repelled by it. ⁠
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The women who were repelled by my light would spread rumours about my case, or stand in ear shot of me saying things like, “She ain’t no Christian, she a killer, didn’t you see her on the news?” Then add, “People are only fooled by her British accent.” Just so I knew they were definitely talking about me. ⁠
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Did I get angry? Absolutely! And I wanted to defend my name, but the Holy Spirit would always remind me that He was my defence. So, instead, I would go to war in the spirit and pray. ⁠
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After my case was dismissed, those same women watched me walk out of prison.⁠
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Even after I left, I received letters from my sisters stating they were spreading rumours that my case was not dismissed and I had gone to finish my sentence in the UK. ⁠
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What did God do? Ensure my name and case information were printed in the local law newspaper!⁠

The Lord will make certain that the same people who attempted to take you down, will watch you RISE IN POWER! ⁠ Click To Tweet

The Lord will make certain that the same people who attempted to take you down, will watch you RISE IN POWER! ⁠

May God bless the hearers and the doers of His word!

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” ~ Esther 4:14

God will often use the underdog to fulfil his purpose on earth; this is a common theme throughout the Bible. He also uses the simplicity in people to do the most extraordinary works. Esther’s beauty is highlighted in this story; she was able to change the mind of the king because of the way she looked! The entire course of history was rerouted because of a pretty face! Esther was also a woman of faith; it took great courage to approach the king concerning her people, knowing that she too may also die. Remember, she had hid her heritage from him, she didn’t know how he was going to react, but she knew one thing, and that was she couldn’t allow her people to perish.

Esther was a nobody before she was given the opportunity to shine; the majority of people forget where they came from when they rise to the top. Esther didn’t, she could have allowed fear to keep her mouth shut but she refused, and because of her bravery the devils plans were dismantled.

We live in a world full of injustice and we have been called to be a voice to the voiceless. There are many people who need someone to speak on their behalf, but because no one steps forward their pain is forgotten. What have you been exposed to that grieves your heart? Instead of turning a blind eye to it and praying for someone to hear their plight, why not ask God to show you how you can assist in changing the situation.

In the physical realm Esther was in a privileged position. She was the queen and had been given access to the kingdom which meant anything she requested from the king was granted. As children of God we have been given the keys to the kingdom, Hebrews 4:16 says: “Now therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Through the blood of Jesus Christ we have been given direct access to the throne room. We can deliver our requests directly to God for what we need, and when our requests line up with His will for our lives, expect them to be answered.

Esther is a powerful story of God’s grace and mercy. Once again, we are given insight into the clever way in which He works out all things according to the council of His will. He exposed Mordecai’s plans to kill the king knowing that this would be used to save him later on in the story.

As Christians, our footsteps are ordained and ordered by the Lord, we don’t meet people by accident, we don’t hear or see things by accident, everything that takes place in our lives has a purpose to it Click To Tweet

As Christians, our footsteps are ordained and ordered by the Lord, we don’t meet people by accident, we don’t hear or see things by accident, everything that takes place in our lives has a purpose to it, once you understand this, your life will become a series of exciting events as opposed to random chance happenings that you are forced to endure.

God will use you if you are willing.

May God bless the hearers and the doers of His word.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Discouragement can cause you to give up on the task you have been assigned to. Ministry is not easy, people are not going to like you, they will think you are crazy, stupid and every negative adjective you can think of, but that is the nature of the game. God did not promise us an easy life on earth, things actually get harder when you become a Christian because you now have an enemy and he will do everything in his power to get you to turn back.

Discouragement is one of the many tools the devil uses to get you to give up on God. As Christians we have a hope that is sure, and that hope is in Jesus Christ, the Hope of Glory.

If we keep our eyes fixed on the Lord instead of on our circumstances, we will walk in the victory that has been promised to us while on earth. Click To Tweet

If we keep our eyes fixed on the Lord instead of on our circumstances, we will walk in the victory that has been promised to us while on earth.

The Israelite’s were tired and fed up, they had a mammoth task ahead of them and they wanted to know whether or not they would be rewarded for their obedience. They had spent seventy years in captivity and heard the word of the Lord from prophets such as Jeremiah. They were personally delivered a letter containing the infamous Jeremiah 29:11 verse: “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” The Jews had returned to ruins, what they saw didn’t look like the promise in this verse. They were weary and tired, and God delivered His word to them through a prophet whose name means “Yahweh remembers.”

The book of Zechariah serves as a promise that he remembers every word He has spoken concerning your life, His word will not return void, it will accomplish what He pleases and it will prosper in the thing for which it was sent (Isaiah 55:11).

May God bless the hearers and the doers of His word.

“But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” – Amos 5:24

The world we live in is full of injustice, false imprisonment, over sentencing, child sex trafficking and a host of other unspeakable evil acts take place every day all around us. Jesus Christ was a man of compassion; therefore, we should be recognised as compassionate and caring people. With our charitable works we should be giving the world a glimpse of heaven, it should be one of the many things that set us apart.

Preaching, teaching and praying are not our only commands. The book of Amos reminds us that these things are futile if they are not combined with loving our neighbour as ourselves. If you find yourself falling into the trap of prioritising certain kingdom principles over serving others, you might want to focus on balancing your duties as a believer.

The book of Amos teaches us that worship, prayer and teaching are just as important as helping the suffering. Click To Tweet

The book of Amos teaches us that worship, prayer and teaching are just as important as helping the suffering. Not only are we to have a relationship with the Lord, but He has also assigned us to tasks on the earth. Amos reminds us that the physical and spiritual needs of the people are of equal measure.

May God bless the hearers and the doers of His word.