Our God, A Christian Marriage, and A Bicycle..........

The Obvious question after seeing this title is "What has a bicycle got to do with God and a Christian Marriage?" I ask that you stay with me a bit, as i try to explain the relevance. Lets start by describing the parts of a bicycle, we have the bicycle frame, the handlebars, the riders' seat, the pedals, the wheels, the bicycle chain and the brakes, both front wheel and rear wheel brakes, and most importantly, the rider. That in a nutshell are the essential parts of a bicycle and any bicycle anywhere in the world would have all these parts in one way or another. 

Now lets look at the Christian marriage and try to identify it's components. We have one husband, one wife, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, God, Prayer, Purpose, Relationship, amongst others.

Comparing the way a bicycle operates to the way a Christian marriage works seems ambiguous but i would attempt to do just that, and hope it all ties together for you as you read it

Here we go........

The husband is the head of a home and his responsibility is to provide direction for his family. It is his duty to lead his family by living a life that sets examples for the members of his family. To get direction for the family, the husband must have a relationship with God and must seek to know what plans God has for his family. Let me say here that no marriage is accidental because God has a purpose for every single relationship you start, friendships, work buddies, etc. and contrary to popular opinion these days, you just can't marry anybody.......but i digress.......

The husband bears a similarity to the front wheel of a bicycle. The front wheel determines direction and via the handle bars, the rider is able to steer it in the best possible direction that suits his journey. The front wheel doesn't generate any power, rather it thrives in the power that is being generated by the rear wheel. The Front wheel can turn all it wants, but without the movement generating power of the rear wheel, it will do all it's turning on a spot. Now you probably guessed that the real wheel can be likened to the wife in a Christian marriage. A wife should encourage her husband, back him up with prayers and do whatever it takes (in line with the word of God) to give her husband the confidence he needs to make the decisions required to move the family in the direction God has instructed him to. I would like to say that the bicycle frame can be likened to Jesus Christ, because He is the one who has connected both the man and the woman together.The frame keeps the front wheel and the rear wheel in proper position for the best performance both individually and as a team in marriage. The frame is also the strength and the strongest part of the bicycle and any damage to it affect the performance of the bicycle. Likewise, how we treat Jesus Christ in our marriages determines how productive that marriage will be. If He is made the head of the family, then things will work for your good through grace, but if he is seen as a spectator, bystander or even intruder in the marriage, that marriage will be subject to the the whims and fancies of this world and there will be no difference between that marriage and a marriage between unbelievers. That being said, let me just breeze through the remaining similarities as i round off. The Handlebars that connect the rider to the front wheel can be explained as the Holy Spirit. The hands of the rider on the handlebar means God's guidance and direction is being communicated to the husband through the Holy Spirit(Handlebars) and directing him where he should go. 

The bicycle chain connecting the rear wheel to the pedal can also be likened to the Holy Spirit. The kind of relationship a husband has with God isn't the exact kind of relationship a wife has with God. The feet on the pedals that control how much movement the rear wheel makes through the connection of the chain talks about the intensity and fervency of the relationship with God. the higher the intensity of the communication, the faster the pedal moves and the further her family moves along the path the husband is moving in, according to the leading on the Lord. The most important part of riding a bicycle is the rider. He knows where he's going thereby determining where the bicycle is going. He takes care of the bicycle, patches the tires if they get holes, cleans the bicycle, maintains it but most importantly, gives it a sense of purpose....makes it feel useful and productive. The rider can be likened to God, He created marriage, the purpose for every marriage and has the perfect plan to get the marriage to that expected end, (if we let Him of course....). Most times, we want to take God out of our marriages and run it as best as we can thinking or believing that having children is the only purpose of marriage. How wrong we are. A marriage without God in it is like a bicycle parked on the curb beside the highway of life, enjoying the breeze generated by other bicycles whizzing by, yet not moving an inch from its position. So in conclusion i write, God doesn't do coincidences, moments that we term as coincidences has taken God hundreds of year to set up. Don't just think that you can marry anybody, God is too wise and purposeful to allow anything happen that He hasn't allowed. He knows the number of hairs on your head, he gave eyes, ears, antennae to the tiny insects, most you don't even know exist. He built the mountains, awesomely huge rock creations yet intricately detailed, He designed and created you, as intricately complex as you are, He designed you, his absolute best creation on this earth with a purpose in mind. Therefore, i beg you, You life can never be purposeless, your marriage isn't meant to just have kids and build a comfortable life, there is a greater purpose tied to it, and the sooner we understand and discover what that purpose is, the sooner all the stuff we go through starts to make sense. So Relax, let your rider take you on a journey that is greater than your wildest dreams!!!!!!!

Daring To Dream

It's time to rest. It's been a long day. You're finally home, the day was productive, clients are happy, the boss is happy, you are happy (you think), and as you glide through the motions of dinner, shower, and everything else you do to prepare for bed, you're thinking to yourself, everything is going well. Good job, good pay, good house, good this, good that........ you realize there's quite a lot to thank God for. As you give thanks, you suddenly get this sinking feeling, what impact does my life really have on this world?
Then you start to think, apart from the job, you have virtually no life. You live, breathe, eat the job. There's no time for relationships, no time for study, no time for much of anything else. Why? Because the world may stop if you slow down? Because you're so scared of how you would sustain your quality of life if you lost this job? Because the dreams you grew up with do not have the potential to make you as much money as this current job does? Because " A bird in hand is better than two in the bush"? Because, because, because...... So many becauses(Pardon my grammar), and yet you find yourself sinking into the gloom of despair and despondency 'cos, let's face it, your life doesn't amount to anything. It counts for nothing. Plain and simple.
I know of one other guy who's been there, done that, and got a few chapters of the Bible dedicated to him, to show for it. His name was Jacob. Yeah, that Jacob, the one called Israel later in life, the patriarch of Israel. The one who had 12 sons by 4 women. The one who served 14 years for a wife. The one who was duped into marrying two sisters when all he really wanted was the younger sister. The one whose wages was turned 3 times by his boss. The one who dared not go back home 'cos his twin brother had vowed to kill him. The one who was finally promised a wage of all the spotted and speckled offspring in the herd and then right before his eyes saw the same spotted and speckled herds led away, 3 days journey away to keep him from claiming the offspring. The one who was left to wonder how plain colored animals could pay him his wages of spotted and speckled offspring. My word, Jacob must have had a headache. He must have thought, as he watched the spotted and speckled herd been led away, " I am gonna remain Laban's servant forever. How on earth am i supposed to get paid now? This is just wrong! ".
So what did he do? He did the stupidest thing he possibly could have done. He slept. Why? Because he knew something we never really pay attention to. He knew that the answer to his situation didn't lie in worrying, crying nor human effort. He knew he needed something supernatural. He also knew he had a covenant of prosperity with God going for him, so he turned it over to God and slept off to show complete confidence in God's ability to turn the situation around. In other words, he "Dared To Dream". Today we all know what happened, plain colored animals gave birth to spotted and speckled offspring. Jacob dreamed, he saw it, he embraced, and took steps to make it work. And surely, because of the dream, Jacob was able to cast off his servant-hood in the house of Laban, and return home, wealthy and renowned.
Jacob dared to dream. What is that dream in your heart, that piece of God that is waiting for you to pay attention to it so it can raise you up, and make you fulfilled. What is that dream?
I say to you, we all have dreams, every single one of us, yeah, even you, yes you. The question is, What will you do with yours? I choose to follow my dream, everyday, and in every way i can, with this at the back of my mind, by salvation, i got the same covenant of prosperity Jacob had, and by faith, i trust God to give attention the the dream He gave me, to bring it to pass.
So i can go to sleep, for with God, i can dare to dream....

To Hope For Hope

Once again, we wake up, look at the clock, find we are already late for work, begin rushing to make up the time and get to a job we really and honestly don't like. Making a living just until the hope we have pans out and becomes our reality. We're hoping for the hope to come to pass. Sometimes we wonder if we should just give up on the hope, because the longer we keep the hope alive, the farther away it seems, and in those quiet moments, we find ourselves screaming inside, is it really worth it, should i keep on hoping, or just make a way for myself, any way will do, so long as i get the same results the hope promises..........

Before i continue, i'd like you to know that this post is basically for the Christian folks who truly are waiting on God, hoping on Him and who sometimes can't find the courage to continue.

So, if you've ever woken up to frustration, despair and disillusionment, i have good news for you. God in His infinite mercy and grace is still in control of your life, why? cos you still have the little you have. Left to the devil, he would strip you of everything that even speaks of God's faithfulness in your life, as a way to discourage others from joining your faith. So God still rules in your affairs. The truth is the devil can't take you away from God, only you can do that. He might distract you for a while, and sometimes that while could be quite long, but the basic Father - Son relationship still remains. And even if you are not having fellowship with your heavenly Father, your relationship with Him still remains. And He's waiting for you to ask in faith, AND LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS TO YOU TO DO, 'cos we mostly forget to listen. To turn that hope He promised you into your daily reality, the key is LISTENING. Listen to His words. They hold the key to birthing the supernatural God has promised you. Now it's not enough to hold the key, you need to insert it in the lock and turn it, to open the door. So after you've heard Him, do what He asked you to do. Simple enough, right? For a lot of us, that is the hardest thing ever. We are much too mindful of people's opinions, their reactions and eventual treatment of us. Case in point, imagine a young Hebrew lad, just led out of Egypt by Moses and now stuck between the Red sea and the advancing army of Pharaoh. Surely he must have wondered what a fix he got himself into by following Moses. All he can think of is which is the better way to die, drowning or by a soldiers' blade. The he sees Moses walk up to the brow of a small hill just above the shoreline of the sea and points his Shepherd's staff at it. And he's thinking, what a ludicrous thing to do, telling us all to march into the water. But then, the sea begins to rumble, and splash, and in response to Moses's outstretched staff, divides and dry ground appears. The young lad must have stood in awe and shock at the sight before him. The awkwardness of the task God assigned Moses, to overcome that particular obstacle could be said to be ridiculous. Yet in the obedience of Moses, a whole nation was delivered from an advancing army. So you have a hope you are looking forward to, you have the key of God's commandment on that promise, now turn that key and open the door onto your glorious promise.
God is waiting on you.........

To Hope For Hope

Once again, we wake up, look at the clock, find we are already late for work, begin rushing to make up the time and get to a job we really and honestly don't like. Making a living just until the hope we have pans out and becomes our reality. We're hoping for the hope to come to pass. Sometimes we wonder if we should just give up on the hope, because the longer we keep the hope alive, the farther away it seems, and in those quiet moments, we find ourselves screaming inside, is it really worth it, should i keep on hoping, or just make a way for myself, any way will do, so long as i get the same results the hope promises..........

Before i continue, i'd like you to know that this post is basically for the Christian folks who truly are waiting on God, hoping on Him and who sometimes can't find the courage to continue.

So, if you've ever woken up to frustration, despair and disillusionment, i have good news for you. God in His infinite mercy and grace is still in control of your life, why? cos you still have the little you have. Left to the devil, he would strip you of everything that even speaks of God's faithfulness in your life, as a way to discourage others from joining your faith. So God still rules in your affairs. The truth is the devil can't take you away from God, only you can do that. He might distract you for a while, and sometimes that while could be quite long, but the basic Father - Son relationship still remains. And even if you are not having fellowship with your heavenly Father, your relationship with Him still remains. And He's waiting for you to ask in faith, AND LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS TO YOU TO DO, 'cos we mostly forget to listen. To turn that hope He promised you into your daily reality, the key is LISTENING. Listen to His words. They hold the key to birthing the supernatural God has promised you. Now it's not enough to hold the key, you need to insert it in the lock and turn it, to open the door. So after you've heard Him, do what He asked you to do. Simple enough, right? For a lot of us, that is the hardest thing ever. We are much too mindful of people's opinions, their reactions and eventual treatment of us. Case in point, imagine a young Hebrew lad, just led out of Egypt by Moses and now stuck between the Red sea and the advancing army of Pharaoh. Surely he must have wondered what a fix he got himself into by following Moses. All he can think of is which is the better way to die, drowning or by a soldiers' blade. The he sees Moses walk up to the brow of a small hill just above the shoreline of the sea and points his Shepherd's staff at it. And he's thinking, what a ludicrous thing to do, telling us all to march into the water. But then, the sea begins to rumble, and splash, and in response to Moses's outstretched staff, divides and dry ground appears. The young lad must have stood in awe and shock at the sight before him. The awkwardness of the task God assigned Moses, to overcome that particular obstacle could be said to be ridiculous. Yet in the obedience of Moses, a whole nation was delivered from an advancing army. So you have a hope you are looking forward to, you have the key of God's commandment on that promise, now turn that key and open the door onto your glorious promise.
God is waiting on you.........

Know Your Fight!!!

       Well it's been quite a while. An extended sabbatical it would seem. And i must confess, it's been a stormy one. A perfect picture of the devil taking the fight to you to keep you distracted from the actual battles you should be fighting. Much like busying yourself with quenching the flames at the edge of an inferno while ignoring the raging inferno totally, either because you don't know the inferno exists or simply because you're thinking that the little flames could grow to becomes infernos too so therefore they need your attention NOW. All i can say is that it's weary business. A very distracting wearisome business. And that's where a lot of Christians find themselves today. Milling around(Spiritually) after experiencing salvation, focusing on the things that seem important and urgent but are usually not,  while neglecting to get direction for the whole course of their lives. They get pushed to seek direction when they are faced with prospects like job-hunting, marriage, business decisions, etc, but they do not seem to be interested in the whole picture or master-plan that is available for their lives. In other words, They don't see the fight they should be fighting because they don't know it. Know Your Fight!!!!!  Don't be begging God for healing when the bible tells us that Jesus said in Mar 16:18 " They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. ", Don't be begging God for money when Paul said in 2Co 8:9 " For you are becoming progressively acquainted with and recognizing more strongly and clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (His kindness, His gracious generosity, His undeserved favor and spiritual blessing), [in] that though He was [so very] rich, yet for your sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied)." .
Know Your Fight!!!
       Should you be in the missions field? or be a fearless evangelist taking the gospel to the furthermost reaches of the earth? or a teacher rightly dividing the Word of Truth? or an intercessor taking over kingdoms of this world for our Master on your knees?

Know Your Fight!!!

Mat 6:33 " But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides."

 tells us to follow the things that are important to God, this means His ways are more important to Him than whatever way we could ever cook up ourselves, and the reality is that His way is the only way to win completely, nothing missing, nothing broken, 10/10!!! 

         However we try to factor in our humanity and limitations and fears and hopes and dreams, it will always fall short of God's complete plan. The devils knows this, and is always trying to push our humanity and limitations and fears and hopes and dreams in our faces to get our attention when it is all too glaring that it will always fall short. And that's exactly where he(satan) wants you, that point where you are feeling down on your luck and the whole world seems a thick wall of worries that seems set out to destroy you and snuff out whatever life you have left. 

         I say ignore the devil. Put him in his place if he becomes a nuisance but taking authority. Pursue God's plan for you.  You can't be on your country's Olympic football team and say you are training for the tournament by playing street soccer. You have to train with the rest of the team at the training camp for the tournament.  In the same way, you can't live out God's way by doing things your own way, rather, you have to get to the place where others are also been groomed to live God's way. Stop focusing on yourself, and start focusing on God. Your life will get a whole lot simpler. And the key to focusing is simple. 

KNOW YOUR FIGHT!!!

Stop being distracted by the devil.   

God Knows

       Sometimes when we go through stuff, and it seems obedience to God is not even an option, to talk of it helping you sail through and weathering the storm, we look up and wonder if God is not watching at that moment. We view the challenges before us and wonder why God has allowed such and such to happen.

        Picture this, i heard on radio sometime ago the story of a lady, she had been on a prayer mountain, fasting and praying for seven days. The day she returned home, she was attacked by armed robbers! And to add insult to injury, she was raped after all her valuables had been collected. You would expect the average lady to ask God "WHY?", which in fairness to her is a justified question. I'd like to point out that most of the challenges we face as Christians is mostly as a result of our attempt to obey God and his Word. Some are distractions aimed to take us off the path of truth, others are to help us build up our faith and to teach us reliance on the lord. But for whatever reasons we go through this challenges, it seems like God has taken a back seat in our lives and we are left, totally on our own.

        But the truth remains this, God knows all our struggles, and he's always watching, not just him but the entire body of saints are cheering for us, encouraging, praying the Father to intervene more, to strengthen us, to comfort us more. God is quite aware of all the goings on in your life and He's so monitoring the details you can almost say He's taking notes. Truth be told, when you watch an infant trying to walk, there is really little you can do for the infant except watch and encourage, because he can only learn by falling and getting back up, and continuing to walk. That way he gets more confident with every step he takes.

        God knows your obedience to Him is costly to you and that by yourself, you cannot do it. So relax and just obey, even though it's not easy, God Knows.

Random Thoughts......

       I look at myself sometimes and i wonder the things I'd be found doing today if i had not become a christian. I find it is easier to follow the passions of my heart, to put off praying till after that movie is over, to glance with longing at the beautiful lady across the street and wish she were mine, and just as I'm wishing that, the next girl that crosses the road in front of me attracts the same wishes in my mind - i also wish she was mine. Crazy huh? It just shows that the human heart is really just an extension of the human eyes.

        Why do we dwell more on the things that we see rather than what we hear or taste? we see sad people and automatically we get dejected, on our way to being sad ourselves, we see a happy gathering and the next thing we know, we are hyped and feeling really good. The things we see really have a way of clouding the way we perceive.

        I once told a friend this words "Two men will look at the sky and one will say, the clouds are beautiful, but the other will say compared to the stars, those clouds you see are nothing!"
The difference between the two men is perception. One sees with his eyes and accepts the limitation his eyes makes obvious to him,(The Clouds). He accepts his visual limitation and even rationalizes it to be the best thing possible. But the other man sees the limit just as the other man sees, accepts that the clouds are there but at the same time, he looks within to the knowledge he has about the universe, this knowledge helps him to perceive, understand and accept that truly there are things beyond the clouds and it also helps him visualize those perceptions. Even if he cant really see the stars with his physical eyes, he is able to see it with his mind, his inner eyes.

        For Christians, this inner eyes really is the Holy Spirit and that knowledge that He uses to help us perceive is yes, you got it, the Bible! Our spirits without the guidance of the Holy Spirit is quickly shutdown by our minds based on what information our eyes downloads into our minds. So you see, our spirit man needs to be led by the Holy Spirit to be able to see and perceive the things that are beyond the realm of our physical eyes, things in the spiritual realm, where everything that happens in the physical is decided.

        Remember, the spiritual is the framework for the physical and without it, the physical simply wouldn't exist! To walk in the spiritual realm, we need to subject our spirits to the leading of the Holy Spirit by obeying his words. Obedience is the key.