SOMEBODY PLANTED THE TREE

July 2014 has downed its days really slow,phew, i guess its because it wrapped itself in cold,rains and alot of work.It's been a month of steps up and a few steps still.But God..
In light of all the ups and downs of the month that has been,this one thing has been consistent #GodsGrace.As I reminisced on this gift walking under a very calm and beautiful shade of tall canopied trees, I remembered back in High School we were taught how and why we need to conserve and preserve our environment,from trees to the school property ,constructions and more that we used and generations after us would use,there were these tall trees in a field where we used to go unwind,shelter under during the hot weather or over the weekends when we had no preps.The trees had such a canopy that you would sleep or study under their shade and even after they shed leaves through some season they never at one point became bare and leafless or withered,we always had a shelter. Years ago if the student, the teacher or whoever planted the tree decided not to,our little 'park' would have been a barren and arid ground with no shade ,no life and ever deserted. Isn't that how we were way before Christ came  and paid the price for us.With nothing good,no life ,sickly and beaten down .After he paid the price and gave us grace (planted the tree) we were made free,he provided a canopy,he gave us life,he made us disciple makers ,he translated us in to his kingdom.We stand justified,we stand holy. Our needs and wants are satisfied not because we have worked to achieve it but from his store house of riches and glory.We are reconciled back to God ,we are forgiven,we are sons.Just as Christ is so were we made and so are we supposed to be.In health,in abundance,in wisdom and fruitfulness.
Many times we want to achieve this grace by our works forgetting Jesus paid for everything and all we need to do is just receive it and just shelter under his shade.He will protect you,He will heal you.
Psalms 1:3 tell us we SHALL be like trees planted by the the rivers yielding fruit in season,the word 'shall' expresses a strong assertion of something that's bound to happen without sweating straining or toiling all we need to do is delight and meditate on the law of our God resting under his canopy.
Jesus paid the price (he planted the tree) so rest and receive his grace.Its free to us because Jesus paid for it.He eliminated the law that was legalistic and domineering.
Its August ,a month of new beginning and just as in the days of old when boys were circumcised on the 8th day and the covenant was everlasting may our hearts be circumcised to receiving Jesus Christ only then will we become the new creation eternally.

New Month,New Beginning

THE BROKEN ALABASTER BOX

My Life I Give ,My Love I Give,My All  {Kirk Franklin}

For people who care to smell sweet,leap out,stay attractive and sensational, it is a sure thing they take time to buy good and pricey perfumes bearing scents are that captivating and spellbinding.

One thing you will note about most perfumes or cologne is the size of the bottles they come in and the bottle lips ,usually very narrow with a very tiny opening.I bet this is because the scent is not dependent on how much of the perfume you spray out but the fragrance it leaves behind and how time serving it is.

 The story of the alabaster box in Luke 7:36 is one of the many and popularly known stories of the Holy Bible even by non-believers.But allow me to pick out what stood out for me in the entire account in regard to value and personalism of worship.

In the Jewish culture,an alabaster box was given to a woman by her father and she would save it for the one she will be betrothed to and break it as a symbol of acceptance to his proposal for marriage .The box had to be fragmented into pieces to show she withheld nothing from the man who will marry her.

When this woman 'Mary' came to anoint Jesus it was in the most impetuous setting,but this woman had a revelation different from the crowd around who chided her for wasting expensive ointment. We have many times heard different descriptions of 'worship ' but all lead to one thing personal relationship with God. What to you is this thing you cannot hold from the lover of your soul? Money? Time? Comfort? Out of all creation, man is the most precious to God that means we are that alabaster box that needs to be fully broken and fragmented, pouring out our worship to Jesus. But how broken are we, how expensive is the sweet fragrance of our worship? Can we save it for Him and only Him. Like Mary, let us worship him withholding nothing. He is the Lover of Our souls, our best friend and the only Holy God. Worship does not have to be in a planned and strategic place, whatever time, place, setting just do it.