Being Christian » faith

Poetry: Turn on The Light

Tee Akindele — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:37:44 +0000

I could live on like this or I may not
And about whether I die, care not
Existence is so not my problem -
It’s of a different kind;
I wish neither to be normal
Nor even to be special,
What I seek is a valid solution
To the question: ‘who am I?’

I’m suffocating in my own space
Trapped in it’s sheer vastness;
I’ve framed with many dreams, walls of a kind,
But they are far too porous with so many doors,
Behind which are just more questions.
So I’m groping to steady myself in the darkness,
And all I am catching is thin air.

I could live-on on the brink of true experience
Imprisoned by my slumber and afraid to snap out
Of this nightmare of spiritual death.
Or I could just ask The One who claims
That He can turn on The Light.

Share this post on:

Poetry: Faith in a Friend

Tee Akindele — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:49:39 +0000

Indeed I have a friend
Who remains true to the end
Loving Him sparks a flame in my spirit
He is not weak like I am
Yet feels my every pain
Praising Him turns the light on in my soul.

No one can accuse or condemn me
For He is all: My judge, witness and attorney
I’ve trusted all my life to Him
Give to me everything
Without Him I’m yet nothing.
I’m absolutely all for Him.

In the most terrible thunder groan
I hear His friendly undertone
And confidence buoys within me
In the fiercest stormy wave
I only know His soothing motherly rock
What greater assurance could you give me?

He is the greatest being
Yet chose me to dwell in
If I must boast, I’ll boast of Him
So I’m greater than the world
For He’s as much my Friend as He’s The Lord
What a victory! What a victory!

Here it’s dark and raining
But soon I’ll be where He is unfailing
I won’t stop here… not now… not ever
There I’ll be as He is
And enjoy eternal bliss
O yes, keep me faithful… faithful forever.

Share this post on:

Victory over sin

Tee Akindele — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:16:52 +0000

The believer’s primary victory in salvation is victory over sin. The unbeliever may approach Christ with the burden of guilt, sinful, dishonorable habits or lifestyle etc., believing that Christ’s acceptance of him implies that all is forgiven and he is justified to begin a brand new life.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2Co 5:17

Unfortunately for some who have received Christ, they struggle with believing that God has forgiven them, especially if they find it hard to forgive themselves or if some other people wouldn’t forgive them.

Repentance can be even more difficult. Repenting from sin implies turning away from the sinful act with the intention of never doing it again. It’s easier to tell your self , or spouse, or parents, or children, that you’ll never do something again, but with God, it is probably not usually simple to just say: “God I’ll never ever do that again”. I guess that’s because understandably, sin is usually that thing which we don’t love to do anymore and don’t want to do, but may sometimes find ourselves doing anyway.

Sometimes we feel we sin because we do not have time to think or consider our options. Most of the time, we may have impulsively said something rash in anger, back-bit, or told a little lie just before we realise, with disappointment in ourselves, that we have sinned already. With other kinds of sin, like sexual immorality and similar lusts we may try to convince ourselves that we are giving vent to natural feelings or desires, as if the fact that sin comes naturally to us can make it legitimate.

Geniuine repentance is difficult or impossible if we do not reckon on the grace of God. God never gave anyone an injunction never to sin, save that which he has backed up by His grace.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:13

It is by the grace of God that we are what we are, or do what we ought to do. Living the Christian life of victory over sin, is our gift in Christ Jesus. We are not struggling to impress God, but rather His grace challenges us to reckon our selves dead to sin and alive unto righteousness. So that when we are tempted or confront sin, we can know that the power we excercise NOT TO SIN, is not in ourselves but in the grace of God in Christ.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:11-14

Sin is beneath the Christian. Christ went through too much to make us holy instruments of His righteousness. Let there be no excuses, every little sin is big enough to spoil our testimony, even if it is one done in our closets. There is no pleasure in sin for the born-again man, only shame and power loss.

Devotional Prayer

Lord, I know that my victory over sin and sinful habits is not by my own making. I am determined to shun the lusts in my heart and to overcome my weaknesses because your grace has given me victory over sin. I pray you continually use me as an instrument of your righteousness and help me to take daily advantage of your grace, so that I can live in victory and my life can be to you a sweet-smelling living sacrifice.

Share this post on:

Poetry: Riding the storm

Tee Akindele — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:48:12 +0000

I would never have taken that first step
When he called: “I am the Lord, come out to me”
But then my little boat was against the storm no help
It would eventually have given me up to the depths of the sea.

And so like a man with neither hope nor anything else to loose
“I’m just a poor sinner” was all I could think.
How could I this grand offer then refuse?
I stepped into the water, hardly expecting not to sink.

I couldn’t trust myself but strangely this stranger did
He said “come!”, Come … on the raging sea?
Was He a ghost or really a savior I wondered?
Well, He had power and that I could see.

Where my faith failed, His rescue arms supported me
Hallelujah! This is my testimony today;
I’d never again fear the storms of life’s sea
I‘ve known one who is greater, one who they obey:

… He rides the storms and commands the raging billows;
Jesus was a stranger, now He means to me much more
-In Him I have forgotten the fears of tomorrows-
Captain of my ship, my God and everlasting Savior.

Share this post on:

Poetry: Restore my Soul

Tee Akindele — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:33:47 +0000

Sin lives at my door post… every minute knocking
Offenses arrayed in every day’s wake… temptation lurking
I’ve courted compromise; arrogance, lusts… are familiar neighbors
I shudder ‘n horror as scum and bile my palate savors.

Apparently mere will always will miserably fail
There’s war in my members, I feel so terribly frail
Can I truly be stripped of this self… this my garment?
At passion girded within my very bosom I anxiously lament!

Argh! disharmony is the name of my sickness
My spirit makes claims, my brain spins, my soul is just restless
Alas! recklessness rather than grace makes me bold
I labor so hard to feel… my heart has gone cold.

Oh Lord! rescue me before I wither away
From my lack of peace, I can tell of my heart’s sway
I no longer neglect to pray: Father keep me from temptation;
Hasten to replenish… bring me again to my completion.

A sinner saved by grace… I acknowledge my acceptance
Help me to be willing, obedient, strong… to exercise patience
Take my guilt, my shame, my weakness… take all control
Sweet Holy Spirit, comforter, restore my soul.

Share this post on: