Aminu Ilenre

Lust Kills Things.

Lust is a strong, passionate, burning desire to have something, a craving of the flesh that produces unrest and desperation. There is no clearer illustration of a lustful man than David’s son Amnon.

Amnon had a lustful desire for his half-sister Tamar. It was so strong that some translations state Amnon was “obsessed” to the point it made him ill. Mental illness is a serious problem in our society, but did you know that at least one form of mental illness, known as “spiritual depression,” can be triggered by sin? Amnon’s lust was eating him alive and making him ill. and because Amnon did not kill sin in those early stages and flee from youthful lusts, it killed him.

Kill sin before it is fully grown. God in His mercy always gives us a window of opportunity to repent, and we must jump through that window before sin is fully grown. In the biblical account of Amnon’s story, Jonadab’s manipulative friend came up with a plan to get Tamar and Amnon alone. Amnon faked being sick and asked his father David to send his daughter (Tamar) to feed him. Amnon sent everyone out the room, grabbed Tamar, and tried to seduce her. She refused and pleaded with Amnon to stop; she even used wisdom to try to persuade Amnon, showing him that this single act would ruin the rest of his life. But remember this, lust never listens. Love is wise and cares about the person, lust is foolish and only cares about self. If you do not kill lust now, it will kill your marriage or your future marriage because lust revolves around you.

HOLY SATURDAY
“Take a guard,” he said, “make the tomb as secure as you know how.”

Imagine thinking it would make a difference. Of course, Pilate didn’t know what we know now. Even in his wildest imagination, this executor of Roman authority could never have seen all of this coming. Why? Because Pilate’s concern was protecting the tomb from the outside, while all along Heaven and Hell were colliding within it.

Of course, some of us are still stacking guards outside of the tomb, aren’t we? In spite of our faith, we hide things away from the resurrection power of God. We cram our little caves full of regrets, secrets we believe to be too difficult for God to redeem or shame so dark as to blot out His resurrecting light. We offer everything to Him except what we keep for ourselves.

And we shake our heads at Pontius Pilate.

What a beautiful invitation Holy Saturday is, and yet how seldom do we accept it? In our earnest eagerness to celebrate the empty tomb, we fly so swiftly by this opportunity to stop and reflect on the meaning of an inhabited one. There his body lay, broken for you. Today need not be a day of great sorrow, for unlike the Apostles, we know how the story ends, but it can be a day of great surrender. What remains in you that needs to be handed over? What needs to die in order for you to live?

It was our sin and God’s plan that led Christ to the Cross. It was his power and his authority that ruptured the darkness and resurrected Him to everlasting life. But on this Holy day, we must ask ourselves the question: “How am I still working to secure the tomb and keep the power of resurrection inside?”

Sunday’s coming. Will you experience the fullness of that freedom when it does?

Help Me To Follow Hard After You

You Are Valued
Do you ever feel like you’re not worth much anymore? Like you’re damaged goods?

The Bible couldn’t be more clear about how valued you are in the eyes of God. No matter what you tell yourself in your lowest moments, the truth is that God created you as His perfect masterpiece.

In God’s eyes, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. He carefully crafted you while you were still in your mother’s womb, and He created you in His own image. He loves you as His own child, and even knows how many hairs you have on your head!

Jesus tells us that not even a bird can fall from the sky without God knowing and caring for it. If He cares that much for a bird, can you imagine how much He must know and care for you, His perfect masterpiece creation? You are valued!

Holy Spirit, Endue Me With The Power From On High.

You Are Loved

Have you ever felt unlovable, as if no one could ever love the real you?

The truth is, you are loved unconditionally by the God who created you. No matter how many mistakes you’ve made, or how unworthy of love you think you are, God will always call you His child.

God doesn’t just love us as an action. He actually is the very essence of love, which the Bible tells us we can know and rely on. And this love that God gives so freely to you? You can never be torn away from it. Death, life, the present, the future—none of those have enough power to separate you from the love of God.

God doesn’t just say He loves us, though. He proved it to us by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die as payment for all the sins of humanity. Jesus didn’t stay dead—He miraculously rose from the grave, defeating death forever and providing a way for you to have a relationship with Him for the rest of your life and for all eternity. All you have to do is accept the free gift of His love and commit yourself to follow Him. You are loved!

LIGHT... LAUGHTER... and HOPE

Usually, the valleys in our lives ignite us to draw nigh to the Word of God. Let me just say the magnet that pulled me to God’s Word was adversity. Difficult times sparked my desire and thirst for the Word. Neither occurred when things were going well; it was the opposite. King David alluded to the same when he said, “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees” (Psalm 119:71). God’s Word is a light and lamp of hope in our darkest times.

Lord I Receive The Keys Of The Kingdom.

Inner Work: Uprooting and Planting.

Inner work is the idea mentioned in the scripture Jeremiah 1:10. The lies of the enemy must be uprooted, and the truth of God's word must be planted.

This is the process of taking inventory of the fruit (thoughts, feelings, actions) in your life and exploring the roots (relational pathways or connections) of the tree (soul) producing the fruit.

Roots are formed from gravity pressing the seed and causing it to split into roots that poke and grip the ground (this ground is your heart). As soon as the tiny root tip penetrates the soil, the tree is fixed in the ground and can absorb water and mineral nutrients.

Imagine what your heart has absorbed over time because of the pressure (toxic environments/cares of the world) that work to press the seed (lies of the enemy) in the ground of your heart. If this happens, when we encounter relational harm (trauma), how much more powerful and life-giving when we encounter the truth and the love of the Father!

Here is the Strategy for Uprooting and Planting:

As you encounter roots of death and destruction, pull them up, confront them, and declare they will no longer receive nourishment

I Bring Into Captivity Every Negative Thought Concerning My Family.

Get Ready!

There are times when a person’s gift, or talent, or anointing will take them places they are not ready for. Ministry can take you places you are not prepared for. Under the stress of having opportunities you are not ready to handle, you will give what you can, but not what you should.

The 10th chapter of Acts is unequivocally demonstrating how God is weaving the lives of two men together – Peter and Cornelius. He is simultaneously preparing two different men from two different worlds and two different cultures – one without the knowledge of the other. God weaves their experiences together that by the time they collide, something happens. It is in this moment that we see the providence of God. God is not just getting you ready from something; God is getting that something ready for you!

Moving Beyond the Truth You Once Knew

The book of Acts is quite complicated. It is an expression of man’s first attempt to carry out the mandate of God without the physical presence of God there to steer him. It is the trial flight of the new apostles as they step into leadership. More importantly, they are in a position to bring to fruition what their Leader has spoken.

There is a great gulf between what a leader speaks and what a student understands. Just because something is taught does not mean that the lesson is learned. There are people who do not hear what is said; then, there are people who hear what they wanted the teacher to say. People don’t really get the message all at once. The apostles are grappling to see how they have successfully attained an adequate understanding of the Word of God they received. You cannot teach what you do not understand.

The apostles are now under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The Christ that was with them is now in them. The voice surrounding them now speaks from the inside. The problem with the voice on the inside is that it is not the only voice that speaks. When God speaks from within, you have to filter because there are other voices speaking also – the voices of your past, your history, your religious tradition, your own opinion and ideology. It is easy to confuse the voice of God with all those other voices.

The apostles are learning to differentiate what is God and what is them; what is God and what is their teaching; what is God and what is their personal proclivities; what is God and what is religion. Understanding God and the difference in those voices is a process that they consistently contend with. May the lord grant you the help of understanding his voice and his word in Jesus name Amen.