Jesus – My Grace Untold

Jesus. The Sweetest Name.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1 : 21

Jesus.

I recently heard one of my favorite worship songs and I could not believe the sense of gratitude that washed over me just by hearing the name of Jesus.

Jesus.

The one name that is greater than all other names. The name that tells the story of God’s love. The name that tells a story of our salvation. The name that tells the story of unconditional, undying, eternal love. The name of Jesus.

I realize that as time goes by, as youth fades away more and more, God graces His people with new insight, new wisdom about who He is and what He did to reconcile us to Him. Jesus was the answer to everything from the very beginning.

Truly, I’m in awe sometimes when I think about the price Love paid to set me free, to win my heart, to save my life. Jesus.

What a beautiful name it is. What a glorious, powerful, beautiful name it is. Jesus.

Everytime I say it, I feel like something moves. Something bows. Something aligns. Something breaks. Something lifts.

Jesus. Our brother. Our savior. Our redeemer. Our truest friend. Jesus.

The son of Man who gave His life, who surrendered His back to endure the heavy stripes for my sins. The son of Man who conquered death to give me eternal life. The son of Man who brought heaven to earth to prove His love for me. The son of Man who did what no man ever could, what no man ever will. The name that changed all of history.

Jesus.

At times we get too caught up simply using His name to pray and bring our supplications to the Father. Yet we don’t say the name enough.

Jesus. The sweetest name of all.

Aren’t you so thankful for the name of Jesus?

The Greatness In You Is Greater Than You – Part 3

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

3 John 1:4

Your life and purpose are part of God’s Great intention. In fact, your life alone is God’s purpose.

Wherever you are in your journey right now, whatever it is that you have been striving endlessly to accomplish, have you considered that the greatness you sought is so little in comparison to the greatness that the Great One intended when HE FORMED YOU IN YOUR MOTHER’S WOMB?

I can’t begin to imagine how hard you have pursued that dream that seems to elude you no matter what. But I can relate to chasing something that seems so big in our eyes, but truly is beyond small in the Great eyes of God Almighty.

There is a greatness in you, and it is called purpose, which brings me to the conclusion of this blessed word.

Bottom line, if what you are doing, or what you are thinking about doing, only benefits you, then that which you are thinking of is not the greatness that is in you.

I urge you, I pray for you, to take a moment and recall what you are doing with your life. Consider your relationships, your friendships, your alliances, your business dealings, your intimate relations, your academic career, ALL your ways, your acquaintances, your bonds, both loose and strong, ask yourself, “what am I doing here?” “What am I really doing here?” “What has been, is, and will be the purpose in this thing?”

Because in case you have forgotten, “He is the One that was, is , and is to come,” and the greatness that has been harbored inside of you is parallel to all that God is.

If you’re questioning your purpose, your calling, or the Will of God, the Spirit has given me one answer for you – you must serve. Because if you are not serving, you are not giving, and if you are not giving, then you are merely taking, which is robbery in the eyes of God.

Have you been serving? How have you given lately? To what degree have you served others even when you are the one leading or carrying them?

Do you know that serving one another was a command by God? Do you know that serving each other is serving God because it points to Him and the goodness of His Holy Spirit to bind us in love and servitude?

Lord, grant us the heart to serve.

Often times, the only worship that we are familiar with is singing, and giving praise. But do you know that serving others as you align with God’s purpose, is also part of your worship?

In your heart lies your worship, and in your worship lies your inevitable purpose to serve the name above all names. There is no question about how Great He is that is in you, as there is no doubt that the greatness inside of you is greater than You. God is greater than all of your circumstances and all your self-centered pursuits. His Will be done in Jesus name.

May the Lord grant us both the awareness to awaken the purpose that HE has placed in the core of our being and may the presence of this truth in us, work together for our good and His everlasting glory in Jesus name. Amen.

The Greatness In You Is Greater Than You – Part 2

“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Matthew 6:23

How wonderful is it that there is a purpose for every living breathing child of God?!

How merciful is grace that as undeserving as we are, God sees you and I worthy enough to finish what He started even before He placed us in our mother’s womb? How amazing is the gift of greatness from a great God to His children?

Recently, someone dear to my heart asked me, “Tobi, what do you think I can do?”

This person is one of the most dedicated, hardworking individual I know. She is graceful, grateful, and generous. She never complains about the weight she readily carries for others as she strives to be the best mother, daughter, wife, and leader possible.

My heart leaped for joy over her inquiry to me because I know that the Spirit has brought her to a place where awareness is awakened. So, as I silently thanked the Spirit on her behalf, I answered, “You are asking the right question, but asking the wrong person.”

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT “DON’T ASK IF…ASK YOUR MAKER”

The point of the whole matter is, this young lady has arrived at a realm of understanding that the greatness that God Himself placed inside of her, is knocking and it is time for that door to open. She knows that in the depths of her soul, is a calling that is greater than she is, a calling that surpasses getting a paycheck to sustain herself, her family, and those who depend on her from time to time for financial support. She knows that there is more to her BECOMING.

Friend, allow me to re-assure you today that though your actual purpose may be different, the existence of it, that great calling on your life, is the same as it is for every single one of God’s children.

Consider the scripture above. Even Christ proclaimed the greatness of what is inside you, and this was before He got on the cross! Christ was reminding us, that if the light in us (which is yet another confirmation of the presence of God inside of you) was for evil, even the magnitude of such darkness would be great! That is the magnitude of God’s power in you – an unsearchable greatness! FINISH READING HERE

The Greatness In You Is Greater Than You – Part 1

“But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Matthew 23:11

The greatest man that ever lived was a servant! Remember him? His name was Jesus. The greatness of our Savior began with His being the son of man and of the Holy Spirit, but ended with Him being the servant who died to grant the world salvation.

Now if anyone disagrees, I say show me another man who was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again!.

There is only One.

How ironic is it that the greatest leaders are those who serve their followers? Pastors intercede for church members, civil right leaders give encouragement to their followers, presidents serve (are supposed to at least) the greater needs of the society, and the list goes on.

And if there was ever a doubt to be had about such an ideal, allow me to remind you of that time that Jesus, the Messiah, the King of kings, the Great Healer, the Shining Star, the bright and morning Sun, yes, that Jesus.

Remember the time He washed the feet of His disciples?! Not one of them, not the one He loved most (Peter), but all of their feet. In all His grandeur and greatness, Jesus served those that followed Him by washing their feet. And then in the greater context of His Salvation mission, Jesus inevitably served you and I by dying on the cross to put sin to death on behalf of God’s children.

It is no coincidence that Jesus referred to us as His own brethren.

Can you think of any greater service than giving up your life, and carrying the burdens of sinners to the grave, then rising again to give them new life? And not once asking for anything in return?!!! Jesus served. Hence, His greatness is forever glorified in all the earth and heavens.

Friend, have you at all given any thought to the greatness in you?

I wonder today if you are like me and have been feeling the pull to a greater call beyond what you are doing and what your convictions are based on your present circumstances.

The Word declares that,

Great is He who lives in me,”

So how can you expect for anything you do to be anything less than that which is in you? CONTINUE READING HERE

The Thirst Is Real Indeed – Part 1

“For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground…”

Isaiah 44:3

The thirst is real.”

I must admit that is one of the truest subliminal message in our generation today. The irony however, is that most of us who say it or hear it, do not consider how thirsty we all really are.

In common context, the phrase above is used to describe someone’s desperation for something and the obvious and shameless way they go about it. Thus, it serves as a negative connotation.

Nevertheless, the thirst is indeed real. And we are all indeed thirsty.

While we see so many people in the world, strive and display their thirst for money, popularity, and security, we forget that the real thirst lays beneath the surface.

The real thirst is a need for something that the world cannot give. The real thirst is a desire for protection that the world cannot guarantee. The real thirst is a yearning for comfort that the world does not have to offer us. The real thirst is a search for friendship that we cannot find in man. The real thirst is a longing for love that no man has to give. The real thirst is for guidance that can’t be found in the most intellectual archives of history.

Friend, the real thirst is the one for Christ, the living water.

If only you knew how fulfilling the living water of Christ was. If only you felt the abundance of overflow from drinking out of the fountain of salvation. If you could only see how full your well can be when you draw your water from the eternal well of Christ.

When Jesus asked the woman at the well in Samaria to draw him some water, her response was not yes. Rather, she questioned his way and thought. She questioned how Jesus, who was a Jew, could ask her, a Samaritan to get him a drink. She questioned because society compelled her to, seeing as Jews had no dealings with Samaritans.

Jesus answered, “If thou knowest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.” (John 4 vs 10)

I wonder if you are currently in a place of misguidance like the Samaria woman. CONTINUE HERE

The Friendship Exam – No Pens Needed

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against him.”

Psalm 41:9

Take a moment to remember all the ‘best friends’ you have ever had; the ones you had since childhood, since youth, or the ones you just met in adulthood but feel as though you have known them all your life.

What exactly qualifies them as a friend? What makes them your best friend? Have you had some conflicts in the course of your friendship that threatened the bond shared? Have you gone through tough situations that challenged your value of friendship?

The vulnerability of trust in man lies in the inevitable. The flesh will surely fail for it is weak. The carnal sense of self is not trustworthy because the flesh walks by sight and not by faith. Thus, man will succumb at one point or another to the pressures and circumstances of the world around him.

This is why stability, loyalty, consistency, reliability, integrity, and responsibilities are all traits that are fervently nurtured. It takes building up. And what has been built by man will crumble by chance because man is not God.

Friendship with man is not friendship with God. Friendship with a man of God is still not friendship with God because we have to know God for ourselves and not just through others.

So, would you give your last to a friend?

Would you forgive a friend’s betrayal no matter what it was?

Would you open your arms to a friend who walks away from your friendship over and over again?

Would you bless a friend that curses you?

Would you comfort a friend who dwells amidst those who hate your name?

Would you give your life for your friend?

That is the kind of friend that Christ is to us.

What A Friend We have In Jesus is truly one of my favorite sacred hymns.

The beauty of this friendship with Christ is that it is ours eternally. No matter how unkind we are to it, no matter how much of a stranger we are to our Great friend, Christ abides with us through it all.

There is indeed no friend like Jesus Christ.

Think about it, Who comforted you in your most broken times? Who intercedes with God on your behalf? Who blesses you continually no matter how unfriendly you are or can be? Who forgives you endlessly? Whose Spirit guides you in a world of chaos and confusion? Nobody but Jesus.

The love of Christ the Lord is more than enough.

Don’t you ever forget that this is the same Love that graced us with salvation when He came to the world solely to die for your sins. Christ is the friend who took all your burdens and bondage and carried it with him to the cross to die.

Friend, the enemy will continue to test the bonds of this divine friendship but God the Father has washed us thoroughly with the Blood. May we be given the grace to trust wholly in our friendship with His Only Holy Son in Jesus name. Amen.