Fear in Faith's Clothing

Jesus Predicts His Death:

“From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that ... He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.
But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. "Heaven forbid, Lord," he said. "This will never happen to you!"
Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” …
Matthew 16:21-23 NLT

A DANGEROUS TRAP:
What looks “good” from our human point of view isn’t always what God values.
I mean, Jesus wanted to live! We know that, because He tried to negotiate with God even at the last hour, so what Peter said was a HUGE temptation!
He could have said, “Yes, you’re right. God can never want me to die, that must have been the devil. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
But He knew it was a temptation: to keep Him from completing His Purpose.
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So, now: how many times have you said, “God forbid!” to the very thing God Purposed you for? There are so many people who need you to “die” on that cross in order to access what God has for them - to go on that journey and learn the lessons so that they wouldn’t need to.
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We can take up the cross boldly because there’s resurrection on the other side. It’s not like God is going to abandon you after obeying faithfully. Never.

This is not a call to offer pointless sacrifices because we feel guilty or unworthy - remember, God gave Abraham a replacement lamb. Don’t kill Isaac if God has given you another option.
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Discernment is freely given to all who will freely receive it. Stop hiding behind, “what if I don’t know the difference.” Just ask.
(See, if Jesus hadn’t died I wouldn’t have been able to say that. Thank God, oo!)

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”
Matthew 16:24-26 NLT

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Vote.

You know the fable about the crabs in the pit? 🦀⤵️

So, a bunch of crabs are stuck in a pit. Everytime one crab tries to climb out the others drag it back down. If it climbs out, it might be able to help the others, but they’re too scared and suspicious to even try. So they choose to die together rather than to give one a chance to survive.
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Lesson #1: Fear is not a good excuse.
We say politics is dirty. We say "someone" needs to go in & change it. But then someone tries and we pull them down:
"They can't handle it!"
"They'll become corrupt, too!"
"They can never win!"
They can only "never win" because we choose to keep them from winning.
I don't care how many area-boys the Dominating Parties can pay off, there are still more free-thinking Nigerians than them. So what, they bribe 10 million agberos. There are a hundred million of us.
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Lesson #2: The numbers don’t lie.
Did you know that in 2015, almost 69 million people registered, and only about 28 million actually voted? 🤔🤔🤔 I think this means there were at least 40 MILLION un-bribable Nigerians in the country that year – but they chose to stay at home.
Maybe the line was too long.
They were already sweating.
It was too rowdy.
There was no point, anyway.
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I was one of those who chose to stay in bed in 2015, engaging in pseudo-intellectual debates about how there was no one to vote for.
That was the wrong choice.
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Listen: forget godfather this, godfather that. Is it not because someone voted them in that they became godfathers in the first place? They were not born there, and they don't have to die there. There's a lot we can do if FORTY (40) MILLION people who can't be bribed actually choose to stand up and be counted.
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I hate standing in the sun for long hours, too, but come on, guys. Let's do this.

"If you're neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."
-Desmond Tutu

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2019 ✨

The year of the Exceedingly Abundant.
The year of NEW, of More, of Light.
The year of Swift Obedience, of Quick Work, of Sudden Manifestations that follow hidden preparations.
The year of Precision, of dedication, of intentionality and focus, the year of sowing in the land for the time to come.
The year of the Lion,
of the Roar of the Sons of God.
The year of Worship.
The year of Yes - and the year of clear, guiltless No’s.
The year of the razor-sharp Word, falling like a battle axe, demolishing opposition and uprooting lies.
The year of the clearing.
The year of the establishing.
The year of Miracles.
The year of Abundance.
The year of the Lavish Provision of the Lord.
Many will say there is a casting down, but I will say there is a lifting up -
The year of HIGHER: of recognising and walking in the authority that comes with being seated in Christ in the Heavenly Places.
The year of Faith that overrides sight.
The year of the building of the Lord, by the Lord, for the Lord.
The year of SURPRISES: starting with the government. The year that the Lord’s laughter rings loud over the plans and schemes of the enemy.
The year where Hope triumphs over cynicism - where the hardhearted will see the foolishness of God’s Wisdom in action and be amazed.
The year of Joy.
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The year of the Lord.
The year of the Word.
The year of the Sons of God.
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This is the Word of the Lord 🙏🏽
(Thanks be to God! 😄)
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