Through Mary's Lenses

(First of all, I would like to thank  Koinonia and  'Faith Dames' for inviting me and accepting me into your fold of Dames with Faith. I am truly honoured and feel so blessed. 'Through Mary's Lenses' is not new. I just 'stole' it from my book 'The Diary of a Desperate Naija Woman in the Year 20-Ten'  because I just could not wait to be  part of this group! I hope you like it. I hope it blesses you. And most of all, I hope it, in any little way possible, makes the fires of your faith flare more ferociously!

Usually, all my thoughts are on Baby Jesus at Christmas. How bout you? Same, abi? There are always, and rightly so, calls from all corners for us to remember the real reason for the season and so we do. We do our best to make sure that as we go through all the eating, drinking and jisting, we do not forget to give thanks for the real gift that keeps on giving. The gift from God to a world in dire need of a way out from eternal destruction - Jesus Christ.

This year has been no different. Thanks to reading 'The Shack', this Christmas, I am very aware of the awesome love God has for me more than ever. I am so grateful to God for Jesus Christ but today is a little different. Thanks to my Pastor, I was called on to think about his mother, Mary. At least, right now, today,  Jesus Christ is really just a tiny baby in a manger so I think it will be OK to spend some time thinking about his Mama, abi?

We really do not think about this woman often enough. Not sure why cos THAT was no mean feat agreeing to be 'conceived of the Holy Spirit' especially in the times she lived in. Especially when there was a very likely chance Joseph would not believe her incredible story. And who would blame him? Never before had a woman, a virgin, come forward to claim that she was pregnant. Wahala number 1. We are talking, fornication here and offense punishable by death. A very painful, slow death by stoning. Then on top of that she goes on to claim that the one 'who dunnit' is not a mere man but a 'spirit'! Wahala number 2! Come on! She has surely gone mad, they would say. Not only had she been messing around, she now had the audacity to be claiming that God was responsible! Just try to imagine the faces of her people as she told them this story! And I remember reading somewhere that Mary was only about 14/15 years at the time!

So for just the time it will take you to read this rest of this, please wear  the 'glasses' Mary must have been looking at her life through in this season of her life after she had that one of a kind meeting with Angel Gabriel. What do you think she was feeling? Fear? What would Joseph say? What would her parents and her soon to be in laws think of her? How would the people look at her now? What if ALL this was the figment of some serious fever she MUST be suffering from? Who had ever heard of a virgin getting pregnant? Oh my gosh, her reputation will  be in shreds now! Her engagement will surely be annulled and on top of that surely, they will stone her! I am going to die! And on and one her mind must have been reeling.........but what did she do with all these thoughts? How would she cope? What did she say? Let's see, follow me to Luke 1: 38 and we shall see what this young woman  said:

Mary responded, 'I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true.'

Wow! She was basically saying - Let them reject me if that's part of your plan, let them think I have gone mad, let Joseph turn his back on me if that's what it means, in fact, yes! let them stone me if that is what God wants. What a demonstration of absolute TRUST in her God. And I know that deep in her heart, she somehow knew that God loved her too much and that it would ALL work out for good. She may not have had one single clue HOW but she knew HE would come through. Mary trusted God with her very life.

In 2011, by the special grace of God, I am going to be like Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. 

I will trust God with my very life.

How about you dear one? How about you?

(c) DesperateNaijaWoman

I Am The City Prostitute: Rahab

I am the city prostitute.

I am bold and beautiful. I double up as a pimp and a whore who works hard to make a living. No doubt,I sell my body to make raw cash and that makes ‎​​me cool.

My name makes ‎​​me proud because everyone including the ‎​king know my identity.

I am always found in the streets and market place buying and selling. Two days ago,I was booed in the market square,calling me brash,long legged and sly at heart.

One day, two strange men visited the land and actually walked by my house. I readily flung my door open to them thinking they needed my usual service. Yes, they needed my help but this time not a "one night stand" nor my myriad of whores. They wouldn't even look at ‎​​me because they had a mission to accomplish(I wonder how they knew my "occupation" to stop by my crib). As soon as I let them in, I saw one young boy peeping through my window but I hushed him away.

Hours later the ‎​king sent a word to ‎​​me to bring the men I have "in my bed"-everyone assumes that I seductively solicit for every man's attention. In strict keeping with Eastern manners, no man is permitted to enter a woman's house without her permission. I was at high risk but in my usual way,I played a fast one on the ‎​king's men and they left in search of the spies.

I covered  the two spies with piles of flax which I coincidentally stored up on my roof. It was the time of the barley harvest, and flax and barley ripen at the same time in the Jordan valley, so that the bundles of flax stalks were left to dry.

On this particular night, I refused to go on my rounds because I feared my house could be ransacked and I wanted to preserve the lives of these spies. I locked my doors and I ran up the roof to have a word with them. I reeled out my fears to them acknowledging their God as mightily behind them. I told them the stories we've heard of their God and how my people are afraid and unable to conquer them even with all our troops. I suddenly lay flat pleading with them to spare ‎​​me and my family for risking my life for them. I said;

"Now swear to ‎​​me by the Lord that ‎​you will be kind to ‎​​me and my family since I have helped ‎​‎​you."

I could feel hot tears streaming down my well made-up face. The "Kohl" in my eyes smeared making my tears dark but I didn't mind since my life mattered the most at this time.

I added;" Give ‎​​me some guarantee that when our city is conquered, ‎​you will let ‎​​me live, along with  all my family members". Then I wiped my tears with my Pashmina while they pacified ‎​​me with their words; "‎​​We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety. If ‎​you don't betray us, ‎​​we will keep our promise when the Lord gives us the land"

For the first time in my entire life, I slept in tranquillity like a new born baby,also amazed that I could stay through the night with two handsome and well built men without asking for sex. By ‎morning,I gave them water to wash up,while I fixed them a meal of oat and bread. I dug out a scarlet robe I usually use to let down my clients at night when the city gates are locked- since I live on the city wall,it makes it easy to escape to the hills.

 I tied the rope on my window sill letting it down for them. While they prepared to leave, I instructed them on the regular route my clients ply.

"Escape to the hill country" I said and hide there for three days till the men who are searching for ‎​you return. They reiterated  those words they told ‎​​me last night and added very weighty but symbolic words; "‎​​We can guarantee ‎​your safety if ‎​you leave this scarlet(the same rope I used to commit atrocity) hanging from the window." They asked that my entire household remain inside my house until they claim the city. I swore not to betray them but abide by this oath.

Wow! I pondered. That means I'd run out of business and loose my clients, and my entire family would have to stay indoors for an uncertain number of days because if any of us goes out to the streets,we would die like everyone.

However, I gathered my family into my house and firmly locked my doors. ‎​​My family members brought some of their important belongings into my spare room,we bought enough food for the period ‎​​We would stay indoors seizing this opportunity to have our family reunion after such a long time. I shared my experience with the spies convincing them of the God I met through them.

This time I knew my occupation as a city prostitute had come to a grinding halt never to be visited again. I also knew this was a moment to find hope in the only Supreme God who chose to send spies to a prostitute like ‎​​‎​​me. I perceived my salvation was closer than I ever imagined.  My thought also ran wild wondering why a perfect God would think so highly of a rotten girl like ‎​​me who has lured,seduced and cajoled hundreds of men to their death place?

Some days after,news came to us that the city gates were tightly shut because my kindred were afraid of God's own people and everyone including the King dwelt in utter fear. For six days,we heard heavy stumping of foot soldiers and the sound of several horns.



On the seventh day, ‎​​we were awakened by the foot soldiers. This time, the rhythm changed, the atmosphere was dark and tense and the clouds grew red. Then,I was assured the time had come. ‎​​We heard them march round our city seven times, then a long,loud sound blazed into the air and everywhere shook like the rumbling of thunder and sparks of lightening. Suddenly, we heard a mighty shout which was like the noise of many waters and a mighty earthquake rushed through our city crushing shops,empires,palaces, monuments and strongholds-everything in our once adorable city collapsed stone upon stone,houses upon houses but our house stood like a firm foundation!

Though the noise rattled ‎​​me and made everyone in my house curl up in a corner,we were safe.

Just then, a knock on our door shook us to our feet. Scared stiff to open the door, I opted to be their "sacrificial lamb". I opened the door and there were these two spies grinning at ‎​​me sheepishly. I flung my hands around them broken to tears. They pacified me and led ‎​​‎​​me to sit down while they greeted my family. I managed to do a shabby introduction amidst tears. Then they announced that they came to rescue us to their land. ‎​​

We followed them to meet the great warrior,Joshua whom I had heard of from my childhood days. He expressed his sincere gratitude for  saving his men with my "fidelity"-wow the first good comment made about ‎​​me all my life? He didn't call ‎​​me a harlot or an infidel, but a beautiful not forsaken, delightful woman furnished with a brand new life? He saw something no one ever did? Oh what love?

 He further rewarded my family and ‎​​me with a pleasant abode among his people.

The Supreme God of Israel blessed ‎​​me with a new life, saving ‎​​me from a sordid past;preserving and rescuing my family from death. I ran into him and found grace and mercy. He set my feet upon a solid rock to stay and built ‎​​me upon His foundation forever. He enlarged ‎​​me and broadened my coast from the strange lands of Jericho to the plush country of Israel.

I belong to a new race by grace.

I am Rahab, a wife to a prince of Judah, Salmon and our son is called Boaz(Ruth 4:21; 1 Chr. 2:11; Matt. 1:5).


(c) Enobong

The Zarephath widow (1 Kings 17:1-6)

Imagine this...


You're broke, dead broke! Your husband died 5 years ago and left you with nothing to sustain yourself. You've sold all your possession and no longer borrow money because there's no income to pay back with.
There's no food left in the store and family & friends have walked away one after the other.


All you have left are your son, the last cup of garri mama Ngozi gave after begging you to stop sucking her dry and the dirty 10Naira note you picked up while trekking back from her house.


You know this is the end, there's no one and no where else to go. So you decide to buy sugar with that 10Naira so that your last meal with your son will atleast be tasteful.


On your way home from Mallam's kiost, you see a dirty and hungry looking man who says to you "Please bring me some water in a cup, that I may drink". You don't mind because he really looks like he could use a cup of water-heck, a bath too- and you have two jerry cans of water at home, of which you know that after your last meal with your son, you won't be alive long enough to finish them.


So you head out to bring the cup of water for the stranger, but then, he calls out after you "Please bring me a cup of garri also"!


What will YOU do?


                                     *                            *                            *


Elijah is the stranger in the scenario above and the Zarephath widow is you (me, us) from the biblical story in 1Kings 17.


When Elijah as directed by God asked for food from the widow, she said ,"As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die"
And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and aferward make some for yourself and for your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel; 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth' "


My pastor in Church always says that when what you have is not enough for you, give it all back to God then sit back and relax because He'll return to you more than you needed in the first place. This widow is my biggest heroine in the Bible. Her name is not even recorded but her act of kindness and faith is so big that after all these years, the world is still reading about her.


God won't come down to bless us Himself, He can, but most of the time He sends people. But then again, those people need to obey before our requests will be granted. The widow needed to obey in order to feed Elijah, if she didn't, all three of them would have probably died of hunger. Elijah's success (of feeding) was dependent on her obedience.


We'll also need to give in order to recieve. Her recieving food was tied to her giving it. If she didn't give Elijah her last meal then she wouldn't have gotten the jar of oil that didn't run dry, flour that didn't get used up and she definately wouldn't have become the faith dame we are discussing today.


LESSONS


1. Obedience: if you have an itch to give something or do something for someone, no matter how big (or small) give it, do it. If not for them, then for you, because you'll never know which of your prayer answers is tied to an act of your obedience. And if you're not sure it's God sending you, give it anyway. There's always a reward for giving, besides, the devil will never send you to bless anyone!


2. Faith: the Bible says with faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains! When Elijah said "make a small cake from it first, and bring it to me and after ward make some for yourself and your son", she would have argued and said there was no way the flour she had would feed the three of them, but she had faith and did as he said. Some of the things God asks of us seem unreasonable but if we do them in faith that He would never leave us nor forsake us, then we will never lack.


3. Speak out: if Elijah didn't ask the widow for food, he would've died of hunger. If she had just brought the food without stating her problems, she would have died of hunger too! God knows we have problems but we need to ask, we need to pray. Matt 7:7 "Ask and it shall be given unto you..." But James 4:3 "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures". God doesn't want us to lack, but you can pray from today till forever for your neighbor to die so you can move into his house, and it wont happen. Understand???


4. Give: Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over would be put into your bossom. For the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you- Luke 6:38.


(c) Dosh


P.S
This post is a compilation of sermons i've heard over the last 2 years and everyone of them that i put into practice worked for my good. "God is not man that He should lie", hold onto His promises and do the work then sit back and wait for your blessings.

The Daughers of Zelophead

Qualities of The daughters of Zelophead

1.       Courage: They were bold and courageous

2.       King Moving: They got Moses to intercede on their behalf

3.       Loyalty: They were willing to keep their fathers name from extinction. They could have gotten married and 4gotten their dad

4.       Sacrificial: They were willing to be limited to marrying from their tribe in order to preserve their lineage

5.       Law Making: Because of them, God made a law       

1.  Courage: They were bold and courageous

Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.

Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.

Numbers 27:1-4

The daughters of Zelophead found themselves in a very difficult position. Moses was sharing the inheritance among the families and tribes of Israel and their family was also entitled to their share. Because it was during the times when women were not allowed to speak out and take a stand, they realized that they stood the risk of being relegated to the background. With no father, brother to speak for them, they decided to be courageous. They stood in front of Moses and other princes and elders to make their case known.

2.  King Moving: They got Moses to intercede on their behalf

And Moses brought their cause before the LORD.

Numbers 27:5

Because of their courage and good reason, they got Moses to intercede on their behalf. Moses was a very busy man and by this time, he had delegated a lot of his responsibilities to other leaders, following his Father-in-Law’s advice. He was the overall leader and an equivalent of a king in those days. The daughters of Zelophehad were able to get the ‘king’ to intercede on their behalf because of their courage.

3.    Loyalty: They were willing to keep their fathers name from extinction. They could have gotten married and 4gotten their dad

They asked ‘Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son?’. They realized that they were the only ones that could preserve their father’s lineage, even if they were not men. They could have decided to get married and forget about their Father’s inheritance. After all, they won’t be bearing their father’s name forever. But they decided to stay back, fight for their dead father before getting married.

4.    Sacrificial: They were willing to be limited to marrying from their tribe in order to preserve their lineage

They were willing to sacrifice the choice of whom they could marry just to preserve their father’s inheritance forever. It did not matter to them if they like someone from other tribes, they were from the tribe of Manasseh and they will marry within that tribe if that is what it took for them to preserve their father’s inheritance.

5.    Law Making: Because of them, God made a law

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.

And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.

And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.

And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.

And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Numbers 27: 6-11

Finally, they were able to move God, the King of kings to establish a new set of laws. Their faith was able to move mountains. They accompanied their faith with works and God moved on their behalf.

There are times when we will find ourselves in difficult positions that the only way we can get put of it is doing something that has never been done before. People will talk and say, ‘that is not how it is done in our culture, no one will take you serious, it has never worked’ etc, but we will still need to find the courage to stand out in those times. If we dare to stand out in such situations, influential people will stand for us when they see reason. Also God will eventually move on our behalf and not allow us to be relegated to the background, even if it means making new rules just for us.

Sometimes, the solution might take enormous sacrifice on our path, but if we believe in what we are standing up for, it will not be a big deal. Let us learn from the daughters of Zelophead and choose to stand up for what we believe in and what is rightfully ours.


(c) ilola

The Adulterous woman Luke 7:37-38

I don't know her name, the bible doesn't say

i may not have lived in her time but when I read about her I imagine a beautiful woman with long flowing hair or not but beautiful all the same, loved by men or scorned as they discover her intelligence and whatnots (She has too many qualities good ones, a woman shouldn’t have; society expects an airhead most times with all the stereotypes,  cook and take care of the kids and your job's done). many times, this kind of woman (a beautiful woman) is hated by other women (They secretly want to be ‘her’ i think) but in spite of all the perceived advantages, she laid it all down and depended on the plan, purpose and the power of the master who was the one divinely orchestrating her life. He ruled in the affairs of men then, he still does today.

(The woman of today has these same bottlenecks. Don’t get me wrong, she  is no feminist, she has too role models to be perceived as a feminist. Esther was certainly no feminist but she was not an airhead either. Deborah was a judge, she had courage, much more than the king could muster. Bathsheba must have been made of sterner stuff for her son to be crowned king at a time when the king’s cousins had all sorts of schemes that could help them steal the throne from Solomon. These women stand out as woman who had faith more than intelligence. They had the hand of God upon them, they were more than a man!)

She was a woman who walked erect with her head held up not because she was perfect but because of her understanding of the worth placed on her by the most high. The one who made the major decisions in spite of the schemes of man. I admire her courage; she withstood male criticism and disapproval but would not bow. 


I might have shook in my shoes before entering a house full of some of the most powerful men in the world. She had spent a year’s wages buying perfume to anoint Jesus and a few smirks here or even outright insults could not stop her from accomplishing purpose. She understood the meaning of purpose, it transcended emotions to what was important, it transcended her abilities, her whims or agendas to what God wanted. You bet she did more than cooking or caring for kids, God trusted her to do more, have more, be more!

Personal: From time to time, I get people who lift their noses up at me, they talk about me in a manner that cannot be described as ‘love’ and they are generally un-Christ like but it does nothing to daunt me or slow me down. I am encouraged that I am not the first and that human nature hasn’t changed much but I thank God because I have the nature of God and that I am able to do right.

Mary Magdalene: She had seven devils cast out of her and yet Jesus counted her worthy to follow Him. She followed Jesus every step of the way as he carried the cross and journeyed to Calvary. She was faithful, loyal and honorable. She would not desert him even when she already knew he was going to die at the cross, Jesus had said it so many times, it was difficult for her not to know that He spoke the truth.

She inspires me because this means I can carry my cross every day and follow Jesus in spite of what anyone is saying and how they are judging. Someone once told me that when you judge other people, all you are doing is challenging the blood of Jesus Christ and doubting if it is really able to cleanse and wash and make clean and the sad thing is that I forgot, I am glad I remember now and I don’t want to ever forget that I was saved by grace and not works.

Mary Magdalene: She was the first to see Jesus rise from the dead and she was the first to inform all the other disciples that Jesus had risen and she was a trusted follower of Jesus. 

Personal: I can follow Jesus today and know that it may not matter to anyone else because after all it is just business as usual but it matters to Jesus. I know we say we know he lives but we act as if he is dead. I know he lives and I pray I act like he lives every day. That is when I am actually conscious of His redemptive life in me.

The adulterous woman: Don’t think I will forget that she was caught in adultery! The Pharisees and teachers of the law caught her alright but it was no coincidence but something carefully crafted by the human mind. Man will never believe that depending on your own mind is a promise to fail because God and man are not the same. The Pharisees thought that would be the day they would take Jesus down. The day they would trap him into opposing a Jewish law and that they would kill two birds with one stone or rather many stones. It was not to be because Jesus had an answer, he knew what was on their minds. She was caught unawares. She could have died that day but instead she met the man Jesus and the course of her destiny was changed forever. Instead of satisfying their craving, he had the perfect answer: ‘If you are without sin, cast the first stone…’

I am glad God did not demand that she repent for the rest of her life, she was allowed to walk free and worship freely and was given 100% inheritance like every other believer, nothing missing. I was sick of hearing about the virtuous women like there were no female heroes in the bible till I stumbled on her, I am glad I did. I have learnt so much from her she was a woman imperfect who still loved God without a bowed head. It encourages me too because too many times in our world today, the schemes of men are clear to see, I mean after all, it appears corruption is a way of life but I know God still orchestrates good while men plan, he can work it out for his glory! Humans will always be humans so you have to know the truth anyways so I always respond based on the truth and not trust the arm of flesh. The flesh is the enemy, or rather the devil is the enemy and he works with the flesh of man.


The letter kills but the spirit gives life


This gives me courage...


(c)Tisha Smith