THE DAY HE LED ME TO START WRITING

I remember, about 14 years ago, I was led/inspired to begin writing down my daily devotions and meditations from the word of God as I studied. This was sometimes around 1999. I did not quite understanding what the leading was all about or what God had in mind, but I obeyed.

Going through medical school, I continued obeying, and kept writing my personal Biblical devotions, meditations and revelations. It got so tough with the hurdles of studying medicine and church with fellowship commitments, but I still continued to write as I was led.

There was a time I thought to make it look attractive, so I decided to change the exercise books I used into hard cover note books. But, the Lord whispered to me that I should not, and I should continue with the use of the exercise book. His message was that His words are old and ever new and true. It looked funny. But then I found that I was trying to modernize my approach to writing down what I was  being taught by the Spirit. I discarded the idea of the hard cover books. I continued to write things down.

Many years have passed, and even years after leaving medical school, I have not stopped to write the things He teaches me from His word. Even this morning, I have written down things laid in my spirit and spoken to me by the Lord through his word. I also did yesterday. And interestingly, it is still on exercise books (60/80 leaves).

14 years now, and this positive and eternity defining tradition has continued. There are volumes of them. I have come to treasure this devotional packages only second to my Bibles. I would rather lose material things than lose them. I go to work with the exercise book in currently in use; sometimes I am able to fold them in my back pockets just to keep them close because the Lord could just speak at any time. Perhaps that is one reason the Lord guided against making them hard covers.

Many years later it became clear why the Lord led me to start writing those spiritual words.

“Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter” (Rev. 1:19).

These words (that I’ve received and still doth receive) have blessed my life tremendously. These words have made me better and stronger. These words have defined my life, destiny and eternity for good and for God. These words have shaped my life and eternity. I have written devotional out of these words. I have taught these words in Churches, campuses, fellowships, crusades, retreat, conferences, etc. These words have carried me to many places. These words have inspired others. The Lord has ministered salvation to many by these words of His. Some of these words I have taught online and have been read in many countries with feedbacks. I have written a book from these same words. I have produced a tract from these same words. We are producing a national mini-magazine from these same words. I have edited and contributed in many magazines/newsletters from these same words.

The other day, I shared with somebody; I post updates as I am led. There are so many typed teachings that have been there for weeks but not featured because it has to be the Lord leading. Sometimes I feel so restless in my spirit until I would obey and publish certain posts/updates/teachings. These words have come and never cease to come, so much so that should we be posting 2 teachings online per day, even without getting/writing any other new thing, there are enough to go for months. But, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). I strive daily to know Him more, to be more like Him, to hear new things from Him. ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD ALONE.

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). It is indeed a privilege to be used of the Lord.

I also remember that point between translating what I receive personally into what the Lord would like others to hear. Someone said to me, “Bukola, you can write”. I never felt so. Perhaps I was given only to writing spiritual insights that come from my devotions. But, those words of that brother were actually from God. I took it up, included writing poems among it. And today, the rest is history. Through these words, I have hosted talkshows, been on radio and TV severally (including co-presenting a program on AIT, Kano, and guest on Kano TV during a world AIDS day celebration). I remember leading a team of some editors to interview Bishop David Abioye of the Living Faith Church, Nigeria. I remember the day I was sitting, waiting in the office of Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar in Lagos, etc. I never went there because I am a doctor, but because many years ago, I obeyed that leading to start to write.

Many would say to me, “Why did you study medicine?” I would always say to them, “To me, being a doctor is a calling, and writing is a gift. But both the calling and the gift are ordained to fulfil God’s purpose alone”. ALL GLORY TO GOD ALONE AND FOREVER.

Friend, I come as a servant of God, to encourage you about that thing that God has once laid in your heart to do. It may look so small and appear without significance. I encourage you, never despise those things, because inside them may lie your earthly destiny, and beyond that, your place in eternity. More so, I encourage everyone to develop the positive attitude of writing down their personal devotions. It will help your growth in prayers, Bible study, and in spiritual things.

God bless you.

·         http://drwilliamsbukola.blogspot.com/2012/12/about-dr-bukola-williams.html?spref=tw

A GENERATION DESPISING ETERNAL LIFE-LINE

JESUS WAS RIGHT AFTER ALL!

Or, should I have said father Abraham was right after all?!

Our generation is privileged and have received so much mercy from God just to help us get it right with eternity impending. Jesus, not willing that any should go to Hell, has been taking humans to Heaven and Hell so that they can come back to life and warn humanity to escape Hell and embrace Heaven. Many times these people chosen by God for these assignments pass through loads of pains in order to bring back these messages from the other side.

However, there are people who because of their ways and doctrines condemn or rather find faults with these revelations of Heaven and Hell. Others do not want to hear about them and talk so much about grace. Some even get angry when you share about the realities of Heaven and Hell and warn men about sin. One begins to wonder who they are angry with, the men who pay the price in bringing these messages or Jesus who takes them there to show them these things? These revelations are truly extra-Biblical revelations, but for the Spirit-filled, they are confirmations of what the Bible teaches.

For how long do we despise this gracious eternal life-line? Indeed, father Abraham was right after all. Look at this:

“Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:27-31).

Jesus has gone a step ahead, taking people to see Hell and Heaven, and sending them to come and warn us, but what do we have today? People still believe there is no Hell; others believe the stories about Hell are false and too horrible to be true. Indeed, father Abraham was right when he said “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead”. He was saying that if the people will not hear the messages being preached, they will neither hear a message from anyone who dies and is taken to see Heaven and Hell. And that is what is happening today.

The other day, I was attempting to share with someone (of the Jehovah witness sect) and showed her a story from Hell (about the founder of Jehovah witness in Hell). She said the man who claimed to have been taken to Hell and saw those things was lying. She never believed there is any place like Hell. According to her and others, God is too good to throw anyone into fire. Indeed, father Abraham was right after all.

How about people who frown at the messages of Heaven and Hell? There are believers who feel it is either of no need to throw emphasis on Hell, and they cling their “arguments” on grace and faith. Some even despise these revelations and insist that whatever is not in the Bible is not required of us by God.

People quote scriptures to assist their sinful and erroneous ways of life. They say Jesus turned water to wine, and to them that is a license to consume alcohol. Others argue that ‘smoking’ is never mentioned in the Bible, so it is never a sin (perhaps a bad habit). But, the Bible mentions uncleanness (including smoking, masturbation, alcohol, etc) as sin. And then, Jesus took someone to Hell and showed the person a place where those who drink alcohol and smoke end up. But even with all these, human beings still do not believe these things are sinful (they argue with scriptures), and worse of all, they do not believe Hell is real.

Jesus was right after all...or, need I say that father Abraham was right after all. Jesus gave the illustration using father Abraham. And this same way God is using many to tell us to escape the coming judgement. For how long shall we despise this gracious eternal life-line? In eternity, there shall be no more life-line. Is your name in the Book of Life?

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15).

God, please, keep me on the way to Heaven; keep me unspotted in the world. I don’t want to miss rapture; I don’t want to miss my home in Heaven...I just want to see your face oh Lord. Is anyone praying this prayer with me?

IMPACTATION TO START AND FINISH WELL

There are 2 points in your life that give the devil terminally incurable headache and heart failure;

1.      The point of your obedience: to the call to salvation, to the call to holiness, and stepping out to your divine earthly assignment.

2.      Your finishing point: when you finish well; when you finish the work God assigned you to do.

I imagine what the devil was thinking of when Paul said, “I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). The devil will be “frustratedly” glad that Paul was going to Heaven because of the havoc he wrecked against the pit of hell. Jesus, at that point when the work was finished said “It is finished”.

The start and finish points in our lives define our eternity. And as much as there is a glory attached to starting, the greatest glory is in finishing (well and strong) and making Heaven at last.

 The grace to step out and start living for God, and the grace to finish well and strong, may God give onto us. And in the end, like David, “after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep” (Acts 13:36), it would be said and accounted onto us that we served our generation not by the will of our parents, not by the will of our flesh, not by the will of our mentors, not by the will of any man, but by the will of God.

TAKE NOTE:

1.      There are things God wants you to start and steps He wants you to take that the devil will never be glad to have you take or start.

Friend, shame that devil and step out in faith! If it is by faith, then there must be grace, and you will be safe. May you receive grace and courage to start in Jesus’ name!

2.      There are obstacles (and pitfalls of sin) that the devil outlines ahead so that we won’t finish well.

By grace and commitment to the life of God, you will shame that devil.

THE POWER OF INERTIA

In Physics, it is described as that force that tends to prevent something from starting (and also from stopping). Beyond Physics, there are also spiritual inertias such as fear, distractions, pressures, confusion, comfort zone mentality, financial hiccups, etc. These things prevent people from stepping into the fulfilment of divine purpose. So many people would have become something in life but there are (spiritual) forces stopping them. This is a spiritual phenomenon of inertia.

Tonight, by the power that is above every power, in the name of my God and your God, the only true God, such powers are broken now in the name of Jesus. I see help coming to us from unexpected places; the darkness of confusion is fleeing; the bondage of limitation is breaking; the yoke of sin is being destroyed; the spirit of laziness is exiled to hell...in the name of Jesus. And the power of inertia in your life and my life is over forever!!!!!!

Someone shout a loud AMEN. Celebrate God! Maranatha.

(This impactation will be repeated again for those who would miss seeing it this time. Share if you are led. There is a flowing unction)

WHERE IS THAT friend-SHIP TAKING YOU?

Relationships are God’s gifts to us in order for us to be able to fulfil purpose. Relationships are designed by God to add to us and to keep us sharpened and lighted on the way to Heaven. God gave David a man like Jonathan. God gave Daniel 3 wonderful and covenant friends; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And the presence of Daniel in their lives added to them; “Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon” (Dan. 2:49). They were fulfilling God’s original purpose and idea for friendship and relationships, where “Iron sharpeneth iron so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Prov. 27:17).

Even Paul had friends, and when he was in prison he sought the company of none others but his friends: “And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself” (Acts 27:3b).

Men are gifts from God to our destiny, helping us not to miss the way. It was Saul’s servant and companion that gave him an insight about Samuel and thus set Saul’s path towards becoming a king (1 Sam. 9:6-10). There was a time David was almost killed, but a companion/servant came and rescued him: “And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant...he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him” (1 Sam. 21:16-17).

We can go on and on and talk about the impact of positive relationship/friendship/companionship in our walk towards (eternal) destiny.

BUT, the devil seeing the good of relationships/friendship is using friendship/relationship to pull people to hell. Many have backslided because of people who came into their lives. Many who used to be on fire for God have gone solo because of certain friendship/relationship/partnership they had gone into. Many hitherto vocal voices for God’s kingdom have become silenced by the influence of (wrong and negative) relationships that came in.

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Prov. 13:20).

Any friendship that takes you away from God, that takes your heart away from God, and that reduces your time and commitment to God is a ship that is been driven by the devil and is aimed at crashing your destiny and eternity. Many by this way have made a shipwreck of their faith.

In life, we are all headed towards a destination. This is why we need certain ships to cross over and get to where God has ordained for us. And some of these ships are friend-SHIP, partner-SHIP, relation-SHIP, etc. Any ship that is loaded with worldliness, sinful pleasures, immorality, corruption will never last. It will crash here and without a place in eternity.

Friend, is there a ship you have entered and is sailing you away from God and Heaven? That friendship that is killing you softly; the relationship that has made you a slave to passions and sin...God is calling you to step out and return to where you missed it.

The last bus stop/terminal of every wrong “ship” cannot be Heaven. May God terminate every ungodly companion-SHIP in our lives in Jesus’ name.

CELEBRITY vs PROSPERITY vs ETERNITY

There are 2 things that have taken over the hearts of men and women of this generation:

1. Fame (celebrity status)

2. Prosperity.

Now, these 2 are in themselves not bad; God can give you a name (He gave Jesus a name. Phi. 2:9), and He is interested in the prosperity of His children. But, many have allowed the quest for celebrity status and prosperity to blind their eyes to eternity. People (especially actors/actresses) can do the logically unthinkable just to become famous. People can do anything just to get money. But in the end, eternity will judge every man. "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36).

There is a place called eternity that does not know celebrity status. There is an eternity that will not open to prosperity. One thing that will count on that day is HOW YOU AND I LIVED OUR LIVES HERE ON EARTH. What will matter is HOLINESS.

Friends, the end is nearer than we think...by death or by rapture. Are you ready to meet God on the other side of this life, where there is no more grace or mercy? Unfortunately, some have gone unprepared and they are reaping in eternity what they sowed in their life time.

"For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope" (Eccl. 9:4). There is only hope when we are still alive. I encourage you, never go to sleep tonight without thinking about your life...and be true to yourself on whether you are ready to face judgment the way you are. Friend, I charge you to make peace with God before it will be too late. Escape Hell and embrace Heaven.

Maranatha.