Lord You are, full of mercy
Lord Your name above all others
I cannot imagine,
What my life would be without You?
Tye Tribbett's I Need You
From the beginning of the day, God orchestrated my every steps. Today, I called my father and told him jokingly, that if he had ever considered leaving God, don’t. God is real & moves mountains. God is awesome.
Having completed a late choir practice Wednesday, September 2, I walked back with a recent, but timely friend named Princess [a union, which only God called forth]. Tired from my commitments during the day, I arrived to my room about 12:30PM. Not long after, with the intentions of falling asleep, the Lord pulled on my heart to rise from my bed and get into the word of God.
Presently, I am reading through Psalm, and one portion that stated out for me is Chapter 71 verses 5&6. “For You have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on You, You brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise.”
I moved on to red a brief 3-page portion in the Mark Cahill’s book “One Thing you can’t do in Heaven.” Having been a former teammate of Charles Barkley during college, this specific reading dealt with Cahill’s opportunity to witness to Michael Jordan in the company of Barkley.
“Later that night, Charles, Michael, and some friends were sitting at his kitchen table, drinking beer, smoking cigars, and playing blackjack. It was just a fun game between friends with some money being wagered. At one point in the game, Charles lost three straight hands to Michael, losing $4,000 in ten minutes! When I first got stated in the speaking business, I made that much in a year!
From my safe spot on the couch, I observed, “Charles, that’s a lot of money you lost.”
“It’s okay, Mark,” he replied. “I won $5,000 last night!”
The night before they had played cards on Michael’s private jet while they flew in from Houston. It was like Monopoly money to these guys.
But as I watched them, their eyes seemed so empty. The money, cigars, and beer could not satisfy them. Nothing in life can satisfy us, except completely living wholeheartedly for Jesus.”
By way of Mark Cahill’s words, I was quite encouraged to prove the Lord God true. I felt the pull to text a friend of mine about trying to meet up and talk. Before heading to bed, I was just praying about and contemplating how God would move.
I woke around 6:45AM. After devotions and prayer, my desire to prove God this day remained. I left some time after 9AM and headed to the International Programs Office [IPO], after handling a few things at the ISEP Office, with plans to use the Internet service. Some time later, a brother enters the room that I recall as one of the performers at a durbar the IPO put on for the international students [I found out that his name was Ibukun]. He sees me and remembers me, then just jumpstarts a conversation about worship and life witness. This caught my attention heavily, so much so that I changed my seat and approached him.
For nearly an hour he and I talked. But there is one beautiful revelation within our conversation, which I received by what he shared with me. The past Friday, University Christian Fellowship [UCF], the joint body for which my choir CVC ministers, was holding the worship & preaching service which I attended. This same evening Ibukun was in attendance by the encouragement of Princess. There was a point he said that he noticed my standing, hands raised in reverence while no one else stood. Immediately God reminded me of the exact time which he was mentioning. During the service, I heard God instructing me to remain in worship, standing, although I was meaning to sit. I stood, still, willingly; hands lifted in surrender. Considering the words of Christ: "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" {translated: My God, My God, why do you forsake me?} & I reply for my sake oh Lord, for my sake.
He said that the worship he saw in me mirrored that of his friend, Princess [he did not know yet the I as well knew Princess]. Low and behold, not only had God opened this door for more conversation, but he had already ignited this with anticipation through his and Princess’ relationship. The only reason he attend UCF was because of her invitation. As an aspiring music artist [to some degree], he told me that he sees and recognizes driving issues of people, but wants to have something to give would satisfy their pain.
We went on about the scripture, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. There must be substance or we are without worth, but feeble, empty vessels saying that we are full and have nothing to show for except pride itself.
Princess Morounke, a native of Lagos, Nigeria and a fourth year student at the University of Ghana, was the friend whom I texted in the early morning to meet up later in the afternoon. She is a living testimony to the Almighty Grace of the Almighty God. By only a story she can tell, Princess was able to travel to the states and attend Elon University all expense paid. This had been her heart’s desire for so long that it became just a constant dream, which she never know whether or even how it would happen. Oh, but the word lets us know that God will grant us the desire of our hearts when we submit to the will and purpose God places in our forefront. Psalm 17:14 says, “You still the hunger of those you cherish.”
Only God’s divine purposes could manifest a meeting such as this. Princess’ closest friends at Elon would include two individuals whose lives blessed my soul in past and now bless my soul all the more. Ryan and Jerry at Elon University. My last recollection of being with these two was a tarry service for maybe 1.5 or 2 hours in Brittany Harris’ room. They are wonderful gentlemen pursuing the Lord at all cost.
God did many things in Princess’ life to get her to Elon, let alone while attending the University. Together we went to the Accra Mall and sat, talking for about 4hours, Princess describe here reaching the states and Elon where God just lifted her to a new place of transformation and I offered my testimony about How God just orchestrated my life to place me at the University of Pennsylvania. We have nothing to boast in but God alone. All of which God has done and continue to do that we may remember of Place of Refuge, recall our Redeemer and return to the God that restores our very souls.
My constant prayer, ”take rest my soul in Christ alone.”
I admonish you, meditate on Ecclesiastes 12, which begins:
“Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
‘I find no pleasure in them’”
Lord Your name above all others
I cannot imagine,
What my life would be without You?
Tye Tribbett's I Need You
From the beginning of the day, God orchestrated my every steps. Today, I called my father and told him jokingly, that if he had ever considered leaving God, don’t. God is real & moves mountains. God is awesome.
Having completed a late choir practice Wednesday, September 2, I walked back with a recent, but timely friend named Princess [a union, which only God called forth]. Tired from my commitments during the day, I arrived to my room about 12:30PM. Not long after, with the intentions of falling asleep, the Lord pulled on my heart to rise from my bed and get into the word of God.
Presently, I am reading through Psalm, and one portion that stated out for me is Chapter 71 verses 5&6. “For You have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on You, You brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise.”
I moved on to red a brief 3-page portion in the Mark Cahill’s book “One Thing you can’t do in Heaven.” Having been a former teammate of Charles Barkley during college, this specific reading dealt with Cahill’s opportunity to witness to Michael Jordan in the company of Barkley.
“Later that night, Charles, Michael, and some friends were sitting at his kitchen table, drinking beer, smoking cigars, and playing blackjack. It was just a fun game between friends with some money being wagered. At one point in the game, Charles lost three straight hands to Michael, losing $4,000 in ten minutes! When I first got stated in the speaking business, I made that much in a year!
From my safe spot on the couch, I observed, “Charles, that’s a lot of money you lost.”
“It’s okay, Mark,” he replied. “I won $5,000 last night!”
The night before they had played cards on Michael’s private jet while they flew in from Houston. It was like Monopoly money to these guys.
But as I watched them, their eyes seemed so empty. The money, cigars, and beer could not satisfy them. Nothing in life can satisfy us, except completely living wholeheartedly for Jesus.”
By way of Mark Cahill’s words, I was quite encouraged to prove the Lord God true. I felt the pull to text a friend of mine about trying to meet up and talk. Before heading to bed, I was just praying about and contemplating how God would move.
I woke around 6:45AM. After devotions and prayer, my desire to prove God this day remained. I left some time after 9AM and headed to the International Programs Office [IPO], after handling a few things at the ISEP Office, with plans to use the Internet service. Some time later, a brother enters the room that I recall as one of the performers at a durbar the IPO put on for the international students [I found out that his name was Ibukun]. He sees me and remembers me, then just jumpstarts a conversation about worship and life witness. This caught my attention heavily, so much so that I changed my seat and approached him.
For nearly an hour he and I talked. But there is one beautiful revelation within our conversation, which I received by what he shared with me. The past Friday, University Christian Fellowship [UCF], the joint body for which my choir CVC ministers, was holding the worship & preaching service which I attended. This same evening Ibukun was in attendance by the encouragement of Princess. There was a point he said that he noticed my standing, hands raised in reverence while no one else stood. Immediately God reminded me of the exact time which he was mentioning. During the service, I heard God instructing me to remain in worship, standing, although I was meaning to sit. I stood, still, willingly; hands lifted in surrender. Considering the words of Christ: "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" {translated: My God, My God, why do you forsake me?} & I reply for my sake oh Lord, for my sake.
He said that the worship he saw in me mirrored that of his friend, Princess [he did not know yet the I as well knew Princess]. Low and behold, not only had God opened this door for more conversation, but he had already ignited this with anticipation through his and Princess’ relationship. The only reason he attend UCF was because of her invitation. As an aspiring music artist [to some degree], he told me that he sees and recognizes driving issues of people, but wants to have something to give would satisfy their pain.
We went on about the scripture, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. There must be substance or we are without worth, but feeble, empty vessels saying that we are full and have nothing to show for except pride itself.
Princess Morounke, a native of Lagos, Nigeria and a fourth year student at the University of Ghana, was the friend whom I texted in the early morning to meet up later in the afternoon. She is a living testimony to the Almighty Grace of the Almighty God. By only a story she can tell, Princess was able to travel to the states and attend Elon University all expense paid. This had been her heart’s desire for so long that it became just a constant dream, which she never know whether or even how it would happen. Oh, but the word lets us know that God will grant us the desire of our hearts when we submit to the will and purpose God places in our forefront. Psalm 17:14 says, “You still the hunger of those you cherish.”
Only God’s divine purposes could manifest a meeting such as this. Princess’ closest friends at Elon would include two individuals whose lives blessed my soul in past and now bless my soul all the more. Ryan and Jerry at Elon University. My last recollection of being with these two was a tarry service for maybe 1.5 or 2 hours in Brittany Harris’ room. They are wonderful gentlemen pursuing the Lord at all cost.
God did many things in Princess’ life to get her to Elon, let alone while attending the University. Together we went to the Accra Mall and sat, talking for about 4hours, Princess describe here reaching the states and Elon where God just lifted her to a new place of transformation and I offered my testimony about How God just orchestrated my life to place me at the University of Pennsylvania. We have nothing to boast in but God alone. All of which God has done and continue to do that we may remember of Place of Refuge, recall our Redeemer and return to the God that restores our very souls.
My constant prayer, ”take rest my soul in Christ alone.”
I admonish you, meditate on Ecclesiastes 12, which begins:
“Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
‘I find no pleasure in them’”
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