For this reason He came!

For this reason, a little girl, heard the voice of God and believed for a miracle
For this reason, a man torn and at crossroads hearkened to the voice of God's angel

For this reason, He came leaving behind His splendor, laying aside His crown
For this reason, He lived as a man, walked as a mortal, feeling the same pain we feel
For this reason, He went about doing good, healing the sick, raising the dead, setting all who were captive free
For this reason, He died a brutal death, separated from the love He’d always known – For US!
For US He defeated hell, death and the grave, FOR US !!!
That we may now sing as the angels sang, JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD IS COME!
For this reason, FOR US – That we may have joy, peace, laughter and love…
So today ….
Let the joy of the Lord bring to your lips a new song
Let the peace of God settle your fears
Let the laughter He brings heal your soul
And fill your heart and yours with extravagant love
Merry Christmas to you from me, with much much love…
AdePero Mettabel

Kairos moments...

Kairos moments funnel the massiveness of eternity into time without breaking the beat of time, making possible, impossibilities!!!
Our minds, therefore, need to be focused on that which God has embedded in our destiny outside of time, as we look out for opportunities to bring them in time to birth them into being through set Kairos moments i.e. Funneling the eternal from the unseen realm into the seen sphere by Faith!
◄ 2 Corinthians 4:18 ►
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Through her we died, in Him we Live!

It was the most painful thing for He that created to be rejected by that which He created, because the created chose to reject eternal life with his creator and rather CHOSE to live in total separation from his creator with she whom he loved more than his God, rather than trusting in the truth that his Creator WOULD make a way to redeem the other being created from himself and restore her to life. This the first Adam did, as he chose woman over God and as a result lost his life - He said "I will not drink this cup, my will not Yours be done" In choosing the 'flesh of his flesh' over God, he lived momentarily yet died, eternally separated from God.

It was the most beautifully painful yet joyous thing to have the Begotten chose He who had begotten him rather than live in momentary pleasure, with the other begotten, but death eternal, separated from God. This the second Adam did, as He chose his GOD over the will of 'the flesh of his own flesh' - He said "Father if it were possible, remove this cup from me, But I WILL drink it, not my will, but Yours be done!" With that, he died momentarily, yet now lives eternally, ONE with God with The name above all other. He made the way through his death that we his bride could live forever.


I dare say that if Adam had chosen to be with God, he may have been temporarily separated from his bride, but that same God would have found a way to restore his bride. He would have provided a ram in the bush as he did for Abraham because He IS - Jehovah Jireh, The Lord who has 'seen'.

No wonder that the first commandment in the old covenant is this: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" - Adam's god was woman, and therefore he DIED.
And no wonder that The ONLY commandment in the new covenant is this: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” Jesus' God was JEHOVAH, and therefore WE LIVE!

I wrote this poem a while ago - A glimpse into the heart of a strong woman who is pressed but not crushed, persecuted not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed... Out of desolation, a phoenix will arise; Halleluyah!

I wrote this poem a while ago - A glimpse into the heart of a strong woman who is pressed but not crushed, persecuted not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed... Out of desolation, a phoenix will arise; Halleluyah!


It is true that you constantly use and abuse.
It is true that your words to me are with precision care
Aimed to amuse and confuse.
It is true that every time and everything I give,
You disdain and count as dung,
It is true that in your eyes, I am nothing but a well-worn avenue,
For your feet’s traverse to destination 'My will be done'.

It is also true that many a time,
I am tempted to leave
So that you flounder and drown
(As I know you will)
It is true that I have agonized over decisions to concede,
And to forgive, time and yet time again.
It is true that blood has boiled within my veins,
My hands bound, rendered impotent to allow harm,
Even so by the cords of love that still restrain.

So why is it not true for you to suppose
That I am weak and spineless?
Why is it not true for you to summarily conclude,
Upon my apparent blindness and seeming blatant stupidity.

Could it be because of the rivers of compassion?
And love that still flow from the heart of one that though hurt and marred,
Realizes that it too was so forgiven?

Could it be because of the enduring truth of faith, of hope, and of love?
Faith… That although, at this time, you're so hopelessly blind,
Someday your eyes will open and you will see the light?

Hope… That the tears (sometimes violently angry)
That I have shed because of you and many more for the things you have done,
Would someday cease, morning breaking through with the sun’s healing rays?

Love… Once stranger to me,
Bought and brought by the Sovereign one who rules over my heart and soul?
The one to whom I cannot but say-
“Not my will but yours be done”?

Could it be because He abides in me, and therefore I can abide?

Could it be because of The One who has opened my heart
To see the impossible as possible, the unseen as seen,
And He who has opened my heart
To love the unlovably unlovely?

Could it be from the infusion of strength I have received
Through birthing cries loosed from my tongue ~
An outpouring of pleading for grace?
May it be that the rivers of supplication
for that one
For whom if it had not been poured,
The end result, dastardly doom?

Yes! It is the truth that I concede,
But this, I do, by the strength that rises up within me,
With which I say I do.
The power that propels me urging me on,
Through inner jeers and taunts, congealed spittle, and painful thrusts.

The power that graces me to walk, as He would have walked,
Head unbowed by grief, Hands lifted high in submission to His will:
“Father forgive, for they know not what they do.”

© AdePero Mettabel, 04/19/13.

Last night I had a dream.

Last night I had a dream. I was in a church congregation the service was going on. There was not a lot of music, but there was much contemplation and much praying. I do not know what the thrust of the meeting was, and I daresay that in the context of this dream, it was not the focus. During the prayer time a woman all of a sudden stood up and started prophesying. Again I cannot remember what she said, but I clearly remember her excitement, awe and wonder she said with a trembling voice “I can see the handwriting! I can read it!! Can’t you see it?” She was referring to the fact that the words of the prophecy she was giving, She was reading from Celestial projection in the air against the backdrop of the wall. The beauty of this was that in the dream I somehow knew that the woman was not literate. I somehow knew that she would not normally have been able to read what she was now reading with ease, albeit a trembling voice. It was much like the handwriting of God spoken about in the book of Daniel. I did not immediately remember this dream when I woke up. It came to me a few minutes later. I did not spend time trying to figure out the meaning of this dream. What came to my mind regarding this dream, I believe by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit were the verses spoken in the book of Joel chapter 2. "In the last days I will pour out my Spirit upon ALL flesh". Sons and daughters, Young and old, young men and maidservants – ALL flesh! This is not a hocus-pocus, woo-woo Word. It is an encouragement from the Lord that He is not getting ready to do a new thing, but that He will, and is doing a new and marvelous thing. The seemingly uneducated will speak with eloquence and power, seemingly ordinary men and women will move in the miraculous. Children will declare words with wisdom far beyond their years, and the elders will speak with the simplicity of Youth. The handwriting is on the wall, but this time, it is not for doom,
IT IS FOR GLORY!

May the peace and joy of the Lord be with us all,
Maranatha.

You Are Powerful!

The conference - Entre Amigos/Among friends, was organized by my dear friend Pastor Julieta Piox. The theme was "You Are Powerful" - referring to the innate potential we have within us to achieve greatness on every level. It was a life changing experience for me! There was an incredible ministration by Dr. Verna Price based on her book The Power of People, which focuses on the four Kinds Of People Who Can Change Your Life.
The Power of People is a very clear and common sense approach to understanding your personal power by learning a simple way of understanding and sorting out people in your life. The book is designed to help people achieve personal and professional success. It is informative, inspiring, motivational and thought-provoking. If this is what you've been praying for, you may need to read her book!
And if you are a woman (or man) who has prayed for such a touch on their life, please visit her website and buy your own copy as I understand that it is sold out on amazon! You may also click on the link below to access an audio recording of the message.

God bless you and you have an inspired day!

https://soundcloud.com/mettabel-okulaja/you-are-powerful-at-entre

The Lies We Believe.

I was scrolling down my timeline on Facebook and I saw a picture with the caption
"back in the day". This caption brought back memories of a lie that I had believed for many years.

I do not have a lot of "back in the day" pictures because I had been convinced and had believe the lie that my face was so ugly, that it did not deserve to grace celluloid or any photograph. One day however, after one of my personal picture bashing sessions, The Lord made me stand in front of the mirror, and He proceeded to tell me how beautiful I was, that He had created me just the way I was, fearfully and wonderfully. He taught me that avoiding taking pictures would result in my not being able to document the stages of my life, the events that were important to me, and images of the people I love and those who have crossed my path.
I made a decision that day that ugly or not, beautiful or yes, I would never shy away from documenting my life in pictures (as my friends will tell you :-)) because 30 years from now by God's grace I would also be able to post a picture captioned "back in the day"!
Many of us still believe this lie today, and I do so tell you with absolute conviction, IT IS A LIE! You are beautiful, fabulous, fearfully and wonderfully made, AND THAT'S MY FINAL ANSWER!

So strike a pose, smile, camera, lights, action! I see you and you look just like the amazing person God created you to be.

If you look in the right mirror, you will see yourself 'just as you are':

◄ 2 Corinthians 3:18 ►
... Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Have a great Sunday and be blessed in the Lord!

Filters... Do you have them?

In my car, I have what is known as a ‘heads up’ display, which is an optically projected image of the dashboard onto the driver side windscreen. The object of this is to keep the driver safe by making all the information on the dashboard available as a virtual image on the windscreen, to keep the driver's eyes on the road.
A few months ago I had an experience that brought a powerful spiritual truth home to me. These are the events as they unfolded. My car had been in and out of the shop for various reasons and on this day as I was driving home from church, I noticed that I could no longer see my heads-up display. I became agitated because I felt that a lot of things had had to be fixed in the car recently, and I was not in the mood take my car back into the dealership. I turned to my mom who was sitting next to me and started ‘whinecomplaining’ “Mommy look at this! Something’s wrong again I can’t see the heads-up display!” and etcetera etcetera and on and on I went… my tirade went on for a few minutes, and my mother who is a saint sat patiently through my temper tantrum saying to me “at least you can get it fixed it will be okay”. “But mom that’s time again wasted going to the dealership” and on and on I went. All of a sudden something dawned on me. I said to my mom “would you please hand me the other pair of sunglasses in my bag?” I change sunglasses, and the most amazing thing happened voilà the heads-up display was back! I switched back to the previous sunglasses, and the heads-up display was gone! At this point, I realized that the first pair of sunglasses I'd had on were prescription sunglasses. My prescription glasses have cylinders in them because I have mild astigmatism, and because of the cylinders my angle of vision while viewing the heads-up display tilted and caused it to become invisible! When I switched back to regular sunglasses, no cylinders - the image reappeared!

I started laughing at myself because I tend to get worked up over simple things only to find out that they have simple solutions, and this situation was no different. My long-suffering mother just looked at me and said, “see”. And I "saw"! Thinking over this episode made me realize something really important. What we ‘see’ or do not ‘see’ may sometimes not at all be dependent on whether the object exists or not, but may be dependent solely on the filters through which we view the object. The Lord explained it to me this way: "take every promise that I have given you as that heads-up display. It was there all along, but your ability to perceive it was dependent on the lenses/ filter through which you were you were viewing it. With the prescription glasses, you could not see it even though it was there. But when that filter was removed and replaced with an appropriate one, you were then able to see it. See, that is why I urge you to stay in my Word because then and only then can you receive the ability to see things as they are. And when you see someone caught up in a sin or bad habit don’t turn on them, fight them, or judge them. Pray that the filter that's distorting their vision and preventing them from correctly perceiving be removed so that they can ‘see’ ".  Because when we truly 'see', we 'know' as it is, and not as it seems to be.

Was this not Paul’s prayer?
◄ Ephesians 1:18-19 ►
...The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power...

I always marvel at how God uses simple things to explain the deep. I came away from this experience understanding more about the spiritual principle of truth and perceived reality.  Truth is absolute and unchanging but perceived reality is always dependent on the filter through which we view the truth and makes it either of non-effect, or powerfully active.
I came away from that experience praying that God would remove all the filters that serve as strongholds in my life. That He would enable me to see things as they are, and not as they seem to be. And today, I pray the same prayer for you who are reading this article. May the Lord help us all, amen.

Waiting...

One of the hardest things we may have to do in life is to wait:

Wait for our dreams to come true
Wait for the answer to that question
Wait before we answer that question
Wait for justice to take its course
Wait until we have the right words to say
Wait before we react when hurt
Wait for healing to come
Wait to hear the conclusion of a matter
Wait until we have all the information
Wait for God to act on our behalf (this may be the hardest wait)

Waiting in not very popular in this our time and it almost always is portrayed as opportunity lost. But if we want to achieve understanding, wait we must, for the passage of time brings illumination and clarity to all that needs to be seen; to all that is hidden. And in waiting we realize that far from losing our turn or our right to react, we reserve the right, and gain the power of being able to make the choice regarding what we want to say, how we want to act, when the right time is to act, and where exactly we want to go. And we also realize that the opportunity to react which was thought lost, in almost certainty will be redeemed with nothing lost, and wisdom gained. That passage of time may be a minute of silence and contemplation or years of rumination and consideration, but however long I have to wait and however hard as it may be, we pray for strength to wait for, and the wisdom to know - If, what, how, when, and where... Wisdom is the principal thing, and there is no morning cereal labeled 'Instant Wisdom'.

Lump or Life.

When it was time for man to do the work that God had assigned to him, God wanted to make sure that Adam had the appropriate help for what he needed to do on earth – a helpmeet. God brought all the animals before Adam, and though Adam named them and called them what they were, he found no helpmeet among them. This singular act that Adam did, I believe pleased God. because much like The One he had been fashioned after, Adam realized that his helpmeet would have to have the same makeup and the same capabilities as himself to be able to help him fulfill his destiny. He knew he could not find that in any other creature because he looked for souls in those animals, but he did not find any one animal that had a living soul! So God caused Adam to sleep (rest) and then took of out him that which he had infused into his very being – Flesh-forming and soul nourishing components, from which he incubated Woman and brought her to him as helpmeet. I have come to the realization that one of the principal reasons why some marriages fail may be because in looking for a partner, some men, and women vice-versa just look at, and go after ‘formed flesh’ without considering the soul-nourishing component. They go after formed flesh, which may serve as amusement for a while, but ultimately never satisfies. Don’t get me wrong, Flesh is good and without flesh we cannot inhabit the earth, but let us also realize that in the same vein without the breath there is no ability to truly live, love, or receive love to propagate life. This, I believe is the reason Adam said to woman, "this is now flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone…" The flesh we understand, but why the bone? What is the significance of the rib? Well I have heard many a preacher say that God made woman from the rib and not from the foot because she is not to be trampled on, nor the head because she is not to Lord over her man. But I submit that God in His mystically amazing wisdom formed woman from the rib. Marrow rich, lifeblood producing bone that is able to produce cells that are able to not only provide support and protection, but also able to nourish the flesh through the production of life-giving cells which are able to transport life-giving breath to every part of the body. Propagating the perpetuity of life through the same flesh that is nourished by that breath! Take a moment to digest this. It is a mystery.

My illation is this: Man, Woman, in seeking for the one who will make your ‘two’ better than ‘one’ don’t just go for flesh of your flesh only, no matter how fiiiiine or attractive that flesh is. Don’t just go for flesh that has not been enlivened by the lifeblood forming and breath carrying rib, without which that flesh would be just a dead lump of clay useful for nothing but a graveyard!


Choose well and if you have chosen, nourish, and allow your flesh to be nourished by your SOUL- mate.

The product of my early morning rumination…

Greater Love.

I once wrote a poem called “Reel life” about the kind of love that is portrayed on the big screen, that thrives solely on chemistry. The chiseled guy, who sizzles and fizzles, the scene ending with the lovers kissing in the drizzling rain and then the caption – THE END… But it’s not really the end is it? It’s actually the beginning. The beginning of a journey initiated by a decision – TO LOVE.

One day while having a conversation with my friend who has been married for over thirty years, I listened to him in amazement as he asked me speak to his wife because they had grown apart, and were struggling in their marriage. STRUGGLING?! I knew these people! I had seen them both up close and personal, and I felt that they had a good thing going on all around, but there we were that day… They loved each other that I was sure of, but still I knew from his demeanor that this was a break or make point for them… What did one say in a situation like that?

I turned to my friend and I said (I, the yet to be married one): “you know something I’ve come to realize? Love is not something one feels, it’s a decision one makes, determining not to give oneself an

Now Faith is...

Faith is a seed planted by God in our hearts. It is, however, only the yielded and fertile heart that can nurture that which has been deposited by faith, unto fruition. Now, what is that which enables the nurturing of that deposit? It is the Word of God (much like the water that was poured into the waterpots at Cana of Galilee poured out to create the right environment for the spoken seed of The Word to be fertilized and germinated; Planted and embedded, go through growth, maturation, harvesting, processing and refinement to result in the finished product. Much like the miracle wine produced at Cana, this process seemingly occurs in a split-second of time. This time observed phenomenon is amazingly quite a correct surmise. Because God IS able to split Chronos time, and morph it in whichever way suits the predetermined purpose, for the fulfillment of Kairos events from out-of-time into time. So what is Faith? It is the intangible, yet present substance of that which is hoped for ( Hope being the focused anticipation of the good yet to come). It is the perceptible evidence of the things not yet seen, translated from the future, based on the foundations laid in the past, into the indefinable present moments called NOW moments. Siphoned through Kairos portals the Power of God by The Spirit infuses eternal based, purpose driven fulfillment of events into time NOW! Without breaking the cadence of the march of time. That which though commonly referred to as a miracle is far from common! It is the Power of God manifested to establish His eternal will and purpose.
Now Faith is... Whatever your 'IT' is, align yourself with this eternal God. Then, Wait for 'IT', hope for 'IT' and 'IT' without a doubt will come...
NOW!

And I ponder…

I discovered the concept of time – *Kairos and Chronos and its relationship with Eternity a while ago. Since then I have been fascinated by these three concepts as they relate to my faith in an Eternal God who invites his finite creations to experience the unimaginable vastness of eternal life through belief in His Son Jesus, by a way made for us through the shedding of His blood to cover the eternal span of life in and with God through Himself. I thought that the simple discovery of this truth would catapult me into that rarefied realm of seeing, touching and interacting with the unseen, but I was stumped (and rightly so) by my failure to apprehend the reality of The truth that God Himself had allowed me to understand… Why was this the case? Why could I not just begin to experience eternal life ‘prime time’ because of the fact that I now ‘know The Truth’? This lack of experience began to bother me to the extent of wanting to shame my faith in God, but I knew that knew that I knew that what I knew was The truth. So if it is The truth that *Kairos, Chronos and Eternity exist in this mystically and nebulously yet as to be attained relationship, why am not as a ‘new creation’ living in the everyday reality of this ‘new life’?

Laying down on my bed today and thinking about how I want to be more, see more and do more with my life, I realized The Truth that GOD IS SOVEREIGN! He is eternal, unending, unseen, unapproachable in light, infinite in knowledge and wisdom yet He does not hide Himself from us. The truth that He shows us is not the Revelation of fact unto apprehension, it is the knowledge of fact unto SEEKING… God does not desire scholars, He desires children, He does not respect pompous ‘know-it-allism’, and He embraces child-like faith. So how do my pontifications tie into the Truth of eternal life? Eternal life is God’s to give and to gift, and He has given us its entirety through Christ Jesus. We however would not be able to survive even a moment of eternity undiluted if He does not guide us through this ‘knowing’ by the application of faith with which He has gifted us with, so that in reaching out with yearning hearts He can infuse eternity into our day to day lives through portals of immeasurable *Kairos moments without breaking the cadence of time, but rather maximizing moments, expanding and contracting time, elevating and pulling down Kingdoms, compressing and unzipping gifts, needs and desires in time, in a totally contradictory and overriding manner by only that which He can do and undo by His Power… The Word Himself. *Kairos is ‘Thy Kingdom come’; *Kairos is ‘Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven’. *Kairos is Heaven and God’s Kingdom invading Earth!
So my prayer today is not only that I know The Truth, but that I receive the gift of Faith to step into The Truth.

◄ Ephesians 2:8 ►
For it is by his grace that we have been saved through faith, and this faith was not from you, but it is the gift of God.
Yes, faith is the gift. So even though we get wisdom and with all our getting we get understanding, the only way to enter into the realm of The Maximus is by Faith infused through *Kairos moments – That which only God Himself gifts us with.

◄ Psalm 90:12 ►
Teach us the number of our days that we may enter the heart of wisdom.


*Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment). The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a time lapse, a moment of indeterminate time in which everything happens. What is happening when referring to kairos depends on who is using the word. While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative, permanent nature. Kairos also means weather in both ancient^{[citation needed]} and modern Greek. The plural, καιροί (kairoi (Ancient Gk. and Mod. Gk.)) means the times.
In rhetoric kairos is “a passing instant when an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is to be achieved.”
In the New Testament kairos means “the appointed time in the purpose of God”, the time when God acts (e.g. Mark 1.15, the kairos is fulfilled). Kairos (used approximately 81 times in the NT) seems to be an indeterminate time, a “moment” or a “season,” whereas another Greek term chronos (used 54 times) refers to a specific amount of time, such as a day or an hour (Acts 13.18, 27.9, etc.).
And if you understood what I wrote above, then you need as much help as I do… So help us God!

Happy Mothers Week:

To all women who deliberately get fat for a season and a reason, who allow aliens to invade their lives for a the space of a lifetime. To women whose first and last names are Mommeeee! and to those wonderful creatures who can look at a specimen of humanity having a tantrum, and say "isn't she cute"! To the un-ordained ministers of prayer over our lives... To the ones whose perfume remind us of home-cooked meals and happy times... The ones who kissed our hurts and then whupped our butts... To those creatures who cried uncontrollably at our graduations and embarrassed us when the first boy came home... To my mother who is LOVED by her daughters-in law and called blessed by ALL her children... For all of us mothers out there... We start out the week celebrating... Happy Mothers week!

The Spirit speaks from the depths to the deep...

The Spirit speaks from the depths to the deep, pulls from the depths to the deep, and raises from the depths to the deep. And how He does that, as He broods and waits; For The Voice to speak His Word - "Let there be Light"... And there was.

He is the shell that protects!

I dreamt a dream today. I was standing in the midst of a large number of people. We were having Bible study based on Hebrews chapter 3. We had gone through chapters 1 and 2. The gathering was vibrant made up of people of all ethnicities and varied backgrounds. During the course of the study I stood up to make a contribution and this is what I said: When we go through adverse situations and the conditions seem very ‘hot’ and unpleasant we think that we have to get out of the situation quickly or pray for a quick deliverance. However, sometimes the unpleasant and unfavorable situations around us are orchestrated to change us in a way as to make us more useful for the Masters use. I used the analogy of an egg dropped in boiling water. Boiling water to an egg surely must not be pleasant and if that egg (assuming had a will of its own) asked to be taken out before it was cooked it would not be well done. However, the heating, the agitation, and the boiling of the water all work to alter the inner constitution of the egg so that when the shell is broken and exposed the elements, it does not collapse and create a runny mess, but keeps its form, its integrity, and its consistency.

As I was speaking, it was like the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart in the dream and said, "the shell always protects the egg while being boiled. In much the same way, the Lord protects you while you are going through adverse circumstances so that you do not fall apart during the process. And remember it is he who is preparing the meal that puts the egg on the fire to cook it.”

 Wow! What an encouragement to me and hopefully for someone out there.

May this be our third day!

I was sitting at home just ruminating one day, when this question came to me: why did Jesus Christ rise from the dead on the third day. Why not the first, why not on the second, why third day? The Spirit of God spoke this answer to my heart, and I immediately got what He was saying - He said to me, “Go to the third day”. So I opened up my Bible to the book of Genesis chapter 1 and went to the third day, and what I read excited me so much, I couldn’t sit still!

Genesis 1:11-13

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth:, and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.

He said to me: “In the process of creation, on the first day I caused light to 'be'. On the second day, I created the heavens, and on the third day I created the earth. The third day was when I made what was created in heaven,  come up from the earth”.

“The third day was when I caused every plant in the earth to come up as grass, herb producing seed, and fruit, yielding fruit after it’s kind and whose seed is in itself!”

Psalm 104:14

He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

And then it brought up also fruit after it’s kind, whose seed was in itself, and all this was on the third day!

Genesis 1:29

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Jesus said:

John 12:24

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit.

Mark 4:26-27

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how.

So what does this have to do with when Jesus rose from the dead? Well this is what I believe the Holy Ghost was telling me:

On the third day, Jesus in the form of a seed, (who if he had not been planted would have been the only Son of God) came up from the ground on the third day. As grass providing our daily need for sustenance, causing us to have seed that is available for sowing, and also as fruit, enabling us to reproduce after our kind. Just as Jesus produced sons after God’s kind when He rose ON THE THIRD DAY!

He is the grass that feeds us:

Psalm 23:2

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He went into the ground i.e. he died alone. He then came up as a seed - with us, the church in him. Seed, having the capacity to reproduce children of God after his own likeness, who in turn have the capacity to bring forth children after the likeness of our heavenly father hallelujah!

ALL  THIS HAPPENED ON THE THIRD DAY!

When we take a look at the meaning of resurrection, we find that it means - The act of rising from the dead or returning to life.

So on the third day seed in this instance - Jesus, who had died, was buried  came up from a dead state was brought to life by The Holy Ghost from life unto life unto life!

Jesus said I am come that you may have life and have it more abundantly – Life unto life unto life - ON THE THIRD DAY!

So my prayer for us all today is this:

May this be our THIRD DAY.
May this be the day that everything that was dead and buried in the ground, in our lives brings forth life for propagation after our kind, BY THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD.

May we like Jesus, be planted and may we like Him be resurrected on this our third day.

May this be our third day, AND IT WAS SO!

◄ John 11:25 ►
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Jesus said unto you (whoever you are), I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:


What happened on the fourth day?  Hmmm, that's for a day soon to come.

Shalom,
© AdePero Mettabel, 092613.

Estherella...

 

I was watching the movie Cinderella, and I suddenly realized that this 'fairytale' was actually lifted directly from the Bible! Compare and contrast the stories of Ella and Esther:

1. Once upon a time in a great kingdom, the King needed a queen.

2. A call went out that all the young virgins in the Kingdom should appear before the king, and from amongst them he would choose a bride.

3. Amongst the candidates were two orphans: Bible – Esther, Cinderella - Ella.

4. They both had individuals who were empowered to give them a boost in their preparation which gave them an edge over the other competitors - Bible: The Harem Eunuch, Cinderella: The fairy godmother.

5. Both young ladies obtained favor before their king and Became his queen against all odds.

And they both lived happily ever after - The end.

I guess inspiration does come from The Word... What do you think?

Own it, then Fix it!

◄ 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 ►
... But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit...

Turn to Me and you will see,
Turn to Me and you'll be free,
Turn to Me and you'll see my glory,
Turn to Me and you'll be transformed...

◄ Ezekiel 36:26 ►
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

 Not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit says The Lord!

The Choicest

Defensiveness is an unwitting vehicle - The expression of subliminal complicity; The tacit if somewhat unintentional, admission of culpability... If you find yourself being on the defensive, you may want to ask yourself a few difficult questions. And, If committed to truth in the inward parts, be willing to answer your conscience truthfully no matter how painfully revealing the process may be...

The Choicest

When things go awry,
Needs must to try.
When there is a breach,
Must be to reach,
Digging deep within,
Without intent to excuse,
Seeking one’s self to recuse,
For no judge competent are we
In ruling of ourselves to stand.

For to be restored,
Needs must allow
The heart to be cradled,
Prodded and examined,
Peradventure there be
A crack to be filled,
A gap to be scaled.
Layers stripped away,
Laid raw and ready.
A wound to be salved;
A hurt to be healed.


Oh, that surely we would--
For then we would have gained
That which sundry seek but few attain:
A resting place.
Contain or display,
Neither the one more important.
The master’s choicest unveiled,
The beauty of a vessel molded
And most excellently reformed.


The Voice of One Woman, Xulon Press, 2012.

What is in a name?

DESTINY, PURPOSE, PROSPERITY... Elements and a state to which we all want to attain, but few of us have satisfied ourselves that we have gotten to... This state though we all struggle daily to get 'there', cannot truly be apprehended, (I'm discovering) until we come to the end of 'ourselves'. Until we are 'made to lean' - like Jacob did, after struggling with God. Until we come to a place where we give up and surrender, crying out to God that we will not let Him go until he blesses us.

Much like Jacob (whose hip had been put out by the angel) we must realize that we cannot 'prevail' in our own 'natural' strength. AT THIS POINT, Jacob was changed physically. He was brought to a place where he either had to lean on the new name that God had given him and what God now called him, or spend the rest of his days limping through life trying to 'make it' using his old supplanting tricks... He had gotten to the bottom of his 'trick hat'.

THIS end point to self, is the place we must come to so that God can change us and call us by a new name... Forever setting the seal on His promises concerning us. AT THIS POINT, something must be taken away by God. The 'taking away' is not meant to disable us, but to serve as 'breakpoint' so that we always have a reminder that WE CANNOT GO BACK... Jacob limped for the rest of his life but until this day HIS LEGACY is unbroken.... The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

This phenomenon of name changing is not peculiar to Jacob alone, and even in our world today; people give and are given names that give meaning to circumstances surrounding their births or hope for their future.

If we take a look at some of the name changes in the scriptures, we will note that when they occurred, flawed men and women, who held on to God after they had 'come to the end of themselves', rose up to the status of the destinies they were called unto... Their lives forever changed.

To name a few (pardon the pun):

ABRAM (Exalted father - a self-aggrandizing title) TO ABRAHAM (Father of many nations -The 'h' - 'I am' i.e. "Yhwh" element was added)

SARAI (Woman of power - self-sufficiency) TO SARAH (Princess - from 'I' to 'ah' which depicts breath of God - the 'Ruach' or the "Yhwh" element added - God sufficiency). Interestingly this name occurred after Sarai had given her maid Hagar to Abraham to bear a child with disastrous consequences - Her own attempt at 'playing God.'

JACOB (supplanter, cheat) TO ISRAEL (Prince)

SIMON (to hear, to be heard; reputation depicting a boaster, impulsive) TO PETER (Rock, Solid, dependable)

SAUL (One that was prayed for - mortal savior) TO PAUL (the little one - through whom God did great things). Little wonder that Paul wrote that God has chosen the foolish things of this world, to confound the wisdom of the wise.

LO AMMI or LO RUHAMAH (Not my loved one) TO AMMI or RUHAMAH (You are my people).

Sometimes the world will try to change the name that God has given us, or even rename us - usually in a demeaning way, but also sometimes in a self-inflating way. We must not allow ourselves be sucked into these 'ego building' or 'soul bashing' labels, no matter how benign they sound as these are underhanded attempts to deceive us into conforming to a 'self-promoting' or 'self-pitying' agenda designed to abort our destinies.

We must refuse to be called by any other name than that which HE has called us...

We must be like DANIEL (God is my Judge) who refused to be called BELTESHAZZAR ("Bel's prince"), by the Babylonian eunuchs, Bel being one their heathen Gods...

And like JOSEPH (May Jehovah add or increase) who bore his name to the death even though Pharaoh changed his name to ZAPHNATH-PAANEAH (Revealer of secrets or Savior of the land).

The thought may come to mind... "So how will I get to know this name that He has called me by?" Let me assure you He WILL speak to your heart if you quieten yourself and LISTEN to the voice 'within'. Even if there is a dearth of God's Word in the land as it was in the time of Samuel, He WILL continue to call you, no matter how many times it takes until you can say "Speak Lord for thy servant heareth".

He WILL speak, and you will hear...

As a post script - I have seen my friends on social media place 'add-ons' to or change their names. These 'add-ons' reflecting present status, hopes or aspirations. Every time I see 'add-ons' or name changes, I rejoice knowing that the changes came from a place of revelation, and I agree with them for its fulfillment as they call those things into 'being.'

Shalom.

WHEN HOPE IS BROKEN, THE SOUL IS DISQUIETED by Mettabel Okulaja

I woke up one morning in a foul mood. One of my brothers and my mom, who unfortunately had called me during this time, got the brunt of my displeasure. I didn't quite understand why I was so, but After I had done a little bit of soul-searching, I realized the reason I was feeling the way I was feeling - My hope was broken!



WHEN HOPE IS BROKEN, THE SOUL IS DISQUIETED


Yes! My hope regarding a particular thing that I had set my hopes on wounded and broken, causing a rip in my soul with the hemorrhage that ensued, causing quite a bit of disquiet within me.



At the risk of sounding gory, when a freshly inflicted wound bleeds, it soaks into anything that comes into contact with it, and until the hemorrhage is stayed the seepage continues.



So what stays the hemorrhage? It is the application of firm pressure from without, it is healing of the wound; IT IS THE RESTORATION OF HOPE! And where can that hope be regained? It can only be restored in the presence of the Lord.



David faced a similar situation. God had given him a promise. But rather than seeing the realization of what God had said to him in the secret place, come to pass, he was instead faced with exile, ridicule, and delay of the fulfillment of his dreams.

Disappointment and heartbreak are not the end of your story… They may actually mark the beginning of a grand new journey that will lead you to an epic love connection… Ask Ruth

How Deep Is Your Love?

Is your love as deep as 13x13?

January 10, 2013 at 7:39am

Have you ever met that 'someone' who always seems to know everybody who’s worth knowing, knows something or a lot, about pretty much everything there is to know, never seems to suck at doing anything AND knows it!? I have a friend like that… The thing of it though is, I know she doesn’t mean to come across that way, but she does! And even though she always has so much to offer, people are not always able to  receive from her because she just always seemed to be ‘all there’! I was in the ladies room one day washing my hands when thoughts of my friend suddenly popped into my head. I just started chuckling, because, even though, my friend is the quirkiest person I know, she also has the largest heart of anyone I know. “Lord you know you could have created only have  created only one of her kind in this world”! I said, still chuckling and just as soon as I as I said those words I heard His voice say – “Oh no, I have many other children just like her. As a matter of fact, look up and I’ll introduce you to a friend of hers”. I looked up, and sure enough, suddenly, there she was, staring right back at me from the bathroom mirror! Yep, it was I that the Lord was referring to! Moi?! “But I’m not like that!” I said horrified at what the Lord was saying… Oh yes, you are! And sometimes you’re even more badly behaved… “ Let’s take a trip down memory lane…



“Remember that day you had that discussion with…”



It all came back to me…, and The Lord sat me down and told me some things that day that I will never forget for as long as I live… He said to my heart:

Together, Forever

Together, Forever
My place or yours?

I do, but don't I reserve
The right to retain?

Cash or kind;
Don't matter none to me

Who wears the pants?
European or bootleg?

Power tussle of the ages,
Or  soulmates indeed.

Sense my heart?
Or censor my heart

I got your back, and you got mine?
Or watch it baby, I’m real close

Is this love? Or isn’t it;
Isn’t it love, Or is it?

You decide baby, yes you get to decide...

© AdePero Mettabel, 06.13.11 

I long for the simpler yet powerful times

I long for the simpler yet powerful times
When fellowship meant just that - fellowship

I long for the zealous times when all that would occupy my heart the days before a meeting was how God, not I would show up…

Oh, how I long for the uninhibited times when ‘speaking in tongues was not required to be phonetically correct or positionally pretty…

And groaning in the spirit was not the sound one’s stomach made while waiting for the after-service dinner…

I long for the days of the “Revs” (revelations) when everyone and not just the Pastor had something original to say from the throne of grace… God has something to say…

I remember with poignancy the days of the “Love Feasts” when the emphasis was on the love, not the feasting ‘she didn’t bring much and see how much she ate’... My dear, do you know how much she has????

I desire once again the days of the impromptu prayer meetings, (one of such revived my Christian life for good) rather than 'gossip-fest' concerts we see so much of today.

And YES I look back on the days of Godly modesty that though extreme, in some of its ways, built the foundation that continues to ground me today. That keeps me from straying all in the name of fashion…

I remember the days when one said ‘God told me…’ , It inspired the beginning of an edifying conversation, rather than gawky incredulity at one’s audacity in uttering those words. After all, you are not a pastor, teacher, evangelist, preacher or prophet are you?

Laying on of hands? What’s that ?? Except that it is forbidden for the laity to do so...

Memorizing and quoting scriptures? Of what use is that when I can kneel before someone who can speak, quote and spit with so much more authority than I...

The rapture? Oh yes !!! Aren't those the goose bumps that mimic how we will feel just before Jesus comes back again???

For those of us who remember these things, we may laugh, but let us not forget - These are some of the foundations of our faith.

For the ones still practicing these good things, please continue, God sees and knows you all by name.
For those of us who speak of those days, Let us stop speaking and start acting… After all, that chapter in the Bible says ‘The acts” and not the “speeches” of the apostles.

And finally for those of us who have not experienced these blessings, seek and search them out…There is a treasure of greatness in 'pressing in.' 

Let us seek for THE LORD, His Word, and His Spirit, and not the words or ways of man, and THE LORD Himself will show up!

I long for the times of power that He promised ALL who believe in Him: The lame walking, the blind seeing. The deaf hearing and the dead being received back by their loved ones unto life... and "YOU shall receive POWER after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and YOU shall be my witnesses…"
YES, WE CAN, AND YES WE SHALL!!!

Everything I am.

I find, Everything...
Everything I need is in You
I know the very thing I'll find in You
So in everything I turn to You
All of my strength infused through You
To live my life as you have planned
Everything must be in You

Yes, You’re the very breath I take
I live, in You, I move in you
In You I truly have my being
You are the lover of my soul
The great desire of my life
You fill me with peace that never ends
Warmly whispered words inside my soul

In all my life journeys, my ups, and downs
Through these, I've come to realize
That never can I recognize
Much less realize
All that I have to visualize
Except I see my world, my dreams
Imaged through the silkscreen of your
All seeing, all knowing, and all loving eyes

Everything I am is in You
My deepest depths I find in You
All my seeking, searching ways
Always lead me back You
So in everything I turn to You
With all my strength, I run to you
For truly... Everything, Everything,
EVERYTHING, all I have is You.

© AdePero Mettabel, 09.15.13

The Journey to Becoming You...

The words below started off my journey to writing and publishing a book. I share them with you today to affirm what you already know - You have what it takes to make your dreams come true because God has put in you, all that it takes... So today, step out! Today, step up, and today, Don't you give up!!!

The Journey to Becoming You...

There are great gifts and talents,
Encoded into the very essence of your being. Never let anyone--least of all yourself--make you believe otherwise; It would be the greatest lie you ever believed.

Unchain your mind and unleash your imagination from limitations that bind.
They are the only glass ceiling preventing you from apprehending your goals.

Take every opportunity life presents you to express your gifting;
It may be the spark that lights up another life.

Take careful note of thoughts that cross your mind randomly.
One of those may be the key that unlocks the door to your dreams coming true.

Be passionately passionate about your passions,
And protect them like a newlywed does his spouse.

Taking the first step towards your dream brings you a decade, a year, a month, a week, a day, an hour, a minute, a moment closer to you fulfilling destiny. Go ahead; start today.

Never base your perception of a matter on a negative cliché,
And also be wary of positive ones that predict a particular course of events.
These are usually the products of the disillusioned mind,
Using them as a means to justify failures, or establishing them as yardsticks for success.
The former limits and the latter sets boundaries based on another’s experience.
Forge your own path; Write your own story.

 The price you pay to achieve your dreams
Is like a great purchase made at basement bargain price.
The cost is often far less than the real value of the object
And is usually only available for a window of time-- Grab it while you can!
 
Tomorrow is another possession that does not belong to you; Use what you have today--Carpe Diem!
Will to be who you want to be,
And you will become who you were meant to be. Remember:
Nothing shall be impossible to him who believes.


Mettabel, The Voice of One Woman.

The wise ones who know don't just tell, the ignorant ones who just tell don't know. The ones who know just to tell, they are the jobless ones and the ones who tell just to know are the foolish ones... The ones who tell all that they know? Well, all bets are off...

Mettabel, The Voice of One Woman.

So You Wanna Have a Baby... (1) How Do See Yourself?

This is the first of a must watch series of videos for those who expect to be mothers, and have believed for children...

Mystique of Woman

The mystique of woman-- Oh, where has it gone?
 Lost in a world of
"Bare all” and “Tell all."
Yet, in puzzlement behold
Woman, prime in her time,
Wholly discovered, cultivated, harvested. 
All revealed; all sold, bartered, and traded. 
Oh, the loss of mystique! 

The loss of womanly appeal its own story tells: 
Man constantly wanting;
Woman forever seeking--
A world of classifieds.
Pursuing the unknown yet familiar, 
Surrendered in narcissistic wonder, 
Their own reflections revered. 
Defiant in their deviance
Against naturality.
Mystique of Woman:
Forever lost? Can we reclaim?

The worth of a vessel should not be measured by that which it displays, but by what it contains.
Mettabel.

 The Voice Of One Woman, Xulon Press, 2012.

And God said...

Since the beginning of time, the enemy has been seeking to distort  and to dilute The Word that it may become ineffectual and unfruitful in  the life of the believer. The devil knows that we know we need to know  The Word, but he tries to bring it to us in a seemingly straightforward,  non-threatening, but questioning way so that he may have a chance if a  breach is discovered, to insert his lies.

His goal is not to keep us from activity, it is to embroil us in the WRONG activity... So subtle are the lies he spins, and the slants he brings, that we must KNOW THE WORD, by revelation - In spirit, and in tangible reality - The study of The truth to unravel the lies of the devil,  so that when he comes, whether it be in the palace, in the city or in  the wilderness, we may as our Master said: IT IS WRITTEN!

Then and only then, may we go out in the POWER OF THE SPIRIT...

The things I write below are some of the lies that he has told and would want us to believe about our RELATIONSHIP WITH, AND IN CHRIST.

The  differences between The Word and the lies that the devil delivers are subtle and  some may discount them, but let us look into our hearts and examine  these words... Look to the end of each, and compare with The Word that  is WRITTEN and proceeds from the mouth of The Lord, and not that which  has proceeded from the mouth of man... Mere oral tradition which if  we are honest, we will acknowledge that as much as we have believed and  touted these words... THEY HAVE LACKED THE WITNESS TO THEIR VERACITY BY  DEMONSTRATION OF POWER...

This is not a call  to bash 'The Church', It is a call for us - YOU AND I to return to the  rock from which we have been hewn.To return to our first love...

The Secret – The Perpetuity of Eternity...

“Do you know one of the ways that The Godhead remains eternal?” This was the question that came to my mind totally out of the blue a while ago as I sat meditating. I knew that this was the voice of the Spirit and so being the smart gal that I am I answered “no I do not."  “Well, the eternal nature of the Godhead is based on ‘The Principle of Honor and Preference’” Honor and Preference? I asked. Yes, honor and preference. The Principle of Honor and Preference is the principle that governs the propagation of the Godhead and perpetuates the unending cycle of life unto life, unto life.

"Please explain," I said…

A Benediction of ‘Tudes’

I came across this piece I wrote a while ago and reading through I was struck by how much I wanted these rhymes to be the reason that resonates in my life... I share with you my Benediction of ‘Tudes’....

A Benediction of ‘Tudes’

Lord grant us grace for the expression of fortitude,

Liberate us from the crippling crutch of platitudes.

Endow us with a heart of servitude

Remove the veils of incertitude,

That seeks to cloak our pulchritude.

Lord change our attitude,

Shift the paradigm of our aptitude.

Give us latitude to attain higher altitude,

Create in us a disquietude,

And release us from the status quo of ineptitude.

Birth in us, a passion to affect the lives of multitudes,

With great amplitude,

Raising one and all  - Leaders with rectitude,

Molded with exactitude,

Into the Master’s similitude,

To impact with great magnitude,

Freed from the bondage of finitude...

Into the most desirable of beatitudes:

The state of ultimate plenitude, In Our Lord, The Christ…

Amen and AMEN.

 

© AdePero Mettabel, 080313.