A great Cloud of WITNESSES

Therefore since we are surrounded by a GREAT cloud of WITNESSES…
Hebrews 12:1

I love this scripture. Especially because of how God has revealed Himself to me through it in recent times through a series of experiences- Mine and others who have shared with me.
You know there is something about your own RHEMA. Your personal revelation. I had heard Rev explain this scripture in light of being in a Christian gathering (e.g Church) and we have all kindsa ‘spirits’ present –

The Spirit of David there guiding you through praising God even in your toughest times, The Spirit of Joseph, Daniel and the three Hebrew men encouraging you to not compromise your faith, the Spirit of Deborah telling you ‘C’mon girl, yes you can…’ And so on.

But this scripture has ‘come home’ to me in recent times. I will share 7 scenarios with you.

Scene 1.

One of my readers shared something with me recently. It was a family dilemma situation between her and her hubs and she just needed large doses of wisdom and grace to handle it. You know how usually when you have an issue, you may get all worked up and stuff. Ehen!!! So in her worked up state, she spoke to her mentor who amazingly had been through the exact same thing and just counselled her rather calmly through it all. By the time she was gisting me, I kept hearing the phrase ‘…A great cloud of witnesses…’ In my spirit.
Like in a couple of hours or days, the issue was resolved cos her mentor counselled her on what to do.
Nice and easy. Daz how my Sugar Daddy wants us to go through life.
So He surrounds us with a ‘GREAT CLOUD of WITNESSES.

Scene 2

A dear Sister of mine has had some kinda delay in having kids. Oh the week preceding Akikitan was BAD for her. She was DEPRESSED and had done some EXTREME stuff. By the time she got around to talking to me, I didn’t know what to say. Every preaching went flat. She had actually told me ‘E’ you don’t understand…’ And frankly, I didn’t. God does but He’ll work through humans. Wham, the HS mentions Pastor M who had longer years of delay sef complete with an issue of blood but now has a testimony after 8 long years. Ah, I rang PM and asked for permission to forward her number to my sister. I told her to ring me after talking to PM and I’m not kidding you, I actually thought I was talking to a different person when she did about an hour later. Her spirits were lifted, she was back to high mehn. I didn’t even ask her what PM said, I just thanked the Holy Spirit and PM for this ‘great cloud of witness’ testimony. At Akikitan which she came for, I hooked her up with PM who now prayed for her and me I just know this Sister of mine is coming for WWW 2014 with her babies. And on this blog Sis, you will testify.

See how this matter settled, cos of the GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES…

Scene 3

In my 3rd year in Unibadan, first semester, I had the privilege of talking to a peculiar set of people. They had just been chucked out of their departments and were literally losing their minds. Infact, I recall how I was always used as an example by Staff and students alike and so they would always direct such ‘tsunamized’ students to me. I didn’t need to preach. I only needed to share my story with you. Heck sweetie, you got tsunamized in your first year, I got tsunamized in my FOURTH year meaning I was chucked out of Pharm school in my 4th year into finals to go and start at 200level. I ‘lost’ three years. You lost no year. My goodness. Tell me what you have to complain about. As I shared my story ( I was top of my class in my new department after just a year) , I saw hope well up again in them. I saw tears dry up. I’m glad to say that some of them have graduated today with great grades and some, still in school are doing well.

What encouraged them?
A great cloud of WITNESSES.

Scene 4

I met a fine young lady recently. She’s just gorgeous BUT has had major challenges which stemmed from the fact that Jamb had been jamming her hence all her mates are even quarter to graduate. It affected many things chief of which was her relationship with God. I had tried my best to counsel her but err, it wasn’t working as much as I wanted. Then wham, I recalled a dear friend who had issues getting into school and then finally did and hmm, graduated as her class valedictorian. Ah, what does E’ do? Yup. She links them up. And that my dear FABers is how my girl gets encouraged. She is getting her groove with God back, She will get into school, she will graduate and the world will see her do exploits should God tarry. Best of all, she too will become someone else’s GREAT cloud of witnesses.

Scene 5

One of my readers had relationship issues. It was a WEB. A BAD WEB. The kinda web you should not get into cos it now involved family and all. Infact as she gisted me, I was a tad irritated. Relationships shouldn’t be that complicated. Anyways, I recalled another blog reader who my Sugar daddy had delivered from a similar mess-of-a-relationship. Not only did God deliver her, he gave her a GOOD GOD man and now she has a very happy family. Omo, I linked both of them and wham, she counselled and prayed her through it. Now my reader z in a better place.
A GREAT cloud of witnesses!!!

Scene 6

A girl had inter-tribal marriage issue with her parents. Oh, it was bad. I had shared my story on my blog. So a reader introduced her to my blog and so she got in touch with me. I shared more of my story with her. We could actually trade notes lol. Crazy stuff. But she was encouraged. And counselled. Haven’t heard from her in a while but I’m pretty sure she’s married already.

Scene 7

Ah!!! Married life. Tz soooo amazing. But it sure comes with its own challenges. How I have been encouraged reading Inthemidstofher’s blog (www.inthemidstofher.com We are so alike gosh!!!). How I have learnt how to avoid wahala by hearing some godly young wives (who have been married before me) share their stories. How I have learnt to be prudent by sharing my mistakes with someone and have her share hers and her victory too. How some wives have shared stuff with me that I have gone through and overcome and have just shared my victorious story with ’em. Ah, I recall Priceless and I discussing one day and God just told me, ‘your challenges are not peculiar sweetie’
Oh no they aren’t. Or was it when the HS prompted me to share som’in VERY PRIVATE with a ‘strange’ friend of mine. I struggled a bit and eventually did whilst telling her I didn’t know why God wanted me to share ooo. I was spot on. Infact, she said I was a life saver. She had struggled with stuff like that as a wife and my story couldn’t have been shared at a better time. Ah, even me felt so ‘Christian’ at that point lol. A dear friend asked me to create a BBM group for young Christian newly weds where we can exchange peculiar stuff and all because ‘Eziaha, you are good with stuff like that…’ . Tempted as I was, I knew I was swamped so I couldn’t manage another group so I told her to start and invite me. Someone remind me to ask her how far with it ooo. (Tani, Valerie do and marry puhleeze)

Look, I can take you through stories and stories and stories just to let you know YOUR challenges are NOT PECULIAR!!! No they aren’t. I don’t care what you are going through boo. Nothing peculiar!!! Don’t let the devil tell you your own is the worst or that it is only you. Evil (and the devil) thrives in secrecy. Look around you Sweetie, we are surrounded by a GREAT CLOUD of WITNESSES.

They are not just lurking around to make us feel bad for our mistakes, but they are also victors. People who have gone through what you are going through and have whipped the devil’s backside. They can encourage you through it. Don’t glorify and wallow in your pain, weaknesses or challenges. Don’t!!! Look for your WITNESS and get encouraged.

Share with a trusted person. Who knows, they may know your ‘witness’ and hook you up. And cos your witness has been through it, don’t expect him/her to cry with you. Don’t be upset when you don’t feel the person seems a bit more ‘progressive’ in her approach as opposed to having you spend all YEAR telling her your story. Yes ooo, I will empathise with you, but I won’t pull a mat and make your solo a duet pity party. My job is to help you to move on and quickly too. I certainly want you to testify soonest. Tough love is usually recommended sometimes. But by all means, don’t go through life’s challenges alone. You sure have your witness.

And if you have been through, encourage another. Be a proud Victor. I truly believe that just as we are blessed to bless others, we are ‘healed’ to help others through their own healing too because that ministry comes home to you. Do a proper ‘ntoi’ to the devil by helping another person to victory. Don’t WASTE YOUR PAIN by my darling Pastor Bimbo will say. Victories that end with you are at best empty. TD Jakes in his book ‘The lady, Her Lover and Her Lord’ calls it ‘Affecting the next generation’. It is urgent that we break the cycle of going through the same pains from generation to generation.
One of my best testimonies has to be hearing someone talk about how she quit pre-marital sex. Shattah!!! That testimony tickles me pink. Esp when she is sharing that story to encourage another woman. Share your own story too. Again, I think we should be proud victors. Or best still, proud MENTORING victors.

So sweetie, are you going through? Find your own ‘great cloud of witnesses’ and be sure that someday, you too form a part of someone else’s GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES’

Heb 12 1-3 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit (Message translation)
Heb 12 : 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (NLT)

Muah

E’
Akikitanized FORWARD

PS:
If you are waiting for Akikitan gist on my blog, you are on a real long thing. I won’t deceive myself and say I can put what went down into words. If Pastor M can do it, good for you. But two things I will say…
1. When Women Worship 2015 will have incredible testifiers. Many people will CRY a different kind of tears. I know that like I know my name. It will turn the INCREDIBLE testimonies I heard that night to Child’s play.
2. I met tons and tons of people I knew only online. Wow!!! Wow!!! My Word came from Efe though (like I expected) when she said ‘i see ministries birthing here tonight’ and immediately after saying that, she took Tasha Cobbs ‘Power in the name of Jesus’. I knew that was my cue to ‘seize the moment’ with a seed. I had to go and hug her afterwards and I took a picture with her.

Efe turned the atmosphere to heaven. And that’s all I can say. Heaven go sweet ooo. No miss am.

PPS
I can’t stop recommending TD Jakes book I mentioned here.

This BOOK keeps changing my life. When one of my mentee suggested we start a book club, I put her in charge and I made us start with that book. Thankfully most of them had it and the ones who didn’t have it got it in like 4days. I was WOWED. We have been reading and discussing it and I am just amazed by Papa Jakes like they call him, and all the rhema my girls be sharing. Just go and buy that book and read. Biko.

BTW, Jakes is June born too. June 9, 14 years after my mama JM. Wow, she senior am no be small ooo. He is 57 and she’s 71. Wow!!!

PPPS

Right after I hit PUBLISH on this Post, i will go ahead and publish 7 QUESTIONS WISE WOMEN ASK on www.dccabujablog.com
Ladies, before I DO, you need to ask and get correct answers to those questions ooo. When a man answers the question ‘Why do you want to marry me?’ with ‘…Because you know how to pound yam’, you know say wahala dey.
It is book and CD review by Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo. So check in sooooon. It will bless you, I promise.
The best part, I’m adding a DOWNLOAD LINK
Yaaaaaay
Update:
Post z up here
http://dccabujablog.com/2014/06/17/7-questions-wise-women-ask-by-pastor-kingsley-okonkwo/