Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Main text: Psalm 139: 13-16
Supporting texts: Genesis 1:27, 29 | John 3:16-17 | Jeremiah 29:11 | Ephesians 2:10

By Kemi O.

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and didn't like what you saw? Hello! I don't know about you, but I have. Many times over! I am not just talking about in recent years, but even in my youth. It's often common among us women to be so self-conscious about our looks because of how society or someone expects me and you to be. As a result, several people have harmed themselves to be the perfect woman, the ideal wife, mother, friend, colleague, etc. I remembered years ago, I had this roommate in college and immediately my other roommates, and I saw her, we knew something wasn't right about this girl, come to find out she was anorexic. For those of you who do not know what it is, Anorexia, according to the U.S National Library of Medicine is an eating disorder that makes people lose more weight than is considered healthy for their age and height. They always have this intense fear of gaining weight even when they are underweight, and it is a severe disease that sometimes leads to death. This roommate of mine had ended up in the emergency room a few times, and because I was so concerned for her especially since I was the only one she talked to, I made an effort to get her some help. Now, I know there are a few things that we may love to change on our bodies especially but let me ask you this if you have the opportunity to change, for example, your nose, lips, etc. "BECAUSE" you don't like the way you look, or you are consistently being made fun of, will you be content with your new look or will you seek other parts of your body to change? Who are you trying to impress? Do you not know that God created you to be different from the next person for a reason? If you now succeed at changing to look or act like someone else, you are no longer unique, and the person or persons you are attempting to impress will now have something else to make fun of at your expense. What was accomplished? Absolutely nothing, except for deep regret, poor self-image, depression, etc.

Beloved, God does not make mistakes, He made you and I the way we are for a particular reason, His words says in Psalm 139:13 " You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knitted me together in my mother's womb. No one in the universe, No being can create such a masterpiece like you and I. Recently, I was reading an article from last year, and it was talking about how finally there has been a breakthrough in human cloning, and it was discovered in the state of Oregon. Can you believe these scientists? They are trying to prove to the world that there is no infinite God that created the universe and everything in it and we just happened to appear from nowhere and landed on earth. These scientists created by the God they do not believe in, have no clue of the dire consequences of their actions in attempting to be like God by cloning humans. The creation cannot be above his Creator. It is not possible, and no one can replicate you because sisters, you are God's original masterpiece created in His image for His good pleasure... The bible tells us in Genesis 1:27 that we were created in the very image of God. Do you know we are the only creation of flesh and blood into which He breathed the breath of life Gen 2:7? Therefore we are living souls, we were the last of God’s creation, and it was after He created Man that the Lord now looked over all He had made and he saw that it was perfect as it tells us in Genesis 1:31 NLT. "Good," not the world's kind of good but God's kind of good, which is excellence. When God looks at you, he does not look at the human imperfections, but He looks at His creation, His workmanship which He made so wonderfully complex. Do not allow the enemy to deceive you into thinking otherwise about yourself because according to John 10:10 satan’s job is to kill, steal and destroy, but Jesus said I have come that you may have life in abundance. God’s thoughts towards you no matter what you think of yourself today, or what the enemy wants you to believe is good and filled with love and hope for you.

As the psalmist states in verse 16 that God knew you while being formed in your mother's womb, He knew the challenges that you will face in life and He has preserved you all this time for a purpose and what is that purpose, to do His will on earth. He has an assignment for each of you to do and regardless of what you have done, where you have been, whatever challenge you may be facing today, God loves you, and He wants to show you to the world as his beloved and precious daughters. Sisters, the Lord has a unique plan for your life, Jeremiah 29:11 states "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." We serve a good God who loves you so dearly and wants to use you regardless of your past experiences. He alone can turn your messes into a miracle, your trials into your testimony for the entire world to see and for He alone to take the glory. If you don't know this, there is no perfect human being on this earth, not one, we all have our imperfections/ weaknesses, and God already knew all of this before we were born. See verse 16. What it says. It means every mistake we were going to make, very good or not so good thing we were going to do, and every challenge we were going to face had been recorded. He is God, He knows all things, and yet, He still loves, and it is because of that love for us, that He made the ultimate sacrifice, In John 3:16, it says “For God loved the world so much that He sent His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, a perfect being to die for us and now scripture went even further to state in verse 17 that God sent His son into the world not to judge the world meaning "us" but to save us through His son, Jesus Christ. Imagine that! God, the Father, had every right to judge you and me because of our evil ways, but He didn't because of the overwhelming, unconditional love He has for us.

Sisters, we are judged every day by our looks, the color of our skin, our educational level, the mistakes and decisions we have made and so forth but see our Heavenly Father, the ultimate Judge was like.No don’t judge them, but instead go and deliver my beloved children. And today we are saved by grace because of the love of the Father. So rejoice today that you have been wonderfully and marvelously created and molded by a great and mighty God who loves us so dearly. Is there any greater love than this? None at all.

Becoming a Fruit-Bearing Christian

Scripture Text:  John 15:1-8
 by Kemi Olubiyi.

There are two types of believers in the body of Christ today, the one that bears fruit and the one that does not. Unless you continually dwell in God's presence and abide in His Son, you will not grow spiritually; it is as simple as that. John 15:1-2 tells us that Jesus is the True Vine, God is the Vine dresser, and we are the branches. A branch with a fruit cannot be detached from the vine or tree it grows on; to grow or bring forth, it has to be attached or connected to that Vine (its source of nutrition), or else it will wither away and die. 

 

 Let us go ahead to define what a Vine is before going further:

 

 A Vine, according to Dictionary.com, is any plant having a long, slender stem that trails or creeps on the ground or climbs by winding itself about a support or holding fast with tendrils or claspers. Unlike most trees or plants that grow steadily independently, a vine requires some help to lean or climb onto to grow well. Sometimes you see them on structures such as buildings, ladders, fences, etc. Examples of such flowering plants are grapes, cucumber, and kiwi fruit. 

 Because of how these plants grow, they must be pruned often, which is the job of the vinedresser or farmer who cultivates and prunes the vines as often as necessary. In this text, I believe the type of Vine Jesus referred to here is the "Grapevine," which was very common during biblical times. We also see how this analogy applies to us, in the sense that Jesus refers to Himself as the True Vine and His Father the Vine dresser, while we are the branches and, of course, the fruit we are to bear are the souls won for the kingdom, our good works, and overall service to the Lord.

Believers are the branches connected to our Lord Jesus Christ and God; the Father is the one who takes care of the Vine to ensure that the link between Christ and us is not faulty or broken for us to mature spiritually and bear fruit. However, we shall be kept from the source if we do our part. God forbid! Jesus puts it simply in verse 2, saying, " Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He (i.e., God, the Father) will be cut away and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes so that it can bear more fruit. Beloved, we can not just receive the gift of salvation and live without impacting the world we live in like Jesus did when He was on earth. We need to follow in the footsteps of our most significant role model, our Master, and Savior. Our light has to shine amid the darkness in this world so that men can see our good works and God takes the glory. Matthew 5:16

 Verse 2b tells us that God cleanses and prunes us (the branches), cutting away things that no longer bear the fruit He desires us to show. This cutting away, which is the pruning process is usually quite painful. It could come in the form of challenges or storms in our lives, which, if you are not a mature believer and spiritually discerning, can be misunderstood as something else happening, but it (pruning) is necessary for us to grow into fruit-bearing Christians. For those believers or Christians, who are bearing fruit, He cleanses and often prunes for them to bear richer and excellent fruit. We must understand that our God is progressive, and sometimes He needs to trim us as He takes us to higher heights.

 

 Jesus even further states in verse 5 that if we ( believers) are not abiding in Him, bearing fruit, we can do nothing. i.e., whatever we lay our hands to do, whatever we aspire to achieve in life, it may not prosper; it may only be a temporary achievement, but sooner or later, it will not hold because we are no longer to connect to the Vine, ( The Source). Verse 6 also states that if a person does not dwell in Him, he is thrown out like a {broken-off} branch and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned—amplified version. Our goal as believers, once we become born again, is to strive to become useful vessels in the hands of God, vessels that He can use in these last days for His glory to accomplish His work on earth II Tim 2:21. If we are not doing that. He will raise others in our place willing to do His will.  

 

 May the Lord never have cause to give someone else your assignment in Jesus' name.

 

 Our God is such a rewarder of them who genuinely serve or seek Him Hebrews 11:6, For He promises us in verse 7 of our text that when we bear fruit for Him, we should ask whatever we so desire, whatever we wish, and it will be done. This is His promise to every believer who abides in Him and bears fruit, and it also confirms that we are His disciples. Beloved, trust the Lord to keep His promise in your life as long as you do your part.

 

 

 To become a fruit-bearing Christian or believer, I admonish us today to cultivate a regular habit of spending quality time studying & meditating on His word, in praise and worship and prayer. When we do that, we get to know, love, and appreciate Him even more and can receive direction on where He is leading us and our assignment in the body of Christ.

As we do this, His Holy Spirit will give us the grace and ability to bear much fruit in His name, and all the glory shall go to our Father in Heaven.

Shalom..