"Black" Friday

One good thing about the day after Thanksgiving is that it has become a useful barometer for measuring economic recovery in America, the capital of the free world. Because it marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season, the more traffic the retailers see on their store floors, the more economic pundits sing eureka!

But to me, it was more than that. I was out to compare the situation this year with last year. I became a researcher of a sort. There were two major differences I could point to this year to explain really, there's economic recovery.

Last year, retail promos were more geared towards food products! Coupons were issued for low-priced, no additional purchase required TURKEYS. This year, even though the turkeys were there, you had to make purchases of $25.00 to use a coupon that allowed you to buy one turkey at $0.39 per pound (Cub Foods) or $0.48 per pound (Rainbow Foods). And there was a limit of "one per family". Those restrictions were not there last year.

Last year, my family had fun. We went from one store to the other to buy turkeys until our refrigerator filled up!!! Well, the economy was bad. And then I was recently out of job and we had to be more imaginative with our resources. This year, a turkey was at the cost of $25 of other purchases! I wondered if the retail big wigs at corporate concluded there would be no more free stuffs since people were coming out of a recession...

Also this year, seemed like the biggest gainers of Black Friday were electronics. I remember buying my 42" Samsung TV at $1,400 in 2002. (It's still working fine! thank goodness). On black Friday, a more advanced LCD unit sold for $498.00. The only group of products that remained unyielding in pricing was electronic tablet, the iPads and Galaxy Tabs of this world!

Okay, enough of market generalizations. Here is my biggest find of November 26, Black Friday 2010. I was at Walmart, Apple Valley MN. Walmart of course, is America's biggest retailer. For may years, it remained #1 of Fortune 500 companies. I was clutching the sales catalog which I pulled out of the previous Sunday newspaper. I arrived at this Walmart at 11 a.m. by which time the items my wife and I had penciled were all but gone. Then I remembered that the same time or even later in the afternoon on the Day after Thanksgiving last year, most of the Black Friday products were still available.

I hope Americans would realize the hand of God in the good turn of fortunes over the past several months. I hope individuals, families and business owners would know to include their personal financial turnaround in this particular Thanksgiving.

Yet, I have a feeling that as the retail floors are jammed, the credit cards will be equally filled. I saw a young woman carrying a 46" Sony TV, (just $798). Nothing bad in that except that it's more than just the price. It is the urge for materials that one needs to ponder about. Across the Minnesota River at the Mall of America, still referred to as America's largest shopping mall, true or false, was a sea of shoppers of all nations and cultures. The crowd was a spectacle to behold; the type you would find at Manhattan on a hot summer evening. Everyone was out for a once-in-a-year bargain, or so it seemed.

Let's praise the Lord at these times for His return to the economic fields of America, and hopefully the world. He promises that when we praise Him, He would bless us and all the ends of the earth would fear Him. (Psalm 67)

Which is why I really love Acts 14:17 concerning the recession and my personal situation; "Nevertheless He left not Himself without witness, in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." (KJV) Praise Jesus!

I barely could put away four turkeys this time around. God knows we bought many of them last year in response to economic realities. This time around, we would buy them when needed as we trust God to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving.

My love for Psalm 65

Everyone has his or her favorite Psalms. Some of mine include Psalm 65, 67 and 148. But 65 trumps them all in my heart. I am reading this morning from the NLT, with its velvety rendition and sonorous, acoustic delivery. From the opening verse, you would know that David was at his best when he wrote it

1What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, 2for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you. 3Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. 4What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple.

5You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. 6You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength. 7You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations.

8Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy. 9You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.

10You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops.

11You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. 12The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy. 13The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy!

As we are in the last five months of Year 2010, I bring to remembrance the promise of God to us at its beginning that it would be our Year of Flourishing. God's promises are true and this Psalm reminds me so. Through David's awareness of nature, it vividly captures the love of God for us: to provide for, meet and even exceed all our needs. No wonder some call Him "The Prodigal God".

Read the psalm from top down and down up, from the NLT, NIV, KJV or any version you choose. The meaning will come through. May the good Lord command flourishing in your remaining days of 2010. Amen.

Jalapeno-Spicy Praise

Asking a preacher how he got his sermon topic is as interesting as asking an attorney how he got his line of argument in closing a case. It's all about research. You consider what is going on in your life, the lives of your congregants and search the Bible for a relevant scriptural platform to present your story. Then you begin work, digging into scriptures, and prayerfully asking God that among your audience some will find it beneficial in their situation.

If you are running a thematic sermon campaign, it becomes easier to continue from where you stopped the week before; call it Part B, C, D or as many as you can continue.

Which is why I love the annual dedication of the month of June as our Month of Praise. Every time we meet in the church, Sunday, Wednesday, Night Vigil, all we are doing is dancing and jubilating like one of us just won some $m lottery.

We don't get tired dancing, jumping and stomping. We just get soaked in the spirit-filled euphoria. I finally found a name for our kind of praise, "Jalapeno-Spicy Praise"!

In the month of June, I preached three sermons on Joy: "The JPT Mandate", "For the Joy that is set Before You" and "Joy is not an Alternative". "JPT" is the abbreviation for Joyful, Prayerful and Thankful as Apostle Paul counsels in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Three quick verses of God's will for us: (16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.)

In the middle of jubilation the other Sunday, I perceived the Holy Spirit said to me we should extend our Month of Praise to Three Months, all summer long, June-July-August. The joyous season continues. Even though we are praising God and bringing Him glory, honor and adoration, I have found that it always turns out to be in our favor, as individuals, families and the church body.

God does fearfully in our praise, Exodus 15:11, He inhabits the praises of Israel, Psalm 22:3, praise is a heritage of the redeemed, Isaiah 51:11 and it is a honor strictly reserved for the children of God, Psalm 149:9. What are you waiting for? Join us and dance away your sorrow, sickness, pains and sufferings. God will do fearfully in your situation.

You want to join the "Jalapeno-Spicy" train? Come 10 o'clock on Sunday mornings all July and August at God Is In The House, 2429 University Avenue W, St Paul MN 55114. Need a ride? Call 612-867-8911 and we'll make sure someone picks you up. (You can also visit http://www.godiith.com for directions).

Twelve Lessons of the Triumphal Entry

Ref: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:-10; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19
Palm Sunday March 28, 2010

Independence Day celebration in the USA is nationwide. The days before and after July 4 usually witness heightened air and road travel. Tens of thousands of people go to their parents and friends live to celebrate. Only Thanksgiving rivals July 4 in importance.

But for the Jews, Passover was more than just a holiday. It was a mandate God handed to them through Moses to remember how He brought them out of Egypt with a strong hand. It must be celebrated as a festival for seven days in Jerusalem and all the children of Israel must participate: "You must remember this day forever. Each year you will celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD”: Exodus 12:14 (NLT).

[The last Journey to Jerusalem – Landmarks: From Galilee through Jericho to Bethphage at Mount Olives (Matthew 19:1, 20:17, 29; 21:1)] As the Passover was approaching, Jesus took His disciples and began the journey to Jerusalem. He had been telling His disciples He was going to be delivered to death. Many of them did not understand what He was saying.

On this day, something unique was going to happen. Jesus would not enter Jerusalem unannounced. Quite unlike Him, He would be ushered into the city with pomp and pageantry.

The Triumphal Entry, as His coming to Jerusalem for the last time is called, would involve all the multitude of His disciples, the millions of pilgrims who came to the festival of the Passover from all over the world, and of course, the leaders of the temple, the Pharisees and government officials of a city and state that were intent on killing Him.

As we look through the record of the Triumphal Entry in all the four synoptic gospels, we can learn so many lessons and I am sharing twelve of them with us today. I hope they make sense to us and benefit all of our faith.

1. Prophecy is fulfilled
As they approached Jerusalem, Jesus sent two of His disciples to go to a nearby village and untie a donkey and a colt and bring them to Him. He assured them that if the owners questioned them why they were untying the animals, they should tell them “The Lord has need of them”. And that was exactly what happened in fulfillment of a prophecy in Zechariah 9:9:

“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

This is just one of many Old Testament prophecies about Jesus that is clearly fulfilled in His ministry on earth. We can believe that the promises of God in His word cannot fail.

2. It is the preparation of the Passover
As I noted before, this was all in the season of a great national festival, the Feast of Passover. Jesus wanted to make sure no one would be in doubt that the real Passover Lamb was coming to the festival. Coming to Jerusalem unannounced was not an option. The ideal was to get everybody aware as He rides into the city with two animals, a donkey and a colt.

There was genuinely a lot of commotion as people asked, “Who is this?” The right answer was, “This is your King”. In the future, it would also become appropriate to add a second answer, “This is your Passover Lamb”; 1 Corinth. 5:7

3. The King, meek and humble
Why did Jesus not send those two disciples to the mansion of the governor Pontius Pilate to bring his well decorated chariot of horses? Well, By all accounts, the donkey and colt was more identifiable with the people than paraphernalia of power. And as Jesus taught in Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV), meekness is a virtue. He said,

28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Jesus is King yet He taught us the secret of rest: humility and meekness. Just as the prophecy of Zechariah noted, He is the King yet “gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Humility is a time-tested virtue that procures us favor and good standing. It is a lesson we must learn whether we are leaders or followers in our various life callings and ministries. Like the Amplified Bible expands Zechariah 9:9 to say, “He is patient, meek, and lowly”; we must follow in His footsteps in order to enjoy His promise of rest for our souls.

4. Giving to the King without pressure
No mention is made as to the identity of the owners of the donkey and colt. What we know is that they did not argue when the two disciples told them it was the Lord who needed the animals. What a joy must have filled their hearts to learn of the aftermath, the decorating of the animals with the disciples’ cloths, the riding by Jesus Christ, the shouting and singing that ushered Him to the city and the uproar that followed?

We can conclude that the owners would have followed those two disciples to witness what was going on. And as customary with Jesus, He would have returned the animals to them with blessings. Remember when He borrowed the boat of Peter to preach by the lake and afterwards He told him to “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch”. Peter said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing, nevertheless at Your word, I will let down the net”. When he did, he and his friends caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking: Luke 5:4-8.

The same goes for the young lad who gave Him his five barley loaves and two small fish to feed the five thousand in John 6:1-14. Afterward, twelve baskets of the leftover food were gathered. You bet that boy was the beneficiary.

When we give to God and His gospel on earth, we can expect that we would receive in return. God is never a taker who does not give back.

5. Righteousness
A noteworthy aspect of the Zechariah 9:9 prophecy is what the Amplified Bible calls, “[uncompromisingly] just and having salvation [triumphant and victorious]”. Jesus Christ represents the righteousness of God. He lived on earth like we are doing today but He did not sin like we do. He preached righteousness and justice, although many in the political arena are debating this.

In the “Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees” sermon recorded in Matthew 23, He observed in verse 23: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former”.

Jesus wants his worshippers to be all-rounder in their relationship with Him. Righteousness is key if we want to receive anything from God. As Philippians 3:9 observes,
“Not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”. Pray to God today to maintain a life of righteousness by faith.

6. Salvation
When the people of Jerusalem got caught up in praising Him as He rode to the city, they were shouting
"Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"

“Hosanna” is a translation from the Hebrew word “hosha'na”, a shortening of “hoshi'ah-nna” which means, "save, we pray" (Psalm 118:25). Combined with the word “Yeshua”, it means "salvation, deliverance, welfare". Hosanna is originally an appeal for deliverance; and this was the intention of the festival pilgrims in recognition of Jesus as the Messiah.

If you are going through difficulties, you can call on Jesus with “Hosanna” to praise Him and at the same time ask for His saving help.

7. The Messiah
From His birth, Jesus had been named the Savior, Matthew 1:21: “You shall call His name JESUS, for he will save His people from their sins”. The multitudes in Jerusalem were shouting “Hosanna” to tell Jesus in recognition of Him as the Messiah who would deliver the nation from the oppressive Roman Empire at that time.

(Note that the trial of Jesus was by the Roman Governor and His crucifixion was accomplished by Roman soldiers at the command of the governor, Matthew 27:27ff. They were also to be bribed with money after His resurrection to lie that His disciples came by night to steal His body while they slept, Matthew 28:11ff.)

The lesson should not be lost on us today. Jesus is our Messiah and He alone holds the power to deliver us from every oppression, affliction, sickness and disease. He is our savior, redeemer and strong tower, our rock, fortress and refuge.

8. Jubilation and Celebration
As believers, we have every cause to join the rest of the Christian world today, generally called Palm Sunday, to celebrate the life of Jesus Christ. Our celebration should be rooted in His role as our Passover Lamb, the sacrifice that God needed to forgive all our sins and keep us in His family.

The totality of our faith is enmeshed in this final act of sacrificial volunteering that Jesus did. That is what the disciples and the pilgrims in Jerusalem were doing on that day. They were praising Him for the miracles, signs and wonders He performed. Today we not only praise Him for the same reasons but much more for our free salvation.

9. If I shall be lifted up on the earth – John 12:32
Praise attracts praise. As the jubilant disciples were heralding Jesus into the city on the donkey and colt, it was easy for the crowd and multitude of pilgrims in the city to join.

The other dimension of His being lifted up on the earth is His resurrection. It was the power of His resurrection that turned His disciples loose as great apostles and prophets following Pentecost. It was His resurrection that birthed the Church and the conviction of men like Saul of Tarsus who would take the gospel to much of the Gentile world.

We must engage in lifting up Jesus on the earth by words and songs of praise, by witnessing Him to our communities and showing the world His likeness in us through our behavior and actions

10. Naysayers
The dictionary defines “naysayer” as a person who habitually expresses negative or pessimistic views. Even when things are going well, a naysayer tries to cast gloom. That is what the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin displayed to Jesus on that glorious day of His triumphal entry.

“Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" (Luke 19:39)

We have to discipline ourselves to not be dragged into nay saying. Do you ridicule preachers? Do you cast a pity on them rather than be encouraged by their work? Avoid traces of negativism to things of God to ensure your blessings are not destroyed by careless, even if unexpressed behavior.

11. If these should keep silent – Luke 19:40
Jesus replied the Pharisees that if His disciples should keep silent, it was not the problem for the Pharisees to handle. We cannot keep silent. We must daily engage in praising and worshiping our God, as individuals and as a body corporate. The Psalmist says, “Praise is comely for the upright” (and 147:1).

Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. (Ps. 33:1)
Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. (Psalm 147:1, KJV). In other words, praise is a good and beautiful thing to do.

12. The stones will cry out
Jesus Christ warned the Pharisees that if His disciples stopped or were not motivated to praise Him, the stones would replace them. Are you motivated to praise Him on this day or you would allow the stones to take your place?

Conclusion
As Jesus rode on the donkey and colt to Jerusalem, He fulfilled another prophecy in the Old Testament:
“In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds.” (Psalm 45:4, NIV)

We must relate the Triumphal Entry to the dictionary meaning of the word “Triumphal” which is: pertaining to, celebrating, or commemorating a triumph or victory.

The victory of Jesus is our victory. His resurrection paved way for our resurrection. He gained the victory with His blood to spare our own. Death could not keep Him neither could the grave contain Him. Satan lost the ability to stop Him. All His enemies fell before Him. And we have been placed into the same victory as His. Therefore, we join in the celebration because we share in His victory and triumph.

If you don’t belong to Him, unfortunately you don’t qualify for His victory. Therefore, if you have not given your life to Jesus Christ, this is an opportunity to do so and you will be enlisted in His victorious army. Consider today the appropriate day to surrender your life to Jesus Christ, ask Him to forgive your sins, to come into your situation and give you your own victory as you say, “Amen”.

In My Father's House: John 14:2

After He told the 11 not to be troubled, Jesus Christ revealed to them the end result of our salvation: a furnished mansion in heaven. "In My Father's house are many mansions. I am going to prepare a place for you".

Think about it…If our earthly father’s house is so important, how much more important and secure is our supernatural Father’s house? These are a few things I know about my Father's house:

1. God Himself is there, with His Son and the Holy Spirit – 1 John 5:7, Revelation 22:1-5
2. Even though I live here on planet earth in the natural, I have been supernaturally deposited in my mansion above since the day I knew Jesus – Ephesians 2:4-8. Apostle Paul observes here that we can live on earth with heaven's inviciblity and mentality.

Benefits of my father’s house:

1. Love and not hatred – Ephesians 5:1-2, Ephesians 2:4
2. Rest from troubles – Matthew 11:28
3. Peace from unrest – John 14:27
4. Power and not weakness – Revelation 12:10, 2Timothy 1:7
5. Harmony and not disunity – John 17:21
6. Victory and not defeat – Revelation 17:14, Romans 8:37
7. Authority and not slavery – Revelation 4:11, 5:12
8. Abundance and not lack – Revelation 7:13-17
9. Good health and not sickness and disease – Revelation 22:1-5
10. Refuge from the storms of life – Isaiah 25:4
11. Joy and gladness, not sorrow and shame – Romans 14:17
12. Appointment and not disappointment – 1Peter 2:5-6

If I am troubled, I know where to run to - my Father's House.

John 14:1 - The Amazing One Word

I usually spend much of the week preparing for my Sunday sermon. Is that a weakness?
One preacher was bragging to his Church Elders Board that it took him only 15 minutes to prepare his sermons, the time it took the church driver to bring him to church from his house! The elders were not amused. They concluded they were paying him so much for only 15 minutes of work per week. They then decided to relocate him to a new personage 1 hour away from the church so that he could spend more time preparing his sermons!!! Sorry about the early digression.

This morning, I was re-reading John 14. I read it yesterday also. But I'm getting ready for Sunday, so I'll read my chosen passage a few times and spend more than 15 minutes to get myself ready for Sunday!!!

Then this morning, as soon as I started reading, I saw something I had previously paid little attention to in the first verse: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me."

I rejoiced in my spirit because I felt a sudden lifting of my burdens as I could relate the word TRUST to my situations right now.

I have recently faced a lot of rejections. I cannot even call my "friends" anymore on the phone because they wont talk to me!!! If you leave a church, would you make your pastor a personal non grata?

I recently lost my job in a way you can only call "forced out". My job as a financial rep did not come with benefits when you leave.

We recently moved our our church to a bigger facility. Spent all our savings on the acquisition and new equipment. My "friends" chose that time to leave. A reason I'm hearing they gave is that the cost of running the new place "was" going to be too much to bear! Where is our God if we cannot TRUST Him to carry our burden?

So this morning, I said, this is it: I will no longer allow my heart to be troubled. I will TRUST the Father and TRUST the Son for all my needs. All my concerns, fears, worries and anxieties.

To trust is to rest comfortable and peaceful when realities show otherwise. To trust is to smile when you are paining on the inside. To trust is to have FAITH that God will always come through in your moment of loneliness, rejection, sickness, lack, emptiness and whatever this world may throw at you.

Please TRUST Him today. He will come to your rescue and brighten your day.

Business Seminar Calling

GOD'S BUSINESS PLAN
Seminar Event for Succeeding in Business in the 21st Century
(For Owners/Leaders and Owners-To-Be)

Not just the "American Dream", truth is that owning and doing your own business is unquestionably a great opportunity for FLOURISHING. God knows and cares about business and wants you to flourish there. If you want to see your business grow, or you have been struggling with starting your own business, then this event is for you.

Venue: God Is In The House Church
2429 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55114

Date & Time:
Saturday, March 20: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sunday, March 21, 2010: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

Participation Fee: $25.00 payable at the gate (includes Lunch on Saturday)

Leading Speakers: Pastor Michael & Dr. Mrs. Aderonke Mordi
Seasoned Preachers and Entrepreneurs

Come and learn God’s road map to greater success in your business
Find out best practices from other business owners
Network and discover new business ideas

Introducing the ABF USA
***Join us on Sunday, March 21, 2010 to launch the African Business Forum
ABF USA will seek to promote and facilitate a strong business voice for African businesses in Minnesota and beyond; including developing good practice models and raising the profile of African owned businesses.

For more information: Dipo Ajayi, 612-867-8911 or email: pastor@godiith.com

THE TIGER WOOD APOLOGY

I listened to Tiger Wood yesterday. I was never a great golf fan until his emergence at the top. He became iconic, well loved and respected all over the world.

Judging by my own PR background, I think his PR people did a politically correct "good job". At least in the interim. On the surface I felt like he should be pitied and forgiven. Like a few people have noted, Tiger Woods owes them nothing. He should carry on with his life.

But I am worried for the guy. I wonder where he puts God in all the sexual mess he got himself. I waited patiently throughout the speech, especially when he subbed, to say he was also seeking God to forgive him so that it would be easy for his wife, family and friends that he gathered together to forgive him.

I don't know if God's forgiveness is included in his rehab program either. I pray it is.

I am a Christian believer, in fact, a preacher. So you know where I am coming from. I have my fears that Tiger Wood may be on the way down altogether if God is not involved in his rehab. King David, a man familiar with sexual errors and murder, wrote Psalm 91 to show individuals who err to find a simple way to seek God's forgiveness.

But I am praying that Tiger Wood's PR people and therapists will guide him in the right direction to make their work fruitful at the end. I am reminding them of David's word in Psalm 32:1-2 which says:

"Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be— you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean. Count yourself lucky — God holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from him." (Message Bible Version)

We may give him a fresh opportunity but unless God does it, he unfortunately remains in sin in the court of heaven. I pray that he does a simple thing, both in private and public: to ask that God forgive him and that he seeks God's help to appease Elin for a truly fresh start.

As Jesus Christ warned, "Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven."(Matthew 10:32-33, NLT).

Welcome to my Blog

Flourish Like A Palm Tree, Grow Like A Cedar

As 2009 was coming to an end, in my usual style, I sought the Lord for guidance as to what 2010 would be like. By His Spirit, God led me to Psalm 92 and emboldened on my heart that not only 2010, but all through the new decade, there would be flourishing in the body of Christ. Yet, the word must be made clear. Even though flourishing is for everybody, there is a kind believers should be careful about!!!

There's a kind that Psalm 92:7 describes as the flourishing of the wicked! It lasts for a short while and may even draw accolades. But it quickly turns to destruction.

Then there's the more durable, longer lasting flourishing for (1) those who receive the righteousness of God through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ; (2) those who choose to wholeheartedly serve God: through their local Church family, community or the body of Christ.

The Amplified Bible spells it out more clearly:

The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible]. Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age. They shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality], and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment].
They are living memorials to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises. He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in Him. (Psalm 92:12-15, AMP)

Think about it. Would you rather suffer in the next ten years or with the help of God, find joy and fulfillment in what you do? Know first that you cannot attain to righteousness on your own. Righteousness is by faith in the justification of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is how it goes: Your sins were underwritten on the cross. Don't hold yourself guilty, you are already made acceptable to your Father in heaven by the blood of the Lamb. Believe this in faith. What you can handle, and is a choice you make, is to serve God or care less. This is where you must decide to be on the side of God. To serve in your local church, community or just be a helping hand to someone in need somewhere. This is your key to flourishing like a palm tree and growing like a cedar in the new decade.