Frank Obochi

Cultivated a habit of posting daily muses on my status on WhatsApp. Thought to share a few here. I hope some make sense to you and meet you well.

The trumpet should just sound already.

The world has come to an end.

The best story of my life began when I met you.

I was torn between worlds, I was struggling with a lot of things, I felt I was wrong in desiring to have the best. You came and showed me that I wasn't wrong. You accepted me the way I am and together we pulled through a lot. You are a proof of God's love for me.

Meeting you was predestinated, but loving you is completely intentional. How can I not love you when you're an epitome of humility, hardwork and consistency? Who wouldn't love the one who combines beauty and intelligence in an amazing manner? I watched you cater for kids and knew that what God said about you was true.

Everything I have and will ever become, getting to be loved by you crowns it all.

How I love that we get to do ministry together.

Happy birthday Emjay
Happy birthday wify
Happy birthday Joy Franklin

We'd live to be a hundred
Cheers to many more beautiful years.

I wish above all things that your heart desires be met, that your vision and goals be achieved in record time and that God satisfies you early.

I love you Sweetheart of mine. So much that words haven't been invented to qualify it.

IT’S PART OF YOUR STORY

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I grew up loving to read the stories of great men. It’s the reason why I read “God’s Generals” and “Martin Luther Had a Wife”. One thing stood out in all, they all had very serious challenges but were able to come out strong. Mysteriously, their challenges had something to do with their purpose and calling. Always peculiar to the individual.

My dear, have you considered that the reason you’re going through what you’re going through is that it’s all part of your story later? I bet you’d like to tell it to the world. I bet you’d like to share how you overcame. I feel it in my spirit that it would inspire someone, if not millions. So when next the situation confronts you, remember the people who would love to know how you overcame. Your calling comes with challenges, yes... and everything would one way or the other work out something beautiful because if God allows it, it would definitely serve a good purpose.

Good morning.

Stay Strong.

PF... with so much love 💕

IN WORDS LIE POWER

Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Matthew 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

The Pharisees claimed that Jesus healed by Belzebub the prince of devils. Jesus told them that a sin against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. That’s blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. How could words be so powerful that they can’t be forgiven of the Holy Spirit?

You can shape the life of everyone around you by your words. You can even shape your own life by your words. What you confess often come to bare. So be careful of what you say, type or write.

The anchor text says that every idle word would be judged. What does it mean for a word to be idle? The word idle from the Greek αργος (argos) means empty, lazy, slow, barren. So every word that serves no purpose would be judged. So before you speak, think of its effect on your listeners. For by what you say you can be justified and by what you say you’d be condemned.

If you are still influenced by anger that you say too many things, you can pray for help and often walk away when you’re angry. Don’t say anything. Just do your best not to say the wrong things. Be more careful of typing the wrong things. Words when said may be forgotten, but when written takes longer. When recorded, you’re in for trouble.

Have a word fruitful day.

Frank Obochi.

THERE'S NO RELAXATION

1Pet.5.8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

I hate to say this... There won't be a time you'd be relaxed in the spirit. There's no time you are allowed to even be cold. Except if you want to be devoured by the devil. There won't be a time that there's no Spiritual battle over your destiny and life. There is no time when you can be allowed to do anything because you're covered by "Grace". There's always a war.

I'm not saying this to scare you, I'm just letting you know that you're not allowed to be anything or do everything. Spiritually, there are more activities than we have physically. The devil does not rest, why would you? The kingdom of God suffered violence long before you were born and will even after your death. There's always a battle to be won. Thank God for Christ who has given us victory, so we are fighting a war that's already won... But then, we have the duty of assuring that victory.

What then should we do?
Peter tells us the solution to assuring this victory.

⚡ Be Sober.
Sobriety can mean a lot, ranging from being unintoxicated, temperate, abstinent, sane, sound, reasonable, rational, calm, composed, moderate, unruffled, collected, quiet, steady, solemn and serious.

We might not readily exhaust what it means to be sober... But emphasis should be laid on the fact that sobriety is a thing of the mind... As such, the devil first attacks your mind. That's why you must always keep a sane mind.

So many arguments on the use of alcohol... The devil doesn't sleep... You just can't afford to lose your senses, even if it's for a minute. That's enough time for a lifetime havock in your destiny. Infatuations, lusts and other mental vices are but a few mention of tactics that can destroy you.

⚡ Be Vigilant
Watch out for his tricks.
When people stay awake overnight, they say they kept a vigil... Let me not talk about the deceit in that. But let's draw a reference from it. Being Vigilant here means being always aware, fully awake, carefully watching every move to ascertain the spirit at work. To be always alert.

The truth is that we would avoid many problems if only we saw the hand of the devil in it before entangling ourselves in them.

😢 That troublesome woman is not alone... She's a tool of the devil to destroy you.
😢 That money kept carelessly is a tool of the devil to let you fall
😢 That lady dressing indecently is a tool of the devil to corrupt your mind.
😢 That TV series is a tool of the devil to make you get comfortable in sin
😢 That young man pestering you can be a tool of the devil.
😢 That money that you can do anything to get can be used by the devil to lure you.
😰 You just have one adversary, the devil. Your war is not against flesh and blood. Even though the devil will use flesh and blood, see through the deceit and shoot your weapons on target.

That's why Peter asks us to not just be sober, but we should also be vigilant. Take complete control of your mind and emotions. Don't live carelessly. Life is Spiritual and only the Spiritual can successfully go unscathed.

You can start taking hold of your life. You must not do everything. You're different. You have a lot to lose. You have a lot to fulfil. A lot will go wrong if you fall or fail, so you can't afford to fall or fail.

I love you, but I know God loves you more.

BE A FRIEND

Prov.18.24 - A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Prov.17.9 - He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Prov.17.17 - Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.

Prov.27.6 - Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

If you can scroll through your phone contacts and find up to three people that know you thoroughly and have been with you supporting, believing, helping, rebuking and uplifting you... Then you are of many most blessed. Very few people have such special kind of people around them.

As little children, we make friends easily because we find ourselves liking the same thing or taking the same way home... But often go separate ways when we no longer see each other or no longer do the same things. The truth is that distance doesn't stop friendship... And friendship is intentionally engaged in.

Who is a friend? The dictionary defines it as "a person other than a family member, a spouse or lover whose company one enjoys and towards whom one feels affection". With this we find that friends are actually people we are not related to. They come out of the blues, specially packaged by God to help us through life.

Amazingly, the word friend in Hebrew has a connotation of love אהנ (aheb) and brotherhood. The Greek word φίλος (philos) has also been used to mean a friend... You notice a consistency in love, companionship, comrade etc. both in the Greek and Hebrew. Jesus while summarizing his ministry on Earth called his disciples "friends" John.15.15 - Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
And we notice something important... They are friends because he no longer keeps anything from them. No secrets.

I would write 15 pages before I could exhaust all about friendship... But these few things are what you can identify friends with.

👬🏽 They love you genuinely. Not because of what they would get. Sometimes you have opposing views about life, yet the love remains.
👭🏽 They are not scared of being vulnerable with you. They can be their true selfs with you because they know you won't judge them, you might condemn some actions, but you won't go about spreading their weaknesses.
👫🏼 The are completely honest with you. Your success does not intimidate them. They are happy and sad whenever you are happy and sad.
👭🏽 They are consistent. They don't share what you told them in confidence without your permission. They are trustworthy.
👫🏼 When they say they've forgiven you over a matter, they never repeat it to the hearing of anybody. They let bygones be bygones.
👬🏽 They keep in touch. Not really to ask for anything. Just talking to you makes their day.
👫🏼 When you're hurt or troubled, they go out of their way to help out. Nothing is too much to be done for you.
👬🏽 Sometimes your parents must have to ask your friends whom you are or what you are up to... Because they are the only ones who truly know you.

All through history, great friendships have been recorded. David and Jonathan. Jesus, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Julius Caesar and Brutus (although theirs ended sour). Tobey Maguire (Spiderman) and Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic). Queen Latifah and Jada Pinketh Smith (Will Smith's wife). Oprah Winfrey and Gale King. Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor. Frank Obochi and Chris Kalu🤣. Just to mention but a few. Surprisingly, you find that most close friends are often both successful or both "failures". It's just how it is. I can't say why.

So, be friendly. Prob. 18:24 "A man that hath friends MUST show himself friendly..." You should go out of your way to show friendliness. Don't be self conceited and only do things when it would also benefit you. Or do things with the hope of rewards or payback. Be friendly.

There's no such thing as "best friend". It's either he/she is a friend or a fiend. There might be closest friends though. Little wonder why people admonish one another to marry their friend. Or make their spouses their friends.

Lest I forget. The only one who could betray you effectively and hurt you in ways you can't imagine is your friend. That's why friendships should be tested. And nothing tests anything like time, adversity and misunderstandings. Be very careful about choosing friends.

Please be friendly, make friends and be a friend.