Isaac Boluwatise

A Baptist preacher and his wife decided to get a new dog. Ever mindful of the congregation, they knew the dog must also be a Baptist. They visited kennel after kennel and explained their needs. Finally, they found a kennel whose owner assured them he had just the dog they wanted.

The owner brought the dog to meet the pastor and his wife. “Fetch the Bible,” he commanded.

The dog bounded to the bookshelf, scrutinized the books, located the Bible, and brought it to the owner.

“Now find Psalm 23,” he commanded.

The dog dropped the Bible to the floor, and showing marvelous dexterity with his paws, leafed through and finding the correct passage, pointed to it with his paw.

The pastor and his wife were very impressed and purchased the dog.

That evening, a group of church members came to visit. The pastor and his wife began to show off the dog, having him locate several Bible verses. The visitors were very impressed.

One man asked, “Can he do regular dog tricks, too?”

“I haven’t tried yet,” the pastor replied.

He pointed his finger at the dog. “HEEL!” the pastor commanded. The dog immediately jumped on a chair, placed one paw on the pastor’s forehead and began to howl.

The pastor looked at his wife in shock and said, “Good Lord! He’s Pentecostal!”

IAT Boluwatise
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry …. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. Ps. 2.12

“All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. 12 Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 13 For I am the lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isa 41.11-13 (NIV)

Is there really anything that kills as the fear of the unknown or the fear of the future based on the uncertainty today. Jesus said this will be one of the features of the end time in Luke 21.26: “Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world …..”

But also there is really nothing as refreshing and motivating as to knowing the future ahead and as to receiving certainty of God.

Many are really concerned, for there are certain factors and circumstances that naturally mobilise against them featuring as opposition and barriers; and definite as areas of constant battle. So constant are such features that you have concluded on them as “my problems” meaning that though you do not enjoy these travails, you have come to establish an identity with them.

Your fear is addressed by God: the fear of shame and disgrace; the fear of being cast into oblivion and doom; and the fear of being destroyed is dealt with.

For every threat the factors posed against you, such design shall amount to the fate of the factors in your sphere of experience.

You shall look for them and not find them, for the Lord will take hold of your right hand to both guard and guide you; He is allaying your fears by saying “I will help you”.

Can you see the reason now why you can zealously push towards that future you have been afraid of this year?

I see an overflowing barn of your harvest this year.

Engage the strength He has provided for you and press forward. The finishing line and the prize are both awaiting you.

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There was once a king, who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from Arabia. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained. Months passed and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch, since the day it had arrived. The king summoned healers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to a member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, “May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem.” So he cried out to his court, “Go and get a farmer.” In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, “Bring me the doer of this miracle.” The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, “How did you make the falcon fly?” With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, ” It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch, where the bird was sitting.”

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“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12NLT

He logged twelve-hour days, and sometimes weekends. Even when he wasn’t working, he was thinking about work. His wife tried to slow him down. He knew they weren’t as close as they once had been. He hadn’t intended to drift away, it’s just that she always seemed to want time, and that’s the one thing he didn’t have to give. He was vaguely aware that his kids were growing up and he was missing it. They complained about books he wasn’t reading to them, games he wasn’t playing with them and trips he wasn’t taking with them. After a while they stopped complaining or expecting their lives might ever be different. ‘I’ll be more available when things settle down,’ he thought. When he felt guilty he told himself, ‘I’m doing it for them.’ His wife asked him about going to church but he said, ‘There’ll be plenty of time for that sort of thing when things settle down.’ His doctor told him he had elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol-but he told himself there’d be plenty of time for that when things settle down. Quietly, efficiently, irresistibly, his body was preparing to do him in. One morning his wife woke at 3 a.m. and he was not beside her. She went downstairs to drag him to bed and saw him sitting still in front of the computer, his head hanging low. She touched him but he didn’t respond. When the paramedics got there they told her he had suffered a massive heart attack. Things had finally settled down!

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“Accept instruction from His mouth and lay up His words in your heart.” Job. 22.22

Make it part of your commitment to read through the Bible in 2011.

May He supply you with strength to press forward also in this manner.

God bless you.

IAT Boluwatise

THROUGH THE BIBLE TWICE A YEAR.doc
THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR.doc