The Best Option

There’s this Igbo praise song we often sing in my local assembly. It says: "Omema, You can do no wrong." 

As I stirred from my bed this morning, replaying the Christmas story in my heart, all that came to mind was this: God chose the best option.

“For God so loved ‘Ese’ that He gave His only begotten Son…”— and all He asked was that we believe in Him so we won’t perish.

(John 3:16 - paraphrased)

God gave us His best to prove the depth of His love. He could have sent an angel or a heavenly elder — that would’ve been easier, less costly. But no — He gave Jesus. He gave Himself.

This season isn’t just about the food, the dancing, or the carols. It’s about pausing to reflect on the gift of the best option.  

If God gave His best to redeem me, it proves I am deeply loved — and that’s the truth He wants me (and you) to live in.

So rather than fixate on our losses, shortcomings, or even the festivities, can our hearts focus on this truth?  

That the Lord gave us His very best.

And He still says to you:

"Come to Me. I have a place for you right here. I won’t break your heart. I have a plan not to squeeze you into something small, but to cast you as a major character in Heaven’s unfolding story."

But here’s the question:  

Do you believe that I’m for you?

Do you believe I can give you a reality that amazes even the gates of hell?

God wants you to birth seeds that crush the head of the serpent.  

But do you believe that His greatest gift — His best option — came to us in the form of a Child, a Son, a Savior… Jesus?

Jesus wants to love you.  

And yes, this season is about love, laughter, and joy — but Jesus is the summary of it all.

Do you believe?

Stay Revived!

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The System of New Creation

Galatians 6:17 says:

“From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”

This scripture responds directly to Galatians 6:16, which declares a blessing and a plea:

“And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”

What is the rule?

It is the rule of the new creation—the rule that acknowledges we have been bought with a price, and that price is blood. Not just any blood, but the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is salvation. He died so that we might be saved. Therefore, we must admit that we are sinners and receive the salvation He freely gives. Jesus is not merely the One who gives peace—He is peace Himself.

So when Paul says, “Let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus,” he is pointing to the mark Christ bore for our peace. Yet we cannot walk in the fullness of this peace until we come into the reality of the new creation.

This is the life described in Ephesians 4:22–24:

“Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man… be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Holiness and righteous living cannot be achieved by human effort alone. No one can truly say they are holy unless they are born of God.

Beloved, I bring you good news today: the new creation is the way to see the hand of God.

You are never too late to come to Him. You may be deep in trouble—burdened by debt, chaos, or sorrow—but God is deeply in love with you and fully aware of your pain. He is saying, “Come to Me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest.”

Today, I invite you into the system of the new creation—the system called Jesus Christ.

Stay revived. 🙏

Do not release gas but fire.

In a system where criticism gives people joy and adds feathers to their caps, the Lord is calling us to watch out. We live in a culture where people glory in how they are “better” than others—especially when it comes to laws and righteous living—not because they truly love righteousness, but because they want to project a certain image in society.

This is why the Apostle Paul warns the Galatians: be careful. The world always finds a way to impose its strategies on people. It often does this through organized systems, conversations, and teachings that sound logical, correct, and convincing. Yet, in reality, they are empty—they are gas.

Why follow a law or system that exists mainly to boast in the fact that it has recruited you?

Paul addresses this clearly in Galatians 6:11–12 (MSG):

“Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you. These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ’s suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. They themselves don’t keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible!”

Do not be so busy attending every program, saying yes to everyone, and trying to please every church system that you forget the work is unto God. Take time to genuinely connect with Him. Know Him deeply.

Do not release gas—release fire.

Let your life be one rooted in the reality of the new creation through Christ’s death. Live to please the Master, Jesus. Let your goal not be public approval, but divine approval. If God is pleased, that is all that truly matters.

Let your life not release gas instead of fire.

Stay Revived!

"Let Me Get You a Message from the One Who Is the Message"

I decided to test my rapping skills, but while washing my hands at the kitchen sink, I found myself pondering:  

"Lord, what do You want to say to me today?”

Then these words dropped into my heart—a message from the Message.

To us who have designated this season to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we don’t just look at Him as the messenger,  but rather, we’ve come to discover that Je is the Message.

John 1:14 (KJV):

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us... full of grace and truth."

Here’s the reality: when decoding conversations, the message often gets distorted along the line of transmission. Something gets added, or something is lost. But Jesus wasn’t just a messenger from God—He is the message God gave to mankind, calling us to make a U-turn back to Him.

What have we done with the message we’ve been given?

 From Genesis to Revelation, the words of the Old and New Testaments celebrate His coming and declare a message of peace:

Luke 2:10 (KJV):

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."

Christmas, growing up for me, meant new clothes and shoes, camp meetings, and the delicious meals I looked forward to all year.

But think about it…  

Do we throw parties and not invite the celebrant?

Do we host events and not give the spotlight to the One who is the reason for it all?

How have we cast the spotlight?

God is saying to us today:  

""It is a message of glad tidings I bring."

So when we remember the name Jesus, it’s not just the name of a divine being—it’s a message of:

Peace

Joy

Rest

Fruitfulness

Beauty for ashes

Maybe it’s because I’ve had my fair share of chaos lately, and all I want is peace.  

So yes, I think I want the message.

Do you need this message too?

It’s the message that answers every question.

Jesus didn’t come to deliver a message—He is the message.

Stay Revived!