Welcome to Benjamin Oshoffa's Blog.

The King waits for you. He holds His plans for you in His hands. He tenderly speaks to you, but He will not push you out of complacency. Your God, the lover of your soul, waits for you to want Him. We will not find our souls panting feverishly for anything other than ourselves in a rushed fifteen-minute “quiet time,” in a frantic completion of our group studies, or in a prayer life consisting of our own concerns and the concerns of the ones we cherish. The glorious enlightenment experienced by those whose souls pant for God (the kind that illuminated the very face of Moses) resulted from the discovery that God does not have to conform to our fractured understandings resulting from our limited engagement. In the movie  Galaxy Quest , Tim Allen plays an actor in a TV series mimicking our  Star Trek . Allen portrays a character similar to Captain Kirk. The movie opens with Allen and his co-stars attending a Galaxy Quest convention crowded with people dressed in costumes a...

While Jeroboam heard God’s plan for his life, he seemed to want to help Him accomplish the plan  right then , putting his cart before his horse. I know someone else who does that too:  me . I know all too well how this works: I think I have received a specific word…so I begin working all the angles to bring it to pass. Loving God with our whole hearts requires having patience to wait for God to move. We submit to His timing. Scripture contains the memo in 2 Peter 3:9 I always miss: Although it feels like He’s late, God is always on time. The choice to rebel against God’s timing is a heart issue. We want God’s promise now. We fear that if we wait we might miss the blessing, or maybe this great thing will never happen. We think,  I’d better act now, before it’s too late . The truth is, just as for Barak, our fear of forfeiting our blessing while we wait on God’s timing is misplaced. God will not give your hero-making moment to another unless you refuse to believe ...

Did Jesus suffer? Was he sometimes lonely? Was he tempted to be discouraged? Was he misunderstood, maligned, and criticized unjustly?  Of course! None of us are exempt from suffering, loneliness, discouragement, or unjust criticism, because God is developing within us the character of Christ, and, in order to do this, he must take us through all of the circumstances in life through which he took Christ.  Does this mean God causes tragedies? No. God is good, and he will not cause evil or do evil. But God can use dark and stressful times for good. He'll use them to teach us to trust him, to show us how to help others, and to draw us closer to other believers. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:8b-9, “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead” (NLT).  So, what should you do when...

Let’s say you’re a gardener. You’ve learned that you can take the exact same seed and plant it in three different locations and get three different results. In one spot, you’ll get giant tomatoes. In another, you’ll get small tomatoes. And in a third, you’ll get nothing. What’s the difference? It’s not the seed; it’s the soil. The soil must be prepared for the seed.  The same is true when you hear God’s Word. It’s why you can take two people to church, set them side-by-side, and one will walk out thinking God really spoke to him and the other won’t get anything out of the service. The heart of one person was prepared; the other’s heart wasn’t. Your heart has to be prepared for the Word. If you get up late, have trouble finding a parking spot, and are irritated as you rush into church, you’re probably not going to hear God’s voice! You’re not in a receptive mood.  The Bible says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger...

How do we know God? How do we understand and see the world we live in? How do we grasp where we came from and why we are here? How do we know where this story is ultimately heading? The answer is profound—God reveals himself and his grand plan to us. Our Role is to listen and believe. The Bible repeatedly records that God communicated to his people at specific times with specific messages. In some cases, such as with Moses at the burning bush, he spoke audibly. In other instances he spoke through dreams or visions or less direct impressions. But the words of the Lord were always given to his people to reveal his plan for them and for all humanity. God revealed his story because he loves us. The Lord spoke mostly through prophets in the Old Testament and through Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament. Throughout the Bible the writers warned readers that they should not add or take away from God’s Word. God has given and preserved his Word for us so we can rely on it to gu...

Jeremiah steadfastly recognized that the Lord had not abandoned his people, despite the pain of their situation. Rather, God’s people had abandoned him. Jeremiah, the  weeping prophet , is also called the  prophet of hope , because he foresaw a day when the Lord would reign in the midst of a restored, renewed and reconciled people — people who had finally returned to him. Jesus knew this paradox between abandonment and hope. In the midst of his suffering and death on the cross, he cried,  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  (Mt 27:46). Yet Jesus also knew that he would be resurrected on the third day, opening the gate of eternal life to all believers. The despair of the cross has now become the gift of life to perishing sinners. Abandonment, sorrow, struggle and pain — all these are transitory. Wholeness, healing, joy and peace are permanent, for they are part of the very nature of God. That is what sustains the believer through difficult times. Althou...

We all have seen many who have fallen. Jesus warned that the love of many would grow cold. Do not presume it cannot happen to you. Our enemy has been deceiving mankind for thousands of years. Our experience, on the other hand, spans for but a brief moment. It is wisdom to recognize that we do not know all there is to know concerning warfare. Therefore, be bold, but never brash or arrogant in your prayer life. Use your spiritual authority administratively, compassionately, but never presumptuously. Multitudes of well-meaning but ignorant Christians have approached the field of spiritual battle with flippant attitudes and have suffered greatly for it. Study and seek confirmation from the Lord for your strategies. Gracious and loving heavenly Father, be my companion always. May I know You as You have revealed Yourself in the Scriptures. Daily illuminate my mind with Your wisdom. Strengthen me that I may stand on the day of battle, confident in the One who defeated all evil. Halleluj...

The psalmist contrasted, in these few verses, that which perishes with that which is imperishable. In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth. The rationale follows that if the uncreated God preceded and made the heavens, then clearly he need not perish or change as they do. All the promises of God depend upon the truth that God is unchanging. The apostle Peter used language similar to the psalmist to assure believers of the finality of God’s Word. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, he wrote, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (1Pe 1:24 – 25). Each autumn, yards are covered with the evidence of the world’s perishable nature. Yet, in the midst of this earthly fading, God does not change. The author of Hebrews quoted Ps 102:25 – 27 and applied it specifically to the Son of God (Heb 1:10 – 12), going on to argue that Jesus remains the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). Because of this — an unchanging God making unchangi...

Have you ever heard that before?  I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard that. Not from other people. Not from outside opinions. But from myself. It’s the one phrase that will throw my endeavors, creations, and purpose into the fiery furnace of defeat, never to see the light of day ever again. To be honest with you, I’m sometimes afraid of hearing that voice, because that voice has said some pretty damaging stuff in the past. Sometimes, the voice sounds like:  “They are better than you can ever be.” “That number on the scale will never go down.” “You’re not as attractive as them.” “You’ll never find love.” “You are broken beyond repair.” For all of us, there has been a time when the inner critic inside of us has crept out of the dark corners of our hearts to tell you something that has brought insecurity, lies, and falsehood to your calling. Your biggest struggles can stem from the deepest, darkest corners of your insecurity. Simply put,  ...

We are living in days of tremendous crisis and turmoil. The Lord has set the stage where no one with a carnal mind can discern what is happening in our society socially, economically, or militarily. If there was ever a time when God’s people needed an advantage, it is now. The Lord in His mercy is releasing revelation knowledge through His prophets that will empower the people of God with wisdom, direction, and insight into the council of His will. Israel had an advantage over the other nations because they possessed the oracles of God. The prophetic Scriptures gave Israel an advantage in preparing them for the coming Messiah. The Lord is empowering the church with an anointing to communicate His heart and mind accurately. The church will speak as an oracle of God. When we speak prophetically, we are speaking as the oracles of God. This will give us an advantage in all things pertaining to our lives. We have an advantage, just as Israel had an advantage. This is called the pr...

It is sad and unfortunate to observe the lack of unity, the divisions, and the splits in many churches. This lack of unity is directly opposed to the word of God and yet many believers justify their divisiveness and lack of unity. Jesus' prayer for his disciples was 'that they may be one even as we are one'. God commands a blessing when brothers dwell in unity. And what are the keys to having unity in the church - humility, submission, willingness to forgive. Let us take heed to these words and ensure that we, in humility, promote unity in the church through our submission and willingness to accept others and go along with the vision that the leadership has. Then, the Bible tells us, we will be blessed by God. Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray for unity in our churches. Let us contribute to this unity through our humility, our willingness to accept and forgive others. Let us be submissive to leaders and let us accept the vision of the church as our vision and help in its imple...

What happens when we die is a question many ask and this is true even of believers in Christ. Apostle Paul was very clear as to what the answer to this question is - he was confident that on his death he would be with Christ. In his letter to the Philippians, he actually states that it would be to his gain to die and be with Christ, but he knew he would live a little longer as he had more to complete for God's purposes in building Christ's kingdom. Let us be encouraged by this: Death is not something into the unknown but only into the presence of Jesus our Lord and savior, the one who loves us. And like Paul, let us live the life God gives us in serving Christ so that we can say with Paul - for me to live is Christ, to die is gain! Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the encouragement in the Bible, your word to us. We do not need to fear death knowing that we will be with you. Keeping this in front of us, let us use the life you give us to serve you with all our hearts. In Jesus...

No matter what you are going through, remember God comes through on time in your victories! Despite the setbacks, holdups, waiting periods, or seasons of perceived stagnations, trust that God is working everything out for your good and has positioned you for greatness for His divine purpose and plan. One promise that God has given us is that He cannot be mocked, so remember that as you live your life for Jesus Christ and walk obediently in His will, word, and way.  As you pursue a God-honoring life, you will experience naysaying ridiculers who doubt God’s promises for you and will even laugh at you because you elect to actively trust God in the challenging times and refuse to operate apart from His glorious plan for your life. God won’t allow people to have the last laugh when they attempt to mock your obedience in following His will, word, and way. They won’t be laughing too long because God will come through on time in your victory, and your Vindicating Protective Refuge will ...

God comes through on time in providing wisdom during situations in life that appear confusing. Throughout God’s word we read several accounts when individuals faced situations when timely wisdom was vital. They needed the timely wisdom of God to enforce God-honoring solutions to the present problem.   For example, Solomon asked God for wisdom on how to govern his people effectively, and God came through in timely wisdom when a dispute took place between two mothers and their children. Daniel replied with discretion and wisdom to Nebuchadnezzar’s bodyguard when a decree went out to put him and his friends to death. God came through in timely wisdom for Daniel to not only communicate and function in times of turmoil, but God granted Daniel wisdom for the interpretation of the king’s dream.  Esther sought wisdom when she learned about the evil attempt of Haman regarding the annihilation of her people. Ananias sought wisdom from God when called to follow God’s will and purpos...

God gives timely instructions that not only affect or benefit you but others whom you know and don’t know. When God instructs you to do something, it is wise to be obedient to what the Father is telling you because there is a purpose in his timing and plan. Rahab serves as a dynamic example of God coming through on time in timely instructions. 

God has a plan, purpose, and will for your life. Before your existence in history, God appointed your days before one of them came to be! How amazing and all knowing is our God! 

Life’s challenging obstacles can cause us to feel overwhelmed with heartache, sadness, and despair. During these challenging experiences in our lives, it is vital that we draw close to God so He will draw close to us. Although you face troubles, remember that God, our heavenly, all-knowing Father, knew what you would encounter before the foundations of the earth were laid.  That unpleasant, life-changing experience you faced might’ve been a shock to you, but God knew about that before He created you and He already set up an internal encouragement system within you to assist you during difficult times, when you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal LORD and Savior. Despite the setbacks, detours, and pit stops you face, remember that God has a purpose for you that will be fulfilled.  In scripture, David experienced a devastating, overwhelming event. David returned home with his men only to find that the Amalekites raided and burned his land with fire and took captive the women...