Like A Bulldog Bite

... LIKE A BULLDOG BITE! I have since realized that no word is totally negative, rather it depends on its usage and the root cause of action. For example jealousy is a terrible act. It has led some people to jail, it has destroyed families. Many of us are aware of the different negative consequences of jealousy. Yet the Bible says our God is a jealous God. In fact, God can be jealous over His people. If jealousy will make you a better wife, husband, child etc, then, it is good. Another interesting example is anger. How many people do you know that anger has turned into loners? Your guess is as good as mine; many. Yet God permit for us to get angry, meaning, anger is inevitable in this life. But God said, in your anger don’t sin. As long as you don’t sin in your anger you are not out of course. Another example is the word, chastise; to chastise is to rebuke strongly. I have never seen anyone who enjoys rebuke and for most times, we always feel forlorn after every rebuke. Yet, the bible says God rebukes (chastise) those He loves. So, a rebuke done with or for love is right even though it may make feel bad. Another word is hate. It is a very strong word, in fact it is considered in human for a fellow man to say he hates another. We have been told to use the word dislike rather than hate. But the bible encourages us to hate sin (whatever is contrary to the ordinances of God is a sin). Simply put, every act of disobedience to the word or the direction of God is a sin- so you may not have committed adultery, but do you pray regularly? God says pray without ceasing; from God point of view, you have sinned. All that loves righteousness ‘must hate’ sin (this gives the type of aversion we are meant to have against sin) In our daily usage, the statements like; love you like crazy, madly in love, ran like mad, crazy for you, lost without you, if loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right etc. All these and more have been generally accepted for the right expressions of feelings even though in themselves, they connote negative feelings. There are so many other supposedly negative words which have right usage. On the other hand, some ‘positive words’ could have negative connotations in usage. For example, love. Even though, apart from the bible, the definition of the word varies with people, it is a generally accepted word for the expression of self; either selfish or sincere. Once you hear the word love, there is a sense of attachment or desire. But the bible say love not the world (either selfish or sincere love). We as believers (in case you are not, you may as well ask Jesus to come into your life right now! That’s right! If you have, then you may read on) are not meant to have any affinity for the way the world operate. We are supposed to at all times seek and live by the way God operates (that is what we call the kingdom of God) Notice, by the reason of your salvation, Christ has come to dwell in you; hence the kingdom is in you. You cease to be of this world anymore, you belong to the God’s Kingdom. In case you don’t know, by the reason of your salvation, you are now an ambassador for Christ; so it is the constitution of heaven that governs your life, you have been translated. Tell me, have you ever seen the ambassador of any of the countries represented here been moved by our policies? No! Rather, whatever policy the government of the nation makes, the ambassador speaks for his nation and states their agreement or otherwise. Notice, the ambassador is not here to speak his mind, but the mind of the nation that sent him: Likewise you, you are no more meant to love the world and its affections. Even though what the world may be saying may appeal to your reasoning, God did not put you here as His representative to speak your mind. Rather you should speak the mind of God and act in accordance to the standing of the Kingdom you represent. So, to love not the world is not an option, it is a commandment. I have gone this far to make you see the way God interprets His word in other to

conclude the ‘rightness’ or ‘wrongness’ of your act. That is why the holy book says, ‘my ways are not your ways neither your thoughts my thought’. So, your way is only right if it is done according to God’s ordinance. Meaning, every good intentions are not God’s intentions. Your intentions are only godly if they line up with Gods, even though man may see your act as wrong or right. In the same vein, your thoughts are only good if you are thinking the word of God. For example, if someone did you evil, and you start to think evil of the person, you have sinned from Gods point of view. Because He said we should not think evil of our fellow being, neither should we pay evil for evil. The message title talks about the bite of a bulldog. Generally, dogs are domesticated animals, used as pets and some serve for security and other various usage. The bull dog is a peculiar dog; it is a sturdy, powerful and courageous type of dog with a large head and a short thick neck. Notice the peculiarity, in fact, it is a dangerous dog and because of this, it is gradually being faced out as a domestic dog. If you are as inquisitive as I am, you will be asking why? For one, the bulldog is not the best example of a beautiful dog, it compared to other dog in its old age is like a puppy. But what it doesn’t have for beauty and height, it has for strength and tenacity. Looking at it from a distance, it’s harmless and vulnerable; it is not the playing type neither is it the barking type. It may be described as stoic. To see it express itself as courageous and powerful is when it is confronted. Though it is not troublesome, it is not fearful. When a bulldog is provoked, and confronted, it does not run from its assailant, rather it runs to the assailant. When it approaches its attacker, what it seeks at that time is a bite (you may want to say, every dog bites when provoked. You are right, but the bulldog’s bite is different). Once it latches on the assailant, it never lets go even if its owner ask it to stop. (That’s the difference) The only intention in the mind of a bulldog when it takes a bite is to cut it off. It will hold on tenaciously on its prey and no entreaty or threat will cause it to let go. Even if it is killed in the course of the bite, it will hold to the bite even in death. It is in its ferocious fight that we see its quality. So whenever you see a bulldog, be careful you are not deceived by its size and mien. The description of the bulldog though dangerous has its positive side. Summarily, we can simply say it is tenacious, it believes in finishing what it starts, it is not troublesome yet not fearful, it is bold and strong yet gentle and finally its appearance and size does not determine its strength. Ladies and Gentlemen: These are somewhat the attributes of a child of God filled with the Holy Spirit (baring repetition, you may want to go through these qualities again). But for the purpose of this discuss I will like to pick on one of these attributes and that’s its tenacity: To be tenacious means; keeping a firm hold on…, principles, life etc; be resolute, (of memory) retentive; not forgetting things, to be determined to do something and unwilling to stop trying even when the situation becomes difficult. Now, relating these various meanings to you child of God: The bible says, ‘the just shall live by faith’. Meaning, faith is a lifestyle and not just what we practice or try. So, every believer is meant to keep a firm hold on the principle of the word of God for in it is life. If you are only trying faith (by that I mean using your faith when you have need and living as you please when all is well), you are not tenacious. If you get easily discouraged by the pressures of life that you start doubting the promises of God, you are a weakling, and you are not resolute, in fact, you are a coward and most likely you will not receive anything of God; that is not to say you cannot work it out yourself. To be tenacious is not to forget the promises of God concerning you. In spite of the several blows that the devil throws at you, you must always put before you

what God said about you for therein is your strength to go on. Once you forget God’s words your grip of hope will be loose and you will lose your faith and give in to fear; believing the lies of the devil. Finally, a tenacious believer is determined to stay put on the promises of God irrespective of the difficulties that might be on his way. He will speak like one of the Apostles saying, though I suffer these contradictions of life, I am not ashamed for I know the God I believed that He is faithful to His promises. I don’t remember Him failing those who believe on Him, why should you be first? My brethren, your faith in God and His promises (His words) should be like the bite of a bulldog. Refuse to let go. Be like the men in the hall of faith who even though died, but had the testimony that they believed God. Like the bulldog, it’s not about your size, your height, your beauty, your sex, your location, your background, your situation, your gentility or your brashness. Rather it’s about your rugged determination that is impossible for God to tell lies, that what He had started with you, He is able to finish. Since God fulfills His pledges, you may as well be tenacious with the grip hold of your faith in Him knowing fully well that you shall surely laugh last. So, bite on like the bulldog you are and never let go.