Page 70 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 1

ISSUE ONE | JULY/AUG
These things amaze me and also I am sure I won’t ever forget that walked on this earth and also as
make me wonder if anyone among picture. a spiritual authority that is coming
the gang of lovers even understand There is one definition of love again, was and is the perfect
the concept of sacrifice. For love my late dad taught me from my expression of the Father’s heart.
is sacrifice of self-will for the will many ministry journeys with him. Scripture says He is the express
of God to find space and express He used love as an acronym to image or physical expression of the
itself whether we like it or not. mean “Living Over Various Evils”. Godhead. He completely mirrored
This definition has stuck with me to us the entirety of the heart of
My Personal Journey for nearly three decades and has the Father in amazing expressions
Born into a family of a gospel also defined some life realities for that are beyond the words and
minister, I learnt early the me. One of the things it has helped thoughts of man’s heart. He came
importance of love by sacrifice me to gain in my heart is how not to show us how love and loving is
for others, rather than love by to see anything from the point of both an ART and a HEART issue.
words of the mouth or emotional view of wrong, not to hold on to He came to show us the reality of
expressions, which I have found anything beyond a day, and how to “as a man thinks in his heart, so is
out often lead to emotional forget whatever yesterday brought, he”. Meaning that everything that
manipulations. I watched my while holding on to the new hope Jesus did while on earth was a
late dad give himself entirely to that tomorrow has in store. This direct expression of a heart that
selfless sacrifices for those he has been really helpful in my own mastered the art of loving, either
ministered to as a pastor and as walk with God and relationship expressed as emotional intimacy
a missionary. Leaving the house with men. By nature, I have a or rebuke. I have a personal
sometimes with him at past very intuitive and analytical mind, definition of art. ART to me means:
midnight, just to go pray for sick which over time I am still learning Ability to Re-create Thoughts.
people or church members in to submit completely to the will of Very simple definition but broad
their houses was beautiful in itself God. Mind you, that I learn to leave in scope, which we can elaborate
back then, even though I didn’t things in the past doesn’t mean on later. From my definition of
understand then what he was that I don’t judge or analyze things, art, Jesus was the master of
doing or what God was teaching situations or what people do to me this concept which was revealed
me. He had this sweet friendship or around me, nor does it mean I in various ways in which He re-
with the remote town we were don’t freak out when things get created or demonstrated on the
living in then and many referred to really emotionally out of control. I outside that which was in the heart
him as Papa Essien, for he loved do, but I always end up subjecting of the Father without allowing
both his church members and these things to the concept of any form of emotion to clog such
non-members alike. The security “living over various evils”, which expressions. He perfected the art
guards in the area loved him for he somehow allows me to excuse of loving and showed us how to
was out almost every night praying others concerning the things they do the same without biases and
outside the house while they did did which I know are not accurate. unnecessary emotions that often
their security duties. In fact, the Surely, I am not perfect in this make divine messages of love
day he died in April 1994, he died reality, but it has saved me from lose their true meaning and then
right in my arms, after he finished countless incidents that would break us away from the grace that
praying and making tea for some have otherwise broken my heart. accompanies them.
of his sick church members who
had come to the mission house The Father’s Heart In Christ Jesus clearly saw all things from
for prayers. As a young boy of Today anyone can call on the name the perspective of God the Father,
about fourteen years old, who of Jesus for any aspect of their a thing which allowed Him the
had never seen a dead body or lives and be sure to obtain some ability to judge situations, offences
someone dying before, I watched answers, even though sometimes and sins accurately, from the eyes
life go out of him right in my arms the answers don’t always match of God alone. He meant it when He
with just the name of Jesus on the expected thoughts of the heart said, I can of Myself do nothing,
his lips. I couldn’t even call the of man. Most people however, as I hear from the Father, so I
people that were right in the living do not put their minds to work to judge. And then He went ahead to
room that he was ministering perform a critical analysis of how confirm that His judgements were
to, simply because I had no clue Jesus really was, who He is right never wrong because He didn’t
what was happening to him, even now and who He will manifest seek His own will, but the will of
as he rested in peace. That event Himself as when He comes again the Father.
imprinted in me the principle of on this earth. I can say this with
love by sacrifice in a way I didn’t all confidence, that Jesus, both in
recognise until my later years. And His physical expression while He The A.R.T of Love

70 HEALING - RESTORING - REBIRTHING - AFRICA