IT’S OURTHING

Hey friend 💜,

I know, I know, it’s been a while since I wrote something here, but well, let’s see what the Lord is doing in these times. (I apologize for the long read in advance. I know you missed me.😅)
I want to start a little series on this blog called Sunday Gems. At least, that is the name I came up with at 2:27pm on the 14th of September.

What is the plan for this series, one may ask? I am sure you are guessing it has something to do with church and, well, you guessed right. It has everything to do with church and what I am studying, learning and picking up along the way.

Let me give you a little introduction to me and church. I have always been a church girl, and a few years ago, when I moved away from my home city to Accra, it meant looking for a church, right? Then the Lord placed me and planted me at Ephesus Gatherings Worldwide and gave me Prophet Edem Julius-Cudjoe and Mrs. Deborah Julius-Cudjoe as my Pastors and Spiritual Parents. You know there is definitely more to this story, but this is what you get for now.

Anyway, the Ephesus family is a place where we learn and grow. My Pastor describes the local church like an army barracks, because an army barracks has hospitals, schools, restaurants and all these different things, and the whole idea is that you are trained and raised as a holistic person. That is how I see Ephesus, a place where we are being trained, raised and equipped to grow up and conquer the world for Christ.

With that short introduction out of the way, let me tell you a little more about this series. We are called as Christians to be a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden, and we are also called to be the salt of the earth, and one main idea that runs through both of these metaphors is influence. We are called to influence, we are called to be Christ’s influencers, and I have been thinking about this a lot, especially after a message that was preached at church recently, which I will probably be digesting here too. I found myself asking, what can I do to be an influence? What does it actually look like to influence the people around me for Christ? And somehow, this series was born.

So follow along as I share and digest with you some of the gems I pick up from church every week. I cannot promise exactly when I will be posting, but I will do my best to post before another Sunday comes around. Also, I will still be posting my regular Ourthing posts too.

Now, let’s dive into what I learned on Sunday, shall we?

When I was in university and even in recent times, I genuinely thought my SHS days were much more spiritual than my life at the time because I used to pray a lot, read my Bible a whole lot, go on love walks with the Lord and just spend so much time with Him. I used to feel sad when I thought about how my “spirituality” had gone down, and I would sometimes look back at that version of myself and almost wish I could go back to those days.

But something my Pastor said on Sunday really caught my attention. The Lord, through my Pastor, drew my attention to the fact that as believers, our path is supposed to shine brighter and brighter, and sometimes the enemy loves it when we remain in the past and glory in past victories and past encounters. There is something about constantly looking back at what God did yesterday that can make us miss what He is doing today and what He wants to do tomorrow.

The message was titled What to Do After an Encounter, and as I listened, one of the things I kept thinking about was the Word. Everything the Lord will do in our lives will be through His Word, because God is always speaking and His Word carries His thoughts, His nature, His instructions and His life. The devil also knows just how important the Word is, which is why he enjoys stealing it from us. He knows that if he can take the Word before it takes root in us, he can interfere with what that Word is meant to produce.

This is why I found the whole idea of information versus illumination so interesting. Sometimes we hear the Word and all we have received is information. We heard the message, we understood what was said and we can even repeat what the preacher said, but there is a difference between knowing something and having light come on inside you. Illumination is that moment when something you have heard suddenly becomes alive to you and you realise, “Ohhhh, this is what God is saying.” To move from information to illumination, there has to be a willingness to listen and listen again, to listen listeningly, as my Pastor put it, with our minds receptive and our attention given to what is being said, even to the point of writing things down as the message is coming.

And then there is the matter of brooding over the Word. I loved this picture because just like a hen sits on her eggs and stays there, keeping them warm until what is inside develops, there is a way we also have to sit on the Word we have received. We cannot hear something on Sunday and expect it to automatically transform us simply because we heard it once. We have to meditate on it, pray about it, fast, think about it, speak it and return to it until the seed of that Word begins to produce something in us. There has to be a deliberate process of allowing the Word to develop instead of allowing the distractions of everyday life to steal it away.

This also connected with the conversation around neuroplasticity and faith, because the way we continually expose our minds to the Word of God can begin to change the way we think. As we meditate on the truth of God’s Word, our thought patterns can be rewired, and we can begin to move away from old ways of thinking, old habits and even old patterns of sin. Sometimes we are asking God to change our behaviour when He is also trying to transform the way we think, because what happens in our minds eventually finds its way into our lives.

Then came what I found to be a very practical reminder, the 72 hour rule. The emphasis was on not allowing what we hear to sit untouched for days because there is so much happening around us that if we do not return to the Word we received, meditate on it and begin to apply it, the distractions of everyday life can easily steal it. This made me think about how often I have listened to a really powerful sermon on Sunday, felt convicted and excited about what God was saying, and then by Wednesday I can barely remember what the message was about. The Word was there, but I did not brood over it.

And I think this is something I am learning to do more intentionally. I am learning to make time to spend listening to the Word of God through messages that are preached, but also through spending time in the Bible for myself and actually thinking about what the Word says. I do not want to simply collect messages and sermons in my mind. I want the Word to become light to me, and I want that light to produce something in my life.

The more I think about it, the more I realise why the Word is so important. If the Lord is going to do something in my life, He will do it through His Word, and if the devil knows this, then it makes sense that one of the things he will try to do is steal the Word before it can take root. So I have to take seriously what God says. I have to protect what I hear, return to it, meditate on it and allow it to take root in me.

And maybe this is one of the biggest things I took from Sunday: an encounter is not the end. An encounter is an invitation to preparation, responsibility, growth and a deeper relationship with God. I cannot keep living on yesterday’s encounters when there is fresh Word, fresh light and fresh grace available for today.

My path is supposed to shine brighter and brighter.

There is more to learn, more to encounter, more to grow into and more of Christ to become.

So, that is my first Sunday Gem.

Let’s see what the Lord teaches us next Sunday.

(Ps: I am still thinking of other cool names for this series so don’t be surprised if the name changes…😅

With love,
Jaziel 💜

Check out the sermon here: WHAT TO DO AFTER AN ENCOUNTER

Scriptures to Consider

Matthew 24:45

Isaiah 55

Psalm 103:20

2 Corinthians 10:4–5

Matthew 13

Mark 4

Luke 8

Psalm 45:1

Isaiah 55:9–10

Hey friends,

This season gently calls us back to remembrance. To the moment God chose nearness.

Every time I sit with the story of Christ’s birth, I am undone by the humility of it all. That Jesus, fully God, agreed to enter humanity at its smallest point. From zygote to embryo.
From womb to baby. Limited. Dependent. Held.

He was born into conditions that made no sense for a King. A manger. A borrowed space. A childhood lived under threat. He grew, learned, waited, endured.

And knowing the end of the story, He still chose the Cross.
All of it. For love. For YOU.

As we remember His birth, may we not stop at the manger.
May we remember the love that carried Him from heaven to earth and from earth to the Cross.
And because of His finished work on the Cross, we now boldly come into relationship with our Father.
No fear. No veil. No distance. Just love.

What a gift. What a love.

Merry Christmas from itsOurthing.

Jesus still remains the reason for the season.

Scripture References
John 3:16
John 1:14
Philippians 2:6–8
Romans 5:8
Hebrews 4:16

On my way to watch a play recently, I took a bottle of water with me just in case I got thirsty.

Halfway through the ride, we got stuck under a traffic light. The Uber driver mentioned he wanted to buy water, but before he could, the light turned green and we had to move.

That’s when a small battle began inside me. Should I offer him my water and stay thirsty until I got back home from the production, or should I just keep it?

The Holy Spirit was on my case for a solid three minutes.
Eventually, I gave in and offered him my bottle, secretly hoping he would reject it because it wasn’t cold.
But he gladly accepted it and thanked me. I was a little bummed.

When I got to the amphitheatre, I was greeted with bottles of water for free. And for some reason, everyone kept asking if I needed more water even after I had already taken one.

It was a sweet trust moment for me.
I actually felt warm inside, like a hug.

It reminded me of that picture on social media where Jesus is asking a little girl to give Him her small teddy bear while He is holding a much much bigger one behind His back.

I realised that if I had not given my water away, I would have missed out on the free gift of water God had already prepared for me.

Most times we wrestle with obedience and listening to the Holy Spirit because we do not trust enough that His plans for us are far better than our own.

God has big things for us and He only asks that we trust Him with the little we have even when it feels like so much to let go of.

He always has a much bigger teddy bear waiting behind His back if only we will trust Him.

I am learning to trust Him daily and truly knowing Him comes from spending time with Him in His Word.

I hope this encourages you to spend time with Him too and to trust Him at His Word.
He always has much more to offer when you trust Him.

With love,
Jaziel 💜

Scriptures to Consider

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Ephesians 3:20 (KJV)
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

Isaiah 55:8–9 (NIV)
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

A lesson on trust

Hey friends,
I know you haven’t heard from me in like 2 months. Don’t worry—I miss you too. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to write… it’s just that I’ve been learning. A lot. And sometimes when you’re learning, you don’t even know what to say yet, you know?

But anyway, let me share something I’ve been learning:

GOD CAN BE TRUSTED.

Yep, that’s the lesson.

And before you scroll past thinking, “Yeah, yeah, we know that,” pause.

You might remember—somewhere around November 2024 or maybe the start of the year (honestly, time is a blur)—I shared how I thought God lied to me. Yeah. That. I remember saying it and feeling so conflicted. And if you’ve followed me for a while, you know how that season went.
But looking back now, I realise one reason I didn’t trust Him was simply this:
I didn’t really believe He could be trusted.

I know that sounds wild. But hear me out.
Trust doesn’t just fall from the sky. It’s built. It’s gained. And it’s gained when you know someone—like really know them. Their ways. Their voice. Their character. Their silence.

Growing up, I believed anything my parents said. Especially my dad. If I asked him for Fried Rice (yes, capital F capital R), I believed he’d bring it. And he always did.
I didn’t care whether he had money or not—my child brain didn’t factor in budgets or bank accounts. All I knew was:
This is my father. He said he would. So he will.
Because he had done it before. Tried and tested. Fried Rice was my proof of trustworthiness.

Now I know this sounds like a whole Fried Rice sermon, but stay with me.

The point is, trust is easier when someone has a track record.
And guess what?
God has a track record.
The only reason I know this now is because I’m learning to look for it—in His Word.

The Bible isn’t just a book with hard-to-pronounce names and rules. It’s a record. A storybook of flawed human beings who lived on this same broken earth—and how God came through for them, over and over again.

Noah.
Abraham.
Hagar.

Hannah.
David.
Ruth.
Mary.
Peter.
Paul.
You.
Me.

Story after story. Page after page.
Tried and tested.

And just like how I knew I could trust my dad to bring Fried Rice because I knew him, I’m learning that I can trust God because I’m getting to know Him more deeply. And when you know someone, really know them, you start to trust not just what they do, but who they are.

And God?
He’s good.
He’s kind.
He’s faithful.
He’s consistent.
And—He’s trustworthy.

Maybe you’re in a season where trusting God feels hard. Maybe you’ve been waiting so long, it’s easier to believe He forgot. Or maybe, like me, you’re just beginning to really learn who He is again.
Wherever you are, let me remind you:
You can trust Him.

Because He’s not just good when it’s easy. He’s not just faithful when it’s fast.
He’s faithful. Period.
Tried. Tested. Trustworthy.

And if you need a reminder, think about Fried Rice. 😂
If an earthly father can be trusted to deliver lunch,
How much more… your Heavenly Father?

With love,
Jaziel 💜

Scriptures to Hold On To:

• “The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.”
— Psalm 145:13b (NIV)

•“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”
— Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

• “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
— Numbers 23:19 (NIV)

• “Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
— 2 Timothy 2:13 (NKJV)

• “Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.”
— Psalm 9:10 (NIV)

Hey friend,

Happy New Year once again! Yes, I know—it’s been a while since you heard from me. But I’m here now, and I truly hope that 2025 has started strong for you.

The new year usually starts with all the hype—resolutions, vision boards, fresh goals or even registering with the gym to get in shape.
But here we are, almost through February, and if we’re being honest, some of us are still standing in the same place we were in 2015!.

I’ve been there too—writing out all these plans and goals, feeling excited for a while, then suddenly… nothing. No action. No progress. Just vibes.

And you know one major reason why?
…
…

Fear.!
Yes, Fear.

It creeps in so subtly, especially after you set your goals. Maybe it’s the fear of failure, so you’d rather not try at all. Or —plot twist—the fear that you’ll actually succeed, and you don’t feel ready for what comes next.

Fear is a Master at keeping people stuck. It stifles growth, kills progress, and ultimately stops you from stepping into what God has already prepared for you. And let’s be clear: fear is not from God.

The enemy does not want you to move forward, so he throws fear at you to paralyze you. And sometimes, it shows up in the weirdest ways. Look at the Israelites—God did crazy miracles to deliver them from Egypt, literally split the Red Sea for them, yet when they got close to the Promised Land, they froze.

Moses sent spies to check out the land, and instead of focusing on how good it was, they focused on how small they felt. “We look like grasshoppers compared to them,” they said. Imagine that! Because of fear, they almost gave up on a land that was already theirs.

And that’s exactly what fear does. It makes you doubt what’s already yours.

But here’s the thing: this is a new year. A fresh start. And you are not about to let fear keep you stuck again. So whatever that thing is—starting the business, going back to school, serving in that ministry, applying for that job—

Do It Afraid!

Take the step. Even if your hands are shaking. Even if your voice is trembling. Even if you don’t feel ready. Just take the step.

And here’s the best part? Fear melts away in His love. The more you walk with God, the less fear has power over you.

So, here’s to 2025—a year where we refuse to be held back and we Do It Afraid.

Until the next blog, stay blessed and move!
Hugs 🤗,
Jiji

Scriptures to hold on to:

• 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
• Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
• Isaiah 41:10– “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
• ⁠Numbers 13:31-33 &
  Numbers 14:1-4

It was almost like every other day on campus. The only difference was that I was a year older.

I got a lot of text messages from my friends that morning. Even those who hadn’t reached out in ages sent their wishes. Then, I got a call: “Madam, you have a delivery waiting for you.”

Confused but intrigued, I hurried downstairs from my student hall, wondering who could have sent me something. To my surprise, it was a cake.

I asked around to find out who sent it, but no one seemed to know. With no answers, I decided to keep it until later. When my roommate came back and saw the cake, she suggested we cut it and invite a few friends over. What started as a simple gesture soon turned into a casual “drink-up” situation.

Now, I was notoriously clumsy with fragile items like glasses and plates. My roommate, knowing this, teased me relentlessly: “I know you’ll definitely break the glass.” I laughed and played along: “Yes, o! I feel it too. This glass is going to break.” We kept joking about it throughout the evening.

When the night wound down, I went to the sink to wash the dishes. That’s when it happened. I picked up the glass, and it shattered in my hand—without much effort, as if it had been waiting for that moment. My roommate didn’t believe it was an accident, but for me, it was a striking revelation: the undeniable power of words.

That day, I made a firm resolve: Words are powerful, and I must be careful what I say.

But as the years passed, life happened, and that resolve began to fade. The incident lingered in my memory, but the urgency to guard my words slipped away.

You’d think someone who had experienced such a vivid example of the power of words would go through life declaring positive truths and victories over themselves. But honestly, this remains one of my greatest struggles.

It’s easy to speak what’s obvious—what you see or feel in the moment. And let’s be real: life often serves up more negatives than positives. Speaking life into difficult situations can feel almost unnatural. Strangely, I’ve also found it easier to speak positively about others than about myself.

There have been dark moments when my mind was filled with negative thoughts—lies I knew weren’t from God but from the enemy. Instead of resisting them with the truth of God’s Word, I stayed silent. And in those moments, the lies grew louder, pulling me down.

Here’s what I’ve learned: the enemy’s power lies in his suggestions. He has no authority unless we agree with him through our thoughts or words. When we align with his lies, we empower them.

The opposite is true with God. He has already spoken good things over us—unchanging, undeniable truths. But He needs us to align with Him by speaking His Word, not just thinking it.

The Bible says in Zephaniah 3:17 that God sings over us with delight. His melody heals, soothes, and restores. But we must join His harmony by declaring His truths out loud.

The bottom line? Silence is not your ally in the battle of your mind. You must speak. The enemy’s lies may persist, but we tear them down with the truth of God’s Word.

This is a reminder to immerse yourself in God’s Word and build a relationship with Him. After all, how can you speak life if you don’t know what to say?

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21). Life and death both bear fruit. Choose life. Speak life.

Scripture References

1. Proverbs 18:21
   “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
2. Matthew 12:36-37
   “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
3. Proverbs 15:4
   “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”
4. James 3:5-6
   “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
5. Ephesians 4:29
   “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
6. Zephaniah 3:17
   “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

I’ve been thinking… have you ever felt like God let you down? Like, you thought He said something would happen, but it didn’t?
That happened to me not too long ago.

During the COVID lockdown period (when some of us became very spiritual🤧), I was convinced I’d heard God’s voice.
In that moment, I remember God telling me to pray concerning the matter, but like most of us, I started.. and stopped along the line.

In that season, I had very interesting dreams supporting what I heard. A lot of people I trusted to be spiritual also confirmed it. I even told my sisters because I was so excited for this upcoming episode of my life.

But as always, things didn’t happen like I pictured it in my head (you know how wild my imaginations can be” )

“God, didn’t you tell me?”
I felt betrayed, like God had lied to me…that He broke my heart.

Fast forward mannnyyy years later (let’s say 3years 🥶), I went to church (after months of not going 🌝) and in the middle of the sermon, My Pastor said “God did not lie to you”.
How did my pastor know? I hadn’t told a soul about how I was feeling. (Because truly, how could I say with my Ghanaian Christian mouth that God lied to me😞). My heart started to race as he kept speaking, like he was somehow putting words to the things I’d been keeping to myself. With every line of the sermon, it felt like he was gently peeling back layers I didn’t realize were so visible.

I found myself tearing up—I felt truly seen by God. It was as if He was gently addressing the unbelief I’d been wrestling with all this time, letting me know it mattered to Him.

Later, I decided to re-evaluate the situation instead of just tucking it away like I usually do.

1.⁠ ⁠Did I truly “hear” God or was I desperate?
2.⁠ ⁠Did my “hearing God” align with Scripture?
3.⁠ ⁠Did the opinions of people sway my thinking?
4.⁠ ⁠Did I actively apply the word I had heard? Was I obedient?
5.⁠ ⁠Was I putting my own timelines on God’s promises?

It was hard answering these questions. After some time, it hit me:

1.⁠ ⁠God never lies; He’s not human that He should lie.
2.⁠ ⁠God never speaks outside of His Word. (The Bible).
3.⁠ ⁠The devil distorts God’s character. He does his best to misrepresent God to His children and vice versa.
4.⁠ ⁠Prophecies are for spiritual warfare. We can not assume that a prophecy it will automatically come to pass!

5. A day to God is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day. God’s timelines are different from ours.

It hasn’t been an easy pill to swallow , but with good teachings and guidance, I have been able to grasp these truths.

I am sure most of you want to know exactly what the gist is, but that is for another day 🤣.

The bottom line is,
God doesn’t lie! He’s always True. HE IS TRUTH!

Until next time…
Stay blessed and Keep trusting!

Hugs 🤗,
Jiji

Bible Reminders

• 2 Peter 1:19 (KJV) – God’s word is the Sure word of prophecy 
• 1 Timothy 1:18 (NKJV) – Wage war with prophecy!
• Numbers 23:19- God is not man that He should lie!
• ⁠ 2 Peter 3:8, (you can add vrs 9 😉)- God’s timelines.
• ⁠Genesis 3:1-5- the devil distorts word and character
• ⁠Revelation 12:10- the accuser of the brethren is defeated! Hallelujah!

Hey friend!

Long time no talk! I know, I know, it’s been ages since I last posted on “It’s Our Thing.” Life got busy, but I’m back!

I’ve missed sharing my thoughts and experiences with you. You know how life can get crazy? But one thing remains true: with Christ, life makes sense.

In the coming weeks, I’ll share some stories from the past few years and some scriptures that have inspired me. No promises, but I’ll do my best!

Thanks for sticking around! Stay blessed, and keep trusting!

Hugs,
Jiji

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, But we will remember and trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭20:7‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“You who [reverently] fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭115:11‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“Trust [confidently] in the Lord forever [He is your fortress, your shield, your banner], For the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:4‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Father teach us to trust You with all our hearts. Teach our hearts to believe in all that you have in mind for us.

Keep us steady and let us not be swayed away in our faith.

We know we can Trust You because of who You are…

That’s OurThing. We can trust You.