The Power of This Level

THE POWER OF THIS LEVEL

Emmanuel Iweha

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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Copyright 2014 Emmanuel Iweha

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DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to time and patience. I dedicate it to a Father that has always been there and knows how to draw out substance from things others would call meaningless. It never ceases to amaze me on how He consistently has His way even when we think we are the ones in charge.

PREFACE

The Power of This Level has been a journey that has enriched my life in more ways than one. It is a collection of 36 essays covering different aspect of thought, all aimed at giving insights that could be beneficial to anyone that takes the time to go through them. Some are shorter than 600 words and you would find a couple above 2000 words. If there is a connection between all the essays, it is that there is a bridge linking us to God and giving us the ability to live better lives. My prayer is that this book will enrich your understanding and cause you to pause, think and ask questions that will set you on the path that will liberate your mind to greater truths.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Power & Importance Of This Level

Chapter 2: Every Other Miracle

Chapter 3: What The Fly On The Wall Would Say

Chapter 4: Numbers 23: The Deed And The Seed

Chapter 5: Numbers 23: The Utmost Part

Chapter 6: When It Is God That Sent Them

Chapter 7: When Men Wash Their Hands

Chapter 8: The Sad Thing About Job’s Compensation

Chapter 9: How Unfortunate For Humans: God Thrives On Drama!

Chapter 10: Look Who’s Fighting On The Lord’s Side!

Chapter 11: The Toothpaste Phenomenon

Chapter 12: When It Comes To Humans; Don’t Trust God

Chapter 13: Dreams & Deprivations

Chapter 14: The God Of Peace?

Chapter 15: The Peace Of Jonah

Chapter 16: Our Father: Prayers That Will Never Be Answered

Chapter 17: Exceedingly Abundantly Above

Chapter 18: The Twin Questions Of Christ

Chapter 19: Wars And Judges

Chapter 20: Balak And His Mistakes

Chapter 21: Life…About You

Chapter 22: No Security

Chapter 23: Marriage: When You Are Ticking The Wrong Boxes

Chapter 24: The Faith That Is Impossible To Defeat

Chapter 25: Lips Of The Righteous

Chapter 26: Want Long Life? Here’s A Possible Danger To Living Long

Chapter 27: Cows, Springs And Wells

Chapter 28: Haters And Takers: On Why They Hate You

Chapter 29: Impasse: Help Vs Help

Chapter 30: Some Annoying Things Religious People Say

Chapter 31: When Virtues Become Idols

Chapter 32: In The Presence Of My Enemies

Chapter 33: Adam And The Monkey Business

Chapter 34: Names And Relationships

Chapter 35: Maps, Paths & Destinations

Chapter 36: No Understanding

Other Books By Author

All Scripture quotes are from the King James Version of the Bible except otherwise stated

The Power & Importance Of This Level

...What is that, in thine hand? And he said, A rod. God to Moses (Ex.4:2)

The next level, the next level; you will get to the next level. People daydream, fantasize about and drool over the next level. You want to get to the next level.

However, you have to do something to get to the next level. The next level is a level you are yet to enter; just like hope, (it is hope because it has not yet materialized). Most importantly and something many do not seem conscious of is that whatever you have to do, that thing you have to do to get to the next level will happen or can only be done at this level. You are already at a level or else you will not be thinking of another level.

To think that you have to do something at this level to experience the reality of another level which is supposedly higher (it is higher) should make you start looking at this level more closely. That is the problem: this level. Nobody wants to look at this level and that is why they are daydreaming and fantasizing about the next level.

However, it is only those who act on this level i.e. who are conscious enough to notice this level and who notice this level enough to pick tools from this level and use them to act that can move up to the next level. You are not in a vacuum; the next level does not come by daydreams.

Therefore, this level is quite important. Without this level, there will be no next level. It is this level that has given birth to the daydreams of the next level. To move forward to that next level, it is this level that has to give birth to decisions and actions which must still be taken at this level. This level births the tools that you will use for the actions that will get you to the next level. This level is the working area of the next level. You must appreciate this level long enough to notice things about this level that can be used to get you out of this level to the next level. It is like the young boy facing a fully armed giant – he picked tools from that level. He and the giant were on the same level else they would not be facing each other (this is huge i.e. them being on the same level and the tools at that level can effectively deal with the problems at that very level).

The giant boasted that he and the boy were not on the same level (that was basically what he said when he looked at the boy that was sent to fight him). The giant was probably looking at his size, experience and strength but the fact of the matter was that they were both on the same level otherwise they won’t be facing each other. The giant used weapons that he was already used to at that level and the boy did likewise.

God’s provision is such that He will make things available at your level even things that you are comfortable using. This is one of the things the story of David and Goliath teaches.

...What is that, in thine hand? And he said, A rod" God to Moses; appreciating this level well enough to notice what is at this level so that you can use them to get to the next level

Dying People

People that die at this level hated it so much that they did not have the presence of mind to look around them (at this level) and find something that can be used to get to the next level. Their escapism only gave birth to daydreams and fantasies of the next level. Nevertheless, they only saw one reality, which was a reality of the gloom of this level and it gave birth to the desperation and hopelessness to end it all- at this level. Prisoners are not locked up today and escape minutes later. They usually escape after they get down to appreciating the level they are and long enough to start noticing lapses or tools they can use to get out of that level to the next level. Indeed, the longer they stay, the more they notice and the better their escape plan.

It is actually not about the time but the quality and presence of mind to ignore the hate or hopelessness and start making objective observations that are not based on hate or disdain. Hatred blinds reason and this is a fact to the degree the person filled with hate allows it to become blinding.

And Saul cast a javelin at him Saul and Jonathan (Isa 20:33)

Saul the king was so incensed at David that he threw a spear at Jonathan his son whom he had just told that he had to kill David in order for him i.e. Jonathan to secure the throne. He was so blinded by hatred that he would have killed the person he was trying to secure the throne for.

People that die at this level cannot see the tools at this level because they are blinded by their disdain for it or just plain hopelessness. This level may be anything. It may be that stepfather that comes crawling and slithering into your room at night or that ‘dead end’ position in that company. You just have to step back and observe this level because you need to use the things at this level to get to the next level.

The next level is the future but you cannot bring the future to the present as such but you can use the present to get to the future (an alternate argument also holds true at a level because you will have to see the future at the present to change your present). The next level is always ahead and may be out of reach. Nevertheless, you can only bring it within reach and indeed enter it when you look around you at this level. You need this level more than you know.

It is given unto you to know… Jesus; someone who knew (Matt. 13:11)

Every Other Miracle

There are times when every other miracle except the very one you are looking for is taking place all about you. The miracles we are talking about has to do with you but the thing is that the very one you stand by the window and wait for is not just showing up. Others are coming along, knocking and entering but the one you are looking for stays away.

There is a biblical precedence for this; Abraham wanted the miracle of a son. At one point in his life, every other miracle was taking place except the very one he longed after.

Communion

There was the miracle of sweet communion with God. Not many people then could boast about having knowledge of the God who created the heavens and the earth, Abraham conversed with him. Even among the godly, what Abraham had with God was special. He was called God’s friend. Not many people could lay claim to this fact; then and now.

The communion he had with God was a miracle in its own right. Here was man talking to God. Here was God picking a man out and relating with him in such a manner that they were described as friends. If he were not looking for anything else but just this, it would definitely have been more than enough.

Enoch walked with God: and he was not for God took him (Gen 5:24)

There were people that the bible made us understand that they were men of God just like the man that had such as description during the time of Jeremiah. However, not many people were called the friend of God. Having a living communion with God is the greatest miracle that can happen to any man that has blood flowing in his veins and arteries. To be able to speak and be spoken to by the entity that is the creator of all entities is simply the greatest miracle ever.

Now you may be looking for that one miracle but the miracle of communion is already here with you.

He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear (Isa 50:4)

And thine ears shall hear a word behind, thee, saying, this is the way, walk ye in it (Isa 30:21)

You have the most amazing miracle with you already but Abraham did not see this as the miracle of all miracles. In fact, he came to take it as commonplace.

Oh that Ishmael might live before thee Abraham to God (Gen 17:18)

Here was a man sounding exasperated. The issue here was not that the creator of the universe spoke to mortal man. It was not that the one another describes as humbling Himself just to look at the affairs of men was in communion with him. Rather, Abraham was not entirely impressed with what God was talking about as he felt he had gotten Ishmael and was