Luke 5:1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,
Luke 5:2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.
Luke 5:3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
Luke 5:4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
Luke 5:5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
Luke 5:6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
The story of Peter’s miraculous catch of fishes is one which is widely read, awe-inspiring and faith-lifting.
Yet, one can be tempted to ignore it, or pass over it during Bible study, due to one’s familiarity with it. Hence, missing its Spiritual significance.
Therefore, I intend to use this medium to highlight three important spiritual lessons the Saint must imbibe from the event.
1. Life without Jesus will be full of Toiling:
Night was the season where fishes were to be caught easily. At night, once the net is thrown into the river, much stress isn’t required to get a catch.
Yet, Peter labored all throughout the night, and he has nothing to show for his labour. He had nothing to show for his toiling.
When you are a Christian, and you try to make a living on your own, without the support of The Master, like Peter, you will discover that your toiling will amount to nothing.
Because there are spiritual forces that are against the thriving of a believer. If you fail to acknowledge Christ and get Him involved in whatever you do, it will all amount in nothing.
Peter toiled and caught nothing. Could you have spent hours studying, yet, ended up getting a result below what you expected? Could you have toiled in your business, yet, the more you toil, the more the business collapses.
Fear not, The Master has the ABILITY to restore you hundredfold.
2. He Gave His Master His Boat
The place of Giving in getting financial miracles can never be over emphasized. The Master asked Peter for his boat, and Peter gave it willingly.
This very day, the Master is asking for your boat. Your boat could be your capital, it could be your business, it could be your heart.
In our quest to get quick fortune, many of us have shut the door of our heart against the Master.
We have become unfaithful in our tithes and firstfruits and offerings, because we feel that giving to the Lord’s work will impoverish us. But that is the mindset of a carnal man. The Enlightened Saint will know that Giving to the Lord’s cause will only make you Richer.
Have a portion in your income that you use for the Gospel. Use your social media Influence as a platform for preaching the Gospel.
3. The Miracle was in Peter’s Obedience to Jesus’ Instruction
Jesus used Peter’s boat to preach, yet, nothing happened. Peter never received any miracle. Peter received his Miracle when he obeyed Jesus’ Instruction to let down his net into the sea.
Maybe you have been working for God for years, and it seems as if nothing is happening. I want you to know that your miracle is tied to your obedience of God’s Instruction.
The commands of God are our Wisdom. God’s breakthroughs are embedded in His Instructions.
Are you doing that which God asked you to do?
Do you know the right thing to do at this moment?
This is the reason why fasting and prayers are necessary. When one fasts, one separates oneself from worldly engagements, to hear from God, the secret to one’s breakthrough.
Have you sought the face of God on the next course of action to take?
Have you sought the Lord’s will on the work you are doing.
Until you do this and align yourself with His Will, you will keep Toiling and laboring without anything to show for it.
Peter was initially reluctant to obey Jesus’ Instruction. He was reluctant because he had labored all through the night and had caught nothing.
He had given up already. He was already tidying things up.
Have you given up on serving God? Or maybe you have given up on actualizing that dream.
I admonish you this morning, be not weary. Don’t give up. God is working out something big for you. A Miracle is coming your way.
Jesus never came to Peter when he was telling at night. It was in the morning when Peter had given up and lost hope, that the master showed up with a miracle.
The Master which shows up when All Hope Is Lost and breakthrough seems impossible.
There might be economic crisis. They might be lockdowns. And in the midst of all these, your business might seem to be at its last breath.
You might even be pondering closing it and signing for unemployment. I want you to hold on just a little longer.
The Master has a miracle in store for you.
Another reason Peter was reluctant to let down his net into the sea, was that the day time wasn’t the right time for fishing in the Bible days.“
Fishes always rose to surface at night which made fishing at night easier.
So when Jesus instructed Peter to let down his net for a catch, Peter said, ‘We have toiled all night, yet, we caught nothing’.
It was as though he meant to say, ‘At night, which is the best time for fishing, we worked hard, yet, we caught nothing. Is it now that isn’t the right time for fishing, that we would catch fishes?’
Probably, you’re in Peter’s condition. You’re skeptical about believing in God’s promises. You say to yourself, ‘Before the Covid, my business was already failing, is it during this lockdown that God wants to prosper it?’
Beloved, the God you serve is the Master of Times and Seasons. You do not determine the season of your visitation, He does.
Believe in Him. Trust Him for a visitation! Listen for His Voice and obey His Word.
You will be amazed at the miracle you will receive!
Most adolescents are not unfamiliar with the word ‘menstruation’. It has become a household name.
By definition, it is simply a woman’s monthly bleeding often called ” Period“, which can last for as long as 2- 7 days.
The typical age for girls to start menstruating is age 12. However, some girls start as early as age 8 or as late as age 16.
Women have menstruation up until 45-55 years old, and then they enter Menopause.
Menstrual periods are natural and are part of every woman’s life. However, some women find it difficult to deal with as a result of the discomfort that comes along with it.
It is fundamental to know what a menstrual cycle is and what constitutes a healthy one. The menstrual cycle is the monthly series of hormonal changes a woman’s body goes through in preparation for a possible pregnancy.
It starts on the first day of your last period and ends on the first day of your next period. The average length of a cycle is 28 days long. However, anything between 21 days and 45 days is considered normal.
This series of hormonal changes affect the whole body resulting in familiar menstrual symptoms such as:
1. Acne
2. Cramping in the lower abdomen and back.
3. Mood swings.
4. Constipation/loose bowel/ more frequent bowel movements.
5. Food cravings.
6. Trouble sleeping.
Nevertheless, You may need to visit a physician if:
1. You have severe pain during your periods.
2. You bleed for more than 7 days.
3. You change pads or tampons hourly.
4. You’re 16 years old and still haven’t seen your period.
5. Your period or premenstrual symptoms keep you away from your usual day-to-day activities.
6. Your periods stop or suddenly becomes irregular.
7. You get very gloomy and nervous around the time you get your period.
What can affect your Regular cycle?
The menstrual cycle varies from woman to woman. What is considered normal in one woman may be abnormal in another.
Nonetheless, some factors can affect the regular cycle in any female. These factors include;
1. Using birth control methods like pills, implants, etc.
2. Stress
3. Poor diet and nutrition.
4. Changes in your hormones/hormonal imbalance.
5. Exercising too much
6. Sudden weight gain or loss
7. Being sick
8. Taking certain drugs
It is advisable to keep a track of your menstrual cycle and that is how best to learn if your period is regular or not.
MENSTRUAL CRAMPS
This is one of the most discomforting symptoms of a regular period. While some ladies experience this a lot, some others are fortunate enough to not go through it.
Menstrual cramps can be “primary” or “secondary.”
Primary menstrual pain is caused by the menstruation itself. Secondary menstrual pain is caused by another root element, such as a health condition like endometriosis.
While primary menstrual pain can be relieved by a few simple steps, it is advisable to visit a medical doctor when the discomfort gets severe.
What to do to ease menstrual cramps?
1. Heat- try using a heated pad or a heated water bottle on your abdomen or back. Some others find relief in getting soaked in a hot bath.
2. Pain relief drugs like ibuprofen are quite useful.
3. Exercise – Physical workout. You may need to concentrate on exercises that stretch the abdomen.
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
The Bible remains one of the greatest books in history, not for its grammatical accuracy, nor its mind-blowing storylines.
Rather, the Bible is regarded as the greatest book in history for it is the only book that possesses the quality of being straightforward in its description of people.
The Bible knows no sugarcoating. It states things as they are. In the Bible, foolish men are called fools, there is no application of Euphemism in it.
Similarly, when the Bible attributes a quality to a person, it means it. When the Bible calls a person wise, study such person well, he carries wisdom.
In the aforementioned text, the Bible told us that God loved the Giver who gave cheerfully.
We have been taught all these while that God loves givers. Yet, we discover that scriptures went on to specify the kind of Giver that God loves; a cheerful giver.
Hence, we should ask ourselves, if we are qualified to bear this description.
Are you a cheerful giver?
The answer is not far-fetched.
How do you feel when you the Pastor in the church calls for donations to Church projects?
What comes to your mind when it is time to pay the Tithe?
God is not interested in any gift that is given grudgingly. He is not interested in any gift that is given out of the feeling of compulsion.
We mustn’t give because we feel the church would not survive without our giving.
We must see Giving to the Lord’s work as a Privilege. We must see it as an opportunity to prove our love and loyalty to God.
We must see Giving to the Lord’s work as an opportunity to receive from the Lord’s abundance.
Giving to God’s work open more doors for us than even prayers.
Prayer is Powerful. Prayer is necessary. But there are some things that prayer can never procure. There are some doors it can never open. These doors are mostly financial doors and doors to generational greatness.
The key to open these doors is in Giving.
David decided to build the Lord a House, for that, God established an everlasting covenant with David.
David never got this covenant through Praying. Neither did He get it through Fasting. He got this Everlasting covenant through His Giving (2 Samuel 7:1-16).
You might not be financially buoyant enough to build a Church building for the worship of God.
But have you given your mite to support the building?
Have you given your services to ensure the House of God internally and externally, is in good shape?
Are you Building the House of God, or are you pulling it down!
David isn’t the only man who got open doors through His liberal heart. His Son, Solomon, followed his footsteps.
Solomon’s sacrifice so pleased the Lord, that The Lord appeared to Him, saying, ‘What do you want me to do’
Prayer could not get this unlimited access from God. Fasting couldn’t. Yet, the sacrifice of Solomon gave him access to the unlimited bounties of God.
God is so interested in Giving that He sat at the Temple, watching the offering of the men.
God wants you to Give!
God is a Giving God.
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world; that He gave His only son”
God loved mankind, and He expressed this Love by giving the gift of His son.
What Gift have you given to mankind? What Gift have you given to your family?
Are you a Giving Christian? Or are you the Christian who is this selfish and self centered.
What should I give?
1. YOUR MONEY.
No matter how little what you have is, you are not exempted from giving. In fact, the kind of giving that moves God most is when we give out of the little we have. That is what is truly a sacrifice.
Give Sacrificially! May we be like David who said, ‘I will not give to God what will not cost me something’.
This is the law of Trans-generational wealth.
Even in the Occult world, Satan does not demand gifts that are irrelevant.
He demands the life of a relative or loved one before blessing the person who comes to him. This is because the true evidenced of love and honor is sacrifice.
If you honour God, you’ll give your finances Sacrificially to His Cause.
2. VALUE:
What Value do you possess that can be added to the Church? Do you possess the ability to sing, or to play an instrument. Or do you possess Event Management skills?
Whatever these may be, ensure you use them to promote the work of the Lord.
And remember, to do it Cheerfully. Do it Happily.
That is the Sacrifice which is Acceptable unto the Lord.
God made man into two unique and distinct personalities, the male and the female. This two personalities are to work together and complement each other. The female is given the ability to carry a being in her and give birth.
A human female who gives birth to a baby and parents a child is called Mother. You now get to know that it’s not just about giving birth but parenting. It’s much simpler to give birth than to go through the process of parenting.
Many ladies have chosen to give birth and leave the children to fate and chance.
If you don’t want to go through the process of parenting a child, birthing him doesn’t fully make you a mother. Should the child grow up, whoever he sees as his mother is the one who parents him.
Motherhood is a good thing that comes with a great responsibility. A true and real mother possess certain attributes other than being the entrance gate of the child. You as an upcoming mother or a mother presently should see to it, that you possess these qualities;
1) ABILITY TO NOURISH –
Nourishment is not just about providing food with the necessary and healthy nutrients. It is to cherish and comfort, to promote growth and supply means of increase.
You cherish your seed (child), possess a strong affection and love for him, you are always there to comfort him when facing challenges and issues in life. You are interested in the things that brings about his growth, this is who a mother should be. These are characteristics found in a mother who nourishes her children.
As a mother, you shouldn’t leave your children in the hands of strangers like domestic home workers e.g maids.
You should know the kind of food and snacks they consume to know if it’s good for their health. You should know when your child is having struggles and challenges, be available, you are a mother.
The ideal mother should be able to provide healthy food and snacks made by her for her children. You shouldn’t expose your child to eat things from outside that are poorly prepared with no nutrient value. Make time, put your own made snacks and food in his lunch box. Be responsible for what your child consumes.
There are jobs that you shouldn’t get involved in as a mother. Any job that will take you away from your child, make you an alien to your child is not worth it. You might work your ass out daily to provide enough for the child but what happens to the mother child bond?
You notice that there is a big gap between your child and yourself. You loose your child to frustration and sadness. Every child wants that motherly attention and affection, he need a mother who will be there to understand and comfort him. Are you fulfilling this role? Do you possess this quality? Is your child, the child put into your care being nourished??
2) TENDER LOVING CARE –
This means to look after, be mindful of, pay close attention and concern towards a child. It is a considerate and compassionate care, being fond of, loving and gentle towards a child.
Why would you be proud to answer ‘mummy’ to that cute baby girl, yet, you aren’t mindful of her, you pay no attention to her, anything can happen to her for all you care That is not a good quality of a mother. If your child can be going through a situation but you don’t notice or have a knowledge of it, it means that you pay no attention to the child.
Whatever you are fond of and love so much, should always be your priority.
Do not say to Carl “I love you my angel, kiss, kiss” when you do not show any evidence of your love.
How will she believe that you love her when you are so fond of your phone and laptop?
Are you compassionate and considerate towards the child, do you care for the child? Are you aware of your child’s problems and what are you doing to solve it? Do you observe your child? Can you answer the question, who is your child?
A mother should know who her child is, you should be deliberate and consciously observe your child, get to know your child. Create that bond and closeness. Care for your child , be soft on the child even when giving correction and disciplining him.
Calmly, mildly and gradually deal with his flaws and faults. Be gentle with him.
3) ABILITY TO TRAIN –
To train is to teach, to bring up one according to right laid down principles, to impart knowledge. A mother spends greater time with the child than others. She is responsible for the child’s upbringing .
Your love for your child is not evident in the over pampering the child to destruction but it’s in the teaching and guiding the child to know what is the right. The manifestation of any child shows the if he was trained or not. Training also involves educating your child formally and informally.
You shouldn’t train your child according to what you feel is right but what is absolutely right in the sight of God. Your mistakes should be a reference point of guidance. Fan to flame the potential and skill that you have discovered in the child.
1 Timothy 1:5 (TPT) 5 as I think of your strong faith that was passed down through your family line. It began with your grandmother Lois, who passed it on to your dear mother, Eunice. And it’s clear that you too are following in the footsteps of their godly example.
You can understand how important it is for a woman to know what it is to be a mother. The faith and salvation of Timothy was as a result of his mothers, from his grandmother to his immediate mother. These mothers laid down godly example to train Timothy bringing him up in the way of the Lord.
Timothy’s mother and grandmother understood his talent, his calling and guide him through till he became a teacher of the word. It’s your responsibility as a mother to know your child’s talent, potentials and calling. This will be a blueprint for your counsel, guide and prayer for your child.
Proverbs 22:6 (TPT) 6 Dedicate your children to God and point them in the way that they should go, and the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life.
You dedicate your child to God but it doesn’t end there. Direct your child, train him up in the way he should go. Your child will be very observant, learning the little and big things you do, will you be proud if he displays such publicly? Remember, the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life.
Being a mother comes with extra carefulnes because you are moulding and patterning the life of a person, all you do and say is being inculcated into the child. Learn what is right and sound as a mother, your child has to have good values.
Psalm 127:3 (TPT) 3 Children are God’s love-gift; they are heaven’s generous reward.
You as a young lady is a mother and should take the place of a mother towards the children around you. Treat the children like you would treat you own child. These children are gifts from God. If you are a guardian to any of them, treat them right. Stop the maltreatment and wickedness you met out on them.
These children are blessings to you, when they are grown you will see the fruit of your labour.
Pray for help to carry out the responsibility of a mother. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you build in these qualities.
Emily Gilbert heard the hospital door squeak open. Shifting uneasily on her hospital bed, she turned to see who was at the door.
She could hardly believe her eyes when she saw her husband George, whom she had not seen for the past nine months staring at her.
She felt a mixture of emotions rush through her veins as her face tightened up.
She didn’t know whether to be angry at him for cheating on her and deserting her all those months, or to be happy for his return.
Ashamed, George walked slowly towards her and knelt beside her bed, putting his head on the bed and placing her right hand on his head.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said, weeping softly.
“Please, forgive me”.
Emily gazed at him with sorrowful eyes as memories of the event that occured that fateful day he left home came flooding back.
She was in the kitchen trying to unpack the items she had bought from the grocery store, when her phone beeped in the living room.
Picking up the phone, she saw a text message that sent her shivers down her spine.
Her hands trembled as she read the words:
“You don’t know me, but I just want to inform you that I’m no longer dating your husband, George….I now know what we did was wrong. I’m sorry for any pain I may have caused you. Do forgive me.”
Emily sank into a chairs as she tried to make sense of the text. Slowly, the message hit home. Until that point, she had felt everything was OK with her marriage.
She had believed George when he gave excuses of busy and exacting office schedules as reasons for his late nights and frequent travels.
She had never for once thought that he could be cheating on her.
Why would she?
After all, they were Christians, she had thought.
Now, it was all clear to her.
When George returned home from work that night, Emily confronted him about the text message, but he denied it vehement. Emily would not stop there.
She wanted to get to the bottom of the matter. So she demanded to go through his phone logs, messages and contacts, raising her obviously exasperated voice at him.
Irked by his wife effrontery, George lost his cool, and before you know it, they started exchanging angry and unpleasant words.
Emily accused him of infidelity and dishonesty, while he accused her of nagging and ingratitude. Visibly angry, he picked up a few of his clothes and stormed out of the house, not knowing she was two weeks pregnant.
Now, after nine months, he’d returned a changed man, seeking to reunite with his wife who was hospitalized due to complications in her pregnancy. She had had a caesarian section, and had lost the baby.
Emily could not hold back her tears. “I am sorry, sweetheart,” George whispered softly.
“You are sorry?” She retorted, pushing him away from her.
“Do you have any idea of the pains you’ve put me through these months: the loneliness, the humiliation of being a single mother, and the anguish of losing a child? No, I don’t think you do! Because if you did, you wouldn’t have guts to walk in here and ask for my forgiveness! Who forgives such inhumanity?” She asked rhetorically.
“Jesus does,” a voice answered from behind. It was George’s pastor who had been standing at the door all the while.
He came closer to Emily’s beside and said to her, “Jesus forgave all your sins and made you a new creature. This same Jesus has now forgiven George’s sins and made him a new creature too.”
He paused for a while and then continued, “Although what he put you through is very painful, Jesus wants you to forgive his wrongs, just as He has forgiven him those wrongs and He forgave your wrongs. Forgive others as He forgave you. That’s His command. Please, don’t disappoint Him.”
The pastor’s words cut deep into Emily as if dagger struck her heart. She wept uncontrollably again, but this time, George wept aloud too because he knew he had hurt her very deeply.
They wept profusely not just because they were filled with remorse, but also because they had wasted nine months to do what they should have done in a day and avoided the mishaps that followed.
They had both paid a steep price for not settling their dispute amicably as the Bible commands.
But, they eventually forgave themselves, and things gradually became better.
There lived a woman with a child, who lived with her since the death of her husband. They lived for so long a time since then In peace.
But there seemed to be a fault on the boy’s side. Anger to be precise.
Whenever he got upset with His mother, he would not talk to her or even eat.
A certain day as usual when he was upset with his mother, he refused to eat anything from her.
The mother laughed within, and unlike other times chose not to beg him to eat.
In the morning the boy ate nothing. In the afternoon he ate nothing. At night he was so hungry and wanted to eat something, that when he thought the mother was asleep, he went to take food from the pot without her knowledge.
As he opened the pot, he caught a glance of his mother looking at him. He pretended to be doing something else and left there.
In the morning of the next day, he couldn’t bear it and went to his mother saying, ”I’m hungry. Please forgive me”.
The mother smiled and said to him:
”Son, in life, to resolve conflict in every issue is the best. There’s no profit in anger and you’ll only hurt yourself as you’ve just done. Than become enemies or take drastic actions from anger, chose to resolve. Chose peace”.
The son was grateful for the lesson and never exhibited that act again.
Lesson: Over anger, violence or anything else, chose to love. Chose peace.
We all have goals but only few has taken time out to map out and set their goals.
Goal setting has become a very important part of our everyday life as humans and as a matter of fact, we will get little or nothing done if we don’t set a goal for ourselves.
Take a look at an athlete who is currently training for one of the biggest race of his life, hoping to win the gold medal but for that hope to become a reality, he must have plans, plans to finish the race at the lowest time possible, plans to wake up early in the morning for exercises and so on.
The goal is the gold medal but every goal without a plan(setting) will only end up as a mere dream.
Even God, during the creation made plans for each day starting from the first day to the seventh day.
The greatest importance of Goal setting is the fact that it brings our goals into reality, it makes visible our dreams and imaginations.
Goal setting makes the impossible possible. It might look so hard, so difficult but trust me, when you have right plan, it becomes easier to achieve your goals.
One thing a proper plan needs is PATIENCE. In order to make progress with your goals, always have it in mind to take baby steps and not a huge leap. With each step, we get closer to our goals.
Don’t be too anxious or impatient, remember slow and steady wins the race but at the same time, don’t be inactive.
You don't climb a mountain by taking a huge leap neither do you climb a mountain by sitting around its bottom, doing nothing.
Youou start by taking a step and gradually you get closer until you are finally at the top.
Any goal without a proper planning could end up making the goal owner feel he or she isn’t capable thereby making them think low of themselves.
Embarking on a journey without making plans for it could end up in a total disaster or disappointment.
We need to make plans, set our goals in order not to get disappointed, broken and frustrated at the end.
“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was VERY GOOD. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day” – Genesis 1
It says in that passage above that all God made was very good meaning perfect, flawless, beautiful but it was all the outcome of a beautiful plan.
When you take time to set your goals, you will end up having a perfect and wonderful result.
You want to have a great result? Take time out to set your goals PATIENTLY and remember to include God in your plans for he is the master planner.
Let him be inactive the first and the last in your plans and trust me when I say you will have a perfect, beautiful and flawless result.
We live in a world where everyone is trying to protect themselves. No one seems to care for the other anymore.
What everyone is more concerned with presently, is covering the nose tightly, to ensure it doesn’t sniff in an unseen virus into their system.
Times like this can be depressing. If one is not careful, loneliness and melancholy can seep into one.
Yet, now is time, when we rest in the assurance of God’s love for us. Men may have abandoned you, but God will never abandon you.
If God is concerned about me, then why is He letting me go through these things? One might ask Himself.
God has His reason for allowing us go through trials and tribulations. We might not know the reason, yet, we do know that at the end, we shall emerge greater and stronger than we were.
But you must not despair. Do not let the devil deceive you by telling you that God does not care about you.
Psalms 8:4: “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
I want you to note that when The Bible uses the word ‘man’ in the context of the aforementioned verse, it does not refer to the masculine gender alone. Rather, it refers to the Humanity in general.
There are two things which I would like us to take note of in the verse above,
1. GOD IS MINDFUL OF YOU 2. GOD CARES FOR YOU
God has revealed in several places in scriptures, how much He loves us.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34
Isn’t it a wonder, that the Holy God loves an unworthy man? Isn’t it amazing that the King of glory cares for you?
He clearly says that he loves you! He cares for you!
God’s love for you is not based on anything you have done, or anything you are doing, or anything you will do. He just genuinely loves you!
He already loved you even while you are still in sins, weaknesses, doubts, fears, etc.
The birth of his son Jesus Christ, His death, His suffering, His resurrection, all of these are results of his love for you.
He does everything to have a relationship and communication with you constantly.
It is the reason why he tries to reach out to you despite how long you have rejected him, ignored his word.
But then, even as God is mindful of us, we have our response to this amazing love of God.
He is mindful of you, but are you responding to him?
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he caresfor you.”(1Peter 5:7)
He cares about your happiness, faults, worries, your well being, family and friends. He is concerned about your finance, job, food and shelter, etc.
But you need to respond to the one who truly loves you and cares so much about you.
Matthew 11:28, ” Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Why then should you trust in men, and ignore God who is mindful of you? Why then do you try to find happiness in material things, drinks, parties, friends, just to be satisfied?
The thoughts of you are in God’s mind always!
“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man” (Psalms 118:8).
Your first response to God’s love is responding to his call of Salvation from sin and damnation.
James 4:-8: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
God cares for you, but you need to respond to His amazing love now.
You also respond to God’s love through faith. Faith is trusting in the love of God. Faith is assurance that God is with you even in the valley of the shadow of death.
It is one thing to know that God loves you. That is a fact. But you must receive this Fact and mix it with faith, if you’re going to profit from it.
Dearly beloved, will you allow fear and depression to obscure your positive perception.
Or will you choose to cling onto the love of God, even when circumstances point to the contrary.
There is really nothing normal about the Christian, Our Lord and Savior was born by a Virgin, Died for The Ungodly and then Resurrected and Ascended into the Heavens, that’s how it all began, it has always been a RADICAL story.
The Early Apostles were martyred, but before then there were historically documented accounts of Supernatural Jail breaks by Angelic intervention, Shadows and Handkerchiefs healing Sick bodies, a Reputation of Turning the world upside down and the Conviction to die for what they believed was their new found life, it has always been a RADICAL story.
We’ve also read of more recent stories, Missionaries who stopped plagues in prayers, Evangelists whose preaching converted cities and Brethren working miracles that confounded scientists.
This should always be our Story, RADICAL CHRISTIANITY.
But it is sobering that those experiences are becoming too rare of late, and many more Christians just want to live the normal, regular life. To atend a religious meeting once a week, pay their religious dues of tithes and offerings and do enough to “make heaven” at last.
Indeed, what many refer to as a normal life is simply not Christianity. How we have deviated from the pattern of Radicalism and are quickly settling into a place of Regular everyday living is something to be worried about.
We must return to the original template, or else we will be guilty of handing a wretched version of a Rich life to the next generation, we will be responsible for the Greatest injustice in Human history – A misrepresentation and miscommunicaton of God’s greatest investment.
Let it be clear that Satan likes us neutral and indifferent, he wants us lukewarm and in the middle, he is happy we’re getting used to the normal, regular life that is never going to be a threat to his work and agenda.
But if we aren’t Radical Christians, perhaps we aren’t Christians at all. Or what’s Christlike in being indifferent towards God’s kingdom. What’s Christlike in being ashamed of God in a godless immoral Generation? What’s Christlike in the regular life of Modern Christianity. If we aren’t Radical Christians, we are simply not like Christ.
There’s so much for Self-love and Self Crush amongst today’s Christian, this is why there’s no iota of resemblance to the Man who gave himself up on the cross to save a world of sinners.
Our love for self has made us “Play safe” for so long, we just want to be safe and happy, but in playing safe, we have become Satan’s pleasure and The Devil’s Joy.
We are not safe until we are Radicals. Passive Followers often count their gains, Just as the Crowd relished the bread and fish from Jesus’ miracles, many Christians only count what they have received. B
But for the Radical Christian, we won’t just count our gains, we will also count our losses.
Oh yes, there will be losses, this is the idea of the cross.
Luke 14:26-27: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever do not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”
There will losses, those who will call you extremists will walk away. Jobs will be lost because your conscience will not approve of certain Practices as a justification for more money.
Convenience and Comfort will be far from you, But in all your losses, there will be the Great Gain of Becoming just like your master and living the Radical Christian Life.
May we be able to say like Paul,
“I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” – Philippians 3:7-8 NLT
An excerpt from Pastor Judah Olorunmaiye’s Book, Candid Opinions from an Oracle.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Judah Olorunmaiye is a Pastor, Father, Husband as well as Coach. In his book, Candid Opinions from an Oracle, he delivers the undiluted truths of the Gospel for the profiting of this generation and beyond.
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