Tag Archives: Church

Faith

YOU ARE PERFECT

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When I was a kid, I never got to experience the full range of childhood exploration. This was due to the fact that I had extremely low self-esteem. I was embarrassed about myself, my family, and my body.

As a child, I was short and lanky, and my peers thought I was a nerd. One thing people always noticed about me was my lanky stature.

As a result, I was ridiculed and even threatened. As a result, I ceased public performance. I no longer attend parties or other public gatherings. I felt self-conscious every time I walked across the street.

People’s negative words infiltrated my mind and became a stronghold there for many years, until I began to experience a spiritual reawakening and turnaround.

I became interested in my Bible, and as I studied it, I discovered that I had believed a lie all these years.

The things I saw in the Bible about myself were the polar opposite of what I had been told as a child. I began to see myself in a whole new light.

This viewpoint was initially difficult for me to accept because my mind was already programmed to believe negativity.

It had become so accustomed to negativity that it dismissed and filtered out any positive statement that came its way.

However, as I began to study my Bible and learn more about God’s love for me, this stronghold of negativity began to crumble.

Today, I am living up to my full potential. I am a bold preacher of the Gospel; I am a leader in my organization, and there is no trace of timidity in me.

Your current situation may be similar to mine. Perhaps you’ve been told that you’re not beautiful enough.

That you’re not beautiful enough; that you’re not holy enough; and you’ve been living in the shadow of those voices. It’s time to toss them aside and listen to what God has to say to you.

You are God’s design. You are His child, and He adores you.


See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know Him. (1 John 3:1)

I recall talking with a friend who had adopted a child from an orphanage. I asked her why they chose the young lad out of all the kids. ‘I don’t know,’ she replied. I saw him and I fell in love with him.’

This is the type of love God has for us. He adores us without condition. He loves us despite our flaws and weaknesses, both physical and spiritual.

Everything changes the moment you realize and accept this truth. It changes your perspective and mindset. All that matters is that God loves you.

He regards you as Holy and beloved. Height has nothing to do with one’s ability and innate quality, whether you’re slim or fat, tall or short.

One can have a large stature and be hollow on the inside, or a very large stature and be full of massive potentials.

Whatever your situation is, learn to accept yourself. Accept your body for what it is. You would never have had that kind of body if it didn’t look great on you.

Put a stop to the intimidation. Satan will always try to use those voices to make us fearful and prevent us from reaching for success.

When everyone else is speaking with this voice, however, look within and listen to the voice of God within you.

Speak positive thoughts to yourself. Speak up for yourself! It makes no difference what your physical disability is – success is determined by what one has within, not by the shape of one’s body.

So don’t bother with plastic and cosmetic surgeries to alter your body. You are ideal just the way you are!

Put a stop to the timid voices! They will always be there for you! People will make fun of you if you are thin. People will make fun of you if you gain weight.

People will make fun of you if you are short. People will still make fun of you if you grow tall. So don’t let other people’s perceptions of you shape your own!

Turn their stones of mockery into a push for success as they hurl them at you. Never go back to respond to them! Maintain your focus on the task that God has assigned you, and complete it with joy.

Finally, live a positive and optimistic life. Fall in love with yourself on a daily basis – look in the mirror every morning and speak genuine words of affirmation to yourself.

Allow positivity to serve as your filter, allowing it to filter out negative thoughts and voices in your head.

You’re perfect!

Written by Nwodo Divine

GENERAL

Starting your day in the Presence of God

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      What is the best way to start the morning?

     

This is a hard-hitting question that many seem to ignore. In a busy world like this, the first thing that comes to the mind of many the moment they’re awake is preparing for business, taking care of the kids or checking for updates on their social media page. This explains the reason why many believers complain of having a terrible day, and live life in emotional stress.

Fortunately, as soon as you’re doing reading this, the stress and depression syndrome will end.

START YOUR DAY IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

     

There’s no greater way to begin the day than to begin it in God’s presence. Spending time worshiping and praying in the morning has a lot of impact on our inner stability throughout the day. This is the reason why even the Saints of the Bible days were known for early morning devotion.

Jesus prayed in the morning {Mark 1:35}. David prayed in the morning as well. Here are some incredible benefits gained in habitual morning devotional life.

1. It is a sign of gratitude: Psalm 3:5: “I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the LORD sustains me.” (HCSB) Having fellowship with God as your first activity in the morning, expresses your thankfulness for His preserving power. It shows you acknowledge Him as the one who sustained you and your family throughout the night.

Psalm 91:5 talks of the ‘arrow that flies at night’; these are spiritual attacks sent from the enemy’s gathering while we sleep to harm us or our families. The fact that in spite of arrows sent by the enemy we wake up hale and hearty shows that it is God who preserves us. Thus, as grateful saints, we must express our gratitude to the creator and life-preserver of the universe.

2. We seek and receive the guidance of God for the day: Though natural wisdom demands one makes logical, sequential and organized plans for one’s day, the truth remains that life is very unpredictable. Anything can come up during the day – a tough decision to make, a temptation very hard to resist, an accident or unexpected incident etc; spending time praying in God’s presence equips us for these things. The Holy Spirit can forewarn us of certain dangers in the day if we’d spend time in His presence. Through praying in the spirit, we can even be inspired to pray against certain traps which the enemy has set for us as we go on our daily endeavors.

3. It helps build a strong spirit: The reason people wish the day would never break is that they lack the fortitude and enthusiastic strength to face the day and its challenges. Praying and meditating on God’s word in the morning has the same effect on our spirit as charging your phone has on its battery. When you pray in the morning, your spirit is charged up and strengthened to be able to bear all that the day will bring.

A Christian with a strong spirit will always experience inner stability. Such Christian can fight even the toughest of battles and stay joyful; because he derives his joy from his fortified spirit. If you want to have a mature spirit, have devotional time with God every morning. A  Christian, who keeps spending time only on his secular engagements without spending time with God, will wear out terribly.

Isaiah 40:31: “But those who wait upon GOD get fresh strength.” (MSG) We receive strength when we dwell in God’s presence.

4. We experience the peace of God:

Meditating on God’s word eases our stress levels and calms our soul. The Bible says that when we pray, ‘the peace of God that passes all understanding will flood our soul; this divine peace is the supreme antidepressant.

It is the antidote for high blood pressure, the cure for migraine and the klopin for stress. It is a conviction of God’s faithfulness that settles all the doubts in our minds.

Meditating on God’s word puts our soul at rest. The Psalms are full of inspiring verses for meditation; feed on them every morning – you will find peace and incomprehensible tranquility in them.

5. Inspiration:

Job 32:8: “But [there is] a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” (KJV)

Inspiration is an inner stimulation to do something creative. It is a feeling of enthusiasm which prompts creative ideas and innovation. Inspiration is what gives us reason to keep succeeding. In spite of the lockdown, pandemic and economic crisis, if believers can stay inspired, there’s no limit to what they can achieve.

But we won’t be able to receive inspiration for creative living if we are too busy to have a devotional time with God. Inspiration is best received in solitude – when we spend time in God’s divine presence. Spending the morning in God’s presence inspires our hope and creativity for the whole day.

We hope you have been blessed by this post. We want to hear from you; do drop a like and comment for us. God bless you. Stay safe!

GENERAL

A place where the weak are strengthened

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1 Thess.5.14 – Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, SUPPORT THE WEAK, be patient toward all men.



Studies show that church attendance is gradually declining in America. Our youths are leaving the Church to join the streets – unfortunately, it seems like the Covid/lockdown magnified the situation.


With the Internet taking over as the global means of communication, it is important that as believers, we preserve the sacred custom of having fellowship with one another physically.



One of the most important benefits of having fellowship with the believers is that it strengthens us.


Paul reveals to us in 1 Corinthians 9:24, that Christianity is a race. In this race, there are those who have gone ahead of us; those who are with us and those behind us.



As we run, just as 2 Timothy reminds us, there are times one get weary. It’s not that such saint has fallen from faith, it’s just that he needs some words of encouragement to reinvigorate him to continue the race.


The Saint is in a battlefield constantly. It is either he is fighting against the antichrist system of the world, or he is fighting against the attempts of the flesh to lord over him.


This war requires strength and fortitude. This strength a lot of times cannot be generated by ourselves; it is gotten in fellowship with other folks of our faith.


This reminds me of the Vision Rick Joyner had. He said he saw believers striking themselves and the enemy was able to penetrate. He said he saw an army, so large and great and all the devil had to do was to poison the warriors against themselves. Immediately they started to hit themselves, the demons gained control.

A PLACE WHERE WE CAN BE STRENGTHENED

The communal Church is the strength of the saint.




A place where we can be strengthened is only in the midst of those who understand what we pass through.


A place where we can be strengthened is a place where we have people with the same goal, mission and hope as we do.


A place where we can be strengthened is a place where we see those who have gone far ahead of us and those we look up to – where they place their right hands on our shoulders and whisper to our ears, “You are stronger than you think”.


Statistics has shown that majority of those who end their lives abruptly, died out of hopelessness.


The Lord knew we would encounter these things, thus the need for fellowship.


A strong man remains strong because He is surrounded by Several other Strong men.


If we were sufficient alone, God wouldn’t have told Adam He needed Eve.


The Bible says, “Two are better than one, for one will sharpen the Countenance of His friend”.


IRON SHARPENS IRON


Having fellowship with other believers strengthens our faith. It makes us know we aren’t alone in this journey. It makes us strong when we feel weak.



The Church is where we find hope. The Church is where our decisions and determination is reinforced. The Church is where we are assured of His Glory and Presence.


If we ever think we can stand alone and do not need the House of Faith, then we have believed a lie.



If you want a coal to lose its flames, separate it from other coals. It may be producing and anchoring fire, but when separated, within minutes, the fire dies out.


So it is for the Saint. If we are separated from other coals, we will experience spiritual collapse.
Stay with the Brethren.

A united Body cannot be easily intimidated.


Has your hand ever told you it doesn’t need your ear? Just imagine how it would look like if your body parts were dissembled.

You would be so weak that even a puppy would be able to intimidate you. But you are strong, complete and bold because your body parts are together. So is it when we’re in union with other saints. It makes it nearly impossible for the enemy to attack us.




Written by Ehimwenma Fortune Osarunwense.

GENERAL

The Paradox of the Prophecy

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Text References: Genesis 37:3-9; 39:20; Chp. 41

The story of Joseph is one which is very common among us today – the story of how he was sold into slavery by his very own brothers, how his case deteriorated from slavery even into imprisonment, and how it finally ended with Joseph being on the throne.

We are very familiar with this story; but one thing many Christians do not realize is that they are actually having a re-experience of what Joseph experienced – that is, they are playing out the plot of Joseph’s story.

Joseph had a great dream of becoming a King. He was destined for greatness; he was destined for kingship and royalty. Joseph was a royal by destiny.

Like we do today, Joseph in his days had a dream of leading nations. In one of his dreams, he saw himself being the leader of ‘stars’.

In other words, Joseph was destined to be the leader of leaders and not mere men. This is the destiny of every child of God. You are born for nowhere else but the top.

The Cedar

Psalm 92:12 “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” (NKJV)

            

The Palm tree is a tree which is known for its strong and solid roots, bark as well as productivity.

When the Bible tells us that the righteous will flourish like it, it simply reveals to us that as believers, whether you are a Child, teenager, youth or adult, in every of your engagements, fruitfulness and productivity will be the output.

It means that things will only keep getting better in our lives and in our engagements. It means that as a believer, in your academics, you will be among the best. In the skill you’re acquiring or the trade you are doing, you will achieve immense success. This is the prophetic destiny of every child of God!
          

But what you must also know dear saint, is that there will be a time when what you see in your life seems to contradict what you see in God’s word; I call this ‘The Paradox of the Prophecy’. It is a season that every Saint who ever became great in life passed through.

          

God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations, yet, for many years Abraham never had even a child.

Isaac blessed Jacob with the blessing for greatness, yet, for more than 14 years Jacob lived as a poor servant serving a shrewd master and receiving very little money as his wage.

God anointed David through Samuel to be king over Israel, yet, for many years David wandered from wilderness to wilderness leading a pack of wild and hungry men.

God promised to take the children of Israel to a land flowing with milk and honey, yet, for many years they walked in the wilderness eating only a kind of food daily.

                

The list is innumerable. The reason you must know this is that success and greatness comes in seasons and phases; if you are in what seems to be a tough season now, do not write off your dreams!

           

This paradoxical season comes in many forms – in Joseph’s life, it came in the form of slavery and imprisonment.

How could the one who had the stars in the galaxies bowing before him become a servant boy in the house of Potiphar?

How could the one who had the prophecy of worldwide greatness become a prisoner dwelling in a prison with criminals, thieves, and strumpets?

I was thinking since he was destined for greatness, God would make queens his nursing mothers and the palace his playground; but we see the exact opposite.

This young teenager lost his mother at an early age and suffered severe antagonism and antipathy from his brothers.

Wasn’t he the royal one? Wasn’t he supposed to be loved and pampered since he had the brightest future? – but we see the exact opposite. Joseph grew up in the toughest of environments.

           What does this reveal?

           

You are not alone! You are not the only one who is going through pain, intimidation and hardship inflicted by our nation’s system of education and economy.

Joseph also grew up knowing this pain; he also grew up receiving scorns and mockery from his older brothers. But the climax of the story is that he still became the noble that God destined him to be!

          

Look unto Joseph and be strengthened. He lived for years in a dungeon – an underground prison full of darkness and the most evil of criminals.

In the dungeon, you do not get good food; you do not wear good clothes; you do not get any encouragement or motivation; no one visits you in the dungeon – it is a place where you are left alone.

Does that sound like the condition you are in? Maybe you wish you were born in a very wealthy family; but you are living in a house or street full of dirt, immorality and ungodliness, do not despair, it’s only a paradoxical phase!

It is only a juxtaposition of the prophecy and the present. Or maybe all you’ve ever gotten is criticism even from your trusted ones; maybe you have no one to give you the love, acceptance and recognition that you crave for, look unto Joseph and be strengthened, he once went through the phase you’re going through today.

Great men are always alone, and great men are men who at adolescence or even childhood, were compelled to take responsibility for their lives and future by the harsh circumstances and battles of life.

Joseph was taken away from the comfort of his parents like many Christian youths these days are compelled to leave their families to learn a trade and fend for themselves due to lack.

But Joseph did not allow his circumstance to affect his grip on his prophecy. Even in the prison, Joseph saw himself as a leader and acted as one. Do not allow what you are going through affect your mood, rationality and self-esteem!

Be bold and confident of yourself! Be respectful and always look for a way to help those in your society!

Do not be intimidated by your peers who seem to have everything they wish for handed to them on a platter of gold! Neither should you be discouraged to think that your life will remain as it is now.

Hebrews 3:6: “….    Hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (KJV)

Don’t lose Hope!

God is saying to you, hold unto the hope of a great end. Hold unto the promise of God in the scriptures that you will be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath.

Do not lose your confidence and courage! Keep serving God and devoting your time to Kingdom work, rejoice in hope that surely, you will sit on the throne that belongs to you.

GENERAL, Ministry

More than a Book

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Some see this prized asset as a mere collection of scripts and scrolls written by men; but the Bible is more than a collection of scripts, it is a collection of divine mysteries. It is a treasury of vast heavenly wisdom. 

Though it was written through the hands of men, the Bible was written by God Himself. It is an outflow of God’s divine wisdom and power.

One of my favorite verses about the Bible remains;

‘Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.’ – Psalms 119:160.

God’s Word is eternally true and relevant. The Bible remains the same. It doesn’t improve; neither is it progressive! What the Bible called sin thousands of years ago, remains sin till date – including homosexuality and fornication.

Some Facts about the Bible

1. It is the Book of God’s Kingdom: 

Every kingdom or state has a book(s) called a constitution. The Constitution contains not only the rules and regulations guiding the state, but the rights of the citizens in that state. The Bible tells us that our conversation is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), and that we have been translated from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13).

The Bible is the constitution of our Kingdom. It reveals to us who we are in Christ, our responsibilities as well as our rights in Christ. The Bible reveals to us our identity as sons of God.

It is in God’s word that we discover that by the stripes of Jesus, we are healed (Isaiah 53). It is in His Word that we discover that we through the redemptive work of Christ, we have been made a royal priesthood, holy and acceptable unto God (1 Peter 2:9).

2. The Book of the Supernatural

The Bible is not a mere storybook! It is a book which presents to us the workings of God’s power in the days of men of old. Any Saint who devotes his time to studying this book with an open heart, will surely walk in the supernatural.

There is a measure of faith that is released into our spirits each time we read of the incredible acts of God. God did not record those acts so that we can read them for leisure or mere knowledge. He wrote them so we would read and be strengthened and ‘faithened’ to command the same.

WHY IS THE BIBLE VERY IMPORTANT?

The importance and significance of God’s word in living a life of victory can never be overemphasized. Here are a few reasons why God’s word must be treated with sacredness and studied with fervency and devotion;

1) All Scriptures are Profitable:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” – 2 Timothy 3: 16-17. 

There is profit in studying the scriptures. Profit means gain, benefits, income etc; in other words, we get great gain when we devote our time and concentration to studying the Bible. We gain spiritual knowledge; we gain faith; we gain hope and inspiration to keep moving in the quest for greatness.

Until a believer begins to profit from God’s word, He can never be a profitable and productive servant of God. God’s word is also profitable for reproof, correction and instruction.

In God’s Word, we are instructed on how to conduct our lives on Earth as Christians. How then can a believer live in confusion when such an all-encompassing treasure as the Bible exists?

2) The Foundation of Our Faith:  

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:4. 

Solid faith grows by steady intake of God’s word. One of my mentors Nwodo Divine would always say, “Just as when we eat rice, it becomes carbohydrate in our body, and when we eat beans, it becomes protein in our body; when we eat the word, it becomes faith in our spirits”. Our faith can only stand strong when it is founded on God’s word.

So the scriptures were written to build and grow our faith. For faith to grow, there must learning and unlearning. A believer can’t grow in faith if he chooses to stick to the superstitious and mythical beliefs he had as an unbeliever or Christian infant.

Look at the word whatsoever that was written in the scripture was to form our faith, it is written to show us the pattern of living in God’s kingdom. It is only those who stay with scripture that will always produce what is in the scriptures.

The Scripture discloses the norms, ethics, habits and behavior of believers. It is because many do not know the scriptures that they conform easily to the world.

Until we go back to intense study of the scripture, we will always err and give the wrong counsel and direction to our young ones. 

3) The Revelation of His Will:

And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? Luke 24:32.

Until the scriptures are opened to our understanding through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, our eyes will continually be blind to the things that God is trying to show us. 

The scripture uncovers God’s will and counsel for our life. The Scripture is very important because it captures God’s purpose for individual, Family, nation and generations to come.

BIBLE OVER DARWIN

The scripture also shows our root. We may be created with material bodies, yet, God’s word reveals to us that man in his true form, is a spirit (Job 32:8). In God’s Word, we discover that man came from God (Genesis 1:27) and not from apes – a frivolous assertion made by a scientist whose mind had been darkened by Satan.

The Bible shows us that man didn’t evolve from any pre-existing being, but we were rather created from God.

Folks, it’s time we start paying attention to the Word as it is the manual that God has given us to guide us unto success.

If you were blessed by this, please give it a like, retweet and drop a comment, I’ll reply right away 😊😊🙏🏿🙏🏿

GENERAL

What Is God’s will For Your Life?

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One of the profound statements made by one of the wisest Kings of Israel, Solomon, is that ‘there is a time for everything under the earth.’


There was a time you were born and there is a time you will die. The life of a man begins from the womb and ends at the tomb.


In the middle of the journey from the womb to the tomb, is the assignment that God has in mind for us.


To live a life without a clear vision of what God wants you to do is to live a wasted life.


Never live your life without understanding of God’s will for you.


A Wise Man once said ‘when purpose is not realized, abuse is inevitable.’


The will of God will always communicate the purpose of your life on Earth.



‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ Jeremiah 29:11-13.


The aforementioned passage lets us know that God has thoughts about us. He has a will and purpose for our existence.




This means that there is a picture of your future in the mind of God and He wants to show it to you.


God wants to show you His thoughts so that you your walk will be aligned with them.



Many people are ignorant of the thoughts of God towards them. This is wrong. God desires to reveal His thoughts for you, to you. The thoughts of God for us is His will for us.



“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 55: 8-9.



Thoughts are energies that constitute our lives. Ninety percent of who we are today is a product of our thoughts.


Spend time thinking through the thoughts of God daily. His thoughts are in His world. They’re thoughts of Hope, a better tomorrow, prosperity and peace.



If God’s thought is larger than our thoughts, it means that what God desires for us is far wider and greater than what we even want for ourselves.



His will is higher than our will and that is why we must surrender our will and yield to His will.


How can I know God’s Will?


The Holy Spirit will always communicate the will of God to us. He is the One who reveals the deep and hidden things of God. These things are hidden, not from us but for us.


God loves you more than you love yourself. He has our future all birthed and planned in His Mind. Seek to know the Mind of God.

Revelation of His Will for us is what births the convictions required to withstand the storms of life.


Do you know God’s will for your life or you are still roaming around looking?



Greenhills Emmanuel Amarayahweh

Spirituality

The Preserving Faith

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There are three P’s of Faith: Patience, Persistence, and perseverance. These three constitute the nature of faith.


As Believers, we are meant to solidify our faith to fight the imminent evil days. If our faith is not strong how then can we fight against the fiery darts of the enemy? How would we stand against storms and sufferings and prosecutions?



The days we are in look like the sun is so darkened and the heavens have been closed over us. Such days where the government is against the rise of the Ecclesia.

Such occurrences are part of the test of our loyalty to God. For if we have no vitality at the time of tribulations, we are weak and have not yet been trained to uphold the Faith.


Our ancestors, the first-century fathers of faith; the apostles, were not called fathers of faith simply for recognition.

It was because they went through different types of trials. The storm was so great that the church in Jerusalem was dispersed but yet they had a persistent and preserving faith.


They were patient because faith can’t build enough stature in us if there is no patience. Patience makes our faith robust, firm, and able to hope and see beyond what is going around us.


It doesn’t matter what we are going through, it doesn’t matter how the situation looks like now. What we need is a faith that will make us live and dwell daily in the supernatural.


For the raging roar of stormy winds and waves cannot erode our faith in God. Rest in His presence has a constantly flowing river whose sparkling streams bring joy and delight to his people. Psalms 46: 3-4.


There are so numerous storms in life and, it is only our faith that can calm them. It takes a man of faith to speak and things would return to normal.


Do we remember the miracle of faith that Jesus performed while the disciples were on a boat?

The master was sleeping comfortably in the boat when storms and the winds came wrecking.

The disciples were afraid of death even when the master who gives life to all was on the boat with them. He simply rebuked the raging sea and wind and they became calm. The disciples had joy and rest.



When we have persistence, perseverance, and patience, there is no high level of the storm coming that we won’t be able to surmount.

We should do well to plant our lives in Christ Jesus that our faith may produce fruits in due season. With Him in our boats, our faith springs forth life.


Hallelujah!



God wants us to overcome every storm, it is in God’s interest for us to win every battle in our lives. By this, His glory in us is displayed.



What is your faith’s level?
Boost it today.



Greenhills Emmanuel Amarayahweh

Spirituality

Does God approve of your existence?

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“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew and approved of you [as my chosen instrument] and before you were born, I separated and set you apart, consecrating you and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1 vs 5 (AMP)



God told Jeremiah in the scripture above that he knew him and even approved of him before he was formed in the womb, meaning even before his parents met, God had chosen and set him aside for Kingdom purpose.



When God said He knew Jeremiah, He meant He knew even his deepest secrets, he knew Jeremiah more than Jeremiah knew himself.


He knew his flaws, weakness, strengths, past, present and future mistakes


God knows us the same way too. He knows all our weaknesses, still, just like the way he chose and approved of Jeremiah, He has approved of us the same way.



God sees beyond our flaws and weaknesses into the great potentials embedded in us and wants to bring it out and use it for the Kingdom.


But contrariwise, what most of us see is the weakness and flaws we all have in our lives.


We feel we are too weak and imperfect for God to use.


The truth is, truly God has approved of us but until we also learn to approve of ourselves, God’s plan and purpose to bring out the great potential embedded in us won’t come to fruition.


We also learn to see things from the standpoint of God. We must learn to see ourselves the way God sees us.


In the bid to show ourselves approved, many of us have become pleasers of men rather than God-pleasers.


Men may approve of you but if God does not , it is all is in vain.


It is better to be approved by God alone than to get the approval of all the men of the earth.



God’s approval is the highest form of approval you need to get in life and once gotten, the approval of MEN YOU NEED in your life will come rushing in.


I capitalized those words above for you to understand that you do not need everyone’s approval to get through in life.


Trying to get the approval of every one around you will surely end up in frustration because you can never please everyone.



God knows those you need and he will surely bring them your way, all you need is to get HIS approval first.


So do not get broken if those you think you need do not approve of you, for God is preparing you for greater things ahead.


Let us try to be pleasers of God and not men.


Remember, since God knows you and has approved of you, you must learn to approve of yourself also.


It may look stupid right now but trust me, in time to come, it will all make sense and those who rejected you in the last will come back running to you.




Written by Tolu-Taiwo Victor

Spirituality

SPIRITUAL POISONS

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Image Credit: Mental floss

Poisons, according to the Advanced English Dictionary, are substances which cause injury, illness or death to a living organism.


Poisons could prove really injurious or deadly even when taken in the the littlest quantity.



Relating it to the spirit world, poisons are substances which cause injury, illness or death to one’s spiritual life even in the smallest quantity.


Most spiritual content comes e in form of messages (preaching) that we give our hearts to, as well as the books we read.



There are many messages and spiritual books today but not all are good for our spiritual health as Christians.



The devil knows he might not be able to poison our minds as members of the Church from outside the Church, so he tries to get us from within the body of Christ through the use of varieties of false doctrines and wrong books.



The Bible calls those books, teachings and those behind it “WOLVES IN SHEEP CLOTHING. ”



These books and teachings do not come alone, they are accompanied by verses from the Bible to confuse and poison the minds of believers.



They may contain a higher percentage of Bible verses and then a little percentage of spiritual poisons, yet, that little droplet of spiritual poison is enough to destroy one spiritually.


The devil knows you will not believe lies easily, so he inserts some real Bible verses in it.

Take a look at the temptation of Jesus.


Truly, the Bible tells us to listen to counsels but it did not say any counsel. It specified that it must be “WISE COUNSELS”. [Proverbs 1 vs 5]


There are lots of counsels today, some of which go against God’s written words.



We must be careful of the things we give our hearts and ears to.



How can you know the wise counsels?


The Bible says in Proverbs 1 vs 5, “….. a MAN of UNDERSTANDING shall attain unto wise counsels. ”


To be able to know and discern the wise counsels from the poisonous ones, one must be a man of understanding and a man of understanding is a man who has been taught the scriptures through the help of the Spirit of Wisdom which is the HOLY SPIRIT.



Many seek shortcuts in life, but only few are ready to learn first-hand from the Bible.



Those seeking shortcuts end up polluting their minds, while those who go through the true way get their minds so built up that it can never be shaken by any poison or storm.


We must all learn to take time out to intentionally study our Bibles in other to know that which is and which is not.




About the Author Tolu-Taiwo Victor is a Nigerian-based writer and university aspirant. He’s a leading author at Koinonia Art.

GENERAL

A Sunday Anecdote

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Going to church on Sundays for most people, is to give absolute praise and worship to God for his blessings throughout the week.

It is to also listen to the Word of God that will sustain them for the week to come.⁣
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But for some people like me, going to church on Sunday is like going to a fashion show to to impress people especially girls, with new clothes and a cute face. ⁣
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For people like me, it is a day to dress gorgeously, sit in the front seat where the choir girls would see us and get charmed them with our incredible sense of fashion and dancing skill.
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This Sunday morning, I painstakingly selected the clothes I would be wearing to church. I wanted to go for native attire as usual, but eventually opted for corporate wear since it was the first Sunday of the month.
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So I wore the black flannel trousers I had bought the previous day, a white long sleeves shirt and a green blazer that stuck to my skin like boiled okra and I also spotted my “fake but looked real” Rolex wristwatch. ⁣
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After dressing up, I checked myself in the mirror, I really love what I saw. From my newly shaved hair cut, to my little make up of powder and lip gloss to avoid my lips from getting dried and finally to my cooperate attire. ⁣
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“Sweet Boy… Those choir girls go take am” I muttered to myself as I briskly walked to church.
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When I got to church, I was welcomed by the Hospitality members who were at the front of the gate. They repeatedly said to me, “You are welcome to church. Have a nice service ahead” out loudly. ⁣
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I walked past them to the church premises not without giving that killing smile of mine to Deborah, one of my crushes in the church’s hospitality unit. She smiled back. ⁣
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⁣Guess she fell for my charm! ⁣
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While going inside the church, I noticed two pretty looking girls pointing at me and smiling. ⁣
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“Ah! Service never start beautiful girls don dey fall for me” I uttered to myself. ⁣
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A beautiful usher a beautiful smile plastered on her face directed me to sit in the second row because the front seats were already occupied. ⁣
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That wasn’t bad because the choir girls would still see me and I would be able charm some of them.

I sat beside two pretty ladies. ⁣
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Both of them rocked tight black trousers that revealed their body shapes and curves, and black blazers on top of their long white sleeves that made them looked poised, confident and also beautiful.⁣
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“Na this kind thing Dem make man sin on Sunday morning ooo” I said within myself and laughed at my own silly jokes. ⁣
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“Let us get ready to give the Lord praise for he deserves to be glorify” came a lovely voice that sound familiar. ⁣
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I looked at the podium and it was her. My first crush in the choir, “Stella”. I made sure we made eye contact. She smiled at me and I smiled back feeling happy. ⁣
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“Guess my charm also work on her” ⁣
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When the praise began, just like every other people stared dancing to the rhythm of the praise song.

But I noticed that few minutes into the dance, the people behind me started muttering something among themselves while hailing and applauding me tumultuously. Meanwhile, those at my front were least concerned about what was happening.


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Immediately, I thought that my backside was doing more wonders and getting me more attention from beautiful girls than my frontside. ⁣
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So I decided to turn my backside to every direction so I could gain the attention of more beautiful ladies in the church hall. ⁣
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Immediately I started doing that, murmuring and laughter erupted in the church hall. One of the ladies beside me tapped my shoulder but I was so carried away in my “showing of backside” that I didn’t respond to her. ⁣
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“If you see me dance, I dance like a winner man oo…” ⁣the choir chorused.
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My dancing went wild as that song began. I danced with all my energy, twisting, twerking, only to get an uproar of mocking laughter from the congregation.
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A hand tapped me from behind, and I looked back, but it was a brother trying to tell me something so I ignored him and continued my dancing. ⁣
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“it is beautiful girls i respond to not some ugly looking church niggas” I said within myself.
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I also noticed that almost all the choir girls were staring at me and laughing. ⁣
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“Wow… I guess I have been doing wonderful with my backside making me to get all their attention.” I grinned and continued dancing. ⁣
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Few seconds later, a male usher approached me and told me to looked at my trousers. ⁣
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It was then I noticed that my trouser was torn at the crutch point and since I had gone to church without putting on any underwear, my thing was in full view. It swung helplessly while I danced. ⁣
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As soon as I saw my kokoro in full view, my mind went blank and my expression went from happiness to shock. I wished the Earth would open its mouth and eat me up.⁣
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I stood still, my eyes scanning the floor. I got scared of lifting it up to meet the numerous eyes that were already fastened on me.
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“Wait! You means this is how I came to church this morning?” a voice within me scoffed.
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Immediately, without taking my Bible, I dahed out of the church and ran home like someone being chased by an evil spirit. ⁣
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I went to church to impress girls not knowing that I will get disgraced and like this. ⁣
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Hope you didn’t see anybody running like a mad man in coopreate attire while coming from church today? 😂😂
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About the Author. Adewale S. Adekunle is a short story writer, Sociologist and Bible teacher based in Nigeria.


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Spirituality

A Charge To The Believers in the Marketplace

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God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that will aid our growth.


Everything God has given us is to our advantage, for our life to be in alignment with the intentions of God.


If you are not manifesting the Kingdom of God in whatever business you do, then you’re not living by the government of God.


Jesus Christ is an example of how a man should operate under God design.


Several believers are not working under the design of Christ, rather, they have chosen to work under the design of their denomination.


Until we manifest the kingdom of heaven as Christ did, we are living below God’s intention.


“Your lives are like salt among ppeople But if you, like salt, become bland, how can your ‘saltiness’ be restored? Flavourless salt is good for nothing and will be thrown out and trampled on by others.“Your lives light up the world. Let others see your light from a distance, for how can you hide a city that stands on a hilltop? And who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place? Instead, it’s placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light. So don’t hide your light! Let it shine brightly before others so that the commendable things you do will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-15.


God’s design is for us to be salt to season the earth and to light up the world. Adam’s fall made the world to lose its illumination and seasoning.


Believers as the salt of the Earth means we are to better the lives of people.

It means we are to bring healing to the sick, hope to depressed and freedom to the oppressed and light to the dark-hearted. We are add value to our society. This is the purpose of the Church!



Isaiah 60:1: “Arise, shine… “


The Gentiles will not come to us if we remain in a slumbering state.


There is so much darkness on the face of Africa because of the absence of illumination.


To become light is to break people out of the bondage of religion and culture and bring them to experience the excellent knowledge of Christ.


To lighten up the Earth is to fill the earth with the knowledge of the Glory of God.


For believers to take over the marketplace we must be ready to as Light and Salt unto the world.


Do not stay idle in the Church! Go into the world and become a Kingdom advocate today!


Engage the Kingdom today. God bless you!



Written by Greenhills Emmanuel Amarayahweh