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Faith

Covenant Lessons from Father Abraham

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God desires a relationship with every man. It is only through a relationship with God that we gain full understand of who God is.


If our fellowship with God is weak, our hearts will be unable to dwell on the things of God.


It takes consistent fellowship with God to be able to understand the thoughts of His heart.



God relates with man on different levels; but there was a man in the old testament who became the friend of God – Abraham.


It is only those who have become friends with God that can be entrusted with His secrets.


True Friends keep secrets. God never wanted to hide anything from Abraham because he was a friend of God.


And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Genesis 18:17.

Here are some vital lessons believers must learn from Abraham’s walk with God:





Faithfulness to the Covenant:


Abraham was faithful to the Covenant between him and God, and he ensured his children and household followed his lead.



“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Genesis 18:19.

Abraham’s faithfulness and loyalty is worth emulating. As believers we must live a life of faithfulness and loyalty to the covenant of Grace.


We must abide by the terms of the covenant ranging from faith to holiness and even consecration. We must also ensure we teach our children the tenets of this covenant and guide them into it.



The greatest inheritance we can give our children is to teach them the ways of God and show them the covenant.




A Life Of Sacrifice:


Abraham was sacrificial. He entertained strangers with the best of his flocks. He trained his nephew, Lot in the stead of his father without demanding a return. He was willing to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God.


Abraham was willing to go extra mile to ensure the completion of his obedience. May we not be satisfied in partial obedience as believers – because partial obedience is absolute disobedience.



The life of the believer is a life of sacrifice, we don’t own anything in God we are only made stewards.


“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1.


Absolute Obedience:

The life of Abraham is absolute obedience to God’s instructions. Obedience is our proof of our loyalty and submission to God.

One can’t claim to be a devoted citizen of a country and live in disobedience; one can’t claim to be a devoted Christian and live in constant disobedience to God’s word.

His WORD IS HIS COMMAND

Someone once asked, ‘How can you say I’m living in disobedience; God hasn’t spoken to me about His dos and donts before.

I deem this a fallacious statement. God does not need to appear to us in dreams and visions like He did with Abraham; His Word is His command to us. The Bible is the Book of God’s commands and instructions to believers.

When you do not pray as commanded in scriptures, you’re living in disobedience. When you commit the sins which the scriptures speak against, you position yourself in the path of disobedience.


“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Hebrews 11:8.

Abraham obeyed by faith – he obeyed God promptly.

There must be a consistent and accurate walk with God that secures our establishment in the kingdom.

Obedience and diligence are non-negotiable in the kingdom. If we must secure the working of God’s covenant in our life, they must be our watchword.



God testified that Abraham was His friend. He also testified about David. The covenant principles highlighted above when put into practice, will earn you the friendship testimony of God.


What will God testify about you?


Green-Hills Emmanuel Amarayahweh

GENERAL

Look unto Sarah not Feminism!

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Isaiah 51:2: “Look unto Sarah [that] bare you…”

In a world in which perverseness and wokeism has become the order of the day, it is imperative that believers are well taught and instructed in Bible culture and values, else conformity to the ungodly civilization will be inevitable.

We live in a society which has been taken over by the rise of radical feminist movements. These movements started in the early 19s as honest movements in nations with subjugation of the female gender; yet, they have deteriorated into movements that are against the pillars of marriage, especially in Christianity.

Thus, the Spirit is sounding a firm warning to the female gender in Isaiah 51:2; He says, “… look unto Sarah”. He does not say, ‘… look unto Adichie…’ or ‘…look unto feminism’, instead, He reveals to us who is His blueprint for Christian wives to conform to; Sarah.

Who was Sarah?

Sarah is the first wife of Bible’s Abraham. Her role as a wife, friend and partner in Abraham’s life can never be overemphasized.

Sarah was not the one God called, Abraham was the one called by God. Sarah was not the one who received the promise, it was Abraham. But when Abraham shared it with her, she supported Abraham by choosing to go with him in his journey towards destiny. Here, Sarah shows us that as a wife, you must be ready to support your husband in his pursuit of his God-given vision. You must be ready to make sacrifices for him; you must be ready to displease yourself to see to the fulfillment of that great dream.

          Imagine how difficult it was for Sarah to leave her home, country and comfort to go with Abraham to an unknown land. It shows how much she loved Abraham and how far she was willing to go to see to his success in life. Sacrifice is a great necessity in building a strong marriage.

Sarah’s love and sacrificial heart made her consistently follow Abraham even as he wandered from one place to another. She was selfless, and truly devoted her whole life to supporting Abraham’s vision.

If we could get more wives like Sarah in Christian marriages, certainly, we would get more men like Abraham; because the success of Abraham, to a large extent, was tied to the supportive role of his wife.

  • She was submissive

1 Peter 3:5-6: “For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.” (NIV)

Sarah was a submissive wife. In several places in the book of Genesis, she called Abraham ‘her lord’. The Hebrew word for ‘lord’ in that context is ‘Adonai’ and it means an owner or a master. Thus, Sarah recognized Abraham’s lordship over her. She recognized the fact that in that marriage, she belonged to Abraham. She recognized Abraham not just as her husband, but also as one who rightfully owned her; and she proved this by her unfailing devotion to serving Abraham.

When Abraham was entertaining the three strangers in Genesis 18:6, he instructed Sarah to bake bread and she promptly obeyed his instruction. In the two events in which Abraham instructed Sarah to hide her identity as his wife, Sarah obeyed perfectly. Folks, this is the reason God had to appear to Abraham and tell him to listen to Sarah and send Hagar away from the house.

Sarah is an epitome of true strength in marriage. She reveals to us, that as a wife, the way to getting a strong home and respect from your husband is not in fierce opposition or constant disobedience to his instructions, but in love and submission.

Spirituality

We are running out of Time!

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Years ago, I lived parents’ house as a kid, running around the compound without your slippers on.


Years ago, I was in high school, dependent on my parents for funding and survival. Yet, in the twinkling of an eye, I am semi-independent, at the verge of becoming a University graduate with a B. A degree. Everyday brings me closer to a life of total independence.



Years ago, I’d never have imagined that I could live alone, without my parents. It made me reject the consideration to attend a Boarding school.

Yet, as a student of The University of Benin, Nigeria, I have been living in my private apartment without my parents’ supervision for nearly two years now.


In all these, I have learnt a vital lesson, which I intend on sharing with you through this article. That lesson is the lesson of Time.



I have learnt that time waits for no man. No matter how much one wants to remain in comfort and mediocre living, one must gird his loins and get moving if one must succeed in life.


Proverbs 6:9: ‘But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? I want you to learn this lesson’


Proverbs 6:10: ‘A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest’ —


Proverbs 6:11: “and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.”


I want to talk specifically to the young fellows. Make use of your time! Make proper use of your free time! Time is valuable. Time is money! I’ve always thought that the greatest, yet most delicate asset God gave to man is time.


Today is an opportunity to have a better tomorrow! Everyday is a seed for a greater condition in the days ahead. What are you doing with your time? What are you doing with your ‘today’?



Hours ago, it was jjust 5am here in Nigeria. It was dark, cool and good for sleep.

Yet, within four hours from now, we’ll be in dusk, working hours will be over and the day will be paving way for the night to come.

No matter how much we want to slow the hands of time, it remains a force that is beyond our control.


So, the best you can do, is to achieve all that is achievable, and do all you can in the Now.



Two things to do with your Time



1. Invest in Yourself


Many of us invest more in what we wear than in who are. We invest more in the quality of our dressing than in the quality of our thinking. It’s time for a change. Spend every minute of your day in becoming a better version of your former self.


– Invest in your mind.
– Read good books.
– Improve on your skill.


Do not cringe from spending money in bettering your craftsmanship.

Instead of wasting time in unnecessary activities, take masterclasses and attend webinars that will sharpen your mental acumen and entrepreneurial skills.

You’ll never go broke if you invest in yourself. Benjamin Franklin said,

‘An investment in yourself pays the best interest’.

Everything done towards becoming a better person is a self-investment. It will make you a better person, not just to yourself, but to the society. The society will only value you if you spend time in self development.

Invest in your Health

Improve your eating habits. Cut out eating junk. Carve out time exercising daily.

Instead of spending the morning lying on the bed lazily, grab your sports vest and go for a jog.


2. Invest in Others


Source: Optimy Wiki


Add value to the lives of people. Eleanor Roosevelt said, ‘For our own success to be real, it must contribute to the success of others’.


Use your time to better the lives of people. Use your time to make the society a better place to live in.

Haven’t you observed, that the richest men are always the richest givers. Great men are always great givers.


There are children with bright minds, yet living in poverty because there is no one to help them. Be the one to help them. Make them appreciate the phenomenon of human existence.


Every morning God gives you, is given to you for others. Therefore, before jumping off the bed, the first question you must ask yourself is, ‘What can I for my society.’

What do you have that the society needs? It is in the answer to this question that we attain discovery of our true value.

Heal the sick. Sow seeds of compassion to people. Give people a reason to be alive.



If you center your time on doing these two things, your profitability will appear to all.








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