Image Source: blog.kevineikenberry.com
What if everything works out for your good?
What if all goes as you planned?
What if your hopes and dreams come true?
What if it all turns out great?
What if everything works in your favor?
A lot of people have adopt a negative perspective of life.
All they see is the cloudy and gloomy side of life.
If you are among this category of people, you must decide today, to change. Wipe your mind’s mirror of all the stains which is hindering your eyes from beholding the light of divine hope God is trying to show to you.
Whatsoever you get from life depends greatly on how you choose to see it. And what you see not only depends on what you look at, but also on where you look from.
The time has come for one to stop blaming one’s government for one’s financial hardship.
The Bible tells us that though we are in this world, we are not of this world.
This means, that though we are in the government of our respective countries, we belong and are dependent on a higher government; the government of heaven.
This is supposed to be the standpoint of a believer when addressing the affairs of this world. Though there are circumstances we cannot avoid or change immediately, yet, we can always change our perspective.
Our perspectives can be changed to seeing a challenge, to seeing a phase life which will surely pass.
It was Chris Pine that said,
“The only thing you sometimes have control over is your perspective. You don’t have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.”
The Bible says, “As a man thinks, so he is” (Prov 23:7).
Your perspective will either become your prison, or your passport to greatness.
Begin to think positively. God gave us a powerful gift which is our imagination.
Begin to imagine beautiful things about yourself and as you imagine, desire, pray and believe they it will become your reality (Mark 11 vs 24).
That is how it works! The more you imagine these good things, the more your desire for them grows stronger. And burning desire is the trigger of fervent prayer.
Begin to confess positive things rather than negative things. The Bible is filled with positive confessions. Devote an hour daily to reading, Meditating on and declaring the promises of God to you.
Let them be your Perspective.
Start each day by confessing God’s promises consciously with faith in your heart.
Confess them at your place of work or during your lunch break. Confess them at night before going to bed and watch how your life will change for good.
Think positively and speak positively.
Let your heart be illuminated by your continuous gaze at the light of God’s promises.
Let your face be illuminated, by your smile of hope, and confidence, that no matter what you are going through, you are coming out strong.
Written by Tolu-Taiwo Victor
Tag Archives: Jesus
Spiritual Fatherhood
1 Cor 4:15 KJV “For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”
Paul says you may have ten thousand instructors, but not many fathers (1 Cor 4:15).
I would that young believers who love the word understand this.
Just as sure as your parents at home were not your teachers in school, and your teachers in school were not your parents at home; so it is in the kingdom and with the church.
Your schoolteachers and university lecturers definitely taught you things your parents didn’t know, but you did not leave home to live with them. You went to class, learnt a lot and went back home.
You will meet anointed wordsmiths and charismatic apostles and prophets; but your shepherd is your shepherd – that is, your pastor.
You do not receive upbringing in the classroom. You receive it at home.
Foundation, fundamentals, Character; even the edge that makes you excel in school, comes from your parents at home. Mine taught me a lot of schoolwork that put me ahead.
Even in the boarding school, teachers are only partly interested in you. It is your parents who think of your 24/7 every aspect of your life.
So, do not go to and fro following this teacher and that apostle because they “have the word”. No. That is how spiritual vagabonds are bred.
Spiritual vagabonds are people going forward very fast to nowhere in particular. They have many so fathers, they do not know who they are.
Be planted somewhere under someone in a church family, whether of 10 or of 10,000.
It takes more than teaching to become a well rounded Christian or minister of Christ. Christ is a Person. And Christianity is a Life. It is found not only in what is written or said, but in men who have believed and who walk with the Lord.
You are living epistles, said an apostle, read of all men (2 Cor 3:2). Disciples aren’t just those who have been taught the teachin, but those who have walked the walk (Mark 3:14 – that they might BE WITH HIM).
Even the general idea that you are a member of a church because you listen to the message every Sunday, is a mistaken one.
Those that be PLANTED in the house of the Lord, the word says, shall flourish in the courts of our God (Psalm 92:13).
Discover your place in the Body. Understand your spiritual identity.
Belong and be connected and fed and mentored somewhere specific whether it is Deeper Life, House of the Rock or Celestial Church.
From there you can follow anyone. Be a planted specific that drinks from one source and sips from several others; rather than a wandering generality who has no distinct identity, a pipe or harp that has no distinct sound.
Have many instructors, if you must; but make sure someone specific is bringing you up in the Lord.
Amen.
Ebele UzoPeters
A Parable to The Nation
Jesus told the story of a father who had 2 sons. He said to one, go work in my vineyard. That one said “I will not”, but later he went and did the work.
The man had said the same to the other “Go work in my vineyard”; and that one had replied “Yes Sir, I will”, but he did not go.
Jesus then asked those whom He was talking to “Which do you think was the better son?”, and they answered rightly – forget what each son said, the one who did the father’s will – was the better one.
Jesus then told those to whom he was talking; those who ruled and who had the people’s ear – congress and the media, or the pharisees and the sadducees, that the prophets of the Lord, or John; came and showed the way of righteousness and those regarded as sinners – prostitutes and tax collectors believed him and stood with the church, but they after they had heard, still refused to believe and carried on with their ways.
He then told another parable and ended it by referring to a stone which the builders rejected, which had become the chief of the corner.
This is a parable to a nation where those don’t say what you want to hear but do what is right are rejected over those who say what you want to hear but do what is left.
We hope someone is listening. It is well.
Ebele UzoPeters
ABIDE
There is no greater refuge,
Except in Him,
There is no greater hope,
Unless we have him.
There is no greater future,
If we don’t behold him.
There is no greater answer,
If we don’t seek him.
There is no greater mater,
If we don’t follow him.
There is no greater educator,
If we don’t listen to him.
There is no greater savior,
If we don’t know him.
There is no greater comforter,
If we don’t understand him.
Teach me how to abide,
So that I can be immersed.
Take me to your abode,
So that I can learn your ways.
Open yourself to him,
So that I can live forever.
Abide in Christ Jesus
Greenhills Emmanuel Amarayahweh
UNBROKEN
Tear me down for I will not bend,
Persecute me for I will not curse,
Stone me for I will pray for you.
Stand against me for I will walk away,
Take me to death for I will not be afraid,
Take me into the dungeon, for I will still preach.
Bind me in chains, I will still write,
Smash me in my face, I will still sing,
Take away my possession, I have peace of mind.
Crucify me , my redeemer liveth,
Afflict me with pains and tribulations I will rise again;
Chase after me , the lord is my safety,
Throw me into the furnace of fire I will live again…!
Greenhills Emmanuel Amarayahweh
DON’T KILL THAT CHILD!
Genesis 19:14: “Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.”
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes.
16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob.
Abortion is now a trend in almost every country regardless of its legal repute. In fact, out of over 200 million pregnancies worldwide that is recorded each year, approximately forty-six million which is about twenty two percent , end in abortion.
Where abortion is legally restricted, botched abortions are a major cause of maternal death.
Young Ladies in particular are at high risk for unintended pregnancy, because they have limited access to enough funds, and are more likely to seek abortion than advanced women.
At another view of reference, most women above 25 years will only seek for abortion for two main reasons. One of which is pregnancy that resulted from illicit affair while the other is melted on the palm of poverty.
A significant percentage of those women who end up in the hospital with complications from unsafe abortion are young.
Young ladies may be afraid to tell their parents or guardians about a pregnancy and may attempt to get an abortion on their own accord. How be it such decisions are always a matter of life and death.
As Christians, we need to ensure that females most especially the teenagers, are well informed about unsafe abortion and the options available to them should they have an unwanted pregnancy.
Most often, the primary cause of pre marital pregnancy, is not in anyway far from self.
One of the primary causes is sexual immorality.
Although, it might have been said of Hagar that she wasn’t the one who made advances towards her master, Abraham, but without doubt her relationship with him ended her as ‘‘the other woman’’ and while she was sent away from the home she nearly disposed her child as a victim to death.
Your entanglement in sexual activities might differ from hers. It might even come in form of fornication or rape, which might eventually lead to pregnancy. And as a result, you want an abortion.
Listen, in this kingdom even when we walk on paths that resulted in falling short of Grace, there is yet a hope for us and that hope is the truth.
John 8: 32 ‘‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’’
Thinking abortion is a means of escape or a cover for your flaw is a lie. It will get you held in more shackles. Of a truth, illicit pregnancy is bad but the life of the baby wallowing in your womb matters to God just as the son of Hagar mattered to Him.
Beloved reader, it is only accepting the truth that will set you free. Drop the decision that propels lie. Do not kill that child. That life in your womb matters!
Abortion, simply defined, is murder. You made a mistake in getting involved with someone. Abortion will not eliminate that mistake, it will only compound it.
Hagar wanted to abandon her son to die, because she did not have enough to take care of him.
But God sent an Angel, and a well of water was revealed to her. That well sustained her and her child.
In the midst of the shame and financial troubles involved in unwanted pregnancy, God has a well He has prepared for you and your baby, to sustain the both of you.
All you have to do is Trust Him. Go to Him in remorse for your mistake. Seek for forgiveness. And decide to trust Him for a bright future.
Moses of the Bible days, was born in a time when Jewish male babies were being murdered. As soon as the government discovered you had a male child, they would take him from you, and kill him.
But Jochabed delivered a baby boy, and saw that he was good, so she hid him.
He was born in the time of turmoil, yet, she saw goodness in him.
He was born in the time when they were poor, wretched slaves, yet, she saw goodness in him.
She would have aborted him while he was in the womb, since male babies only caused trouble.
She would have gotten rid of him, herself. But she decided to keep him, and nurture him.
And that little boy grew up to be the Prince of Egypt and eventually the Great Prophet of Israel.
That seed you are carrying which you think is the fruit of your mistake, can also turn out to be the recompense of your mistake.
Don’t abort that baby! This is not all about being liberal or pro-life. This is about choosing what is best for your future and health.
Keep the Baby.
You can win this. At first, it will be hard, but with God on your side, everything will work out for your good.
©voicequo
©Nwodo Divine
© Koinonia Art
THE GREAT PEARL OF SALVATION
St. Matthew 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
St. Matthew 13:46: “When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
In the Bible days, Pearls were very precious commodity. They were rare and quite expensive.
The Pearl is remarkably because,
A. It is durable. Other gems may rust away, but the Pearl stays. Other gems may lose their beauty as they get older, but the Pearl never loses any single of its glitters. Hence, in the ancient days, of was passed on from a royal generation to another generation. It never fades, never gets worn out.
B. It is little in size, but great in worth. The Pearl can be the tiniest object on your palm. It can be impercitible. Yet, it is of great worth. It’s worth is not in the size, its worth is in the quality of beauty and virtue it emanates.
C. A Pearl of great size brings wealth to you. A merchant could discover a pearl in his farm, and at the moment of discovery, take it to sell, and becomes a wealthy man over night.
What lessons do we learn from these?
1. Salvation is of a great value. Yes. It is the greatest gift you can ever possess. Your salvation is worth more than the biggest of buildings. Do you know what it cost God? It cost God His own son. The salvation of your soul is worth more than pearls and dollars and pounds and gold. It is worth more than all these things.
And so you must seek for it. Just like the man in the parable sought for it. And even after getting born again, you must keep working out your salvation.
In order to get this perfect salvation which we desire, you must sell all that you have. Not your material possessions. Not your skills and talents. You must give away your sins. Your pride. Your impenitence. Your hate and malice.
You must let them go, if you must procure the great Pearl of salvation.
Salvation is an exchange. It is the letting go of the lower to purchase the higher. It is the letting go of the Earthly, to procure that which is Heavenly. It is letting go of the sensuality and carnality, to procure the treasures of the spirit. It is letting go of the temporal, to procure that which is permanent. It is letting go of your burdens, to carry His yoke which is light and gentle.
There is no salvation without an exchange. You cannot obtain the Great salvation of being united to the Lord in flesh, if you cannot sell off your earthly lusts that stand between you and God.
This Great salvation is costly! You must be ready to let go of your positions and stature in the society to procure it at the last day.
Hebrews 12:1: ‘Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles’
There must be a throwing off, for there to be an obtaining. Let go of those besetting and entangling sins. Cut them off and sell them at the market of life.
You must sell off,
Your sins,
Your old worldly friends,
Your worldly habits,
Your self righteousness.
And choose to hold unto this great Pearl of salvation.
And here’s another thing, once procured, it never fades away.
This great Pearl was present with Stephen when he was being stoned to death. It was present with James when he was beheaded. It was present with Paul from the prison, to trial to judgment.
It never goes old. It stays with you, till you go and meet your Master.
I’ll conclude with this excerpt from a profound teacher of God’s word;
“When the pilgrims were in Vanity Fair, one chanced mockingly to say to them. “What will ye buy? “ But they, looking gravely on him, said, “We buy the truth.” At that there was occasion taken to despite them the more; some mocking, some taunting, and some calling upon others to smite them. Nevertheless, in spite of all the abuse, these good pilgrims would only buy the truth; and when they bought it, not for any price would they sell it again. Usually, in ordinary merchandize, what we buy we are at liberty to sell; but it is not so here, for the command is express, “Buy the truth, and sell it not.” And a most merciful provision it is; for, as one says, “Those who sell the truth sell their own souls with it.”
(Robert Macdonald.)
God Bless You 🙂
In Addy My Saviour
How could a woman
bleeding, and weak
Ignore her repulsiveness…and shun her mockers, just to press in, and touch You?
“She was so confident
You’d come through for her”.
And you did!
How could four friends
Helpless and desperate, but unfazed by inaccessibility, break through the roof
Just to “dump” their friend, at Your feet.?
They were so certain
You won’t leave him the same.
And you didn’t!
Jesus…
All through the ages, men have braved the “impossible”
Despised mockery,
and remained unflinching
Even in the face of fierce, and adversity.
All because of You.
They put their Faith in you,
and You never let them down.
You’ve always come through, for all who trust in you.
You’re ever reliable.
Never changing.
Ever faithful….and always true.
Happy birthday in advance, dear Jesus.
The reason for our
Faith….
It’s a privilege knowing You.
Courtesy: Tochie Davies
DEALING WITH PAIN AND GRIEF
If 2020 was to be classified as a movie, it would fall under the category of Horror and Tragedy. This year was definitely a hell of a year; full of ups and downs, pandemics, lockdown, deaths, inflation, hunger, loneliness and depression.
Many lost their loved ones. Some lost their businesses, their investments, their life savings.
Almost everyone lost something or someone precious this year.
Some have recovered, some are recovering, but there are those, who are still in grief, not because they enjoy grieving, but they just do not know how to come out of it.
As humans, our first impulse to the loss of a loved one is to cry bitterly, and experience pain and sorrow. Crying is good, and sometimes, healthy, but when it should only be a temporal reaction and not a permanent mood or temperament.
Many have lost hope of ever recovering from the grief they are experiencing presently; many have lost faith and the courage to move on, irrespective of the evils around them.
Maybe you fall into that category, or you know someone who falls into into that category, cherish this post, it will go a long way to helping you.
STEPS TO BREAKING OUT OF INNER HURT AND GRIEF
- IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE GRIEF:
Sometimes, engaging in a self-evaluation goes a long way in helping us come out of the shell of grief. Why exactly are you grieving? Who are you grieving? What are you grieving? The loss of a loved one? Poverty? Loss of Business opportunities? Identify the root cause of your grief, identify the root cause of your pain.
2. LET GO!
This is where the real battle lies in. There are people who know why they are grieving; they know they’ve lost a loved one, but they just can’t let him go.
They keep holding on to past memories and experiences with the one who they have lost. They imagine living with the lost one still present.
Some even sleep every night, meditating on the image and person of the lost loved one. One of the common mistakes people make in grief is that they blame themselves for the loss.
“If only I was there on time”… ‘If only I had enough money…’ they blame themselves for the loss. It’s time to man up and stop acting in such childish manner. It is childish to blame yourself for things that were beyond your control in the name of grief.
Let go, and move on. No amount of tears would ever bring that person back; no amount of tears would bring that business back; no amount of imagining would bring the late back.
It would only give you a false and unreal experience with the imaginative figment of that person.
These are hard truths I allowed to sink into my heart when I found myself slipping into anguish and pain. You can never be liberated from pain until you let these hard truths break those chains.
Let go! Let go of that past memory! He has left you, to join the immortals in the world beyond this world, you should equally leave him, by moving on with life.
3. ENOUGH OF THE PITIES
This doesn’t mean you totally forget about him, it just means you are strong enough to live life meaningfully, with or without him.
Sympathy and consolation is very important at the initial stage of grieving a loss. When others sympathize with us, it has a way of making us feel we are not alone in the pain we bear.
It helps us understand we are not alone in the grief we are experiencing.
But you can’t keep getting sympathies and pities weeks and months after your loss! You cannot afford to allow this.
As innocent as they might be, when allowed for too long, they form a dark, moody temperament in us.
A temperament that expects only pity from people; a temperament that wishes to display pain and grief so as to earn the sympathies of onlookers; a temperament that only draws close to those who can show pity on it!
This temperament will obscure your vision, destroy your creativity and clog your potentials!
It is the temperament that will render you emotionally unstable and mentally imbalanced.
Change your atmosphere. Surround yourself with creative thinkers.
Read books that will stir up hope and clarity of vision, and not poems that make you more depressed.
Delete those songs of hurt from your mobile phone.
Get your gadget filled with bright songs of optimism and love; start seeing the world from a more optimistic view.
3. DEVELOP FRESH, HEALTHY HABITS
Eat well. Medical research has shown that one’s habits have a high influence on ones disposition, whether melancholic or cheerful.
Develop habits that are healthy to both your body, mind and soul. Eat well; go on a walk at sunrise.
Develop the habit of ever confessing positiveness. Develop the habit of hanging out with intelligent friends and engaging in sound discussions with them.
Lastly, I want you to know that you can do all these and still feel the tinges of grief.
They do not eliminate grief; they do not remove grief, but they remove you from the grief. Do them consistently, and turn your world turn colorful again.
Before wrapping this up, let me show you something from the Holy Bible which will definitely be helpful to you.
2 Samuel 12:15-20
16 David prayed to God for the baby. David fasted and went into his house and stayed there, lying on the ground all night.
17 The elders of David’s family came to him and tried to pull him up from the ground, but he refused to get up or to eat food with them.
18 On the seventh day the baby died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the baby was dead..
19 When David saw his servants whispering, he knew that the baby was dead. So he asked them, “Is the baby dead?” They answered, “Yes, he is dead.”
20 Then David got up from the floor, washed himself, put lotions on, and changed his clothes. Then he went into the Lord’s house to worship. After that, he went home and asked for something to eat. His servants gave him some food, and he ate.
Bathsheba had put to birth, a lovely, bouncing baby boy for King David, a baby which came as a result of David’s mistake.
At birth, this baby boy was probably strong and energetic, full of so much potential, but days later, he became weak.
The little baby fell sick. The sickness was so serious, that David went on a fast to plead for mercy on the baby’s life.
Imagine how the King felt, seeing that baby, emaciating and slipping away from life daily. He must have loved that baby greatly, for him to have fasted and prayed fervently for the baby’s life. Yet, the baby died.
Despite the fasting, and the prayers, and the weeping in the church, crying to God to save his child, the child still died.
How do you think David should have felt? Depressed. Sad. Angry at God for taking his baby. Losing faith in prayers and fasting. The ordinary man would have felt these.
But not David; David was a man with a mighty inner strength to bear the greatest of disappointments.
As soon as he heard of the news of his child’s death, instead of lamenting and seeking sympathy, he washed his hands, worshiped the Lord and went to eat.
This is one of the greatest Bible paradoxes I have ever read. One thing we learn from it, is that in all things, we must give thanks to God. In pain and in pleasure, in the hills and in the valleys, in all things, we must give thanks to God!
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Shalom!
YOU VS THE STORM
What do you do when you find yourself amidst a storm?
Do you run away from the storm?
Do you let the storm engulf you or eat you up?
Or do you calm the storm, look for ways to calm the storm or call on someone to help you calm the storm?
Running away from a storm is not a good idea. Running away from the storm can save you, but not for too long.
Running away from the storm would only bring disparage in our hearts, because we will eventually keep running from it all the days of our lives.
There comes a time in our lives as humans when we face storms; a variety of unfortunate events and troubles. A storm is anything that comes to threaten your peace, make you restless, and give you instability by making you get stuck in sadness, displeasure or a deep kind of pain.
A storm can be anything; a pandemic, a disappointment, insurgency, insecurity, fear, lack of hope, poverty, injustice or whatever stands to disturb your peace.
During a storm, we’re likely to lose hope, especially when the situation is really intense or critical. We are likely to sink in to depression, lose faith and feel that we have lost it all; in the time of illness, pandemic, insecurity, the loss of our loved ones, poverty, rejection and pain.
But in the midst of these, I want you to know that there’s only one person, who can calm all the storms of life. His name is Jesus.
It was He who died for us all and He will always calm the storms in our lives if we call on to him!
In Matthew 8:23-27, His disciples were faced with a great sea storm while with Jesus. They were afraid, they were scared, they lost their faith and were already sinking in to total pain of the body and mind.
That illustrates that anyone can be scared in tough times and that it is not a crime to be scared.
Jesus was asleep, yet, they woke him up because they knew very well only him could calm the storm. When Jesus woke up, He rebuked the storm and it became still, and the disciples were at peace again.
Sometimes, even as disciples of Jesus, the storms of life can make us panic and anxious; you might be in such situation right now.
The storms of the virus, inflation and bad economic situation, might be so fierce that it seems like you’ll sink.
I have good news for you. Jesus is with you even in the boat! In the midst of the turmoil, the casting down and the streaks of lightning, Jesus is with you.
But Jesus will not calm the storm if you don’t wake him up! Our God never sleeps nor slumbers, but the sleeping of Jesus in the boat is an analogy from which we learn that God will be silent if you do not take a step of faith.
Jesus is willing to calm the storm in your life! Wake him up with your faith, with a cry of faith!
Give God a sign that you’re in for it, and don’t be discouraged while waiting.
He’ll never leave you nor forsake you. God says “I will be with you till the end of time” – Matthew 28:20. Believe it!
I know it’s tough. Maybe, you have gotten tired of hoping already, you don’t see any escape route but listen Jesus has not forgotten about you.
God still has your name in the middle of his palm and He is saying,
“I am in your boat! Do not be afraid! Wake me up! Call upon me and I will calm the storm in your life! I love you and I will always be with you!”
Don’t forget that you’re loved beyond measure.
May the peace of the lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen!
A STRANGE LIFE
We are in a world where thorns and pain seems to be our daily bread; where sorrow is like a friend banging on the door, and we have no choice but to open up to it.
It’s a dark world filled with gross darkness, so much that we have to do almost everything with uncertainty.
“What if this is just the end of this strange life?”
Our trust and confidence have been taken for granted numerous times.
When we look back, it’s a big regret of so many wrong decisions we have made due to pressure and fear.
It’s pain in me! It’s pain in you!
It’s pain in us all!
“What if this is just the end of this strange life?”
While we live on, truth is, we have longed died inside of us.
Pain, fear and sorrow have put us in a place worse than the grave itself, a state of depression and confusion, and we count towards a time and a moment when we will finally live life or probably LEAVE THIS LIFE.
“But, What if this is just the end of this strange life we are living?”
Yes! It’s the end of this strange life friend!
A life without God brings all these; a life void of the presence of the Loving Father, full of grace and mercy.
So how about we come to the end of this strange life now,
How about we embrace the One in whom true life and peace dwells.
For strange life is a life outside the Lord,
But TRUE LIFE is one found and established in CHRIST JESUS!
Embrace Jesus now. Receive His true life and cast you cares upon Him!
Shalom
© Precious Wilfred.
KOINONIA ART 