Tag Archives: Love

GENERAL

Dealing with Procrastination

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Image Credit: Balance.media

Many destinies today, have become a mirage because of procrastination.


Several people would have reached the peak of their skills if they hadn’t fallen into the trap of complacency and laziness.



A lazy man is one who procrastinates.


Greatness comes by decisive and deliberate action to do what is important and needful for your success in Life. Complacency is the enemy of Growth.


Nothing will grow in our lives if we continue to live a life of missed opportunities as a result being lazy.


How to deal with Procrastination


1. Discipline:

Discipline is the bridge between planning and accomplishment.

Achievers are people who have the ability to compel their will and channel their energies in achieving a specific goal.

There is no key to achieving success other than discipline. Discipline yourself to work now! Discipline yourself to study now! Discipline yourself to face your fears! Just do it!

Do not shift to tomorrow, what you can do today! Grab your pen and write that story! Make that phone call!


2. Scheduling your time;


There are 24 hours in a day, each hour comes with its opportunities.



To schedule your time is to arrange your activities and fix them at their respective hours.


Several people schedule their time for insignificant things.


This is wrong as time is not renewable. Any hour spent without a deliberate schedule will lead to wasted opportunities.


Friends who will not help you to schedule your time should never be around you. Distance yourself from friends who will not respect your daily schedule. Your day is very precious to you. Many people are on the same level today because of the lack of a definite schedule. Give yourself to schedule.


3. Choose Sensible friends:


Friends are pointers to destiny, Loving your neighbour is a commandment, having a friend is your choice.


Any friend you have that will always make you use your time to talk, party and do other things that will not bring benefit to you and help you to get grow should not be your friend.


You must get rid of friends who are time wasters.


Never give yourself to friends who love to gossip. Friendship is either value-adding or value-depreciating.


Surround yourself with friends who will add value to your destiny and will always tell you what to do when you are confused.


4. Develop A Responsible Mind-set:

Ignorance is the greatest obstacles of a man, Bad mind-set is an enemy of progress.


If you want to grow, take responsibility! you are not like other persons. Our responsibilities are unique. So don’t just sit down, engage your responsibility!



God bless you!


Greenhills Emmanuel Amarayahweh

Health and Lifestyle

Q/A: Is it right for a believer to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

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Is it right for a believer to celebrate Valentine’s Day?



This is a question which is frequently asked among believers. Some are of the opinion that due to the sinful acts that are carried out on Valentine, it is not worth celebrating in Church.


For this to be clarified, one has to understand the etymology of the word “Valentine’s Day” and the purpose for which it was intended.


Far back in 270 AD, Emperor Claudius II Gothicus concluded that single men were more useful in battles than the married counterparts. On that note, he vetoed marriages for every single man in Rome.


Valentine, a Christian priest around the time realizing the injustice of the decree decided to help the unmarried men escape the unjust laws made by the Emperor, by secretly joining them in marriage with their lovers.



However, the outcome of this sacrifice was fatal for St. Valentine when the emperor, Claudius II learned of his actions, as he was later clubbed to death.


Valentine’s Day is celebrated annually on 14th February, to commemorate the martyrdom of the 3rd Century Christian priest, Valentine.


Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is closely linked to expressing romantic love, but there’s no definite association between romantic love and the ancient figure, St. Valentine.


However, it is believed that mid-February shows the first whiffs of Spring. Spring represents a new beginning and pleasance in life. It is also known to be the copulation season for most bird species.


Hence, St Valentine’s Day became closely associated with romantic love through its coincidence with Spring season.


Today, we commemorate Saint Valentine’s selfless sacrifice for the Romans.


With this in mind, celebrate this year’s Valentine differently. Celebrate it, not only with love but also with the consciousness that sacrifices are elements of love.


Note that your first sacrifice must be presenting your body as holy and acceptable to the Lord.

Romans 12:1: “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.”



Love God with all your heart, remembering that we love Him because He first loved us.



Likewise, love your neighbour as yourself. These are the greatest commandments. It is upon them that the Law and The Prophets are built.


Finally, love is not a thing to be emphasized only on Valentine’s Day.


Rather, always plant the seed of affection and kindness in every place you find yourself.



Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Written by Ada Mbamalu

Spirituality

Exercising Faith

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Faith is conviction in the certainty and reality of God’s word. It is living a life of trust in God.

Faith is very important in the life of believer. It is so important that in Ephesians 6, Paul said “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

He described faith as above all the other weapons of Christian warfare. This shows its priority in our lives.

Without faith, there is no Christianity.

We need faith not for our salvation alone, but for a continuous experience of the benefits of salvation here on Earth.

What if my faith is small?

Jesus never told us that only large faith is accepted by God.

St. Matthew 17:20: “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

There is nothing that is impossible to the man who lives by faith.

Jesus likened faith unto a mustard seed. Though a mustard seed be small, yet, it grows to become a mighty tree. Jesus expects our faith to grow and expand daily.

Faith grows when we utilize it. The more we live by faith, the stronger it grows.

Exercising Faith is not just claiming the provisions of Scripture, but also understanding the laws of Christ and applying them.



EXERCISING FAITH



– Total devotion to God


” For we have heard of your devoted lives of Faith in Christ Jesus and your tender love toward all his holy believers.” – Colossians 1:4 TPT.



The strong in faith are the consistent in devotion. Faith is built and released at the altar of our devotion.
The faith of a man becomes more solid as long as he advances with being committed and steadfast in his walk with God.


– Understanding the Will of God:



Faith without understanding the will of God will not be profitable. For faith to be active, your understanding must be enlightened. You must understand the will of God concerning you.

You must understand the will of God concerning your health. You must understand the will of God concerning your family.

When Satan wants to cripple great faith, he comes with a wrong, unscriptural perspective which seems to match with the believer’s negative circumstance.

Choose to cling to the illumination that you’ve received from God’s Word.



– Hearing the Word of Christ daily:



“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” – Colossians 1:23 (KJV)

The Gospel is the Word of Christ. The Word of Christ is like a seed that is planted in our spirit to bear fruits.

The fruit of God’s engrafted word is Faith.

When a food crop, take rice for instance, is eaten by one. The moment it is processed by the body’s digestive cells, the chemical it produces is known as Carbohydrate.

When one rats Beans, the chemical produced by the processing of that beans in the stomach is known as Protein.


The same way rice produces carbohydrate in the body, and beans produces Protein in the body, is the same way God’s Word, when taken into our spirits and meditated on, produces Faith.


– Take the steps of faith.

James 2:20: “Faith without works is dead?”

The steps of faith we are to take are generally our obligations in the New testament.

Pray without ceasing. Support the Lords work through your Giving. Love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul. Preach the Gospel.

While doing these things, there are times God will give one specific instructions that might look strange to the natural mind.

At that moment, your faith is being tested. Do not let doubt becloud your mind. Hold and obey the instructions firmly.

That’s the way of faith.

Greenhills Emmanuel

GENERAL

The Hidden Leader in You

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The thinking of a leader is what separates him from his followers.
Every human has an instinct and capacity for leadership, but most do not have the courage or will to cultivate it. Man was created to lead.

True leadership is a product of inspiration, not manipulation. True Leadership goes far beyond the mechanics of most approaches that pervade our leadership programs. True leaders do not seek power. They are driven by a passion to achieve a noble cause.

Take note of the following things;


The discovery of true leadership is the discovery of a clear sense of purpose.
Without purpose, leadership holds no meaning. Leadership is communicating directly to a generation.

Discovering The Leader in You

Your relative attitude comes alive when you become aware of your true nature. The only way to know yourself is to know where you come from. That is why the best way to discover yourself is to study the nature and the attributes of God.

When a person gets to know his creator and finally comes to know himself, then his leadership ability is discovered.

The Spirit of Leadership

Every human being has a natural inclination for Leadership.

The leadership spirit is our inherent leadership potential. Every human being has the raw material for Leadership, but only a few have the drive to harness it.

True leadership is an attitude of the heart that is birthed by a renewed understanding of purpose. Leadership demands a price. Leadership is inherent. Leadership is a divine deposit. Leadership is not for you but others. Leadership is becoming your true self for the benefit of others.

The Mind of a Leader

In order to become excellent leaders in the society, we must get rid of every mindset that will obstruct the quality of our leadership.

A lot of us were born in families that if we were given a choice, we would reject them. We had the poorest parental training. These things negatively impacted our minds. And if they are not uprooted, they will become hindrances to realising our full leadership potential.

It is a process that takes time because it involves unlearning and learning a lot of things. But it must be given optimal priority because no leader can rise beyond his or her attitude.

Cultivating the mind of a leader isa decision every leadership driven Christian must take.

When the attitude of leadership is married to the ability of leadership then you are a true leader. The day you take responsibility for your attitude is the day you will truly grow up.

Leadership is 20% talent skill and technical knowledge and 80% attitude

Discover and harness the Hidden Leader in you. The world needs you right now.

Greenhills Emmanuel Amarayahweh wrote this

Spirituality

The Power Of Knowledge

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God is a God of Knowledge. He gives knowledge in fractional measure to men.

In order to fulfill your destiny, you need the right knowledge. There can be no success without learning.




Greatness comes from the consistent pursuit and practice of quality Knowledge.

Every endeavor requires knowledge to make you stand out in life. Any life that does not seek for knowledge, will end up becoming a failure.

Knowledge is very vital to the development of a man. Knowledge widens your intelligence. It makes you see beyond your environment. It enhances your creative thinking.

Quality Knowledge exposes you to the various possibilities involved in whatever endeavor you find yourself.

Ignorance is a great obstacle.

What you do not know will always limit your capacity, mentally and even spiritually.

A man of wisdom is a man who is consistent in acquiring knowledge. Viscid acquiring of knowledge is what makes your understanding sharper.

Our understanding will be very limited if there is no pursuit of enlightenment through knowledge.

GreenHills Emmanuel

“The words of the wise are like weapons of knowledge. If you need wise counsel, stay away from the fool. For the wisdom of the wise will keep life on the right track, while the fool only deceives himself and refuses to face reality.” Proverbs 14:7-8 (TPT)

Knowledge makes you distinct. It makes one wiser.

Unreasonable people will never go after knowledge. They presume that since God’s Grace is available, they can be anything they want to be in life. But God’s Grace will never be effective in the life of a man, if he does not know how to channel it into his endeavors.

The fool believes in his heart that he does not need knowledge.

That is the main reason we have a lot of ignorant people in the society and through their ignorance, society does not develop.

You will never be all God wants you to be if you do not gain knowledge of what God wants you to be.

“For wisdom is protection even as money is a protection. But the [excellent] advantage of Knowledge is that wisdom shields and preserves the lives of its possessors.” – Ecclesiastes 7:12 (AMP)

Knowledge is very powerful. Wisdom without knowledge is like Faith without action.

You cannot be a wise man if you have no drive for knowledge. Neither should you desire access to Wisdom when your hunger for knowledge is impercitible.

Wisdom is the compendium of relevant and sufficient knowledge.

Your quest for relevant knowledge leads to the path of Wisdom.

Any knowledge that is not relevant in the destiny path earmarked for you by God, should not be given optimal attention.

Knowledge is mandatory for anyone who wishes to grow mentally and spiritually.

The gap between winning and losing is the quality of knowledge in the mind. Quality Knowledge bridges the gap between success and failure.

Great men invest their time in knowledge. Time invested in knowledge produces a life of success.


“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [of My law, where I reveal My will]. Because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.” Hosea 4:6 (AMP).


A man’s destiny may never be fulfilled if the knowledge concerning his destiny is not sought.

Lack of knowledge of the will of God will continually put you in confusion. It will make growth to become difficult. Rejection of the Knowledge of God is the denigration of one’s destiny.

Purse the knowledge of God in the early days of your life for the knowledge of God can transform the life of a man.

It is the knowledge of God that reshapes our convictions and belief systems. Without the knowledge of God, it will be difficult for us to walk in the will of God.

The knowledge of God opens us to various possibilities of the kingdom and brings to us, limitless Spiritual transformation.

The knowledge of God exposes us to the principles and laws of the kingdom
Understanding those laws will bring you to the purpose of true destiny in God.

Mental and skill knowledge is also significant.

Our minds work with the kind of knowledge that is deposited through books or tapes.

We must acquire knowledge that will upgrade our minds. It is through knowledge that innovative solutions to the problems plaguing our economy, are conceived in our minds.

Innovation is the fruit of a productive mind. And a productive mind is the result of consistent pursuit of quality knowledge.

You cannot start a business without you sufficient knowledge about it. Everything in the universe is governed by its knowledge.

Whatever sphere of life you want to work in, be it faith, industry, academics, you must gain the knowledge of it.

Whatever you want to become in life has its knowledge.

Are you in pursuit of knowledge or you are lazy?

Get knowledge today.

This text was written by GreenHills Emmanuel Amara

Spirituality

Cultivating Intimacy with God

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It is more difficult to pass a thread through a needle’s hole than to draw it out from the same.

It takes more strength and devotion to build than to destroy.

Lots of people have decided to see maintaining intimacy with God as an insurmountable mountain. Some see it as a privilege reserved for the pastors alone. Neither of these is true.

Intimacy is something GOD wants for every member of His Church. He wants us to be so close to Him that we read His mind frequently.

Maintaining an intimate relationship with God could become one of the easiest things to do depending on how ready and committed you are.

In this homily, I intend on bringing to light, three major things one must work on, to enjoy intimacy with God.

1. TIME

Time could be listed as the most crucial and important factor to be considered when building an intimate relationship with God.

The time you devote to someone or something is an expression of the value you place on the same.

Do not be so busy that you have no time to sit in solitude and have fellowship with God.

Joyce Meyer said “You can have as great of a relationship with God as you want to have, it just depends on how much time you are willing to put into it”.

The level of your intimacy with God and with anyone else at large depends greatly on how much time you are willing to spend with the person.

The more the time you give to God, the more intimate you become with him and the lesser the time, the intimacy with God grows.

For most of us, the only time we really make out time to pray and study God’s words is when we need something from Him, or when we find ourselves in troubles we cannot solve on our own.

We have limited God to a mere provider rather than our Father and Friend.

You do not create time for someone you truly love only when you are in need. True love for someone would make you crave for free time to be with that person.

No matter how busy you claim to be, you can always mark out time to spend in fellowship with God.


CONSISTENCY AND DESIRE

After creating time for God, you must be consistent in it.

It’s one thing to create time and another to be consistent. Consistency means staying faithful till the end. Consistency is a sign of seriousness and readiness.

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:6 that God is a rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY seek him.

Take note of the word DILIGENTLY.

Many seek God but are not diligent in their devotion to God. Being diligent is a sign of commitment and consistency. Be consistent!

There are times you will not feel like praying. There are times you will not feel like studying God’s Word.

But God does not want us to live based on our feelings, He wants us to live by faith and genuine desire.

Psalm 145 vs 19 says, “He will fulfill the desires of them that fear him; He also will hear their cry, and will save them”.

Your desire for God must go beyond mere feelings.

Desires speak in the place of prayer. It makes you tarry in his presence even when your body does not feel like.

The more you desire God, the more intimate you grow with him.

Have a marked out time with God daily. Never miss that time or use it for something else.

But even with that, learn the art of spontaneous prayer. Be in prayer mode daily.

Follow these steps and watch your relationship with God grow so strong.

Written by Tolu-Taiwo Victor

GENERAL, videos, WORSHIP

Daily Worship: Break Every Chain, African Rendition.

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Music is one of the ways in which we declare the mighty power of God. When we sing of His Power, we get the manifestation of His Power.

And when His Power manifests, chains are broken, mountains are levelled and destinies are released.

Olamiji Rasheed, an uprising singer from the Western part of Nigeria, delivers this beautiful rendition of Tasha Cobbs’ ‘Break every Chain’.

GENERAL

Why you must be determined!

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Determination is defined as firmness of purpose. Determination is the ability to be persistent, resolute, certain, steadfast to your decision and choices.

Determination is an important value that a man must possess when he is in a pursuit of a great thing. Determination is the fuel of any passion and purpose. If there is no determination there will be no need to purse things of greater value.

Determination is the root of greatness, nobody is truly great, if he is not determined to think outside the box. Only determined people can change the their world. Life is tough by default. Fate pleases no man; fate gives no allowance for smugness. Only the determined becomes great; only the determined can take the pen of fate and write their own destiny, and fulfill that destiny as it written.

Determination requires understanding the sacrifice and the pains of a preferable future and deciding to go through the obstacles and with the mindset of coming out great. Determination is seeing your future and doing whatever it takes in right way to get that future.

Determination is making choices and decisions that will make your future accessible. Determination is a mental and a spiritual choice, it is what makes us stand out, it what makes our future or our target become more attainable.

Daniel 1:8
But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet. (MSG)

The text above tells us about the story of one of the most successful Christian politicians in Bible history, Daniel. Daniel was taken captive into the land of Babylon. His parents were killed during an Babylon’s invasion of the Jewish country.

By divine providence, Daniel was selected with other Jews to be trained in the arts and science of the Babylonians, and to be fed with the King’s delicacies in order to have improvements in their mental well-being. This seemed attractive. Daniel would have probably accepted the King’s food but for the fact that it was prepared in a manner that was considered ‘defiled’ by Jewish culture.

When he observed this, we are told in scriptures, that he determined within himself not to accept the King’s food. He determined in heart not to defile himself with the king’s dainties.

His determination made God to favor him above the other Jews.

What decision have you determined to take?

It is wrong to live your life in laxity, without specific decisions and choices. It is wrong to make your choices to be dependent on the circumstances surrounding you, rather than the inner choice you have made.

Determination is that which is needed in tough times like these. Due to the pandemic, political chaos and economic hardship, one is tempted to become apathetic towards the future. One is tempted to lose hope about one’s dreams. Fate seems bleak; the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be imperceptible.

Now is the time, to determine in your heart, that no matter what happens, you are not going to give up on your dreams. You will become the person that God has destined you to be! Like Daniel, no matter how potent the temptation to defile yourself in this corrupt world might seem to be, stick your decision to stay pure.

You are not the first who has been in this kind of situation. Joseph was sold from his father’s house to Potiphar’s house. When it seemed as if he had gained stability in Potiphar’s house, he was lied against and sent into the Egyptian dungeon. The dungeon is usually a dark place. There is no illumination there. It is filled with dirt and the stench from the prisoners’ faeces.

This was the kind of condition Joseph found himself in. In the prison, one does not eat proper food. Joseph was locked up in the prison, the same way a lot of us have been locked up in our homes. But Joseph’s lockdown was what God was going to use to take him into the palace.

This is the reason you must be determined this season. Though it may not be visible, yet, be rest assured that God is doing a mighty thing in your life. He is making all things to work out for your good.

GreenHills Emmanuel

   Types of determination

Organic determination: This type of determination is an inborn determination in every man to fulfill his purpose on earth, this kind of determination is what pushes people to do the unthinkable and makes them  reach the height where men has not reached, it was such determination that led many scientist or men who brought innovations to the world, this kind of determination is in every man. This kind of determination must be trained and nutured and be brought to good use.

Inorganic determination: This is a kind of determination that is infused into us as maybe a speaking or we heard a word of motivation words or purposeful words spoken to us in order to help us realize our potential. Such determination helps us to set our daily goals and targets.

Spirituality

The Culture of The Kingdom

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Every civilization, kingdom or race has its Culture. There is always a distinct manner of living peculiar to its citizens.

There is always something that marks them out from other people. A sense of identity that is expressed in their general disposition to every situation.

As representatives of a Kingdom, we have a culture that sets us apart from others, a pattern of operation that is peculiar to us.

Ever since the world fell into the state that it is in today; in control of the enemy by virtue of man’s fall and relinquishing dominion to the Satan; God has been interested in setting his people apart both in behavior and disposition.

He gives them His laws and desires they walk in His ways. He sets before them a pattern to conform to. This has been from the days of the Israelites to the present.

The kingdom of God has its culture. A pattern its citizens must conform to. A way they are to walk.

It is quite disheartening to see a believer behaving in a manner strange to Christendom’s culture.

It is very sad to see that in some situations, there seems to be no difference between a believer and an unbeliever.

What has gone wrong, why is this so?


It could be due to more emphasis being placed on the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit than the fruit of The Spirit in this generation.

Most Christians are taught that they should speak in tongues but not that that same lips should not slander others.

That they should heal the sick but not that they should also cater for the needs of the sick through giving.

This leads to the production of many Charismatic, yet, poor-in-character Christians. Believers who speak in tongues, yet, cannot be trusted with someone else’s finances.

Believers should be exposed to both the Power and Character perspective of Christ.

Another reason is the low concept of Christianity that is being incorporated into the modern believer.

A poor understanding of the concept of grace and liberty that has been afforded the believer in Christ, that seems to impress the idea that the Christlike character expression of the believer is of no importance. A Christianity that accommodates abortion of young ones. One that is compatible with laziness and Spiritual complacency. It is quite saddening.

What is the pattern of the New Creation’s Behavior?

What is the standard of conduct of the believer? In what way should pattern his steps?

There are several things that distinguishes us as sons. Patterns expected to be seen in us. Expressions that must be made manifest and highlighted in the different areas of our lives.

These are different areas we are expected to differ in compared to the pattern of the world.

1. Manner of Food:

Food is an expression of culture.

Food in this context refers to the things which we feed our minds with. What we constantly feed our mind is a determinant of what culture we will conform to.

If you eat the food of dogs, you will be weak like dogs.

If you eat that of Lions, you will roar.

When the world delights in feeding on sensual musics and books based on knowledge against Christ, we must delight in feeding on the Word, the Truth and the Life.

2. The Manner of Clothing

What people wear affirms what kingdom the belong to. Clothes here refer to our behavior, disposition and carriage. It refers to our mannerisms and adornments.

Ours must be Noble and not common. That a behavior is popular does not mean its virtuous.

That others “pepper dem” doesn’t matter to us because we are salts.

We must stick to the uniform of the kingdom.

Colossians 3:8-10: “But now you yourselves are to PUT OFF all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have PUT OFF the old man with his deeds, 10 and have PUT ON the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. “

3. Language

This refers to our manner of speech. The fruits of our lips.

Our language as believers should be one that completely highlights who we are.

In a generation full of hate and pain, our words should be soothing and like a balm, healing.

Members of the Kingdom do not speak anyhow. That vulgar words trend and are famous does not mean a believer should speak them.

Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”


We have a pattern that we should adher to. One that highlights our uniqueness and peculiarity as a chosen people. This pattern is found in our constitution (The Word of God).

This posits that as we live by God’s word and will, we conform to his pattern.

Romans 12:2: ‘And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…’