Tag Archives: Religion

Faith

What can we learn from the Euro 2020 penalty shootout

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For the first time in many years, England advanced to the finals of the World Euro Cup. After what appeared to be a curse of international football upsets, they appeared to be on the verge of victory; however, they fell short.

Sterling, Harry Kane, Saka, and Pickford’s names rang out across England as they progressed from the group stage to the round of 16, quarter finals, semi-finals, and finals.

However, this changed when Sancho, Saka, and Rashford – three African-descent footballers – all missed their individual penalty kicks.

As soon as it happened, certain white people took to the streets to deface Rashford’s images and billboards, as well as post derogatory comments about him on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

What fascinates me about this scenario is that the same way Rashford was celebrated for his dribbles and unusual goals in the English Premier League, these radical, racist individuals slandered him for missing a single penalty.


It teaches us how quickly humans forget a person’s great deeds because of a single error. It teaches me, in particular, how the average human thrives on exalting people’s mistakes over their triumphs.

It’s amazing how quickly people forget how Rashford spent millions of Euros to ensure that children don’t go to bed hungry. We seem to have forgotten how Rashford was able to overturn a British Parliament bill and secure free school meals for children.


However, this is not the main issue. The crux of the issue is what we aspirants for greatness and national recognition should take away from this situation.

1. Every day will not be a victory day

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill.

The truth is that there is no successful striker in world’s history that has not missed more than one penalty shootout in his career. Yet, what makes them great and successful is their ability to move on from their mistakes and continue in the journey to greatness.

Likewise, there is no great businessman, entrepreneur, preacher or leader who has not made a miss in life before. No one gets to the top without scars. But we are carried away by their flashy cars and sparkling suits that we fail to discern the scars and welts behind those suits.

David was a very great man in the Bible. He had a lot of victories and political success. But one day, David was driven away from his own throne by his very son. And as he was running, he came across one who was supposed to be his subject. Unfortunately, his very subject who paid obeisance to him insulted him and mocked at him.

I believe it must have been a very traumatic experience for David. But even as he seemed to fall from the palace to the bush, David’s faith remained in God and in the course of time, he returned to his throne even more powerful than he was before.

Therefore, do not be dismayed if you seemed to have missed a mark in your shots for greatness. Do not be dismayed if your kick seems to be out of the mark. The failures and shortcomings are all a part of the travails through you will birth a miracle!

Move on! Do not despise your shortcomings! Do not weep over your past miss when you still have hundreds of opportunities in the future. If you continue to cry over the past, you will be so blinded by your tears that walking into the future greatness God has for you will be nearly impossible.

Therefore, when you make mistakes, learn your lesson, but do not dwell on it. Recompense your past by striving for a better future and an improved performance in the next opportunity that comes your way.

2. Focus on the love from those who matter in your life.

Not everyone will like you – especially when you are Christian. But if you truly stay focused in living for Christ, God will definitely bring people along your way who will show you love and ensure you stay strong even in your darkest times.

These are people you should stay with. People who you know genuinely care for you. People who rebuke in love and encourage in goodwill. Take your mind off the haters and envious critics and bask in the love of these gems.

3. Be moved by neither the extravagant praises of people or their ridicule

I think a lot of public speakers teach us not to listen to the ridicule of people, but very few actually teach that one must not also be moved by the praises of people.

If your heart is lifted when people praise you, share your posts on social media and speak very well of you, your heart will be downcast when they ridicule and mock you.

Jesus understood this very well. He distanced Himself from men several times because of it. He knew their hearts – that those same men who praised him would someday betray him.

Thus, if you will develop strength against criticisms, you must be your own motivator. You must be your number one fan. You must be your own secret admirer. You must develop love for yourself. Correct yourself when you’re wrong and give yourself a high-five when you achieve giant strides.

Do not ever look to people for fulfilment. Look unto God. Your joy must be in fulfilling your purpose and God’s commands, not in the praises of people.

This, folks, is an art we must develop on the road to success. Do not get carried away by their extravagant praises or ridicule. Stay focused and glued on the goal!

Finally, remember that whether you win or lose is not what matters, what matters is the courage to keep going and the determination to keep shooting your shots until you get your goal!

Faith, videos

CBN: From Porn to the Pulpit

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This is the story of how God transformed a 38 year old man named Joshua Broome from a pornstar into a preacher of the Gospel.

In his testimony, we see why Paul described the Gospel as the power of God unto salvation. Nothing else could save Broome from homosexual pornography other than the power of God released through the Gospel.

The Gospel did not only bring Broome into repentance, it brought him into favour with God.

Today, Broome is happily married with kids as well as a blossoming ministry that is blessing lives around the world.

Here’s his story;

Source: CBN YouTube Channel
Faith

Bigger than disabilities

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“A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.” – Helen Keller.

Nicholas James Vujicic is a Christian evangelist and motivational speaker from Australia who was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of arms and legs.

He was born with incomplete limbs. According to his autobiography, his mother refused to see or hold him when the nurse held him in front of her, and she and her husband vomited after seeing their son with no limbs, but they eventually accepted the condition and saw it as “God’s plan for their son.”

None of these stopped him from pursuing his activities as an exemplary preacher and writer. Today, Nick is one of the most inspiration preachers in the world. His books has blessed the lives of many. He bags a Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy and Financial Planning in Griffith University. He won Best Actor in a Short Film at the 2010 Method Fest Independent Film Festival for his starring role as We ll.

Stephen Hawking’s experience reveals many things that anyone who is disabled should be aware of;

– Your accomplishments are more a function of your mindset than of your current state or circumstance.

– What your surroundings or the world say about you will only have an impact on you if you allow it.

Physical disabilities do not necessarily define who you are, nor do they define who God created you to be. It is essential that you begin to see yourself as great as God sees you and refuse to focus on your current limitations.

You are perfect, capable, great, exceptional, and valuable – this is who you are! The key to your success and fulfillment is hidden deep within you. You have everything you need to live life to the fullest if you set your mind to it and concentrate on the things you can do. You are God’s image, and He took his time in creating you to be perfect and wonderful (Psalms 139:14).

No disability or circumstance can make you less than perfect; the only thing that can make you less than perfect is you.

God is still in charge and cares about your life and success; the world still needs the great star in you – so don’t settle for anything less. It makes no difference whether you can walk on your own legs or not; the world is looking for men and women with developed minds, not men and women with developed bodies. Avoid negative thoughts that make you feel less than others! You are just as perfect as God says you are His very image.

Finally, I want you to read this,

Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”

You may have believed that God had abandoned you because of your disabilities; however, God knew you before you were born or were diagnosed with that disability. 

God was aware of your physical stature. 

There is nothing that you are going through presently that is a surprise to Him.

In spite of your disabilities, God still chose you. He won’t discard His plan for your life because of a mere physical disability. He has a purpose for you.

In Jeremiah 29:11, God says that the thoughts He has for you are thoughts of good and not of evil. God has wonderful plans for your life, beloved, so do not count yourself out!

Instead, seek solace and comfort in the fatherhood of God. Choose now to believe in yourself! Start investing in yourself. Seek for classes to take, good books to read, opportunities to bless people even as one who is disabled. Be an inspiration and a blessing to your world like Nick Vujicic.

We at Koinonia Art love you and we believe in you!

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

Faith

The Returning Bride {Hosea 2:7}

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Hosea 2:7: “Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, For then it was better for me than now”

God used the metaphor of a husband and wife relationship to speak to Israel in the preceding passage. They had abandoned God in favor of idols and carnal desires, and they were on the verge of facing severe punishment for their sins.

When a believer abandons God’s work to do the work of the flesh and the enemy, that believer is like a bride who has abandoned her husband for another. Jesus referred to Himself as “Our Love,” (Revelation 2:4) and we are referred to as “His Bride” in the book of Ephesians.

Since we are His Bride and in a mystical union with Him we must ask ourselves if we are faithful to this marriage with Jesus. It is critical that the believer performs a constant heart check to determine whether he is conscious and faithful of his union with Christ.

Just as when a lady gets married, her groom places a ring in her middle finger as a reminder that she is married no matter where she goes, when Christ married us in faith, He gave us His Holy Spirit as a sign in our hearts to remind us that we are married to Jesus and that our lives must be lived for Him alone.

Some believers, however, have grieved the Holy Spirit and have lost this consciousness. Instead of living in devotion to Christ, they have joined forces with sin and demons. They have abandoned their first love because they were deceived by another, who poses as a true lover.

However, the Bible teaches that Christ is the only true Love. He not only loves us, but He is Love Himself. Jesus embodies all of love. Love is the essence of His Being and the driving force behind His nature and actions. Only Jesus can truly love us, bless us, and give us the kind of future we desire.

If you have not been faithful to Jesus, in your fellowship with Him, in your obedience to His commands; if you have not been faithful with Jesus, now is the time to return to Him, repent of your unfaithfulness, and renounce any ungodly union you have had with the world or with the voice of the flesh.

Every unfaithful Christian, like the prodigal son and this unfaithful bride, will eventually realize that Christ is the better husband. Some, like the prodigal son, will realize this here on Earth. Some, however, may not have the opportunity to repent here and will only come to that realization in hell.

Nonetheless, it is not God’s will for anyone to perish. He desires that we repent and serve Him in true love and faithfulness. So let us return to the Lord. Let us repent of our disobedient actions and recognize that only Christ can truly love and bless us.

The next verse is also of utmost priority;

Hosea 2:8
She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold– which they used for Baal. (NIV)

The starting point of spiritual complacency is in the failure to acknowledge God for the blessings He has bestowed on us. Archbishop Trench says,

‘How prone are we all to ascribe to chance or fortune those gifts and blessings which indeed come directly from God–to build altars to Fortune rather than to Him who is the author of every good thing which we have gotten. And this faith of men, that their blessings, even their highest, come to them by a blind chance, they have incorporated in a word; for “happy” and “happiness” are connected with “hap,” which is chance; how unworthy, then, to express any true felicity, whose very essence is that it excludes hap or chance, that the world neither gave nor can take it away.’

The unfaithful bride used the gifts given to her by God to serve idols. We must not be like the bride, who failed to recognize God as the source of all her talents and gifts.

Let us make it a habit to acknowledge God as the source of all blessings in our lives, both rare and common, even the breath in our nostrils.

This is what God expects of us: fidelity to our relationship with Him. Keeping His commands in the face of pressure and temptation to disobey. Let us walk this path of faithfulness so that, in the end, we will be known as the Lord’s faithful bride.

Faith, Holiness and Grace

God has your back!

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Some time ago, I was burdened under the load of guilt and condemnation. I felt horrible at myself. I felt that I had failed God and that God had rejected me.

This thought severely harmed my spirituality and dwindled my devotion to God. I continued to live in this false sense of condemnation until one day I discovered in the scripture that I had been wrong all along.

I came across Isaiah 41 and felt as if God was speaking directly to me as I read it. It opened my eyes to the fact that I had been deceived by Satan all along. His weapon against me was to make me too sinful to do good, not too guilty to do good.

But, ever since God opened my eyes and instilled in me the Gospel of Grace, I’ve been living and thriving in the awareness of God’s Love for me.


Have you been living under the same condemnation I endured years ago? This sermon is for you.


Isaiah 41:9: I have called you back from the ends of the earth so you can serve me. For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.


God has chosen you and He will not throw you away. No matter your mistakes; or your shortcomings, He will never discard you.


God is not like an intolerant employer that fires his staffers for any little mistake made. Unlike the employer, God did not call you because He needed a special favour from you.

There’s nothing you’re doing for God that God cannot do for Himself. He has thousands of angels in heaven waiting for the word of His command.

God called you because He wants to bless and perfect you. He called you out of absolute love for you.


The employer asks for a certificate before employing, but all God asks from us is simple faith in Him. The employer accepts a staff based on qualifications, God accepts us because of the finished works of Jesus.

Before He chose you, He knew who you were. He knew you were capable of evil before He chose you. Despite all of your sinister tendencies, He chose you to do His will and be His vessel.



So don’t ever feel unqualified to work for God. Don’t ever feel like you have to do anything to qualify for God’s calling. Because even when you knew nothing about Him, He chose you to serve Him and work for His Kingdom.


You’ve been searching for who will carry the ‘mantle’ of the exiting fathers and lead the next generation of Christians into Kingdom service, God is saying, look no more, ‘I choose you!’

Isaiah 49:15 “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for a child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!

God, like a nursing mother, never abandons His children. God still loves you as much as He did when He died for you, no matter what mistakes you’ve made in the past. Why, then, live in guilt when you can live in His Love?



Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”



My son had a sprinting contest to participate in. It was a marathon sprint and every team consisted of father/guardian and son.


My son was visibly tense and afraid that he would lose. But when I reiterated to him that I would be running in the race with him, he suddenly became bold.


Similarly, God wants us to be bold in whatever task we want to do. Whether it is an exam to write, a topic to study, whatever the case may be, God wants you to do it with boldness and confidence that He’s with you, moving your hands to act excellently and influencing your mind to think in a godly manner.


Do not be afraid of anything. God has promised to strengthen you in the face of difficulty and tough trials.

Sometimes, God allows us to go through these trials not to punish us, but to bring us to a point where we rely only on His strength.


He will strengthen your body. He will strengthen your mind. He will strengthen your spirit.

I pray for you this morning that you receive the strength of God into your being. That every burden of guilt and shame be removed from you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Are you going through any challenge that needs prayer? We’d love to pray with you and trust the Lord of Grace to help you. Send your prayers to nwododivine82@gmail.com 😊

Spirituality

Heart Matters: Can your dream withstand the falls?

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No one is ever born a winner. Winners are groomed and developed from average humans into who the winners they are.

In fact, the Bible says that the only thing in the mind of a child at birth is ‘foolishness’. No child is born wise, neither is any child is born a winner.

Every individual has the choice to be a winner or loser. This choice is seen and expressed in the kind of habits that dominate our life. The loser has a habit that causes him to lose repeatedly and the winner has certain habits that cause him to live in constant victory.

But it is imperative to iterate that no winner truly wins every time. Anyone can make mistakes, anyone can fall, but a winner will rise again no matter how many times he falls.

Anyone can fail an exam, but a winner will put in more effort to rewrite and get a better grade.

Winners are not people who never fail but who never quit.

Winners have certain qualities and habits that make them who they are.

These things are innate and intrinsic within them. They have a deep-seated dream, desire and passion for victory and conquest in every of their endeavours. This dream must be more than mere wish; it must be a driving force founded upon a just and selfless cause.


CAN YOUR DREAM WITHSTAND THE FALLS?

Genesis 39:20: “And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners [were] bound: and he was there in the prison.” (KJV)


Joseph had the dream to be a ruler. This dream was deep-seated in his heart that he couldn’t help but tell his brothers and his father about it.

Joseph eventually became a ruler in Egypt, but not without having to withstand some of the toughest upsets a person can ever face in life. Joseph was sold into slavery by his very own brothers!



Genesis 39:18-20: “When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. 19 “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. 20 “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”


“We’ll see what happens with his dreams,” they said. What fascinates me about this statement is that it was made by Joseph’s own brothers, not by a stranger or a sworn enemy of Jacob’s family.

Isn’t it amazing how the people who don’t want you to achieve the big goals God has given you aren’t always distant enemies, but people you call your friends and family?

Those you look up to for support, but instead of encouraging you, they discourage you and send you to an uncomfortable place to be groomed in something you never dreamed of.

This was Joseph’s situation. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers – what a paradox that the prophesied ruler would be sold as a slave.

That could be described as a fall, a transition from greatness to something less than what you expected. But Joseph was tenacious!

Despite the fact that he appeared to have fallen out of favour and would never rise again, he kept the dream alive within himself.

Joseph did not give up his dream despite the fact that he had lost his family, his coat of many colours, and the comfort of his father. He held it close to his heart. His dream withstood his fall.

Because Joseph believed in his dream, he excelled in Potiphar’s house. I imagine Joseph brought into the house and thinking within himself, ‘This could be the place where my dreams will be fulfilled’.

So he worked doggedly with all diligence knowing Potiphar’s house could be the place where his dreams become reality. Indeed, his diligence paid off.


Genesis 35:4: “Joseph found favour in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.”


Joseph became the chief administrator of Potiphar’s household. That was an elevation and a promotion. Potiphar was a very wealthy man and had lots of servants; for Joseph to be in charge of Potiphar’s household means that Joseph was the leader of all the servants and staff of Potiphar’s house.

What other honour could one ask for?

But while this was happening, Joseph had no idea that soon his dream might be put to test with another fall. Potiphar’s wife suddenly began to develop feelings for the young lad.

Genesis 39:7: “And after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” (NIV)

The young man refused to heed to the temptation! Let’s pause here for a while! The temptation to become his master’s favourite was very luring and attractive, but Joseph stayed faithful to his faith in God.

If Joseph had slept with his master’s wife, there might have been no immediate consequences, but it would have led to a diversion from Joseph’s journey to success – he would never have been able to achieve his purpose.

In this event, we learn the importance of making right decisions. There are certain decisions you make now as a teenager that will give you temporal pleasure but lead to a permanent diversion from your calling.

You must be disciplined enough to say no to these things. Do not make decisions based on how they appear, appearances can be very deceiving.

Instead, look within at what the Spirit of God is saying in regards to it. If He is against such decision, you should yield to His counsel to you.

Joseph’s decision to remain chaste even in Egypt led to him being taken to prison (Genesis 39:20). He was not imprisoned for lying or for being dishonest; he was imprisoned for choosing the path of chastity.

From being the ruler of Potiphar’s household, he fell to become an inmate in a king’s prison. Again, Joseph experienced another fall. But in the prison, instead of being depressed, Joseph chose to be happy.

He chose to care for the other inmates – it wasn’t a choice made on impulse, it was the voice of his dream speaking – the voice of a dream that had withstand a fall. He kept his dream of being a leader alive and eventually became the leader of other inmates in the prison.


We know the rest of the story – Joseph was called up to Pharaoh’s palace one day, and he became the governor of Egypt. He is a living proof that dreams come true.

Winners do not lose hope no matter what they face. They believe in their dreams – they have a strong conviction that the vision that God has given them will come true.

Do you have this kind of dream? Do you have a vision that propels you to pray, fast and study your Bible? Do you have a vision that drives you to stay awake at night studying your books? Do you have a vision that propels you to work at the best level possible in whatever work you’re learning?

Can your dream withstand the loss of your mother? Can it withstand the loss of your father? Can your dream withstand the COVID and economic crisis?


Before that dream can come true, there will be lots of obstacles that will try to deter you from purpose. You will encounter a lot of ups and downs, rise and falls. But in the midst of this, keep your dream alive within. Be strong!

Let your dream withstand the fall! Turn your mistakes into miracles, your graves into gardens and your falls into an elevation towards greatness!

Written by Nwodo Divine

GENERAL

Developing godly values

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We frequently make the mistake of attempting to improve our society without first improving ourselves.

Most of the time, we put forth our best effort to please others while overlooking the importance of improving ourselves. Many people live and act solely to meet the demands of others. However, this is risky because it can cause a loss of self-awareness and vision.

IMPROVE YOUR SENSE OF WORTH

“But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows” – Luke 12:7.

Isn’t it lovely that in the preceding passage, Jesus revealed to us how much God values us more than even the animals he created? God loves you so much that he came and died for us in order for us to be saved, live, and bask in his glory. Have you ever considered how highly God regards you? He knows that without you, establishing his Kingdom on Earth will be impossible, and he even knows the number of hairs on your head. Isn’t that fantastic? Never think of yourself as a disappointment or a failure. Things may not go as planned, but remember everything works together for those who love the Lord.

So, how do you develop values that will transform your life?

  1. Self Evaluation

‘An unexamined life is not worth living,’ said Aristotle. To live at the pinnacle of our faith, we must cultivate a culture of evaluating and accessing our paths. It holds you accountable to yourself. It is only through self-evaluation that one can identify the Christian values that are lacking in his life and resolve to cultivate them.

2. Renew your mind with the Word of God

God desires that you meditate on the scriptures day and night because when you meditate on them, you will begin to exhibit Godly values that will result in a Christ-like lifestyle. The revelation from God’s word that you have pondered is what gives you godly value.

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” Psalm 119:9.

Until believers make the word of God their priority, godly values and character will be absent amongst us. The book of James describes God’s word as a mirror which we behold in order to know who God has made us to be. When a lying Christian reads God’s word diligently, He sees that as a Saint, he isn’t supposed to lie and he adopts the value of honesty and truthfulness. When a homosexual reads God’s word and sees that homosexuality is immoral, he renounces it and adopts God’s principles of holiness.

God’s word renews our mind and our thinking. When our thinking is renewed, our actions will be renewed. And when we continue living with these renewed actions, they become habits and eventually morph into a part of our being – our character.

GENERAL, Student's Corner

The Mind

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According to Genesis, after God created man, he blessed him and commanded him to subdue and dominate the Earth and all that is within it.

I find it perplexing that man, who appears to be a frail and fragile creature, should be given dominion over animals with fierce strength like the Lion, Tiger, and so on, as well as planetary bodies with paranormal intensity like the sun and stars.

What did God give man that makes Him superior to God’s other creations?

  • A creative mind


Your mind is a key to an infinite number of possibilities, depending on how well you have challenged and exercised it. The mind is more than a machine; it is greater than any computer program. Thousands of bots and robots have been developed in an attempt to mimic humans, but none have been able to match the intelligence of the human mind.


YOUR MIND IS YOUR GREATEST RESOURCE

Everything God created man with was for his benefit, including the mind. When God created man and gave him the dominion charge, He did not give him a gun or a missile, the only thing He left man with was the Mind.

The Mind is the greatest resource that God has given to man. It is probably one of the greatest blessings that God has bestowed upon us.

Take a look at this;


“And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and knowledge, and all manner of workmanship; And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and silver, and brass, And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.” – Exodus 35: 30-34.


Bezaleel was given special abilities to do very special work in God’s sanctuary, and God provided him with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding for these tasks. Whatever Bezaleel and Aholiab did was simply a result of the divine wisdom God had bestowed upon them.


God has blessed many of us with gifted minds, such as Bezaleel. The same Spirit that quickened Bezaleel’s mind is the Spirit we received the moment we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Moreover, the Bible equally says we have the mind of Christ.


THE MIND IS A SOIL

The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. Psalms 37:31.
 

The mind is like a soil, whatever you sow and nurture in it eventually becomes your reality. Thus, we must be careful the things we sow in our minds because they have the ability to grow to influence our lives.



Sow God’s word into your mind. Your mind was created by God so that you can be able to meditate and ponder on the word of God. When this duty is done diligently, God’s word becomes a strong influence and deciding factor in our minds.

It speaks when we’ve done wrong. It cautions us when we ere. It guides us when we’re trapped in a crossroad.

When God’s word is planted in our minds, living righteously becomes an easy thing.
 

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: Hebrews 8:10.

THE MIND IS A WEAPON

The mind is a weapon given to man to overcome every circumstance of life. It is like a quiver full of weapons. But what will fill your quiver and make it strong is the content you have in it. The absence of quality content in the minds of young folks is what makes them despair in the face of opposition.

Thus, it is imperative that one feeds his mind with information relevant to the age and system we are in presently.

Spirituality

The Significance of Fasting

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The word Fasting in Greek is nesteia which means to suspend the craving for food.

It equally means to deny yourself of all forms of bodily nourishment.

Furthermore, it entails avoiding all forms of distraction and focusing your mind and body on spiritual thoughts and concepts. Joel 2:12-13


The Advantages of Fasting


Fasting has both spiritual and physical benefits. It is important that we understand the spiritual benefits of fasting in order to avoid doing it in ignorance.


1. Fasting strengthens prayer:

The goal of fasting is to draw you closer to God. Its purpose is to add vitality to prayer.

It does this by first conditioning the heart to pray effectively, and proceeding to condition our prayers to be aligned with God’s will.

The fast in itself is not responsible for this, it is the activities done during the fast that does this.

During a fast, the heart is fixed on the revelation of God, this revelation gives us the faith and insight required to have effectual prayer.




2. Fasting helps us access God’s thoughts:


The human mind is constantly a beehive of activities. With thoughts from different sources flooding it frequently, it is difficult to know when God is speaking to us. We silence these thoughts in fasting.

Meditation, which goes along with fasting, enables our heart to receive God’s thoughts seamlessly.



3. Fasting Gives You Access To Power:

The Apostles stayed in Jerusalem, fasted, and were given power. Many people want power but do not want to fast.

Paul had fasted for 14 days just to declare that there would be no loss of life. Jesus spent 40 days fasting before he got into ministry and the Bible tells us that He returned in the fullness of God’s power.


4. Fasting feeds your spirit:


“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 33:13.


Your spirit is the center of your being, the Holy Spirit came to tabernacle in your spirit to write God’s law in your heart.

Fasting allows the Holy Spirit to freely express himself in your Spirit. It equally makes you experience his divinity through your soul.

A true fast subdues the desires of our flesh and engulfs our soul with passion for the things of God.







Don’t fast until a crisis happens, Fast because you want to have an intimate relationship with Christ.




Green-Hills Emmanuel Amarayahweh

Faith

Youth Corner: A Cedar in the Desert

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Isaiah 41:19: “I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, [and] the pine, and the box tree together:” (KJV)

The desert is a place of aridity, scarcity, and pain. The desert has little to no moisture. It is a place devoid of all attractiveness and comeliness. Nobody goes on vacation to the desert. It is regarded as a truly dreadful location.

The most important fact about the desert, however, is that trees do not grow there. It is devoid of plants, flowers, and so on. It is only made up of a large expanse of sand, making it a notorious location.                           

In the preceding text, God promised to do the unthinkable: plant a cedar and oil tree in the desert. Even in today’s society, these trees are uncommon. They are more valuable, rare, and useful than other trees.

The cedar is well-known for its large shades, which can provide shelter to both humans and animals seeking to avoid the scorching sun. The Oil tree, on the other hand, is well known for its enormous size. It frequently grows to be quite tall.

Given the peculiar nature of these trees, one has to wonder how God intends to plant them in a desert. That appears to be impossibility, but it goes on to demonstrate that there is nothing God cannot do.

  YOU ARE THE CEDAR IN THE DESERT

Source: Unsplash

 God has no intention of going to the desert and becoming a husbandman or gardener there. He was referring to His Church in the preceding text; He was referring to you as a member of the Church.

When I was a kid, I used to wonder why God didn’t make me in a developed country like the United States of America or the United Kingdom, but now I understand better.

In deserts, God plants cedars. Perhaps your country can be compared to a desert; nothing appealing about it, a deterrent to foreign investors and tourists; God has planted you here as a special cedar in this desert..

            

Perhaps your family can be compared to this desert. No great man has ever risen from it for ages; it is full of financial constraints here and there, and every day, like Job, you curse the day you were born into that family, be strengthened by the fact that God plants cedars in deserts.

Even if your country or family is a desert, God has placed you there to bring beauty and comeliness. God will transform the desert into a lovely garden through you.

This means that even if your family is poor and devoid of wealthy members, God purposefully placed you there to cause you to break the cycle of poverty and emerge as the wealthy man in that family.

It also means that, even though your country is notorious for suppressing the dreams of youth your age, and is declining financially on a daily basis, God purposefully made you a part of the country so that you will be the change that it requires.

            As a result, rather than asking, “Why was I born here?” begin by asking, “How can I change here?” God has given you everything you need to transform your desert-like family or nation into one that is revered and celebrated by others.

It is now time for you to accept that fact. Your birth was not a fluke; it was not a case of bad luck. There’s nothing like bad luck in the life of a believer. “And who knoweth whether thou art come… for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14

                

In His planning, God makes no mistakes. He placed you in your family, state, or nation with one goal in mind: to make it a better place than you found it. He brought you there to become the desert cedar.

Amazingly, the structure of the cedar allows anyone to come beneath it to be protected from the sun’s scorching rays. As a result, God has positioned you in your family and nation to be like a cedar to which everyone in need of assistance and protection comes.                    

 

This cedar was exemplified by Joseph. In a time of famine, he became Prime Minister of Egypt and led them through it. People from other families and nations would seek financial assistance from Joseph (Genesis 47).

God wants to do the same for you – and He will if you align yourself with His purpose. God wants to make you so great that not only your family will benefit from you, but people in your community, country, and the world as a whole will be influenced by your greatness. Therefore, no matter what is going on in your family now, remember that you are the cedar in the desert.

A GOOD THING CAN ARISE FROM NAZARETH!

John 1:46: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

 

Nazareth was a place of notoriety and very ordinary living in the Bible. It was so bad that both its occupants and its neighbours came to the conclusion that nothing good could ever come from it. But Jesus disproved them!

God chose Nazareth out of all the glorious cities in Israel to be the birthplace of Christ. It seemed too good to be true that the world’s saviour would come from a place as humble as Nazareth. Nonetheless, it occurred. God caused something good to come from Nazareth.        

Dear youth, you are the good thing that God has made to come from this country. Even if people ask, “Can anything good come from this country?” or “Can anything good come from that family?” God has placed you there to disprove their negative conclusions.

As a result, accept the responsibility that has been assigned to you. Do not bemoan the forces of life compelling you to be mature beyond your years; this is the force of destiny. Will you answer the call of destiny?

                

Change your mindset from a complainer to a problem solver starting today. Instead of complaining about problems, consider how you will solve them. Imagine yourself breaking your family’s poverty line by becoming extremely wealthy.

Imagine yourself transforming your family from an uneducated one to one filled with the brightest minds. Consider sponsoring the education of children in your community. Be inspired by this vision!

Work hard, study hard, and challenge your mind to always come up with creative and paranormal solutions! Greatness awaits you!

About the author

Nwodo Divine is the founder of Koinonia Art as well as host of popular Facebook series, ‘Interview with the Tagged’. A student, blogger by night, he is a B.A student of English Language and Literature in the University of Benin. Nwodo Divine is equally a content editor, freelance writer and teacher.