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Spirituality

The Holy Spirit: Our Helper

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John 14:16: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;” (NASB)

While on Earth, Jesus was the most powerful man. He lived His whole life full of wisdom and mighty demonstrations of God’s power. It earned the awe and respect of His 12 disciples. Imagine being the personal assistant to the most influential man on Earth today – this is the status Jesus’ disciples occupied in the thousands of years ago.

Then out-of-the-blues, Jesus brought a very sad news to them.

John 13:36: “Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.”(NASB)

He was getting ready to leave. The mention of this broke His disciples’ hearts. How could the One in charge of their upkeep abandon them? Throughout Jesus’ time with His disciples, there was never a shortage of good things.

They got money from the mouth of a fish when they needed it to pay taxes. When they needed bread to feed the masses, they raided a child’s lunchbox. Everything they required was presented to them on a gold platter. And now, the man who had done these favors was about to leave the planet.

What’s more heartbreaking than that? What would life be like without Jesus? Who would they turn to for assistance?

These were the thoughts that raged in their hearts, Jesus knew. “I will send you another Helper,” he said as he looked at them.

To put it another way, “I will send you someone who will be to you what I was to you.” Someone who will assist and guide you in the same way that I did.’ Jesus revealed in John 14:26 that this “someone” was none other than The Holy Spirit.

In this turbulent world, the Holy Spirit was given to us to be our guide, comforter, and helper. The Holy Spirit is present in every believer. The theory that the dispensation of the Holy Spirit has ended is completely false as without the Holy Spirit, there can be no conviction of sin, no repentance and no regeneration. John 3:6, NLT: “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.”

It is the Holy Spirit that gives us spiritual life.

Romans 8:16: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (NASB)

If you are a God’s child, you have the Holy Spirit living within you. But it takes more than just knowing the Holy Spirit lives in us to share in His blessings. We must grow in our understanding and friendship with the Holy Spirit.

He must be more than a fact to us; he must be more real to us than even our next-door neighbour.

Here are four important facts about The Holy Spirit

1. He speaks (Acts 13:2)

2. He hears (Psalm 65:24)

3. He can be pleased, grieved or stirred up (Eph. 4:30)

4. He loves us (2 Thess. 3:5)

5. He lives in us (1 Cor. 3:16)

The Holy Spirit’s primary role in our lives is to lead and guide us into the fullness of God’s will. We can never know God’s will by speculating or gambling. We’re going to make a lot of mistakes.

  • He knows God’s will better than us (1 Cor. 2:11): The only person who can accurately know God’s thoughts in any situation is the Holy Spirit. As a result, if we can learn to walk with Him and listen to His instructions, we will never be in a quandary or lack wisdom in deciding what to do.

The Holy Spirit helps us in prayer (Rom. 8:26):

Source: GettyImages

If we do not walk with the Holy Spirit, we will pray amiss a lot and our prayers will not get answered. When we allow the Holy Spirit to lead our lives, He ensures our prayers are aligned with God’s will. He helps us know the right prayers to pray; sometimes, while praying, He might even drop prayer points into our hearts. He also inspires us to pray by giving us burdens. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray and He helps us while we pray. Thus, with Him, prayer becomes easier and more accurate.

He is the Wisdom Spirit (Acts 6:8):

The Holy Spirit illuminates our understanding.

The fullness of the Spirit provides us with practical wisdom, insight, and understanding for daily living. Daniel possessed the Spirit of Wisdom, which enabled him to interpret a dream that all the wise men in Babylon found difficult to interpret. Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit, and when He spoke, men were astounded by the profundity and wisdom of His message.

The Holy Spirit’s work is numerous, but these three are the most important ones that should compel us to seek guidance from the Blessed Spirit of God. He serves as a conduit between us and God. Our prayers reach God through Him, and God’s thoughts reach us through Him. /p>

But the Holy Spirit can’t do it without our co-operation. He will not speak unless we acknowledge Him; He will not hear us unless we pray, and He will not give us wisdom unless we seek His advice in everything we do.

Therefore, let us make our walk with The Holy Spirit a priority. Here are three ways one can do this;

  • Spend time each day worshiping Him. Every morning, it should be the first thing you do. The Holy Spirit should be the first person we speak to in the morning and the last person we speak to in the evening. In His presence, we must sleep and awaken.

  • Be aware of His indwelling presence: Do not lose this awareness. Ask yourself, “Will the Holy Spirit be pleased?” before doing anything.
  • Do not be afraid to ask for His help.

Will you do this? Will you allow the Holy Spirit to lead your life? Say this prayer;

You, Holy Spirit, are the third Person of the Blessed Trinity. You are the Spirit of truth, love, and holiness, descended from and equal in every way to the Father and the Son. I adore You and will devote the rest of my life to You. Teach me to recognize and seek God, who made me for and with Him. Fill my heart with both a holy dread of Him and a deep love for Him. Give me patience and restraint, and keep me from succumbing to temptation. Amen.

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

Spirituality

Heart Matters; The Heart – The Reservoir of Wisdom

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“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” – Matthew 12:24

Have you ever wondered why monks and sages are so wise? I have too. What makes them so wise? Don’t they have the same brain and eyes that we have? They do.

What makes monks, sages and wealthy men wise is a heart matter. Wisdom is not a mental condition, it is a heart condition. It is a state of the heart.

Wisdom can be received and enhanced in the heart. Thus we can describe the heart as the storage tank of wisdom. It stores up wisdom and insight for excellent living.

This is why Jesus spoke of ‘the abundance of the heart’. Even as the heart can store up wisdom, it can also store folly, or it can be empty and void of wisdom. It all depends on how much development you give to it.

Here are two ways to enhance inner wisdom;

1. Get connected with God.

God in us – The Holy Spirit is our source of wisdom. Any believer who is rooted in God will never run out of practical wisdom for daily living. Building a strong connection with God requires prayer, meditation, fasting etc. Find out more here.

  • Acknowledge God
Proverbs 3:6: “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (KJV)

Here’s what Matthew Henry says about this verse:

“…. We must not only in our judgment believe that there is an over-ruling hand of God ordering and disposing of us and all our affairs, but we must solemnly own it, and address ourselves to him accordingly. We must ask his leave, and not design anything but what we are sure is lawful. We must ask his advice and beg direction from him, not only when the case is difficult… but in every case, be it ever so plain, we must ask success of him, as those who know the race is not to the swift.

We must refer ourselves to him as one from whom our judgment proceeds, and patiently, and with a holy indifference, wait his award. In all our ways that prove direct, and fair, and pleasant, in which we gain our point to our satisfaction, we must acknowledge God with thankfulness. In all our ways that prove cross and uncomfortable, and that are hedged up with thorns, we must acknowledge God with submission.”

Although there are men with natural wisdom, a look at world history reveals that it takes more than natural wisdom to survive in this world. Furthermore, no matter how smart you are, you will never know what the person next to you is thinking. You can never see into the future, no matter how clever you are; you can never predict the next war, bomb blast, tension, etc.

C. Bridges explains this better,

‘Take one step at a time, every step under divine warrant and direction. Ever plan for yourself in simple dependence on God. It is nothing less than self-idolatry to conceive that we can carry on even the ordinary matters of the day without His counsel. He loves to be consulted. Therefore, take all thy difficulties to be resolved by Him. Be in the habit of going to Him in the first piece- before self-will… self-wisdom, human friends, convenience (and) expediency. Before any of these have been consulted, go to God at once!’

Here’s an exercise for this;

  • Consider a decision you must make soon. It could be a job, an admission, a course selection, a spouse, or something else. Remove your emotions and preferences from the decision and speak to God – who dwells in your heart. Ask Him to guide you in making the right decision. You can even ask Him for a sign, as Gideon did, and if your heart is sincere, God may work a sign to lead you. But the most important thing is that you acknowledge God before taking any action.

  • Read your Bible

The Bible is God’s letter to man; it is God’s eternal counsel written down. God is very interested in the Bible because it is His very own work, and how much attention we as His children pay to it. I remember writing my first story and giving it to a close friend to read. I sat there watching him read it with bated breath until he was finished. I did this because it was my book, and it made me very happy to see someone else reading what I had written. Similarly, God loves it when we pay attention to His word.

His word contains life-changing wisdom. We see deep mysteries hidden for us in the life stories of David, Abraham, and others, as well as the proverbs of Solomon, the psalms of David, the teachings of Jesus, and the doctrines of the Apostles.

Therefore, let us give attention to the reading of God’s word for our own profiting.

  • Read it.
  • Meditate on it.
  • Study it.
  • Pray with it
  • Practice it
  • Keep reading it

What if I can’t understand what is written in it?

1 Corinthians 2:9-11: “…Things never discovered or heard of before, things beyond our ability to imagine  – these are the many things God has in store for them that love Him.

10 But God now unveils these profound realities to us by the Spirit.[c] Yes, he has revealed to us his inmost heart and deepest mysteries through the Holy Spirit, who constantly explores all things. 

11 After all, who can really see into a person’s heart and know his hidden impulses except for that person’s spirit? So it is with God. His thoughts and secrets are only fully understood by his Spirit, the Spirit of God.”

The Bible can never be fully comprehended by the human intellect; it requires the revelation of the Holy Spirit to fully comprehend the wisdom hidden in God’s word. As a result, before reading the Bible, we must pray to the Lord for understanding and insight into His word.

Read the Bible with an open heart in order to receive instruction from the Holy Spirit; as if God is speaking to you through it, read it. Don’t just skim through it. The butterfly can only get nectar from its flower by sucking it; similarly, we can only gain insight from God’s word by studying it meditatively.

2. INQUISITIVENESS

Wisdom is acquired through a combination of inquisitiveness for information and a desire to learn. This quality is common among the world’s renowned scientists and researchers. It is a heart matter and goes beyond being a mere over-thinker or curious person.

Inquisitiveness is the desire to learn, to know more about people, things. It is founded from the habit of observation. If you want to fill your heart with wisdom, observe and ask questions. Ask vital questions to yourself, God, elders around you and even to nature.

A wise man once said, “He who knows how to ask, will never get lost”. If you develop this inquisitive quality and you live by it, by the time you’re old your mind will be an accumulation of years of wisdom and answers to life’s toughest questions.

Here’s a practical for you;

  • Get a book and tag it ‘Wisdom Book’.
  • Write down the pivotal questions in your life that you need answers to.
  • Go to the Bible or get lessons from trusted counselors on those questions and write them down in your wisdom book.
  • Have a ‘learning goal’ each day. This goal should be the things you want to learn for that day. At the end of the day, write down the things you’ve learnt in your ‘Wisdom Book’.
  • Be observant and write down occurrences with significant meaning in your life.

BE CONSISTENT

Again, this must be done continuously in order to see the desired results.

Were you blessed by this post? We’ll love to hear from you in the comment section.

GENERAL

HEART MATTERS 1: Engaging God with the Heart

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We have a physical heart as well as a spiritual heart. This is evident in the case of the tangible ears and the ears that exist within these ears, as well as our brain and mind. This intangible heart is the essence of man’s being. It is the center of our existence.

The heart is the link between the spiritual realm and the physical realm. Through the heart, we connect to/with people around us, as well as to God.

“…. discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. The heart is the epicenter of our thoughts and our motives for whatever we do.

This spiritual force is the most powerful of all the structures that comprise man’s metaphysical realm. All inventions, innovations, and ideas originate in the heart. It is the inner proving ground for human innovation.

Throughout this series, we will learn how to train our hearts and increase their capacity to generate creative, superhuman ideas and innovations. But this post is about the most important thing we need to learn as Christians: how to engage God with our hearts.

James 4:8: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

When the Bible tells us to draw near to God, it does not mean that we should do so literally. This is due to the fact that none of us can be physically close to God.

God cannot be seen in our physical world unless He opens the spiritual eyes of men to see Him on rare occasions. God, on the other hand, is very close to us, even closer than we expect. James’ admonition to the Church to draw near to God is motivated by God’s proximity to us.

However, many of us are unaware of this, which explains why humans, including believers, frequently experience feelings of fear, abandonment, and despair.

The Heart is God’s House within us

We can reach out to God through our hearts. Nothing can frighten you when you develop this close heart-to-heart connection with God. You gain the courage of a lion. This intimacy with God is what gives hope for a better future even in difficult times.

This intimacy has an impact on our emotions as well; it causes us to rejoice and live in joy because we can feel God no matter where we go. Jesus had a heart-to-heart connection with God. It was so strong that it inspired and influenced everything He did.

He wept in grief when He lost this connection on the cross because it was His main source of strength and fortitude. There are three steps towards enjoying this strong, unbreakable connection with God;

1. Awareness:

The Church needs to go beyond looking for the Presence of God to being aware of the presence of God. The Presence of God is not locked up somewhere in Heaven as many think. His Presence is within us – our heart is the tabernacle of God’s glory and presence. But due to either ignorance or being busy, very few believers enjoy this presence.

Moreover, it is almost impossible to be aware of God’s presence almost twenty-four hours with the kind of turmoil we’re experiencing, but awareness of God is like an art that can be developed and mastered.

  • – See God both inside and outside of yourself.

Psalm 23:4: “….For You are with me…”

We pray because we are aware of God’s indwelling presence. It inspires us to worship. Furthermore, God is said to ‘fill the universe’ in the Bible (Ephesians 1:23). God, as the creator of the universe, has left His imprint on all of His creations.

In fact, everything God created is intended to bear witness to Him and reflect His attributes.

Therefore, let us see God’s glory in the brightness of the sun; let us see God’s grace in the raindrops, His beauty in the lilies, and His creativity in the mountains.

It is very simple and practical to accomplish this feat. Prepare your daily schedule and set aside an hour, thirty minutes, or even fifteen minutes to focus all of your heart energies on being conscious of God’s presence.

When you’re in trouble or confused, instead of trying to mask your feelings by drinking or having a good time, be still and know that God is with you. Although this state will not solve the problem, it will bring peace and joy to your soul.

You’ll have a strong sense that God is working out something good for you. You’ll even get the strength and faith you need to bring the issue to God in prayer.

This is something I do a lot when I’m too tired to continue my studies due to financial constraints. It works!

  • Worship creates awareness

I don’t think there’s anything that awakens the awareness of God’s presence like music. Playing cool worship songs and meditating on the song lyrics can help you feel God’s presence both inside and outside your home.

Allow the lyrics to reach the depths of your soul. Don’t just listen with your ears; listen with your heart as well. Connect to the music’s words; they are the wings that carry the soul to God and the antenna that connects the heart to God.

Being aware of God is one level of engagement; being able to relate to Him as God is an entirely different level, and it is one that every Saint must achieve. Why not talk to God while He is with you?

Being aware of God without attempting to engage Him in conversation is akin to knowing your mother is sitting next to you but ignoring her as if she were a stranger. You will never benefit from God’s wisdom if you do not communicate with Him.

Unfortunately, many believers wait to hear God’s voice before responding to God; however, this is not how it works.

Remember how James stated that when we draw near to God (through our hearts), God draws near to us. Thus, we will begin to recognize God’s voice when we choose to converse with Him as our Father and Friend.

How do I start?

This is the question that many Christians ask when they are told to pray to God. There is no definite way to communicate with God. But it is best to begin by praising Him, thanking Him, and admiring His glorious works.

Here’s an exercise for you:

Visualize God sitting beside you. This requires a lot of inner effort, but it strengthens the heart’s spiritual muscles. After that, begin to thank Him in the same way you would thank a sponsor or a helper who has done something good for you.

Remember to keep your mind on the fact that God is present with you. After thanking Him, go ahead and pour out your heart to Him. Talk to Him about everything you can think of.

This is one of the most effective ways to pray; however, communicating with God can also be done informally, particularly by those who have mastered the art. Here’s one more:

– Begin practicing whatever you see here as you read this post on your device. Simply tell God how much you appreciate Him.

This is one of the most effective ways to pray; however, communicating with God can also be done informally, particularly for those who have mastered the art.

Here’s another exercise: while reading this post on your device, start practicing whatever you see here. Simply tell God how much you love Him, how much you want to be close to Him, and so on. Keep doing this; it will strengthen your flow with God.

3. DO WHAT HE SAYS

Our relationship with God is harmed by disobedience. It is the highest type of dishonor, though ignorant defiance is far more dangerous. The majority of us are unconsciously disobedient. When you ignore a leading to preach to others, enter a trade, make friends with someone, or do something else, you are simply disobeying the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Probably you’ve been feeling an inner pull leading you towards a certain decision, and you are fully convinced that this is not your mere emotions playing a trick on you.

You can seek counsel from spiritual leaders in your Church, and if you remain convinced that it is God’s leading, go ahead and do it!

The more we do what God says, the more we know what God says. Likewise, the more we do what God wants, the more we know what God wants.

Every morning, we’ve been taught to tell God how we want our day to go, but we’ve never been taught to ask God how HE wants our day to go.

The latter is the way of absolute surrender. It is the highest form of worship, and it is what makes God to take abode in everything we do.

It takes more than a trial to develop heart-heart relationship with God. These activities must be done intentionally and must become an integral part of our daily lives. If you practice them daily, you will be in awe at how real your fellowship with God will become.

Written by Nwodo Divine

Spirituality

Spirituality: How can I pray for long hours? 😔😔

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The issue of praying for long hours has always been a trending topic among Christians. Prayer is often likened unto exercise.


There are times all one needs is light warmups, pushups and a few jogs; but there are times a standard athlete must spend quality time training himself and exercising his muscles in the gym.


This is also applicable for prayer.

There are times when all one needs is a light thirty minutes prayer; whereas there are situations that a quality Christian must spend time praying and declaring the Word of The Lord.


Thus, the importance that believers are taught not only how to pray, but also how to persevere in the place of prayer.

The athlete is trained on how to jog round a standard football pitch for more than thirty minutes nonstop; the Saint must also be trained on how to exercise his spirit for hours nonstop!


THE POWER IS IN QUALITY NOT QUANTITY


The essence of this lesson is not to spur you to begin to long duration the purpose and target of your prayer.

That’s the greatest mistake many-a-praying saint makes;it’s also the first step towards losing prayer stamina.



For effective prayer, you must have faith, knowledge of God’s Word as well as a heart aligned with the will of God.



Yet, this post is to train you on how you can engage God with both quality of heart and quantity of time.



1. THE WORSHIPPER


Prayer is a form of worship, thus, in order to pray well and pray long, one must be in the posture of worship before God’s presence.

The essence of spending time singing songs of worship to God cannot be argued.


Many a times, when a Saint desires to pray and goes on his knees, the burdens, pressures and concerns of the day will seem to be laid on his head.

Sometimes, it is like the consequence of the vigorous body exertions surface in the body all of a sudden; other times it could be sleepiness. When this happens, do not try to coerce yourself to pray.


Instead, lift your hands to God and sing songs of worship from your heart.

The Psalmist referred to worship as ‘Magnifying the Lord’, when the Lord is magnified and revealed in the room where your worship is being released, prayer becomes easy.


The more you worship God, the more you become aware of his presence. I once heard someone say, ‘I don’t worship much before praying, because I came to pray not to worship’.


This is the mindset of some saints, and its very wrong. Sometimes, all we actually need to do in God’s presence is not even to pray in loud tongues, but to worship and adore His majesty.


Worship awakens even our spirit and enable it to be able to receive from God. Before you present your requests to God, make sure you attend to His own request – that you worship Him in spirit and in truth.


2. YOU AIN’T GOING ANYWHERE


You must be aware that you’re praying for long. Cast away all thoughts that will make you be in a haste, and be conscious of the fact that you’re going to spend time in God’s presence.



3. PRAY WITH DIRECTION



Do not pray randomly for the sake of covering time. Let your mind be focused on a particular goal.



1 Corinthians 9:26 “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:”


The Saint must be careful not to be like a boxer that only punches the air – exerting energy but making no impact.


His mind and spirit must be on the wall which he intends to crush, the barrier to break and the mountain to move.


4. GO BEYOND YOUR STRENGTH!

When the sprinters in a marathon become tired, they do not stop running entirely – because they know they have a destination that they must reach. Instead, they reduce their speed.


Having set a time target for yourself, you should keep praying until you’re able to reach it. If you do not have a time target, you should keep praying until you’re internally satisfied that you’ve done enough.



When you do this, you’re stretching yourself like the elastic runner, to go beyond your normal size. When you seem to be physically tired, you can rest, and if it’s not convenient for your health, stop the prayers and continue next time; otherwise, keep going.


Reduce the loudness of your voice; reduce your physical exertion, but ensure you’re praying.


5. PRAY-READ THE SCRIPTURES


There’s no greater source of strength than God’s Word.


Daniel 9:2 “During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, was studying the writings of the prophets. I learned from the word of the Lord, as recorded by Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.”


Daniel 9:3 “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting.”


Daniel’s discovery of God’s prophecy about the nation of Israel spurred him to pray. A Saint who gains ground in long term prayer is a Saint who prays with his Bible open.

He constantly checks here and there, to see what God’s Word says about his business, family, kids etc, and the more he discovers it, the more he prays with it.

If you do not know what to pray, pray with God’s Word. Turn Bible verses into prayer points.

Finally;

CONSISTENCY IS KEY! An understanding of this will prevent you from setting unrealistic goals for yourself in prayer. Don’t expect to pray for five straight hours on your first attempt. Begin from an hour and keep advancing at weekly intervals.

Faith

Believe in The Immutability of God

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Isaiah 51: “Look unto Abraham”


If there’s anything I’m sure of, it’s the words of scriptures. God never minced words. If He says we should look unto Abraham, He means it.

Abraham is the symbol of the Christian faith. He is widely celebrated for his unrelenting belief in the promise of God.


Hebrews 11:17 “It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac,”


Hebrews 11:18 though God had promised him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.”


Hebrews 11:19 “Abraham assumed that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.”


The intensity and strength of Abraham’s faith was revealed when he attempted to sacrifice his only son.

This was the son that God had promised him; Isaac was the son through whom Abraham would become the father of many nations.

He was the precious and promised seed, yet, Abraham never showed any reluctance in sacrificing him just to please God.


The radical faith of this Saint of Old is what believers need today. We need to build our faith to become even stronger than that of Abraham if we are going to inherit the promise.

Having studied the life and pilgrimage of Abraham, I discovered only one source of Abraham’s strong faith;

– The Immutability of God


Hebrews 6:13 For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying:


Hebrews 6:14 “I will certainly bless you richly, and I will multiply your descendants into countless millions.”


Hebrews 6:15 Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.



When God made the promise to Abraham, He swore by His name to fulfil the promise He made to Abraham.

The moment God made that oath, Abraham held onto it. He gripped it firmly and even gave thanks knowing that God would fulfil His oath.


Like Abraham, all we have to sustain our faith in this world is the immutability of God’s Word. God no longer needs to appear in dreams to give us His Promise like He did with Abraham.

In the days of old, there was no scripture or precedent to look up to and be strengthened in faith. There was no record of God’s promise to any man.


But God has blessed us with His Word – The Bible. We can look onto it in our moments of despair and be rest assured that so long as the Promise has been made, it will be fulfilled.

This, folks, is the definition of strong faith. This is the faith of Abraham and every person who ever walked with God.


It is a solid conviction on the immutability of God’s Word – if He said it, He will do it.


Psalms 37:28 “For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will perish.”



God has given His Promise, that He will never abandon you. Even in your darkest moments, He will always be there.

Though, it may seem as if God is silently watching the world destroy itself, His eyes are specially fixed on His Saints.

Folk, stay glued to the promise of God that He will keep His beloved safe and lead us unto prosperity.

If God never fails, then let us hold unto His word. Let us believe His word that all things work for our good. Let us believe His word that even in famine, the Lord shall bless us with abundance.

Let us believe in the immutability of God.

Amen.


Faith

The Use of Faith

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A tool is something useful;

it is a thing available to serve a specific purpose. Its level of importance is determined by how much value it has.


We can consider faith a tool; an instrument that is useful in diverse ways.



One may wonder what the uses are, not to worry, they are explained below:




1. Faith is A CURRENCY


Just like one accesses physical commodities with money, faith is used to accessing whatever is supernatural. Faith determines our response to things about God and His kingdom.



It is attached to everything we do in God’s Kingdom; our works and responsibility towards the purposes of God must be mingled with faith, else they will amount to naught.


2. It is an instrument used for GAINING ALIGNMENT


We tread the path of alignment on the strength of our faith in Christ. By faith, we believe in the finished work of Christ. Also, it always prone believers to action. When there’s faith, there are works, so faith validates our work and makes it pleasing unto God.



3. Faith serves as A PARAMETER


God has standards in his kingdom, and for them to be met, there are kingdom parameters that are used to measure our duties. One of these criteria is faith.

He checks not only our heart posture (the intents and purity-state of our heart) but also whether we are faithless.



A pure heart is not enough, God demands faith when we carry out actions. Apostle Paul understood this and so he exhorted the brethren in Rome, thus:



‘‘He that doubteth is damned if he eats because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin’’ Romans 14:23.


His teaching labels the‘ absence of faith’ as a sin. A faithless Christian is vulnerable to sin and attacks from the devil.

His deeds are questionable, not because he is not holy, but because his actions did not take a stance from faith.

Satan easily conquers such a Christian during trials because he does not believe in the word of God.


4. Faith is the FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIANITY


Salvation and holiness are gained only by faith. Salvation begins with complete faith towards the finished work of Christ (they include His crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension).



Christ sustains our salvation through our constant unwavering FAITH in Him.

Although sinful activities in the world make piety tough for the children of God, we can remain exceptional from the patterns of the world when our faith in Christ is consistent.

This is where we give due diligence in responding to the salvation we once received.


2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.



Walking by faith is a deliberate action, it is a conscious response to our new nature by carrying out the responsibility that is befitting of a born again.

It is on this basis that we grow in grace and the Knowledge of God’s word.

Our faith sets us on the advantage of becoming approved of God, both in words and deeds.


2 Peter 1:5-7: “And beside this, giving all diligence, ADD TO YOUR FAITH virtue; and virtue knowledge. And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity’’


Brethren, it all begins with our faith, we gain all these virtues as a bonus for exploring faith.



That’s amazing! The usefulness of faith has proved to be all-encompassing–just like have been stated earlier in the first series of this subject.


Stay with me as we unveil more sequels that faith holds for us.


God bless you, abundantly.




David Chikwado Caleb

GENERAL

LIVE ABOVE THE ORDINARY!

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Life is full of challenges one must overcome and mountains one must climb if one desires lasting success.



But one has a choice not to face these oppositions. You could choose to settle for less, it’s a choice; but a man who truly wants to live a life that surpasses the ordinary must be ready to face challenges and climb the highest of life’s mountains.



In 1 Samuel 17, David had the choice to take His mind off Goliath. He could ignore the blasphemy of Goliath, serve food as his father had instructed and run back home. Besides, he was not a soldier and killing Goliath was none of his business; but he chose to stay.

In trying to picture Goliath’s physique through the Bible’s description of him, one would discover that it’s almost impossible for even the biggest man of our days to defeat a man with such size – Goliath was beyond intimidating.



Yet, David saw his victory in God. He so believed in God that he preferred the five stones to the huge armour the King, Saul, gave to him.



The end of the story is why David is celebrated till date.


If David had not risen to face and conquer this challenge, no one would have blamed him but it might have cost Israel their freedom.



To live above the ordinary, you must be ready to cross mighty hurdles.


These hurdles may seem almost impossible to cross but the Bible says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. (Philippians 4:13)


Challenge yourself to live above mediocrity and the ordinary!


Surely, people will criticize you; they criticised David as well. They’ll try to discourage you like David’s brothers did to David, but be strong! Be resolute in your quest for victory.






Remember that like in the case of David and the Israelites, there are souls who’s freedom and success is attached to your resolve to live above mediocrity.





DON’T BE ORDINARY WHEN YOU CAN BE EXTRAORDINARY!



WRITTEN BY TOLU-TAIWO VICTOR

Spirituality

KILL THAT ISAAC!

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Image Credit: jw.org


Genesis 22 vs 2

“And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of”.



Abraham was a man whose disposition was a thing of wonder.


His remarkableness was a result of his willingness to give up his only son for a God he had not seen, at least not physically.


Two things awe-inspiring about him were his quick obedience to do a task as hard as offering his only son as a sacrifice, (Genesis 22 vs 3) and his strong faith in a God that demanded such an assignment.



That obedience was a selfless act of sacrifice.



He had his emotions but he chose God’s will first.


Abraham could have cast and bound the voice of the Lord assuming it to be the devil’s since it was never heard that God ever demanded human sacrifice.



It was a test many people would have easily failed.


Who would want to give up his ONLY SON?


Yet, Abraham obeyed instantly with firm faith in his heart for God.


On their way to the mountain, the unsuspecting Isaac curiously asked his father where the sacrificial lamb was, but you might never have guessed correctly what Abraham responded if you didn’t read the story further!



He didn’t break down to cry or lament.


He simply said, “My son, God will provide himself a Lamb for a burnt offering.”


That response indicates the level of faith Abraham had in God and surely this same faith of his was one of the things God saw and amply blessed him for.


In the end, God didn’t just bless him, he also blessed all the seeds that came out and would still come out through him.


Moreover, God provided Abraham with a lamb to use for the sacrifice instead of Isaac, his son. It was a test all along!



God does not give out his profound blessings carelessly, he gives them out to a deserving man.


We have been blessed, undoubtedly; blessed to be under God’s grace and not the law.


However, the life-changing blessings God has in store for every one of his children will not come into physical manifestation without them first undergoing and overcoming a test.


Every test is a door to a higher realm with God.


Obedience to God’s test may not always be easy.



It may not be easy to let go of dear things when God asks us to.


We may not want to go through the stress.


We may not want to deal with the emotional pain that comes with giving up those things.


They could be well-paying jobs, a potential spouse, or even the seemingly most difficult– social media.



It might even be the smallest thing such as a plate of food.


But if ever God asks you to give anything up, trust him, there’s a greater blessing in store for those who obey.


The sacrifice will be an agonizing one but look beyond the discomfort, and look with the eyes of faith, just like Abraham did.



Don’t hold on to the pain that comes with laying sacrifices and thereafter, miss the chance of an eternal blessing from God.



KILL THAT ISAAC NOW!


Written by Tolu-Taiwo Victor

POETRY

Poetry Today: Awake

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Rise for your Eve has come,
Pray your day becomes plum,
Never waste a day as you comb,
A useless life will always lead to the tomb.

Awake thou sleeping giant,
Be expensive like karat of Gold,
Man know thyself as of old,
Always do as you are been told.

Awake thou who slumbers,
Take them to the plumber of life,
Teach them to be brave and right,
And take them to the life in Christ.

What then will you call yourself?
Will you sleep or stand?
Will breathe or die?
Will you fall or rise?
Will you take over or be a slave?
Awake now or forever sleep.

Written by Greenville Emmanuel Amarayahweh

GENERAL

Safe in The Blood

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Exodus 12:13: “The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy [you] when I strike the land of Egypt.” (HCSB)

The story of the Passover is one which no believer is unfamiliar with. Yet, it is a story which only few believers have discovered the great wealth of divine revelation concealed underneath it. This is due to what one would call, ‘over-familiarity’ with the scriptures.

I intend on bringing to our understanding, a knowledge which is needed at this time more than ever.

In the text above, God was about to strike the nation of Israel with a plague. It was going to be a plague that would kill the firstborn of every living creature, man or animal, in Egypt. As providence would have it, the Israelites happened to be living in Egypt as slaves, at that time.

Such a season could be compared to the season we are in presently. The Bible tells us that are the spiritual Israel.

We are God’s people who are presently mixed up with the Pagans and unbelievers. We are people in covenant with God who are living amongst people outside of God’s covenant. Just like the children of Israel centuries ago, we find ourselves in a world full of corruption, oppression and hatred towards Christians.

In the USA, for instance, Joe Kennedy, a former Washington state high school football coach, was fired, for praying in the pitch, before and after every match of his team. This and more instances, show how believers are being oppressed by the evil ones sitting at the helm of world affairs.

God saw the oppression of His people, and He was about to send a plague to strike the land. But God had to distinguish His people in order to shield them from being affected by the plague.

The distinguishing mark was going to be the blood of a young lamb, sprinkled on the door posts of the Israelites. They obeyed, and they never got affected by the plague.

In a season of plague like this, you do not need to kill a lamb and shed its blood on your doorpost like the Israelites did. What they did was only a shadow and figure of what God was going to do in our generation.

The lamb which was slain represents Christ, who is the lamb that was slain for our redemption (1 Peter 1:19-20). His Blood was shed on the cross of cavalry, and till date, the Blood still speaks.

Hebrews 12:24: “And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].” (AMP)

The Blood of Jesus speaks of mercy, not judgment. Where there is mercy, there is preservation; grace and protection. The Blood of Christ shed for us shields us from every plague and pestilence in the land.

But as a believer, you must apply the Blood to yourself and your household. You must not live in complacency or assumption.

We apply the Blood of Christ in our Household through two ways,

a. Declaring it

b. Teaching it to our household

Firstly, you must declare the Potency of the Blood and its efficacy in your life and family. Say this, ‘I declare that I am covered from this plague by the blood of Jesus through my faith in the finished works of Christ. Therefore, I and my household are safe and protected from this pandemic’. Do not say this alone; lead your family members to confessing it with you daily.

Teaching the importance of the Blood to your household is very important if they are going to benefit from it. When you explain the significance of applying the Blood, their faith is built up to trust in the covering of the Blood of Jesus.

Know that no matter how the condition of this pandemic gets, you will survive it, because you are covered by the blood! You are like the Israelite and your house is like the Goshen city where they dwelt. You are secure in the Blood of Jesus. And so is your family.

Amen.