WHEN MEN HEED THE WARNINGS OF GOD

Matthew 2:1-15
by
Revd. Dr. J. A. Aworinde

-The warnings of God are always purposeful. He doesn't issue empty warning

-The warnings of God are always redemptive. They are for our good

-The warnings of God are meant to change the direction of our lives

-Meeting with Jesus must bring about change of direction for good in our lives (vs12)

-The warnings of God are meant to deliver us from impending destruction

-The warnings of God are meant to direct our lives to be in tune with the word of God

-The warnings of God are meant to direct us to the actualization of our destiny and purpose in life

-Without heeding to the warnings of God, fulfilling life ambition becomes a mirage

-For every provision of God, there are always alternatives. It depends on how you handle them.

THE FEAR IN YOUR LIFE

(Luke 1:26-37)
by
Revd. Dr. J.A. Aworinde

-Fear sets in when there are storms and whirlwind

-Fear sets in when the unexpected happens

-Fear sets in when interruption comes up in a carefully lived life

-Each time fear comes visiting, turn it unto God. Commit it into God's hand

-Allow the word of God to address your fear

-Take God for His word when fear set in

-Learn to yield to God totally and walk closely with Him

PRIDE: THE SIN THAT GOD SERIOUSLY WARNS US AGAINST

Proverb 6:16-23

Revd. Dr. J.A. Aworinde

Pride is one of the banes of the modern age while humility is one of the greatest needs of the present age.  One of the sins the Bible constantly warns us against is the sin of pride.  In proverb 6:16-17.  Pride is the first in the series of things God hates.  In the Beatitudes, our Lord puts humility first.

Characteristics of a proud Person

1.         Haughty eyes

2.         Seen one self as the only wise and whose life is exclusively made for

3.         Deliberately ignoring and undermining what is good in others.

4.         Run down syndrome

5.         Over-confidence in oneself

6.         He would always wants to be first and seen

7.         He would always puffs up

8.         He exhibits peacock syndrome in the home, place of work and church

God does not take pride lightly

Is. 2:11-12:     The lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.  For the day of the Lord shall be upon everyone  that is proud and lofty and everyone that is lifted up and he shall be brought low.

Is. 3:16:          The Lord say: Because the daughter of Zion are haughty and walks forth with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go.  The Lord will smite with a  scab the crown of the head.  He will expose their secrets parts  He  will take away the brabery.

PEOPLE ARE PROUD WHEN THEY MISTAKE ELITISM WITH WISDOM.  The fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom.  Academic knowledge without the grace of being born into the family of God will only move a man away completely from God.

PEOPLE BECOME PROUD BECAUSE OF THE LITTLE OPPORTUNITY THEY HAVE     

-       Pride leads to the missing of both Divine and human blessing.

-       It blinds people eyes and minds to new idea.

-       Pride encourages oppression in our society.

-       Pride often leads to inglorious end

-       Many students have failed because of pride.

But humility

Leads to answered prayer ( II Chronicle 7:14, James 4:10) enables one to enjoy the favour of God.  Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up. (James 4:10)

It enables one to gain victory over enemies (Psalm 149:4)

Humility helps one to enjoy the mercy of God (II Ch. 32:26)

*Without humility a man cannot learn, because the first step to learning is the realization of our own ignorance

Do you realize that you need the grace of humility and not pride.

1.     In order to enjoy the priviledge of answered prayer

2.     In order to enjoy the favour of God

3.     In order to enjoy the mercy of God

4.     In order to be pleasing unto God (Is. 57:15)

5.     In order to enjoy divine guidance in all your ways (Psalm 25:9)

Be grateful for what you have

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: ‘I am blind, please help.’ There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, ‘Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?’
The man said, ‘I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.’
What he had written was: ‘Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.’

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?
Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.
Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
Great men say, ‘Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness…. In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience.’
The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling…
And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!!!

I’d probably want to change above to : Be thankful and be grateful to God for what He has given you. Do not fear the future as God has promised to take care of you as He has taken care of the birds in the air.
God never breaks His promises! Stay close with God always!

THE AMAZING GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

The God's newly established church. Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Papa yaku, Ogbomoso, Oyo state.

BEING A GOOD STEWARD

BEING A GOOD STEWARD
Malachi 3:6-12
Revd. Dr. J.A Aworinde

The reasons why people don't pay tithes and offerings?
-Because of carnality. some people have locked out and programme God out of their life.
-Because of wordliness. This is when wordly activities and pleasure occupies the most important areas of ones life.
-Because of anxiety. Too much responsibilty, i.e, worry about many things.
-Lack of appreciation. When believers failed to appreciate the gift of life and pardon of sin through Jesus Christ.
-Lack of trust. It is a lame excuse to assume that your money will be embezzled by the church officials. After you pay your tithes and offerings in the church, it becomes the property of God-Can a man eat gall and still continue to enjoy himself and not feel the seriousness or the serious effect of its bitterness?

*Being a good steward is not a new issue. Malachi 3:6,7a
*Don't argue with God about the issue of tithes and offerings. Malachi 3:8
*One of the cardinal point for one to be a good steward is to be a good tither.
*God himself is the best giver, He has every right to demand from you.
*Many people are working and struggling under closed heaven because of their failure to give their tithes and offerings.
*Sometimes prayer is not the solution to your problem, but taking a practical step of paying tithes and offerings.
*There is nothing more when God blesses you, but God does not just blesses because He is a wise Investor, he doesn't invest anyhow.
*Jesus in his teachings supported the payment of tithes and offerings. Matthew 23:23
*Everyone on earth pays tithes and offerings.  There are various ways in which people pay it, some people pay it to seek the merciful face of God and to receive blessings, but others pay it as a result of their punishments either in form of sickness, court case and all the likes.
*When you faithfully pay your tithes and offerings you acknowledge that God owns everything. Haggai 2:8
*When God blesses you, he want you to be a blessing to the Church of Christ.
*The moment a man stop breathing he stop living and the moment a man stop giving he stop receiving.


Note: Instead, remember that the Lord your God gives you the strength to make a living. That's how he keeps the promise he made to your ancestors. Deut 8:18.CEV

Remain blessed in Jesus name

THE NINE LEPERS WHO FAILED TO SAY THANK YOU

THE NINE LEPERS WHO FAILED TO SAY THANK YOU
LUKE 17:11-19
Revd. Dr. J.A Aworinde

Facts from the passage we've read:
- Jesus encountered ten lepers
- They were afflicted with leprosy
- They were counted defiled by the society
- They were even spiritually unclean
- They were kept away fom public worship and social gathering
- They were object of shame
- They became object of ridicule

=>The ten lepers asked for mercy but they received healing which is a divine intervention of the Lord.
You will receive divine intervention before this year runs out in Jesus'name.
=>The lepers requested for arms but they obtained divine mercy in form of healing through Christ.
=>They received solution or answer to their problems because they had faith.
=>Nine of the ten lepers that came to Jesus failed woefully in saying thank you.
=>Are you an ingrate like these nine lepers?
=>How often do you forget to say thank you for God's goodness over your life.
=>Don't take God for granted. It is an act of ingratitude.
=>Pride hinders you from saying thank you.
=>Don't allow yourself to be carried away by the excitement of your achievement in life to say thank you to the source.
=>Out of ten lepers, only one remembered to say thank you, but alas He was a stranger.
=>You might have received blessings from God, but have you not forgotten to say thank you to the Lord and the instruments he used for you?
=>How will you appreciate God today?
=>Is God not expressing disappointment over your life due to your act of ingratitude.
=>It is one thing to receive blessing from God, it is another thing for it to be perfected. It is your gratitude towards divine blessing that brings about perfection of such blessings.
=>The leper who remembered to appreciate God was physically sound  and spiritually sound, but the other nine were only physically healed.
=>Gratitude expressed by the Samaritan leper brought about sound body through divine mercy and saved soul through faith in Christ Jesus.
=>Appreciate your Creator with something that will cost you a price.
=>Learn how to say thank you and express it wholeheartedly.
=>May God instill in us the heart of appreciation.

Remain blessed in His Presence!

LABOURING FOR WHAT?

Galatians 6:7-9
by
Revd. Dr. J.A. Aworinde

-We labour so that our future will be better than our present

-If our hope and labour is limited to this world, we are the most wretched (Matthew 16:26)

-Are you just labouring for you to be comfortable in this world but not mindful of your eternal home?

-Are you striving for gain without pain, crown without cross, enjoyment without suffering?

-Are you labouring only for now?

-Are you labouring only for things that perish? (I John 2:16-17)

-Are you labouring for magic rather that the miracle of His salvation over your life?

-Are you labouring without eternity in view?

-The whole of life is a preparation for eternity

-Many want to get to heaven but holiness is lacking in their lives

-He who provides for this life but takes no care for eternity is wise for a moment but a fool forever

-Seeking for miracle without surrendering your life to the Miracle worker is useless

-Are you ready to sacrifice your life and all yours for the cause of Christ?

-You must be heavenly focused. Don't be short-sighted

OVERCOMING EVIL AGENDA

Acts 23:12-15, Eph.6:12, Isaiah 54:15-17, Isaiah 7:7
By
Pastor Augustus Izevbigie

-Everytime God blesses you, there is an increased agenda from the pit of hell to attack you (Isaiah 8:10)

-Every attack of the enemy is commensurate to the height God is taking you to

-For the fact that you're a blessing to your generation, you're a target to the devil

-Don't ever forget that there will always be traitors in life. Be mindful of them (Acts 23:13)

-Always know that there will always be trap from the devil. He will always set trap where you are most familiar with (Acts 23:15)

-The trap of the devil is meant to cause an uproar in your life that will bring about confusion. Don't allow yourself to be trapped

-There is triumph if you can only hold on to Christ (Acts 23:23, I John 4:4)

The Deaths of the Apostles

The Deaths of the Apostles

Matthew : Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound

Mark : Died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead

Luke : Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost

John : Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. However, he was  miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic  Book of Revelation on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.

Peter : He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

James : Just The leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club. This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.

James the Great : Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

Bartholomew : Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

Andrew : Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: ‘I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.’ He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.

Thomas : Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the sub-continent.

Jude : Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

Matthias : The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

Barnabas : One of the group of seventy disciples, wrote the Epistle of Barnabas. He preached throughout Italy and Cyprus. Barnabas was stoned to death at Salonica.

Paul : Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.

———————————————————————————–

Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles during their times for the sake of the Faith.

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake:  But he that endureth to the end shall be saved. – Matthew 10:22

JESUS, THE GREAT I AM

John 6:30-35
by
Revd. Dr. J.A. Aworinde

-It confirms the pre-existence of Christ before all things (John 1:1-3)

-It confuses and confounds the enemies of the cross

-Jesus is not inpersonal. He is concerned about every affairs of our lives. He is ever ready to be involved in every affairs of our lives

-Jesus is the source of life. All creatures holds their existence to Jesus Christ

-Acknowledging the fact that Christ is the source of life should make us to be conscious of the fact that life is sacred and must be reverred

-Life comes from God and only Him has the right to take it

-Jesus is the sustainer of life. He doesn't just create life, He equally sustains it

-Jesus is the divine provision to meet all needs of life

-Any attempt to meet human needs without Jesus does not last long. There is expiry date for such. He is the only one that gives lasting satisfaction

-Without Jesus, life has no meaning

-For you to gain access to divine provision that Christ offers, you must come to Him

SAMSON: THE MIGHTY AND THE FOOLISH

(Judges 13:1-6)
by
Revd. Dr. Wale Oyeniyi

-Power and might are completely different from wisdom. Being power and mighty will end you up being foolish when wisdom is lacking

Samson is great because:

1. He was born great (Judges 13:2-5)

*The angel of the Lord was sent twice to announce Samson's arrival
*He was a long awaited and predicted child
*He was born with a purpose

2. Very early in His life, He had an encounter with the Spirit of God

*A blessed and great man is the one who has an encounter with the spirit of God
*God is more interested in who you are than what you do

3. He was unusually powerful (Judges 13:25, 14:5-6, 15:11-15, 16:1-3)

Why is Samson foolish?

1.Samson had no companion of equal faith
*He kept evil association through out his life
*Show me your partner and I will tell you how you will end in life
*Don't be lazy in seeking God's will and mind in prayer

2.Samson had no counsellor (Prov.11:14)
*He lived an isolated life through out his life
*He fought a national battle all alone

3.Samson was prayerless throughout his lifetime
*He who does not pray to live will pray to die
*If you are missing out in the place of prayer, you will loose your power, relevance, might and anointing

4.Samson was a womanizer (Judges 14:1-2,16:1-4,20)
*By the time you have an encounter with the wrong thing, the presence of God departs from your life
*Destruction takes over your life when you can't control yourself

5.Samson was a talkative (Prov.10:19)
*A talkative is always a fool and cannot last

Judges 16:22: There is still hope for you if only you will turn a new leaf

REACHING THE NATIONS IN GOD'S POWER

(Joshua 13:1-6, Acts 1:8)
By
Revd. Dr. J.A. Aworinde


-Reaching the nations in God's power is God's eternal method of bringing men back to Him

-Reaching the nations is God's unchanging strategy to redeem humanity

-Reaching the nations should not be seen as an option but rather as a mandate

-Don't specialize on non essentials. Take preaching the gospel as a responsibility you must carry out

-God will never give you an impossible task. Reaching the nations for God is a possibility

-Power is essential in reaching the nations for God

-Use the power of the word

-Use the power of your resources and money

-Use the power of commitment to the cause of Christ

-Use the power of prayers

-Use the power of going to preach (Romans 10:13-14)

A ROYAL INVITATION

(Genesis 7:1-7)
By
Revd. Dr. J.A. Aworinde

-Anytime God extends His call/invitation to you, it is for the purpose of blessing

-God's invitation is an evidence of His love

-The invitation is an invitation for survival from impending judgement. (Vs. 4)

*Always remember that just as He is the God love, He is equally the God of Justice (Romans 6:23)

-It is an invitation to enjoy Divine grace (Genesis 8:1)

-It is an invitation to take a step of faith (vs 2-5)

-It is an invitation that calls for responsibility (John 3:36)

-It is an invitation to be saved

*It isn't just about being religious; it is about being godly. Don't be an hypocrite!

*Quit the life of activity without spirituality
*Quit the life of apathetic attitude to the things of God


Beloved, the best thing you can do with this Royal invitation is to honour it. Do have a great Week!

The Main Reason Why 95% Of You Will Always Fail No Matter How Hard You Try

You must probably belong to one of these groups:

1. You’ve purchased numerous products or free product on the internet, and you’ve implemented those advice and techniques, but yet you’re not achieving good or required results. You’ve seen and read testimonials of other people who used the products with good success. But in your own case it is another story entirely.

2. You‘ve bought every product out there, but the problem you are having is that you will never took any action step to implement those ideas. Why will you read and learn many products about how to change you financial lifestyle, internet lifestyle and others but you will never put it to practice because something is always holding you back.

3. You’re successful already, you might be earning a 4 or 5 digit figure income already. But your dreams are much bigger than that. Yet you don’t make any progress with your increase level of knowledge and determination, instead you’re stuck with this level of income.

There is always a reason for being in one of this group and no matter at which point you said, “THAT’S ME”, It’s the same reason for everyone.

There is always a missing link you need if you desire to build a successful internet business you dreamed of.
Are you eager to know what the missing link is? If yes, let me start by telling you an eye opening story I love and has help others to see beyond their limitations.

“Don’t Act Like An Elephant!”

Strange statement, isn't it?

But listen carefully because it can make the difference of success and failure in your business and private life.

So, let me explain...

You might know that in India elephants are used for manual labor. But what to do with them when they are not working? How to restrain them?

Their handlers came up with the idea to program them while they are still very young - by setting self-imposed limits into their thinking.

How does it work?

When the elephants are still small, weighing around 150 pounds, they get tied up with a very heavy rope.

All day long, the elephants try to get rid of it, whine, tug at it and some of them even try to chew it. But they can't break free. Finally, the elephants give up and the fight is over.

And now it's getting interesting...

From this moment on, they strongly believe that there is absolutely no chance to get rid of the rope. They accept the "fact" that the rope limits them.

And with this imprinted belief in place, their handlers are able to tie them with extremely small ropes!

And even as adults, weighing 8,000 pounds and more, they never attempt to break free because they "know" they have no chance at all!

As you can see, the elephants’ limits are not real, but exist only in their mind.

And so are we programmed with built-in-boundaries. They are also not real but exist only in our minds.

But with these imprinted belief systems, with these inner boundaries, we are unable...

- to live our lives to the fullest
- to be as successful as we could be
- to set and reach higher goals
- to make 10 times more money as we do now
- to build a successful business
- to get the promotion and pay increase
we always dreamed of
- to fulfill our true dreams and desires

The point is…

Your Existing Inner-Belief Will either Make or Break Your Business!

I will try and explain this in a simple manner for you.

Depending on your existing inner beliefs one of two things will be happening…

A. If you have any negative beliefs in regards of your business itself or your ability of running a business successfully, you’ll experience thoughts like, “I can’t understand why this is happening to me while everyone else and their dogs are doing great promoting this product; maybe I am simply not good enough to be successful as an Internet Marketer; maybe other marketers have better lists than I; I think the experts were right by telling me that my niche might be too competitive for a newbie to have a chance to make money.” And so on…

B. If your core beliefs regarding your business and your abilities in general are positive, you might have thoughts like, “I expected a little bit more, but hey, at least I made a sale at all; I am really grateful for it; I have accomplished something; I have to tell …(spouse) about my success; I can hardly wait for the next email campaign; I expect even better results next time.” And so on…

A week later there is another opportunity to endorse a good product.
If you were the first marketer (A), you don’t feel that enthusiastic anymore but worry a little about the outcome already, but you still create a rock solid email message - you hit the ‘send’ button - and there are no sales at all from your campaign.

Now you doubt yourself even more. Your feeling of being a failure is deepening. You now really believe that something is wrong with your list. You think you entered your market too late to make any significant profit, etc.

And the worst thing that is happening, you are strengthening your already existing negative belief system! And that will make sure that you’ll go the road leading to more and more disappointments and bad outcomes. And finally you’ll quit and will be convinced Internet Marketing is just not for you.

A damaging belief, no matter if lying open in your mind or buried deeply inside, will always sabotage a possible positive outcome, no matter how hard you try!

If you were the second marketer (B), you feel great while crafting your endorsement email. You are relaxed and grateful for the chance to make some profit again.

You feel highly motivated, and you expect even better results this time – you hit the ‘send’ button – and (drum rolls, please) you made 4 sales this time.

You feel even more grateful. Your feeling of accomplishment is deepening. Your self-confidence is rising. And, most importantly, you are strengthening your already existing positive belief that will support you in everything you are going to do from here on.

From this moment on you are on the road to success not only in email marketing but in all areas of your business. Your positive belief, your ability to feel grateful for even small victories (sales) and your positive expectation will get you more and more things, results and circumstances you can be grateful for.

Because it is so important to understand I want to repeat it one more time.

The chances for the first marketer are slim to none to make any significant profit with his/her business. The negative belief system that is controlling his or her life will always sabotage the chance for big, long lasting success.

Bottom line: your perception of yourself is the vital key to your success.It's because of self-imposed limits. Your inner boundaries will always sabotage true, long-lasting success - no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try.

THE DISCIPLES' SHIP & THE RAGING STORM: MAN EXPERIENCING PEACE IN A CHAOTIC WORLD

(Mark 4:35-41)
by
Pastor Christian Abanum

The world is characterized by trouble and confusion but it is only in Christ that we can find peace (John 16:33, John 14:27)

The peace of this world is but for a moment. It is only in Christ that you can find lasting and eternal peace (Psalm 46)

For you to be recipient of

this peace, you've got to surrender the totality of your life to Christ.

For you to experience peace, you've got to exchange your heavy burden for Christ's light yoke. (Matt 11:28-30)

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
30 For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

A WOMAN NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN

(Luke 17:22-32)
By
Revd. Dr. J.A. Aworinde

-Lot's wife was privileged (Genesis 12, Genesis 18:23-32)

-Lot's wife had a righteous husband (II Peter 2:7-8)

-Despite all the privileges that Lot's wife had, she refused to be impacted positively

-Lot's wife refused to take advantage of every opportunity she had

? Are you not privileged as well

-We are presently in church age where there are numerous avenue to hear God through various medium but mind you!
Religious opportunities that are not utilized can not grant salvation; it only leads to greater condemnation

-Official and unofficial conspiracy against the truth and the raw word of God will not be overlooked by God (Matt. 24:12)

? Are you not wasting the opportunities you have now.

- Remember! Tragedy results from wasted opportunities. It is dangerous to play with the anger of God

-Rejecting Divine opportunities is a show of

*Unappreciation to God

*Consipracy against God

*Living for this age and not preparing for the age to come

*Being glued to the things of the world than getting attracted to the things of God

-Are you not playing with all the opportunities you have? Remember! You will give account of every single opportunity accorded you

THE SEASON OF RESTORATION

(Mark 5:21-30, Micah 7:8)

By 

Revd. Augustus Egbe

-The person you touch in life determines your future (Mark 5:28). You’ve got to touch the right person which is Jesus

-For you to experience restoration, don’t allow yourself to be lost in the crowd. Be focused. Fix your eyes on Jesus

-Everybody has an issue in life but we have a Messiah that has the ability to attend too our issues

-You may be having a negative point of identification like the woman with the issue of blood but there is a God who has power to change your story for good (Mark 5:25)

-Our God is not a story but a reality. Believe Him and His promises. He is the God of possibilities.

Weathering The Storms Of Life

Perhaps you’ve been hit by the downfall of the recession. Maybe you’re out of a job or perhaps you’ve had the unfortunate experience of having your home foreclosed on. You may be tempted to get down in despair but I want to encourage you that God has your best interest at heart. He knows how much we can bear and He won’t let us down.

Life is full of ups and downs; it’s not easy, no one said it would be. However, remember when you’re facing a terrible storm in your life, that’s an indication that the Lord is about to shower down blessings on you. He’s about to take you to a new dimension in your life. It’s up to us to have the faith that we will overcome the trials that we face.

I do believe that our faith determines how God operates in our life. Look at the storms in your life as an opportunity to exercise your faith. I always say that the greater the storm, the greater the harvest.  After all, If we’ve never been through a storm, we would never appreciate the sunshine.

It is times like today that we really need to look to God in prayer. Remember my friend that the battle is not yours, it belongs the Lord. We know this because the Word of God tells us in the latter part of 2 Chronicles 20:15, “…Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” 

I do believe that when we get worried and fearful about the storms in our lives that we are doing ourselves a disservice. I want to encourage you that your latter will be greater than your past. We can’t get to the next level in life when we’re looking behind us.

I think about the great athletes of our time and how when training for the big game they are taught, not to focus on whats behind them but to keep their eyes fixated on the finished line. They don’t see the obstacles as a hindrance, they see the obstacles as an opportunity to strengthen their game.

A wise man once said, “obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off the goal.” Another said, “obstacles are opportunities in disguise.” Let’s not view the storms in our lives as a hindrances, but rather view them as an opportunity in disguise.

Hold on to the promises of the Lord, He will work it out. The Lord has great things in store for you my friend. I want to encourage you to keep the faith because your breakthrough is on the way. Be prayerful, stay in the word of God and stay encouraged as you go through your life journey.

Speak Life Into Your Destiny

“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12:34 KJV)

God has given you the ability to speak life and death into your situation and circumstance for the bible says that there is life and death in the power of the tongue.

Now that’s an amazing thing because if used for good, you can conquer anything that the enemy can throw your way. However, it is up to you. What will it be life or death?

What are your thoughts day in and day out? Do you speak positive thoughts into your life, your dreams and visions?

David was a great example of someone who spoke life into his circumstances. He encouraged himself in the mist of his own trials. He wrote songs while going through trials and he came out victorious.

David was his own motivator, he encouraged himself in the Lord.

Children are born with an amazing imagination. You hear many stories of children who want to grow up to become firefighters, lawyers, doctors or scientist. Over a period of time, those same kids become conditioned to believe, “Oh you won’t amount to such a thing” and they believe it because someone has spoken death into their dreams.

It’s very important that you understand the power of speaking over yourself in the Lord. I believe that you can just speak a word and birth a miracle into your life and the life of someone else.

The other day I was speaking with a great friend, and we were talking in a casual somewhat jovial tone and I said to them, “If I told you that you can go out here and win a million dollars, would you believe me?”

Their response was, “Well it depends on how or what I’m doing that would cause me to win the million dollars?”

Sometimes you don’t need know the “who, what, when, where and the hows,” you should speak life into yourself.

I believe that sometimes we, myself included, are afraid to speak certain things over ourselves because we are afraid of the big let down. Remember, when you take a step out on faith, God goes on your behalf to make a way out of what seems to be no way. He’s looking for the opportunity to bless you.

As I said we may not always know the “whats” and the “hows” but bible says that you have not because you ask not.

I’m encouraging you just like I am encouraging myself, to dream big dreams, speak them into existence. Don’t fear the possibilities of your dreams not coming to pass. Fear is a tactic of the enemy to throw you off track.

2 Timothy 1:7 says “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Let your tongue speak life and not death into your destiny today.

Blessings in the Seemingly Insignificant Things

It’s easy to grow immune to the blessings of God. There are blessings all around us that we easily take for granted.
Everyday when the sun rises, it’s a blessing. There are blessings in the activity of your limbs. There are even blessings in the use of your five senses.
The very things that we’re overlooking are the very things that God has blessed us with. It’s like the old saying, “you never know what you have until it’s gone.” Well, here’s encouragement for you, don’t wait until the blessing is gone. Appreciate your flowers while they yet live.
Everyday, God is showering down blessings. Every single moment is a blessing. From the beauty of the sunrise to the greatness of the sunset.
There are blessings in the cool morning breeze. There are blessings in the rain that hits the window pane. Look around you today, and find the beauty in everything.
From the sound of the birds chirping in the morning sun, to the laughter of the children playing in the neighborhood, these serve as reminders from the almighty God of how fortunate we are. They are signs of life. And as long as you have the breath of life, you have hope!
Even in your dark days, when you’re tempted to get in despair, there are blessings even in the storms. There are lessons of wisdom and experience that only come during the dark times.
Be grateful for the seemingly insignificant things. When you’re grateful, you don’t have time to complain. And only good things can come from a grateful heart. Choose to be thankful today and watch the Lord shower down more abundant blessings than you have room enough to receive as you charge forth on your journey of life!

The Joy that God Has Given You

God has given you an unspeakable great joy! One of the greatest things you can wear is your smile, your enthusiasm and your overall good attitude.
This great joy that you have, the world didn’t give it to you and the world can’t take it away. I’m not talking about a here today gone tomorrow happiness. I’m not talking about a joy that’s based on your feelings and emotions. No, I’m talking about something that’s deeper. Something that supersedes emotions and circumstances.
The scripture says that the joy of the Lord is your strength. This joy that God has given you, is a joy that can surface even in the darkest of days. It gives you strength in your weak hour. It’s a feeling of hope and expectation even in the the worst situations.
That’s not to say that there won’t be times when you’re sad. It’s not to say that you’ll always be happy. No, this is to say that no matter what happens, you can rejoice because everything works out for your good. You can go forth in life with an expectation that great things are in store for you!
Now, along with everything in life, it starts with a choice. You have to choose to be joyful. You have to choose to wear your smile and spread your positive attitude.
The choice is yours. You can live in doom and gloom. You can either say, “woe it’s me” or you can say, “woe, look at me. I’m blessed. I have a lot to be thankful for. I have a hope for the future and great things are in store for me!”
The joy that God has for you has a lasting effect. It can take you through the wilderness and through the valley. It will sustain you through the bad times and the good times. Know that the joy of the Lord is your strength and walk in it. It just might make all the difference as you charge forth on your journey of life!

Let Your Haters Be Your Motivators

They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, (Romans 1:29 ESV)
 

There may come a time, if you haven’t already faced it, when you come across haters in life. The sad thing is, everybody that you make acquaintance with are not always going to be supportive of you.

I encourage you to stay motivated, regardless of the haters that you may face. Friend, it may help to know that when you have people hating on you or what you’re shooting for in life, it just means that you’re doing something good. When people hate on you, it also means that they don’t have confidence in themselves to do the things that you’ve done or accomplished in life.

Next time you face someone who looks down on you, or tries to convince you that it’s worthless to dream big and set goals, that is a time to pray on their behalf.

A wise man once said, “Let your haters be your motivators.” Friend, when you come across haters in your life, let that motivate you to press on and do what you’ve set out to do. Don’t let forces of darkness kill your dreams. No. Press on regardless of what those around you are telling you.

Sometimes you will find in life that people won’t like you, just because. You may have done nothing to be disliked but people won’t like you simply because either you have something they want, or you are someone they want to be.

When you come across  those types of people, love on them regardless but be mindful of how you associate with them. If you don’t watch it, they will talk you out of your dreams and goals.

Associate with those who are building you up and who are supportive of what you want to do in life. It’s important that you develop a strong support team of those who will support and encourage you through the thick and the thin.

Even when the day seems dark, listen to those who are encouraging you to press on. In the end it all comes down to whether you succeed, not the haters who you’ve faced along the way. You are more than a conqueror and you can do great things in Jesus name!

You Don’t Have To Run From Your Problems

One of the worst habits we can form is to run away from our problems. We find that we get so caught up in our comfort zone that when a problem presents itself and inconveniences us we so easily run the other way.

I heard a wise man say something to the effect that, “If every time a problem arises we choose to run, we’ll be running for the rest of our lives.“

Are you guilty of running from problems in your life?

The best thing you can do is to stand firm and face adversity head on. You’re either a part of the problem or the solution.

The situation doesn’t disappear when you run away. In fact, fleeing only masks the problem. Running causes the problem to escalate. The problem will continue to find you until you take steps to face it and eliminate it.

The child who grew up being abused may grow to learn that abusing others is the only way to get what he wants out of life. It’s not until the child seeks counsel and eliminates that negative condition of thinking out of his mind that the problem disappears. You have to know that there is no problem too big that God can not solve.

The scripture tells us, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,” One translation says, “…Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.“

I believe that every battle that you overcome you become stronger and stronger. You’re becoming wiser and wiser. You’re standing firmer than you were before!

One of the reasons we run from our problems is because of the fear that we can’t handle or overcome them. But remember, as long as God be for you, who can be against you! He’s going along the highways and the byways making a way of escape for you! You see, He’s gone before you and has made the rough places plane. He’s made the crooked places straight. Dare you release your burdens unto Him? Dare you trust God to provide a solution?

I want to encourage you today to stop running from your problems, run through your problems. You should be just like the sprinter in a race, no matter how many hurdles you face keep running.

You will always be faced with trials in your life. Even if you overcome one situation, there’s only a matter of time until another resurfaces. But I dare you to stand tall in the face of adversity. Face your problem head on and watch as you rise to higher heights and deeper depths today!

No sex before marriage?

We look at the reasons why you should wait

 

In case you’re wondering why Christians stick with the idea of no sex before marriage, here are some reasons.
Firstly, the Bible teaches it. Check out Romans 13:9, 1 Corinthians 6:13, 1 Corinthians 6:18  Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 5:3, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 for just a few references!

Taking the long-term view

If you wait until marriage, you can know that the person likes you for who you are, and not because you’ll go all the way. If you wait, you can have a good confidence that both you and your partner should be able to resist having affairs if you have been able to resist hopping into bed with each other! If you wait, you can focus on communication skills which will stand your marriage in good stead for the future.

Research shows that marriages that start out as live-together have a higher divorce rate than those that do not.

A good marriage requires good communication. Communication relies on words and body language. Having sex is the ultimate body language. It sends really strong messages to you and the other person. The messages sent are: “I really care about you. I really want to be with you. I want to look after you. I only want you.” If you say these things with your body, but you won’t say them with your words, you are lying to the other person.  Marriage is when you say these words with your mouth, and you say them with your body. Lying to people, whether with words, or with your body, has terrible consequences. People who are lied to lose the ability to trust. They begin to lie themselves. If you lie to people, you rip them off.

Sex is precious

Have you ever thought that having sex is like giving the most precious part of yourself away? You need to know that the person you give it to will respect, love and look after you, so you won’t be hurt. Marriage allows you to give to each other with freedom and joy, rather than fear that your precious gift will be rejected.

If you have sex with someone else, you are stealing that freedom from yourself, from your partner, and from the spouses you both might have in the future. Every person you have sex with – you will remember. It’ll be like taking them to bed with you whenever you do it with your spouse.

The physical side 

Sex has physical consequences. Sure, you might not get pregnant if you take the pill or use condoms. But then again, you might. Accidents do happen. And when they do, they frequently produce babies. Babies need two parents. Better than that, they need two mature parents. Don’t rip your future children off.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are also prevalent. People do catch them, and can pass them on. Some can make you infertile.

While you’re single, instead of spending your emotional energy wishing you could have sex now, why not start working towards preparing yourself to be a great marriage partner for whoever you marry in the future?
Is that enough reasons not to have sex before marriage? What do you think?
 

Christian girls in a sexy world

Christian girls in a sexy world
Some people may judge you on looks & clothes, but God cares about your heart.

Messages

Each day we are being fed messages about how girls and women should be. The world shouts out that all women are and should be sexy. It is in the television shows and movies we watch, the internet sites we browse, the songs we listen to, the magazines we flip through and even on the billboards we drive by every day. The world tells us that the ideal woman is hot, sexy, sassy and on the prowl.
At school the message is no different. When I was at school, social groups were roughly divided by the clothes girls wore. Generally the shorter the skirt and more flimsy the blouse, the more popular you were with the girls and the more attention you received from boys – I gather the world hasn’t changed much since I left school. The message we receive at school is that if you dress sexy and engage in sexual behaviour the more popular you are in the social scheme. It is a case of the “survival of the prettiest”.
However, these messages are not what God tells his daughters.

Meaning

Your worth and value are not based on your body nor on being sexy. We need to get real about this. Genesis 1:27, 31 and Genesis 2:23-25 express the goodness of our physical bodies which God created. We are made in the image of God and this should be where our value is found. However, we do live in a fallen world where the goodness of creation and relationship have been broken. In our obsession with our bodies and clothing to gain value and acceptance, we make idols of ourselves. We need to realign ourselves with God’s values.
1 Samuel 16:7 expresses that while humans look at outward appearance, God is concerned with our heart and character more than our bodies or clothes. Furthermore, this side of the cross, our identity as Christians lies in Christ and not our outward appearance. We need to be counter-cultural! God loves us (1 John 4:6), has chosen us (Ephesians 1:4) and wants us to be conformed to the image of his son (Romans 8:29) and not the ideal body image. Remind yourself and your sisters that you are a dearly loved child of His.

Modesty

The Bible teaches quite clearly on modesty and sexuality. Ephesians 5:3 says ‘But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.’ This ‘hint’ includes both our actions and our appearance. God desires that sex, a good thing created by Him, be enjoyed only in a man-woman marriage relationship. Genesis 2:24 talks of the beautiful union between a man and his wife as does Song of Songs. Elsewhere the Bible warns of the consequences of not respecting the place of sex within marriage such as Hebrews 13:4. Women are encouraged also to dress modestly and develop inner beauty, (1 Peter 3:3-6). This is what God desires for his daughters – not because he is a killjoy but because he loves us and in fact knows what will bring us more joy!

Men

Girls – we need to get real about the effect our bodies and actions have on men. If you dress sexy you may receive unwanted attention, or may become tempted to become involved in ungodly sexual behaviours. Furthermore, we need to love our Christian brothers at all times – not just youth group or church!
Sometimes we would like to argue that it is our right to wear what we want and it is the boys' fault for thinking such “bad” things. This is not Christ-like. We need to lay down our lives (and our rights) to love others and encourage them onto godliness. When we dress sexy this isn’t helping our brothers. Think about what messages you are sending when you are buying clothes and getting dressed. Girls, let’s be real with each other too and point out when your sister may be inadvertently immodest especially when the weather warms up.

Marriage

Sex and being sexy has a time and place that God is all for – within the marriage relationship. Baring our bodies and engaging in sexual practices belong there. I urge you sisters to wait till then to be a sexy Christian girl. Any hint before then is only damaging to your brothers and yourself. Be girls who seek to love God with their hearts, minds, bodies and clothes.

Love vs. Lust How to know the difference?

So… you see a girl (or boy… if you’re a girl) walking across the playground at school. They glance over your direction, only to see you staring right at them with a stunned look on your face! You quickly pretend that you are looking at something else! You start to sweat a little… you try to play it cool, but on the inside your guts do a triple somersault, with a half twist and a few pirouette’s for good measure. Then as she wanders into the distance giggling with her friends, you’re left sitting there like an idiot, with a billion thoughts and feelings pulsing through you, most of which are confusing, and you have no idea what to do with… you know you like her… but is it more than that? Do I love her? Or is it just that you think she’s hot? How do you tell the difference between Love and Lust?

Although we can often get the two confused, the Bible is very clear about the difference between love & lust. As Christians, we need to make sure that we work hard at understanding the difference, because the outcome of loving someone is vastly different from the outcome of lusting after them! So here is how we can identify love & lust, and work out the difference between them.

LOVE
There is quite a lot in the Bible about love. As a matter of fact — according to Matthew 22:34-40, every command that is written in the Bible stems from love! Either loving God, or loving your neighbour (that is, anyone and everyone that you come into contact with). It even tells us about the ultimate example of love in Jesus Christ taking the punishment we deserve by laying down his life for us so we can be forgiven for our sin. But perhaps the most well known passage about love is 1 Corinthians 13 where we get a list of all the things that define what love IS and what it IS NOT. Love IS NOT envious, boastful, proud (self glorifying), rude, self seeking or easily angered, and it doesn’t not hold stuff against one another! Rather, love IS patient, kind, truthful, protecting, and hopeful, it never fails, but always perseveres with the other person, even when it is hard and you don’t really feel like doing it! In other words, love is other-person-centred. It is all about putting the person who you love first, even before yourself… and sometimes at your own expense!

LUST
The Bible also says a lot about lust! Proverbs is full of helpful hints & tips and is a must read for every young Christian! Other passages to read are Matthew 5:27-30, Romans 1:18-32 & 2 Samuel 11, where King David lusts after an attractive young girl & ends up breaking most of the 10 commandments in one day! When you read these passages you’ll see that lust NEVER ends well, and that’s because it stems from a sinful heart. At the core of lust is selfishness, disrespect and a lack of self control, none of which are valuable characteristics in God’s eyes. Lust is self-centred. It is all about putting your desires first, without giving a thought to the person that you are lusting after. This generally plays out differently for guys and girls. Usually guys lust after the physical i.e. what they can see or touch, whereas for girls it’s usually more emotionally based i.e. what makes them feel good or special. But of course, everyone is different and this is not always the case for everyone.

THE DIFFERENCE
The difference between love and lust is the attitude of your heart. If you’re in love, the attitude of your heart is one of selflessness, with the other person as your focus, whereas if you are in lust the attitude of your heart will be one of selfishness, with yourself as the focus. True love is driven by a godly desire to provide for, nurture and care for the other persons needs, whereas lust is driven by an ungodly desire to provide for, nurture and care for our own sinful passions. When you love someone you choose to stick with that person at the expense of all others, even when it’s hard and you don’t want to! When you lust after someone, you get angry and throw in the towel as soon as you don’t get what you want, or you manipulate them until they do what you want them to do.

So… if you find yourself wondering about whether or not you’re in love, ask yourself “what is my heart attitude towards this person? Is it one of selflessness or selfishness? Am I willing to put the hard yards in, even when I don’t really want to, or will I probably throw in the towel when things get tough? Do I want to invest into this person, or is it just about fulfilling my human desires?” The answer to these questions will be a sure indication of whether you are in love, or lust.