Tag Archives: Jesus

One step at a time God brings us to a place He can train us to live a life that glorifies Him and is a blessing to others

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One step at a time God brings us to a place where He can train us to live a life that glorifies Him and is a blessing to others

A picture of brokenness is that of a wild stallion wanting its independence but being ridden for the first time. It does not want to submit, and it does not want to do what it is told to do. It enjoys a cowboy feeding it, keeping its trough filled with fresh water, and allowing it to go out and nibble grass in the sunshine. The problem comes when the saddle is tossed on its back and the harness is placed over its head.

However, if you have watched a horse being broken, you know the cowboy has more sense than to take a new horse that has never been ridden and toss a saddle on its back. For days, the animal may be led around a pen as it adjusts to the pressure of wearing a harness and the conditions surrounding its changing lifestyle. Then the saddle comes out of the tack room and is placed on the horse’s back – but without a rider. Finally, the cowboy puts a foot in one of the stirrups.

There are many steps in between these, but we can form a mental picture of the process used to break a horse and prepare it to be ridden. When the cowboy climbs into the saddle, the initial shock of having someone on its back is frightening and irritating. The animal begins to buck and rears its head before it begins to settle and trot around its pen. Some horses refuse to be broken and risk being sold. Others, in time and through proper care, are broken and begin the enjoyment of a lifetime of service to their owners.

When God begins to work in your life, He doesn’t immediately toss a saddle on your back or seek to break you through the circumstances of life. Instead, He works with a plan and goal in mind. Bit-by-bit and inch-by-inch, He brings you to a place where He can train you to live a life that glorifies Him and is a blessing to others.

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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We exist for God alone

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We exist for God alone

We exist for God; He does not exist for us. God loves doing things for His people, but the reason we get up in the morning is to fulfil His purpose for our lives, not merely to ask Him to bless our purpose for our lives. God does not want to be our vending machine, where we put in a coin and He dispenses what we demand. Until we understand that we exist for Him, we will never know our purpose for being.

Purposelessness is everywhere. I would compare a purposeless existence with the life of a dog. Dogs bark a lot, and most of the time they are just making noise and not really telling you anything important. Purposeless people talk a lot just because they want to be heard. Dogs also like to run in circles. They move, but they’re not really going anywhere. When they finish running in circles, they are right back where they started. Purposeless people live like this, running around trying to find fulfilment in activities, only to find themselves not really moving toward anything.

Dogs also function on the level of the external. They like to be petted and rubbed, feeling good for the moment on the outside, but no real impact is felt on the inside. Purposeless people “put on the dog” by getting dressed up to look good and to make themselves feel better. If this describes your purposeless wanderings, God’s design and desire is to release you from that, but it must be on His terms.

Recommended Scripture Reading: (Genesis 1:27-28).

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Every child has a right

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Every child has a right:

To be tucked up in bed every night.

To go to bed without fear, what the next day will bring.

To be educated.

To play.

To be happy.

To be loved.

To be kept warm.

To be held when they cry.

To know that their voice will be heard.

To feel that nothing can ever happen that can’t be fixed by someone who cares.

To never ever cower.

Or tremble.

Or shake.

Or have their innocence punched or kicked

Or screamed at.

To be a child.

To have a childhood.

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Experience a breakthrough in your life

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Experience a breakthrough in your life. Luke writes, “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men” (Luke 2:52). We know very little about the years that Jesus spent growing into manhood. However, we can … Continue reading →

Seeing troubles through God’s eyes

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Seeing troubles through God’s eyes. Recently, a neighbour told how he had noticed something seemed odd   with his car but he didn’t pay any attention to the fact that it was hard to   crank. Instead, he thought, “Maybe … Continue reading →

Our hope rests in God alone

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Our hope rests in God alone Our hope should never be set on others. Our hope should be set on Christ. Certainly, there are times when we need one another. God created us with a need for fellowship. There is … Continue reading →

God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth

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God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth (John 4:24) Many years ago, Robert Grant wrote the hymn “O Worship the King,” O worship the King all glorious above O gratefully sing His power … Continue reading →

I lay my sins on Jesus

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Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquities O Lord (Psalm 51:2) Hymn 392   I lay my sins on Jesus, The spotless Lamb of God; He bears them all, and frees us, From the accursed load I bring my guilt to … Continue reading →

Ten tips for examination success

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Ten tips for examination success Plan your time in the examination. Find out the allocation of marks per question and assign the appropriate time. Read through the whole paper before beginning. Attempt to answer all the questions you should. Use … Continue reading →

Record your thoughts, learn to take notes during sermon

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Worship is a way of life

One of the most exciting things you can do in your Christian walk with the Lord is to keep a journal of all that He is teaching you. Exodus 24:4 says, “Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord.” In other words, he did not want to miss or forget anything. He took notes! If he were attending church with you, you could expect him to pull out a notebook and start jotting things down. Why? God directed Moses to do this because he was the one who would communicate what God said to the nation of Israel.

Today, godly men and women teach God’s truth, and we would be wise to pick up the habit of taking notes, as God taught Moses to do. Actually, the human mind has to hear or record a fact at least three times before it is committed to memory. Sometimes, it can take hearing a fact up to fourteen times before it is actually stored in our knowledge base.

This is why when you walk up to your pastor at the end of the worship service and commend him on his sermon, you pray that he does not ask you to repeat his main points back to him. It also is the reason you can gather over lunch with family and friends and exclaim how much you learned at church, but when you are asked to tell what you thought was the highlight, your mind goes blank.

Learn to take notes. Record your thoughts, and then, when you are alone with the Lord, ask Him to affirm what you have heard in and through His Word. Godly messages never conflict with what God has written in the Bible – it is the infallible Word of God. This means that it is God’s Word to us, and nothing about it can be changed or taken away.

We live in a devious world because Satan is constantly enticing us away from God’s truth. As you worship the Lord, ask Him to make you aware of the Enemy’s subtle and dangerous scheme. There is only one way to worship God, and that is with the entirety of our hearts and minds.

Worship is not a place or an event. It is a way of life.

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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True worship begins with a heart that is totally turned towards God

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True worshipbegins with a heart that is totally turned towards GodImagine what it would be like to step inside your church sanctuary on   Sunday morning and witness the vision that Isaiah saw. He writes, “I saw the   Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe   filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings . . . One   called out to another and said, ‘Holy,   Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.’ And   the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called   out, while the temple was filling with smoke” (Isaiah 6:1-4).

This had to be a glorious sight! But it also was one that   conflicted Isaiah’s heart because he knew that he was guilty of sin.   Immediately, a godly sense of fear swept over him, and he cried out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am   a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes   have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). When we become aware   of God’s holy presence, we won’t be able to stop ourselves from worshiping   Him and seeking His cleansing for our sins.

However, if we become so entangled with sin and the pleasures of this   world, we will fail to sense the need to worship God. In fact, our spirits   will be dead to any true praise. Instead, we will yawn and check our watches   to see if the preacher is preaching longer than he should.
Isaiah realized there was a problem in his life—it was one that needed to be   addressed immediately, so he could do what God had called him to do. Many   times, we miss God’s best for our lives because we become too busy for   worship. When we take time to worship God for who He is—righteous, loving, and   infinite in power—our hearts will be lifted, and our lives will be changed.   We will cry out, “Holy are You Lord and   worthy to be praised!”

True worship begins with a heart that is totally turned toward God.

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and   defend us from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

 
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Worship God with your whole heart

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Worship God with your whole heart

As consumers, we have little interest in leftovers. We don’t like to spend our money on flawed products. When we pay for an item or a service, we feel that it should be the best that company has to offer. This is true of God, but to an even greater extent.

Adam and Eve taught their sons Cain and Abel how to worship God in an acceptable manner. Yet when it came time to do this, the quality of Cain’s offering was not pleasing, and it was not given with the same passion as Abel’s. God does not have favourites. He did not choose one over the other because He liked one brother better than the next.

Abel simply understood the principle of worship and offered God the very best that he had. Cain, on the other hand, offered what he could gather quickly – an apple from here, a pear from there, and a clump of grapes. It is also interesting to note that Cain’s life is one that was filled with a desire and passion for what God had cursed in the garden at the fall of mankind – the land. Abel offered God the very best of His flocks – the fattest lambs – because he understood that worship came from a heart of love and devotion.

This concept is not just about giving money to the Lord on Sunday. He established guidelines for our giving in order for us to remember that He is the One who enables us to make a living. More importantly, it is about how we live our lives. Are we totally committed to the Saviour? Do we love Him and want to worship Him on a regular basis? Or do we just pray when we have a need of Him and go to His house when it is convenient? Those who worship out of convenience have hearts that contain a character flaw – a bent toward Cain’s nature.

This does not have to be true of your life. Ask God to show you any area where you are not fully devoted to Him. Remember, worship is something we do with our entire life.

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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You are a good candidate for a miracle

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God is working on your behalf, trust Him

2 Peter 3:9

Has there ever been a time when you felt so bound by your circumstances that you thought you would never be released? Without a doubt, Peter’s situation, from a human standpoint, seemed impossible. However, from God’s perspective nothing was further from the truth. It was an opportunity for Him to display His awesome power through Peter’s life.

While the church was praying for his release, Peter was resting. In fact, he was asleep! Most of us would have been awake, anxiously watching the door and wondering what was going to happen next. But not Peter. He was in the centre of God’s loving will. Life is not void of trouble and heartache. Sometimes His plan for us includes difficulty.

When trouble strikes and you feel as though your world is falling apart, do you have this same type of faith? Many of us don’t. We may start out thinking, “Now Lord, You know my needs. Please help me.” However, when time drags on and the door to freedom remains closed, we begin to wonder what has happened to God. Has He left the scene? The answer is no. He is right where He always is – beside you, with you, and living His life out through you.

Peter was not worried about tomorrow because his eyes were set on Christ. Being handcuffed to him was probably similar to being chained to the apostle Paul. We can imagine that at every opportunity, those who were guarding him had the opportunity to hear about the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.

“The Lord is not slow about fulfilling His promises” (2 Peter 3:9). What may seem like forever to you is not even a moment to God who is infinite and eternal. Peter’s amazing release came at just the right time – the middle of the night. When life appears the darkest, the light of God’s hope will find you. Your Saviour is working on your behalf, and He will answer your prayer.

If Satan has hemmed you in on all sides, if he has handcuffed you and you see no way out, then you are a good candidate for a miracle!

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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God is your everlasting peace

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God is your everlasting peace

There was a lady who lived out in the country and never had electricity. Finally, her family made arrangements so a line could be run out to her house. However, after six months, she had only used one unit. Company officials decided to drive out to her house to make sure nothing was wrong. When everything checked out fine, they asked her if she was enjoying having electricity. “Oh my, yes,” she replied.

Then one of the representatives said, “Well, tell us how you are using it.” The old woman paused for a moment, and then, with a gleam in her eyes, she explained. Each evening, as the sun was setting, she turned the lights on long enough to light her kerosene lamps—and then turned them off! She was still living a kerosene existence when she could have been enjoying the comforts of having electricity.

God has given us tremendous power through the presence of His Spirit. Yet many times, we fail to use it. Instead, we settle for much less by relying solely on our human ability. There are certain things God never meant for us to handle on our own. We may be fine when it comes to choosing which shirt to wear in the morning, but when life becomes stormy and the winds begin to blow hard against us, we need an omnipotent Saviour.

In Acts 12, we learn that Peter was arrested and that no amount of human effort could free him. However, the supernatural power of God did. The Bible tells us that the church was praying fervently. This means they were praying without ceasing, knowing that God had the power they lacked to release the one they loved.

What are you wrestling with today? Have you rolled it over onto the Lord through prayer, or have you lit a room full of kerosene lamps? Stop struggling on your own and turn on God’s power through prayer and faith. Allow Him to be your strength and your everlasting peace.

God wants to use the problems we face to demonstrate His awesome power and ability. Are you willing to allow Him to do this?

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Knowing the truth about debt is the first step towards financial freedom

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A good person leaves an inheritance   for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the   righteous (Proverbs 13:22).

Financially speaking, there are three kinds of people: the haves, the   have-nots, and those who have not paid for what they have! Debt has become a   way of life in the American landscape. The average American household spends   at least 20 percent of their net income on consumer debt. We must understand   that when debt rules, debt ruins. Proverbs 22:7 says: “The borrower becomes   the lender’s slave.” Debt controls your life, so it puts you in a kind of   slavery. There are several reasons for debt: ignorance, indulgence, poor   planning, and emergencies. All these things can contribute to the snowball of   debt.

But I believe that God provides a way for us to live without being   controlled by our debt. Debt is owing something you cannot pay, and that kind   of debt should be abnormal for the Christian because it is outside God’s   will. Debt is first and foremost a spiritual issue—we are in debt because we   have refused to obey God.

Psalm 37:21 says:“The wicked borrows and does not pay back.”   Ecclesiastes 5:5 says: “It is better that you should not vow than that you   should vow and not pay.”But also: “The Lord will open for you His good   storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless   all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall   not borrow” (Deuteronomy 28:12).

We can be set free from the tyranny of debt, and there are four steps   that can help us: plant, plan, prioritize, and pray.

Knowing the truth about debt is the first step toward financial   freedom.

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and   defend us from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!
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The Lord is my Shepherd

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The Lord is my ShepherdIn these changing times, many people are living from pay check to pay check.   And if the truth were known, at some point or another most of us have been   concerned about money. We imagine that men like Bill Gates do not have this   problem because he always has enough to cover the checks he writes.

We believe he has more than enough. On the other hand,   some people fall just short of enough. Many possess just enough, and others   will never have all they want or think they need. God, however, does not want   us to look at our earthly possessions and think, “Well, I don’t have enough   to make it, and I’m mad because that guy over there has much more.” Wealth is   never the issue with God. You can be the richest person in the world, but if   you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you are eternally poor—a pauper   in God’s sight.

True wealth comes when we learn to seek God for every need we have and   we live within the framework that He has given us. When we do this, we begin   to trust and rely only on Him. It also places us in a position for great   blessing because He will never leave us feeling hopeless or abandoned.   Instead, we gain a growing sense of His intimate care and love for us.
If you could chose earthly wealth and riches or God’s eternal love, which one   would you choose? Your answer reveals a lot about how much you value and   treasure the Lord.

In Psalm 23, David presents some wonderful news for each one of us. He   wants us to know that God has more than enough to provide for every need we   have. He owns everything and all that is His can be ours.

You may feel as though you do not have enough to make it through   another month or that your life is stamped “insufficient funds.” Here’s the   good news: God has more than enough. When you pray and express your needs, He   promises to meet those needs every time in amazing ways.

If the Lord is your shepherd, He will meet all of your needs every   time. Be patient. Seek His face in prayer and watch for His coming.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and   defend us from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!
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Worship begins in your heart

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Worship begins in your heart.

Usually, there will come a time when God will test the depth of your   devotion to Him. In Genesis 22, He tested Abraham‘s faith beyond anything   imaginable. The Lord instructed Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, and   offer him as a sacrifice.For a moment, draw this parallel in your mind: God sent   His own Son to earth and willingly offered Him as a sacrifice for our sins.   Was God’s request of Abraham a foreshadowing of what would come? Perhaps.   However, the one thing we want to focus on here is that Abraham was willing   to obey God. He did not talk back, make excuses, or turn away from God. He   just obeyed – knowing in his heart that the Lord would provide the right   sacrifice.

When they had reached their destination, Abraham spoke with words of   faith as he told his servants, “I and the lad will . . . worship and   return to you” (v.5). When it came to the actual moment of sacrifice,   God stopped him. “Abraham! . . . Do not stretch out your hand against   the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you   have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me” (vv. 11-12). God did   not want Abraham to harm his son. He was just checking Abraham’s devotion.

How often have you faced a difficult situation and thought,   “Lord, You can have anything, but please, just don’t take ______.”   You can fill in the blank for yourself. In this situation, Abraham would have   written in the name of his son Isaac – the answer to the promise God had   given him years earlier. Sadly, while God longs for our fellowship, the one   that loses out in this case is the person who fails to enter His gates with   thanksgiving. He does not need us, but we definitely need Him.

Is there something that you are withholding from God? Could it be a   relationship, dream, idea, or pursuit? Worship begins in the heart.   Therefore, always be willing to obey the Lord by letting go of anything you   deem more valuable than your relationship with Him. When you do, His goodness   and mercy will be poured out in abundance for you.

God never sends a test our way just because He’s in a testing mood. He   has a specific purpose in mind. Usually, it is to draw us closer to Himself.

May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and   defend us from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!
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God leads me beside the quiet waters, He restores my soul. Hold onto Jesus

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God leads me beside the quiet waters He restores my soul. Hold onto Jesus

When is the last time you felt frustrated, frightened, or fearful? Instead of releasing that thought, hang on to it for a moment. Did these feelings come as a result of the death of a loved one or the news of a grave illness? Perhaps, you received word that you were going to be laid off from your job. With no one at home to help, it feels as though you have reached a dead end. How will you take care of your family? Where will the money come from to pay the bills?

Many times, God allows us to face great difficulties – not to hurt us or make us feel as though we have been left without any hope – but in order to teach us to turn our faces to Him and cry out for help. Never forget that He is omniscient and knows all about our circumstances.

David wrote Psalm 23 as a standard of hope. It is a promise that you can claim whenever you sense despair coming your way. It also is a testimony to what God did for David and what He will do for you. When the problems of life heat up and your soul becomes dry and thirsty, God will refresh you by leading you beside His still waters.

David was never separated long from trouble. He spent years running from King Saul who turned out to be a mad man and was intent on David’s destruction. Sorrow, loss, separation from family members, and deep heartache were the building blocks of faith in David’s life. And in Acts 13:22, God calls him, ”a man after My heart.”

Are you a man or a woman who has a heart for God, or are you frantically chasing broken dreams and worldly desires? If your testimony is one of rushing and running, then it is time for you to stop and let go. Allow God to give you a cool drink of His eternal water. Then your heart will know peace.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters”(Psalm 23:2).
May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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God has plans for our lives

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God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:27-28).

We exist for God; He does not exist for us. God loves doing things for His people, the reason we get up in the morning is to fulfil His purpose for our lives, not merely to ask Him to bless our purpose for our lives. God does not want to be our vending machine, where we put in a coin and He dispenses what we demand. Until we understand that we exist for Him, we will never know our purpose for being.

Purposelessness is everywhere. I would compare a purposeless existence with the life of a dog. Dogs bark a lot, and most of the time they are just making noise and not really telling you anything important. Purposeless people talk a lot just because they want to be heard.

Dogs also like to run in circles. They move, but they’re not really going anywhere. When they finish running in circles, they are right back where they started. Purposeless people live like this, running around trying to find fulfilment in activities, only to find themselves not really moving toward anything.

Dogs also function on the level of the external. They like to be petted and rubbed, feeling good for the moment on the outside, but no real impact is felt on the inside. Purposeless people “put on the dog” by getting dressed up to look good and make themselves feel better. If this describes your purposeless wanderings, God’s design and desire is to release you from that, but it must be on His terms.

God has a plan for our lives that will bring Him glory and bring us the greatest good.
May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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Eternity

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Eternity!It is better to   go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is   the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

Eternity is a long period of time! It’s hard to grasp   that eternity is never-ending. But let me give you a little illustration to   help you understand. Imagine that we could empty the largest body of water in   the world, the Pacific Ocean, and fill it up with sand as tall as the highest   mountain in the world, Mount Everest. Now imagine that a bird flies by and   takes one grain of sand off that sand pile once every 100 billion years. How   long will it take for that sand pile to disappear? We can consider that   amount of time to be equal to one second in eternity.

We weren’t just created for sixty or eighty years of life on earth. We   were created for eternity. Every baby born on earth is headed toward its   dying day; that’s just reality. But we were made for more than that. We are   meant to experience eternity in the fullness of life with the Father. Death   is simply the doorway we must pass through to transform into the realm of the   eternal.

Paul understood this and said: “We also have as our ambition,   whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear   before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for   his deeds in the body” (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). Paul said that because he   was a creature of eternity, he would live his earthly life for God. He would   live in time in a way that pleased God.

If you’re living in time and for time, you’re wasting time.

Live for eternity.
May God Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us   from all their enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!
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