Tag Archives: Relationship

When I Need Help In My Relationships Lord. Stormie Omartian

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When I Need Help In My Relationships Lord. Stormie Omartian

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When I need help in my relationships Lord, when one of the greatest disappointments in my life is a person, I pray You would help me to release him or her, and the memory of what they did or did not do to You. I don’t want to carry around grief and sadness like a burden, because it is too heavy for me to bear. I yoke up with You instead and ask You to carry that burden for me. I release the burden of that relationship into Your hands right now. I don’t want to live in the darkness of bitterness and unforgiveness. I want to live in Your light where I will not stumble. Amen!

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Thank You Jesus!

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May God Bless Israel, Nigeria, And America And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

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If you are lucky enough to find all these characteristics in just one friend, you have found yourself a best friend for life

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If you are lucky enough to find all these characteristics in just one friend, you have found yourself a best friend for life

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends

Making the important choice of friends certainly reflects who you are and what you love. Due to this, a lot of people make sure they make the right decision since, often times, you make friends for life

Ephesians_5-2-2: And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour

Ephesians_5-2-2: And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour

Here are the kind of friends everybody should have as they would give you the feeling of having a wholesome life.

  1. The fun friend: Now this is a must-have. The fun friend is the fun-loving buddy that can spot a good time and make sure you are always smiling. They are all about enjoying life and they remind you to find the joy in everything.

  2. The optimistic friend: This kind of friend makes sure you do not wallow in negativity. They remind you of the bright side of things and they always encourage you to see the silver lining in any bad situation.

  3. The successful friend: We all want to be successful in life and since our friends have a big role in making us who we are, it is important that we make friends with successful people. They are full of advice and inspiration. You feel you can achieve more simply because you acquaint yourself with success.

4. The supportive friend: We would find it difficult to get very far in life if we do not have someone in our life who supports and believe in us. The supportive friend gets behind your dreams and ambitions without question. They believe in you.

  1. The brutally honest friend: If you are surrounded by a bunch of people who only tell you what you want you hear, this would lead to problems. The honest friend tells it like it is, no matter how hurtful the truth is. Be it your fashion choices or addiction issues, this friend does not sugarcoat what he/she thinks as they know that their advice is mainly because they want to make you better.

If you are lucky enough to find all these characteristics in just one friend, then you have found yourself a best friend for life.

http://www.naij.com/

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May God Bless Nigeria, America And Israel And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

In every conversation you engage in today, remember to take the time to listen to what is being said from the heart of others

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James_1-19: Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath

James_1-19: Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath

James 1:19 (Amplified): “Understand , my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.”

 

 

 

We cannot even begin to count how many times this has spared us in doing all God requires us to do. It is, indeed, better to draw in and listen – quick to receive correction too – rather than to speak. In every conversation you engage in today, remember to take the time to listen to what is being said from the heart of others. More than that listen to things unspoken in words too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

May God Bless Nigeria, America And Israel And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

 

 

 

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

Friends Come And Friends Go, But A True Friend Sticks By You Like Family

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Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends

“… that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you …” John 17:21a, (NIV)

 

Have you ever wondered why we need each other? Why we crave relationships yet find it hard to build the kind we long for?

 

My craving for closer friendships surfaced as I sat across the table listening to the sounds of laughter and admiring the bond between two women I’d met at a lunch. What they had was uncommon.

 

The way they loved each other, how well they knew each other and how much they enjoyed each other reminded me of a Hallmark commercial. But I wasn’t watching television. This was real life.

 

And when I asked how long they’d known each other, they replied, “More than 60 years.”

 

More than 60 years? Now I was more interested in listening than eating lunch. So I put down my fork and picked up a pen like a journalist and tried to think of as many questions as I could. How had they met? What had they done to build a lifelong friendship? What moments and memories filled all those years and kept their hearts so closely knit together? What’s their secret?

 

Here’s what I discovered:

 

They were intentional about making their friendship last because it mattered to them.

They became friends in grade school, but their friendship grew and continued long after they both married their high school sweethearts, who played football together.

 

Things had to be planned and time together had to be priority.

Their families vacationed together for years. And when they were young and had little money, they’d all get together for a meal while the kids played in the yard. But as their kids got older it became more challenging, so they’d get together and play cards once a week — a tradition that was still going strong.

 

They determined early on they would be there for each other no matter what.

These two lifelong friends were now widowed and counted on each other for companionship and laughter, weekly shopping adventures and everything in between. And they had an understanding between them. If one of them starts feeling down she’ll call the other and say, “Hey, I need to get out of the house.” And then they go do something together.

 

I thought about how different our generation is, how busy we are. How much more we rely on screen time more than face-to-face time. And a twinge of sadness came over me. Would there be anyone in my life I would have known for 40 or 50 years, much less 60 years, when I’m 70 or 80 years old?

 

Besides my nuclear family, which friend will be able to finish my sentences? Who will know me better than I know myself?

 

From the beginning of time, God created us to be in relationship — with Him and each other.

 

Designed in His image, our need for connection comes from God, who has always been in community: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

 

Jesus’ final prayer for His friends in today’s key verse challenges me. In it, He prays they will know the Father the way He does, and that the world would know His love because of their love for one another. And in Jesus’ prayer we find His heart’s desire for us to be closely connected with each other:

 

“… that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (John 17:21a).

 

How can we do this better? Maybe we can be creative and get together for lunch during a busy workday, or meet to plan menus for our families each week, do laundry at one of our houses, or take turns cleaning out each other’s closets or running errands together. 

 

That was their secret. They wanted to be together and so they made sure they were.

 

Dear Lord, the longer I live, the harder it seems to build close friendships. With family and work, and all I have on my plate, intimate friendships drop to the bottom of my priorities. And yet I know deep friendships are part of what You want for me. Show me how to get creative, find a new starting point and be intentional by reaching out to a friend this week. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 18:24, “Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.” (MSG)

 

http://proverbs31.org/devotions/devotion-author/renee-swope/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May God Bless Nigeria, America And Israel And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

 

 

 

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Destiny Is Often Determined By Those Closest To You. Choose Wisely! You Are Whom You Choose To HANG OUT WITH The Most

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Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends

When most people think of how to choose their friends they have more of a worldly, casual concept rather than a biblical one. In John 15:15 Jesus told his disciples He called them friends and not servants. Since the Kingdom of God is based upon relationship and not ministry, it is important we know how to choose our friends wisely.

 

Many churches and even Christians attempt to engender friendships merely to have nice fellowship together. However, true kingdom fellowship should be with the ultimate goal of getting closer to someone to advance kingdom purposes. Most folks are too quick to call someone a friend and/or choose friends just because they have a few things in common. Choosing friends should be a lot more important than just picking as a friend someone you merely work with or enjoy watching a football game with. Merely liking someone should not be the only criteria.

 

There are many people I would like to consistently hang out with. But when it comes to the kingdom there is more to it than that. I have to ask myself if I am called to build with someone before I make a long-term commitment to him or her. The reason is obvious: a person’s destiny is often determined by those closest to them in regards to quality time spent, mutual goals and common purpose. You are whom you choose to “hang with” the most.

 

The following are some of the criteria Jesus had before He chose who would be His friends:

 

  1. He prayed about it

 

In Luke 6:12-13 Jesus prayed all night before He chose the twelve closest people to Him. This shows His choice of a friend was not haphazard; neither should ours be.

 

  1. His friends lived lives of obedience to God

 

In John 15:14 Jesus said “I call you friends if you do what I command you.” It would be foolish for a believer to make their closest friends and confidantes people who live purposeless lives before the Lord. This is not to say that we cannot have friends who do not follow Christ. Jesus at times spent time with sinners (Luke 7:34). However, He did not hang out with them merely to have a good time but to win them to His Father so they would eventually live a life of obedience. Also, these “sinners” were not the ones He invested the most time with unless they became His disciples. Paul encouraged Timothy to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22).

 

Consequently, we should not be close friends with someone unless they are serious about pursuing the things of God.

 

  1. Jesus chose His friends to be with Him in order to send them out

 

Mark 3:14 teaches that the primary expectation Jesus had at first with those He chose as friends was to spend time together. They had to learn to “do life” together, not just Bible studies and attend synagogue. However, the ultimate result of their proximity to Him was to be sent out to preach. After all, how could they proclaim a Jesus they did not know and how could they know Him unless they spent quality time with Him? No one should be quick to call someone a friend before they have spent much quality time with them and know them personally.

 

  1. Jesus chose friends He could share His heart with

 

John 15:15 teaches us that Jesus shared His heart with His friends who understood Him. In Matthew 13:11 Jesus told His friends “To you it has been given to understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven but to them (non-friends) it has not been given.” If someone cannot understand your heart or believe in your vision it will be difficult for them to be a true kingdom friend.

 

  1. Jesus proactively chose His friends

 

John 15:16 teaches us (in the context of His choosing friends) that people did not choose Him but vice versa. Although this passage is also referring to salvation, it also shows that His methodology for choosing friends was proactive (not reactive) based on their calling to build with Him. Consequently, we should determine in our hearts who we should pursue in a friendship. Don’t merely pick those who desire to be close to you; proactively choose people based on a leading of the Lord. Not everyone who wanted to be close to Jesus were given that access; out of the multitudes He only had an inner circle of three, then 12, and then 70.

 

The others only had access to Him during brief moments of their lives. If you are going to be fruitful in the kingdom you cannot spend a lot of time with every person you meet. For example I do not feel guilty for not answering every Facebook message or email sent to me; if I did I would either suffer burnout, leave important work undone, or lose my primary focus and miss my calling.

 

  1. Jesus’s friends received His hard sayings

 

In John 6:66-68 many of His disciples left Him because they could not receive the meat of the word! His true friends were thus separated from those who were merely temporary acquaintances. Your true friends will stand by you even when God gives you a hard saying and/or call to do something that is not understood by many other people.

 

  1. Jesus’s friends were those who stood by Him during His trials

 

Luke 22:28-29 shows that His closest friends were those who stuck it out with Him during His earthly trials. God will often allow you to go through a severe personal or ministerial trial to test those around you to demonstrate who your real friends are. You can only build with those who are faithful to you during difficult times and not only when things are going well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

May God Bless Nigeria, America And Israel And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

 

 

 

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

 

 

In Your Relationship With God!

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Proverbs_3-6: In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths

Proverbs_3-6: In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths

Proverbs 3:32

He [God] is intimate with the upright.

Your relationship with God can become the most open, trusting, caring, meaningful relationship in your life!

Think of your closest friend. It may be someone you have known since childhood and you have grown to be completely comfortable together. It may be your roommate from when you first moved out of your childhood home and the crazy experiences you had together bonded you so closely. It may be your spouse, the person who knows all your weaknesses and still loves you.

Imagine having that kind of comfortable, intimate bond of love in your relationship with God! Maybe you feel like you would be eager to have that kind of relationship with God, but you are not sure if He would have that kind of relationship with you.

This verse is your answer from God. “He is intimate with the upright.”

That means that if you are “upright”—if you will put God first in your life, if you reject those things that dishonor Him and embrace the things that bring Him joy, then God will reveal Himself to you in a very deep way.

And once you have experienced the nearness of God when He opens up His heart to you and lets you know His presence as you pray—once you have experienced that, you will never be satisfied with anything less.

May God Bless Nigeria, America And Israel And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

Getting Married And Staying Married Isn’t Always Easy. Planning To Get Married Someday? Pay Attention To These 10 Must-Have Qualities

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A few years ago I was visiting my parents when I caught my mom with some interesting reading material: MARRIABLE BY HAYLEY AND MICHAEL DIMARCO. She divulged a few of the book’s insights and assured me that I was on … Continue reading →

In God’s Hand. RCCG Open Heavens. Prayer Point And Sermon By Pastor E A Adeboye. Daddy G O

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In God’s Hand. RCCG Open Heavens. Prayer Point And Sermon By Pastor E A Adeboye. Daddy G O Memorise: Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16 Read: Isaiah … Continue reading →

Be Your Brother’s Keeper

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Resurrection of Christ

Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Be Your Brother’s Keeper

 

Obadiah 1:11

“In the day that you stood on the other side-In the day that strangers carried captive his forces, When foreigners entered his gates And cast lots for Jerusalem–Even you were as one of them.”
NKJV

Apathy, detachment, disinterest, disregard… no matter what you call it, it’s not an option as a follower of Jesus. In the book of Obadiah, God proclaims judgment on Edom because they stood by and watched Israel be destroyed and taken into captivity. They saw their brother in need and did nothing. Contrast this to Jesus who was active in our redemption.

Philippians 2:7-8 “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” NKJV

Jesus intentionally left His throne and the glory of heaven to walk among the pain and suffering of the world. He then purposefully gave up His life so that we could know forgiveness. He could have stayed in heaven, but because of His great love for us and in obedience to the Father, Jesus acted. As followers of Christ, may we be active in loving, caring for and sharing with others. Who knows what a small act of kindness or encouraging word could do to change a life. The world is waiting. Let’s go!

Life Lesson: Apathy is not an option as a follower of Christ.

Dear God,
Thank You for Jesus and His love and obedience. Because of His active role in my redemption, I can know forgiveness and grace. In the same way that You were intentional in the salvation of man, may I be intentional in ministering to those around me. Fill me with Your Spirit and equip me to be a light in this dark world. In Jesus Christ Name! Amen!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Love And Serve One Another

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Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a jeho ukřižování (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Love And Serve One Another  

 

 

Acts 20:18-21

“And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
NKJV

If you are living the same way you did before you met Jesus, then something is wrong. “Do you mean the bad things I used to do… like lying, drinking, and profanity?” Yes, but only in part because this kind of thinking is what’s wrong with the modern day church. We tend to focus on the ‘things’ we have turned from and not on the ‘One’ we’ve turned to. You see, we should be following Jesus. Jesus said “Follow Me” and “DO the things I do.” What did Jesus do? He reached out to the hurting, loved the unlovable, and He challenged the religious people of the day. We have made Christianity all about what we ‘don’t do’ so that when we don’t smoke dope or drink ourselves into a coma, we think we are living the Christian life. Certainly that is part of it, but it is when we love and serve one another that we are really living the Christian life. Look at the difference Paul made through his ministry. The world would never be the same because of the life of Paul.

Paul wrote, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:1 NKJV

What is your commitment to God? You can judge that by your commitment to ministry, to the Church, and to serving others. Think about it. The fruit of our faith should be active. We should be ‘Bible-doing’ and not just ‘Bible-reading‘. It is my job to ask the hard questions and to help you with the answers. Here’s a hard question… Are you making a difference? You probably already know the answer, but if you are not serving the Lord and others, then friend, you are probably not making a difference.

Life Lesson: We should make a difference in this work for God.

Dear Father,
Thank You for the gifts and abilities You have given me. Please forgive me for the times that I have failed to use them to glorify You by serving others. Please give me a burden for the hurting, the unlovable, the unsaved, and for my family in Christ. Give me opportunities to exercise that burden. Lord, I thank You for saving me from the bonds of sin. Please help me to serve You with all of my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled

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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled

Matthew 5:6

Healing begins when you do something. God’s help is near and always available, but it’s given to those who seek it. Healing starts when you take a step. God honours radical, risk-taking faith.

When arks are built, lives are saved. When soldiers march, Jerichos tumble.

When staffs are raised, seas still open. When a lunch is shared, thousands are fed.

And when a garment is touched by the hand of an anemic woman in Galilee—Jesus stops!

He stops and responds.

Compared to God’s part, our part is minuscule—but necessary. We don’t have to do much, but we do have to do something! Faith with no effort is not faith at all!

Write a letter. Ask forgiveness.

Call a counsellor. Call a mom!

Visit a doctor. Be baptized.

Feed a hungry person.

Pray. Teach. Go.

God honours radical, risk-taking faith. And He will respond.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Acts Of Gratitude. The Gift Of Grace Is Free

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Resurrection of Christ

Acts Of Gratitude.  The Gift Of Grace Is Free

READ: Micah 6:1-8

What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? —Micah 6:8

Few people knew me better as a boy than Francis Allen, the pastor who led me to Jesus Christ. A fire-and-brimstone preacher in the pulpit, he was a near-perfect example of the gentleness of God’s love outside of it.

Early on, Francis recognized a tendency in me to try to “buy” approval by working harder than expected and doing more than people asked. “These are good traits to give as gifts to others,” he would tell me, “but you should never use them to buy acceptance and love from people—or from God.”

To help me understand this, he told me to read Jesus’ promise in Matthew 11:30 that His “yoke is easy”—a statement that sometimes seems too simple to be true. Then, pointing to Micah 6:6-8, he said: “Now read this and ask yourself if there are any gifts you can give God that He doesn’t already have.” The answer, of course, is no.

Then he went on to explain that God cannot be bought—the gift of grace is free. Since this is true, what should be our response? “To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (v.8). I learned that these were acts of gratitude—not of purchase.

Let Micah 6 be a reminder that grace is free and that faithful living is our grateful response. —Randy Kilgore

We’re saved by grace through faith alone,
Good works can have no part;
But God rewards each loving deed
That’s done with all our heart. —D. De Haan

Good works are not the means of salvation but the result.

Culled from: http://www.odb.org

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God is A Personal Spirit

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Detail - Glory of the New Born Christ in presence of God Father and the Holy Spirit (Annakirche, Vienna) Adam and Eva are represented bellow Jesus-Christ Ceiling painting made by Daniel Gran (1694-1757). Post-processing: perspective and fade correction. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God is A Personal Spirit

“Won’t You revive us again, so Your people can rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:6)

For years, Evan Roberts yearned to preach the gospel. One day in 1904 while he was in prayer, God revealed to him that He was going to send a revival to Wales.

Roberts was a young Welsh miner with coal dust in his hair and grime beneath his fingernails. He possessed no skills as an orator. The only book he knew was the Bible. But his heart burned with a passion for God.

Roberts begged his pastor to let him preach. At first the bewildered minister said “No.” Finally, after much pleading, the pastor relented. “All right, Evan, you can preach following the Wednesday night service,” he said, “if anyone chooses to stay and listen.”

Seventeen curious seekers stayed behind. The young evangelist boldly proclaimed that he had heard from God. Although Roberts was unskilled in preaching, the pastor and those 17 church members began to burn with a fiery touch from God.

The next night more came to hear the young preacher, and the fire quickly spread to other churches. In the next thirty days, 37,000 people came forward to repent of their sins and receive Jesus. Within five months, 100,000 responded!

Just as God had shown him, Roberts saw the revival leap to England. There, an estimated 2 million people received Christ. Then the Holy Spirit coursed out into Western and Northern Europe, Africa, India, China, Korea and to America. Historians estimate that 20 million people began a personal relationship with Christ while this revival burned in America.

Your View of God Really Matters …

Does your heart burn with a passion for God? Have you confessed all known sin? Do you tolerate any doubtful habits? Do you listen for the Holy Spirit’s voice? Do people around you even know you are a follower of Jesus? Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Follow Jesus today.

What More Does God Say?

Revelation 2:2-5; John 15:9-11; Matthew 24:12-13; Matthew 10:32-33; Matthew 4:19-20

Because God is personal Spirit, I will seek intimate fellowship with Him!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Labels and Pigeonholes

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The Water of Life Discourse between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, by Giacomo Franceschini, 17-18th century (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Jesus and Samaritan woman

Jesus and Samaritan woman (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Labels and Pigeonholes

“Jesus touched lepers and loved foreigners and spent so much time with partygoers that people called him a lush, a friend of the riffraff. Matt. 11:19” MSG

Labels… He’s an alcoholic! (Translation: Why can’t he control himself!)

She’s divorced! (Translation: She has a lot of baggage!)

Labels relieve us of responsibility. Pigeonholing permits us to wash our hands and leave.

Jesus took an entirely different approach. He was all about including people! John 1:14 says in plain language, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood.”

Racism couldn’t keep Jesus from the Samaritan woman. Demons couldn’t keep him from the demoniac. The Bible confirms that when the time came, Jesus set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave.

You and I are going to come across some discarded people. Tossed out. Sometimes by a church. And we get to choose.

Neglect or rescue? Label them or love them?

We know Jesus’ choice! Let’s follow his example!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Daddy, I need to hear your voice

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Daddy, I Need to Hear Your Voice

by Simon T. Bailey

Women have two problems with men. (I can almost hear a few ladies saying, “only
two?” with a smirk.) The two key issues are that, as men, we don’t talk and rarely
listen. When we do talk it is all about us, and when we listen we have selective
hearing. Well, this couldn’t be farther from the truth in this next instance.
My father recently had to have surgery and I decided to fly up to Buffalo, New York
to be with him. I won’t bore you with the details, but he made it through with flying
colours. Thank goodness. On the day prior to his discharge, we were just sitting
in the hospital room when all of a sudden my father started talking to me.
It was way deeper than sports, weather, politics, or the economy. Someone or something
turned on a faucet inside of him and for the next three hours we had one of the
most meaningful dialogues I have ever experienced in my life. My Daddy did more
than communicate, he connected with me. He looked me in the eyes and gave me an
oral history of our family for the last 100 years.

Now, my Dad is a man’s man. I have never seen him break down, but he broke down
twice while talking to me about leaving Jamaica to come to America at 19 years of
age as a migrant worker picking oranges in Florida. Then he went to Perry, NY along
with another migrant worker to pick up apples. You would think that I would know
this history, but I didn’t. I’ve been working since I was 12 years old and really
didn’t know my family.

Some might say, perhaps you need to go and see a shrink. It’s all good. I am okay.
This is just one of those moments that caught this “A-type control freak” personality
of mine by surprise.

What is so amazing about this is that for the last twenty-five years, since leaving
Buffalo, NY to carve out my own path, I have talked to my parents just about every
Sunday evening. Our conversations are short, sweet and unemotional. I know for
some that this might be TMI (Too Much Information), but I have been waiting for
the last twenty-five years for my father to peel back the layers of his masculinity
and be emotionally available. Is it a sign of weakness? Hardly. I believe it’s a
sign of strength.

Those three hours of talking, listening, and sharing with my Pops left me speechless.
I know you find that hard to believe. Me, speechless? I had to get up and walk
around the hospital to clear my mind. In those three hours, he filled in so many
blanks. He told me that when I was 7 years old I would say that I would write a
book. He told me what he saw in me. He closed the loop in sharing what was in our
family DNA. He told me that my Grandfather, his father, was a brilliant man with
a sharp mind. I never met my Grandfather; I wish I could have. A part of me has
always sensed that there was a missing piece to my life’s puzzle. My Dad’s talking
to me helped me understand why I have a such free, cavalier, and often independent
spirit. It’s because of him.

He filled in the blanks and in an instant built a bridge from the past to the present.
The most touching moment was on the ride home from the hospital as I sat in the
back seat with my Dad. I was reminiscing with arrows of emotions shooting through
me wondering, “did my Daddy ever hold my hand when I was growing up?” I am sure
he did. Nevertheless this 40+ year-old man reached over and grabbed my Daddy’s hand.
I don’t know why I did but I could hear Luther Vandross singing in the symphony
hall of my soul – Dance with my father.

For fifteen minutes during the ride home, I held my 70 year-old father’s hand and
I got it. It clicked. As a father of two incredible children, I realized the heavy
sense of responsibility I have to help them uncover their purpose and identity.

When we arrived home, I made sure that my Pops was okay. He turned to me and said,
“Son, I am so glad that you came.” In that moment, my Dad hugged me with his words.
WOW! I didn’t know that I needed to know that my visit really mattered to him.
He then did what was most profound … my Daddy put his hand on my shoulder and
closed his eyes and started talking to God. It was like he was a friend of God.
He said, “God, thank you for Simon. Please watch over him and his family. Keep
him in all of his ways.” My Daddy talked to God about me. As a result, I know everything
is going to be just fine.

I stood frozen and leaned over this 5’7”, 140 lb. giant of man and kissed him on
his forehead. I said to myself, “That’s my Daddy. He doesn’t belong to anyone else.
That’s my Daddy. That’s my friend.” I don’t know how much time my Dad has here
on earth. But one thing is for sure, if he should depart Earth, I know beyond a
shadow of doubt that he loves me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to know, that I mattered
to him.

Please my friend, do not go to your grave without talking to those who matter the most to you.

Be real. Be authentic. Put your truth on the table about how you are really doing.
I can promise you that when you do your life will make a significant shift. Thank
you for letting me bend your ear.

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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For how long will we continue to betray our God

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BETRAYAL!

BETRAYAL! (Photo credit: Craig Walkowicz)

Betrayal

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”

Luke 6:46, NKJV

Within moments of betraying Jesus, Judas hated himself for what he had done. Jesus’ third religious trial was interrupted briefly by a commotion at the doorway as Judas burst onto the scene. With a face that was surely contorted by the wretchedness of conviction, he flung thirty pieces of silver across the temple floor. As the room suddenly grew silent, the clattering coins must have reverberated in the stillness as they skidded and skipped across the marble surface. Thirty pieces of silver! The price that had been paid him by the chief priests for his betrayal! Thirty pieces of silver! The price of a wounded slave! (see Ex. 21:32) Judas sold his Lord for the price of something that, in his culture, was good for nothing!

You and I betray Jesus when we call ourselves Christians yet give our hearts to money, or material things, or selfish pursuits, or anyone or anything other than Him. We betray Him when we spend more time on the Internet than in prayer. We betray Him when we spend more time reading the morning newspaper than reading the Bible. Would you confess and repent of your sin of betrayal, ask God to cleanse you, and commit to living a life of love and loyalty to Jesus?

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Our worship is right only when we are right with God and with others

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Our worship is right only when we are right with God and with others.

READ: John 12:1-8

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. —John 12:3

Shortly before Jesus was crucified, a woman named Mary poured a bottle of expensive perfume on His feet. Then, in what may have been an even more daring act, she wiped His feet with her hair (John 12:3). Not only did Mary sacrifice what may have been her life’s savings, she also sacrificed her reputation. In first-century Middle Eastern culture, respectable women never let down their hair in public. But true worship is not concerned about what others think of us (2 Sam. 6:21-22). To worship Jesus, Mary was willing to be thought of as immodest, perhaps even immoral.

Some of us may feel pressured to be perfect when we go to church so that people will think well of us. Metaphorically speaking, we work hard to make sure we have every hair in place. But a healthy church is a place where we can let down our hair and not hide our flaws behind a façade of perfection. In church, we should be able to reveal our weaknesses to find strength rather than conceal our faults to appear strong.

Worship doesn’t involve behaving as if nothing is wrong; it’s making sure everything is right—right with God and with one another. When our greatest fear is letting down our hair, perhaps our greatest sin is keeping it up. —Julie Ackerman Link

Whenever we gather to worship
Let’s not hide behind a façade;
Instead, let’s be open and honest
With others and also with God. —Sper

Our worship is right only when we are right with God and with others.

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

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Divorce

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English: يسوع المسيح حنا عصفور

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Divorce

Leave and Cleave

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall
cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Genesis 2:24

Divorce is one of the greatest indictments against the Church of Jesus
Christ in our generation. You would think that with all of God‘s
promises and heaven’s resources at our disposal, the Church would
manage to do better than “match” the world’s divorce rate.

The problem is all too familiar: We failed to follow God’s plan for
marriage. It is clearly spelled out in the Bible, and those who
following his plan to “leave and cleave” will tend to succeed, while
those who don’t follow won’t succeed.

The Bible says a man is supposed to leave his father and mother. If
Mama is still trying to hold onto a man with her apron strings, he has
to cut them before he marries a woman. A man must also leave the control and authority of his father in order to establish his own life.
He should always respect and honour his parents, but that doesn’t mean
they are to control him once he leaves home to set up his own house.

The Hebrew word translated “cleave” means to cling or adhere, to stick
to and pursue hard. A man needs to get his own place and learn how to
take care of himself. He needs to learn how to handle money before he
marries. The point is that when a man marries, his wife has to take
first place above everyone else but God. She gets first rights on a
man’s time, energy and money.

Prayer for Today

Father,
I confess that your Word is true! I choose to focus on the wisdom found
in your Word , not on what hear and see in a broken world and broken
lives. I release your power to work in my life and those of my family.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Think on These Things

* Malachi 2:14-16
* Matthew 19:6

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

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Leaving school, parting, deathlike, calls up tears. It’s my Birthday

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Today is my Birthday!

Hip! Hop!! Hooray!!!

I’m a year older and wiser too!  I have been thinking what story should I write to commemorate with such a special day, but couldn’t up with something. So I dug into my archives and dug out this article I wrote eight years ago. Unedited, I hope you will enjoy it.

Leaving school, parting, deathlike, calls up tears!

Leaving school, moving houses, ending a relationship and going away generally leave a sour taste in the mouth and tears in the eyes, it makes one feel a loss akin to death.

And now as I write this, I am thinking of my friends and foes alike who have graduated and who are currently serving their motherland (NYSC) National Youth Service Corps.

Thinking of them makes me realise the transient nature of things. The here-now-gone-tomorrow phenomenon that is life.

I think of the first loud yelp that ushers man into this life and I recall that most of us shed tears on our first day in secondary school (some even cried in the university).

If life is fun, why do babies cry when they are born? I’m waiting for answers fellas!

Then, my mind goes to a baby’s feeble attempts to crawl, to walk and run – A provocation of the toils of the years. Think of the JAMB/SAT/TOEFL hurdle that is crossed and sealed. The sweat toil to get good grades and move from one level to the other.

Then the finals!

The frenetic pace.

The project to be written, typed and bound. Seminar preparation and presentations. Then the examinations. The waiting and the results .Bad ones, good ones, sad ones and the happy ones.

The good and happy ones graduate. There is the convocation, the unemployment, the employment, marriage, kids, retirement, the farewells. Then finally the Adieu!

Isn’t life such a sweet tumultuous journey!

What a struggle!

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