PLEASE, AM I JUST ENOUGH?

Dear Brethren,

In case you have been struggling to get answer to this question, read what the Bible says concerning a just man or woman. You know that the Bible is our daily living manual, so let's try to explore Psalms 1:1, to have a knowledge of what it is to be just;

To be just is to walk not in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers. Someone may be asking again, does it mean, I have to chase away those my friends who are ungodly? No, that is not it. Rather, it means that you should not take any bad advice they give you like, telling you that remaining a virgin before marriage makes you a lay girl or telling you that any man who doesn't smoke nor chase after girls is not man enough, or telling you to go partying instead of going to His sanctuary or may be telling you to lie to your parents/sponsor in order to get more money from them or telling you to either give or receive bribe to achieve a fit or telling you to blackmail someone so as to tarnish the person's image. These are to mention but a few.

Don't take such advice because they will make you unjust and lead to destruction too. If you know that continuing with such a friend will keep you vulnerable to the prey of satan and probably you have tried your best to keep such a friend in the faith, yet no positive result forthcoming from such, then do well to flee from him/her. As you have read from the above Bible verse, bad company ruins good manner.

Remain blessed,

Your beloved sister,

Ifeoma

THE POWER OF PRIDE

Dear brethren, 

Pride has cost so many a lot in life, including their marriages, careers, businesses and so on. Despite all these negative impact of pride, people still strive to overcome it. But the Scripture cannot be broken because of human's refusal to heed to God's instruction not to be proud. The Bible tells us that God opposes the proud, Jame 4:6. So, no matter how hard we pray, give or sing praises to God and yet still proud, He will not accept us as we are only merely engaging in spiritual exercise which cannot yield our expected results.

Are you in the habit of bragging on how you are going to undo someone? Or in a habit of praising yourself even after successfully carrying out a joint task with your team mates, by saying, "I did it", "instead of saying we did it"? Or do you always want everyone to know that you rendered help to someone else?  Just stop. These and more are acts of pride.

Here are just to mention but a few blessings that come to you when you obey God and humble yourself before Him. It makes one to prosper, gives happiness and offers healing. It prospers in the sense that, if one humbles himself enough to learn examples of other successful persons and applies the same in his life, makes that person prosper too. Likewise, happiness, one gains happiness by being humble enough to lean on God alone for help. It also offers healing because, when one is humble in heart, it is only pleasant words that proceed out of his mouth and according to Proverbs 16:18-27, pleasant words are healing to the bones.

Finally, the result of not obeying God is that He gives us over to the consequences of our own action (pride), which is destruction, Romans 1:24,26. (kudos to Nicky Gumbel)

Remain blessed,

Your beloved sister,

Ifeoma.

APPLY INTEGRITY IN LIFE AND FIND OUT THE DIFFERENCE

Dear Beloved,

The world is so full of people who cannot be trusted in all what they do, even the good morning they greet needs to be cross-checked. Some say one thing and do another, break agreements and promises made to friends/colleagues. Others even trample on the rights of the poor and vulnerable to rise, not giving a concern to the effect of their actions upon them. In their closet, they stir up strife in the community, putting every nook and cranny of the community aflame with their lies, false accusations, slenderness while still pretending not to know the cause of the chaos. 

All these and more are the reasons, we should reconsider maintaining true integrity in all we do, say and analyse. God is pleased with integrity, 1 Chronicles 29:17 and because of that, He has promised to establish the royalty of any man of integrity above other men. But when men walk contrary to this, they will be cut off from God's portion, God will reject their offerings, making them to be a byword and object of ridicule among all people.

To walk in integrity is to be righteous, upright and have the fear of God. Meaning that, you should always consider the fact that wherever inner secret place sin and abominations are committed God is there watching. Your wife or husband, father or mother, brother or sister may not be there and so will neither see nor know what sins you have committed at their backs but God sees and knows them. I think man's knowledge about this fact will help him so much in maintaining his integrity.

Do not wait to be caught up in your sinful ways, it is better to make use of the grace of God available to us now. Consider it far better to learn through grace of God available to us rather than learning through painful experience.

Remain blessed,

Your beloved sister,

Ifeoma

HUMILITY GUARANTEES ABUNDANCE GRACE

Dear Beloved,

Humility has been given different interpretations thus; it is being meek and not being proud. Someone not attaching so much importance to self. It has also been defined as the quality of a person, having a modest opinion of herself.

All the above definitions about humility are fantastic, but delving into it biblical, we'll find out that those definitions do not have any spiritual foothold. The reason being that, as believers, we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places, Ephesians 6:12. Have you seen why this subject should not be treated pragmatically.

Therefore, what is God telling us about humility (that is,  being humble), humility is the direct opposite of pride and God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble, James 4:6. Going further, to be chosen by God, you must be humble, Colossians 3:12.

Someone may be asking this question now, does it mean that to be humble I'll have to fold my arms and watch my friends and colleagues cheat on me? No that is not what it means. Remember, the Bible tells us that wisdom is profitable to direct, Ecclesiastes 10:10. There are biblical principles that have been laid down for us children of God, for solving any problem in life. While trying to stand on your right, be peaceful and pose a sound attitude towards your opponent and do not be raffish about it.

When you have done your part of being humble indeed, God's promise to give grace to the humble in heart will now be released to you. And just like that, your opponents will start surrendering to you, because our God works in a mysterious way far beyond our comprehension. I can testify to this.

Remain blessed.

Your beloved sister,

Ifeoma

DEVOTION TAKES YOU THERE

Dear Beloved,

I remember when I used to be a Church goer, so to speak. I never knew what it meant to worship God in truth and in Spirit. I would only go to Church just for the sake of it and with a very blank mind. Not knowing what to pray for or expect from God. But until my eyes of understanding opened via several words of God from tbe altar. My pastor would always say that some people read the Bible only when they have come the Sunday service (that is, general Bible reading we do in Church). Which to me, is true of most brethren these days. Some of us are so entangled to the busyness of job activities that nothing else can be considered. He also said that when you get devoted to God and in the things of His Kingdom, it helps you prepare for the challenges ahead, because they will surely come.

Devotion to God does not only culminate into asking for your needs alone to be met by God or yielding part of your life, strength (energy), time, will and money to God. These are exactly the opposite. And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and every desire and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever, 1 Chronicles 28:9.

Getting devoted to God causes His presence to abide with us. The more we are devoted to Him, the more His presence abides with us. I know you wouldn't want to miss His presence in your life and activities, then get devoted to Him. Make Him the first and last things in your life and activities. Contact Him in every step you want to take in your life.

Remain Blessed,

Your beloved sister
Ifeoma

ONLY THE COMPASSIONATE KNOW GOD...

Dear Beloved,

Compassion is to share in the pain of others and having a desire to give a helping hand towards relieving the pain. It can also mean having mercy on someone and having an inner zeal towards helping out. Again, it means loving others at all times and without any conditions attached. Lastly, it could mean to have pity on someone who had deeply hurt you by just letting the person go easily, out of your own clear mind...

Going deeper, our God is full of compassion and had expressed this to us in diverse ways. Especially, sacrificing His one and only son to die for our sins and thereby saving all those that believe in His son from calamity and destruction. What a compassionate God. This is the reason why you and I are still living today. And so, is it too much for us to reciprocate this His deed?

No, it is not. We can sow this seed of compassion in the lives of the less privileged in our midst be it in Church, the society, community, etc. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus had said that whatever we did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of His, we did for Him, Matthew 25:40 .

Remain blessed,

Your beloved sister,

Ifeoma

THAT IS THE BEST DECISION!!!...

Dear Beloved,

Confidence is to totally depend on someone without fear of any sort. In the whole wide world, it is only in God that we can get such confidence. Humans will surely fail you every now and then. Could we join King David in acknowledging that: 

He shields and protects us, As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him, Psalms 18:30(NIV).

He strengthens us, It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure, Psalms 18:32.

He guides us, You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light, Psalms 18:28.

He saves us, You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty, Psalms 18:27.

He is our Helper, My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, Psalms 121:2.

If David could have confidence in God, to the point of God calling him a man after His heart, we too can do same. Moreover, without confidence God you cannot please Him.

Remain blessed,

Your beloved sister,

Ifeoma

DILIGENCE!... THE ROAD TO PROPERITY.

Dear Beloved,

Diligence means doing a job assigned to you with your whole heart, quickly, skillfully and according to the ethics of the job. Do you work just to earn salary or to make an impact? How about working for the sake of providing for yourself and your family with the basic essentials of life - food, clothing, shelter...! Yes, it is vital to achieve all of these... but it is more vital to work with regard to your relationship with God.

If God is not considered first in all what we are doing, we will just be struggling to survive. Not only that, we will be working to be seen (that is, doing eye service), stealing from the employer, absconding from work, being punctual to work only when our employer or immediate boss is in town, inciting other workers against the constituted authority, indulge in giving and receiving bribes, gossipping about and so on.

No, that is not the kind of diligence our God and employers expect from us. Know it that God is everywhere and sees everything we do. He is Omnipresent. Don't behave any how you what in whatever task you find yourself doing, because we are first of all accountable to God and then to our employer. 

In the Book of Ecclesiastes 9:10, we were told to do whatever our hand finds to do with all our might and 2 Peter 3:14(NIV) says, therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

Remain Blessed,

Your beloved sister,

Ifeoma

IS IT TRUE THAT LOVE DOES NOT FAIL?

Dear Beloved,

When I say love, I mean God's kind of love. Of course, you know that God is love. His nature is love. And unconditional love for that matter. His kind of love does not depend on the character disposition of anyone, whether a good one or a bad one. No wonder, He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous, Matthew 5:45b (NIV).

Loving God is the first and greatest commandment, followed by loving your neighbour as yourself. You see! It is even a commandment and not an entreaty. Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments," Matthew 22:37-40.

Also remember that, Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love, 1 John 4:8. I know you would say, it is easier said than done... but I equally do know that with God on our side, we can love Him and our neighbour as He has commanded us. Love gives birth to peace, joy, faithfulness and so on, and it does not fail.

Remain blessed.

Your beloved sister,

Ifeoma.

DO YOU LOVE GOD?

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God, Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV).

How great and genuine are the love of God to mankind! He sent His one and only son to die on the cross of Calvary for the sake of our sins, thereby making any one who believes in His son to be at peace, as well as have a healthy relationship with Him (God)... He fearfully and wonderfully made us in His own image and likeness... upon that He is daily thinking good thoughts about you and I. What a love! But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, Romans 5:8.

How then do we return all these love He had and continued to shower on us? If I may suggest, though, there is no amount of love we return to Him that can be adequate for His own love for us. But I think we can show our appreciation of His love to us by being all out to His commission for us, like;

Being Born Again: this means repenting of our sins by confessing our sins and believing in His sent son (Jesus Christ). Who you love you obey. The holy Bible has said, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:9. Also, If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, Romans 10:9. 

Become His Disciple: if you become His disciple, the works He did while on earth, you shall do also. That is, spreading the good news about Jesus Christ to mankind. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to to the Father, John 14:12. 

Care For One Another: If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth, 1 John 3:17-18. 

Therefore, obey God and answer His call. These are some of the least things we can do to show our love and appreciation to Him. Remember to ask for His grace because, it is not by our power nor our might.

Remain blessed.

Your beloved sister,

Ifeoma.

      

WORRY NOT! GOD IS IN CHARGE.

I just wished I knew God the way I know Him now. I am sure my situation would have been far better than it is now. As a youth then, I worried about so many things in life... when will my school fees be paid? How will I feed? What will I wear? Where will I squat for the semester? After graduating from higher education in year 2001, I started worrying about where to work. In a nutshell, I worried about virtually everything when I did't know Christ.

But now, my story has changed for good to the glory of God. Beloved, in order to avoid worring yourself over circumstances/situations, like me, when I didn't know the Scriptures and the power of God to provide all my needs that much, let me introduce you to this verses of the Scripture in Matthew 6:25-30 (NIV); "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you -you of little faith? 

Do you know that after I had bothered myself thinking about how to achieve the above mentioned, I couldn't even achieve any of those by my own power. I had to follow God's kind of due process. By getting to receiving Jesus Christ into my life. Learning to be contented with what God had given me at the moment. And in addition, waiting patiently for God. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5.

So, why don't you join me in obeying God's instruction first? Which is, believing and receiving Christ into your life and then allowing Him fulfill His own part of the bargain of providing for us. You know that with God as your Shepherd, He will feed, guide, lead, shield, protect, etc., you. Worrying can only give headaches, sickness and shrink the skin like the harmattan does.

Remain blessed.

Your beloved sister,

Ifeoma