One church in FCT bans tithes,offerings. Gives visas, houses,cars to members

- A church in Abuja has set itself apart from other churches in Nigeria by this strange custom - Givers Embassy in keeping with its name does not accept offerings and tithes from church members - The pastor says the church is dedicated to the service of humanity especially Nigerians who are mostly poor In a country like Nigeria, where most churches constantly make money off their members, there is a church operating in Abuja which does not collect tithe or offering from its members. The church is Givers Embassy, aka Home of Consular Generals, which was formally established in Abuja at the conference hall of 3J’s Hotel last Sunday, July 30, 2017.

According to the pastor, the church is dedicated to the service of humanity especially Nigerians who are going through economic hardship. Givers Embassy does not accept tithes and offerings Source: Twitter, GiversEmbassy The pastor, Edward Olutoke said: “Givers Embassy exists to raise Consular Generals for God’s kingdom on earth. We give visas to houses, cars and businesses. Above all, we give visas to things that make life meaningful. “These consular generals would, through their devotion to God’s word, worship, and worthy living, inspire the much needed spiritual and socio-economic transformation in their lives and that of others. “The problem of our society is greed. It’s not Boko Haram, it’s not Biafra. If we can solve the problem of greed in Nigeria, we will be better for it,” the pastor of the newly established church, Edward Olutoke said shortly after the first church service. 

“In Nigeria, we don’t give back to the society. People who give back, give peanuts. We don’t need to only feed the people who are in poverty, we need to give them life. Instead of giving them fish, we teach them how to catch the fish." 

Speaking on why his church doesn’t collect tithes and offering, Olutoke said the vision came from God. “God told me that as the owner of the church, he would build and sustain the church. God asked me not to collect tithes and offering. We are to help the needy. God said any member of the church who wants to touch other people’s lives can do it directly to the needy. “The Holy Spirit is leading us and we don’t want people to believe that they must bring offering to church before they are blessed, no. If I give offering in the church while a woman close to me is dying of hunger, what have I done? "As a Christian, I should not allow that woman to die. The God who created the woman won’t be happy with me if I packaged an offering to the church while she is suffering."

According to the picture, the church offers as little as $240 (about N86,000) for a 24-hour miracle, and as much as $5,000, (N1.8m) for you to be elevated to a millionaire status. 

God Still Has Compassion For You

 

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” Luke 15:20

Brethren, God’s love for you is still intact, true and pure. His love is unfailing and unending. A father’s love that overlook imperfections and weaknesses. Out of love, He offered his only son to come to this sinful world and save us through a shameful death on the cross. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son…..”. “Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends,” John 15:13.

The main text above is an extract from a passage/parable Jesus narrated in a gathering. It was at a time, the pharisees and teachers of the law tried to question Jesus holiness because they saw him sitting among sinners. They thought, as holy and divine as Jesus claimed to be(He really was holy), he shouldn’t have been yoking with sinners.Jesus, thus, narrated this parable among similar others to enlighten them on the love of God for his children(sinners), and the reason for his coming into this world.

The parable was about a rich man who had two sons and the youngest rose to his father one day, asking for his share of the properties. He later got it and set off for a distant country, squandered all his wealth in wild living. He became in need and had to even suffer to feed on pods which was given to pigs.Recalling the sweet moments at his father’s house, he decided to come back home to his father and plead for forgiveness and tell his father, he was ready to work as a servant in the house. As the text says in Luke 15:20, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” This is just how God loves you.

The father didn’t care how dirty his son has become; he didn’t care about the fact that his son was in tattered clothes and dirty and could stain his expensive robe with filth. He was not bothered at all about his smell or odour. He was just happy to see his son back and safe. He didn’t sit back and wait for his son to walk to him when saw him far off, he didn’t walk to him neither did he turn away from his son. But even as old as he was, he ran to embrace his son and kissed him. This is the kind of love God offers; love that has no boundaries.

There’s no need worrying over your sinful life. God overlooks your sin when you decide to return to Him. No matter how far you have gone into evil, the LORD is ready to receive you if you turn to Him. All He wants from you is for you to confess all sins to Him and turn away from evil. (1 John 1:9) He is faithful and just to forgive you all your sins. It is not too late to return to God. It is the devil and her accomplices who cannot return to God. You are not his accomplice yet; you just went wayward and devil tried to steal and lure you to his side but you can not follow them to that eternal doom(Hell). Your place is in Heaven with Christ Jesus.

God hates sin but loves sinners. That’s why He is still calling you out of sin into His holiness. He is an “I don’t care how far you’ve ran, just come home kinda God”. You have lingered enough. Take a step towards God and He will ran to embrace you, cleanse you and and clothe you with a new robe.

S O F T L Y, T E N D E R L Y, J E S U S  I S  C A L L I N G, C A L L I N G  O’ S I N N E R S, C O M E  H O M E

5 Keys To Effective And Powerful Prayer.

 

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective – James 5:6.

Prayer is communication between man and his God. Prayer is not only about making demands, there is more to it, It should include worship, confession and thanksgiving. God can do nothing for humanity unless is response to prayer. And we need to be specific about the people and things which we pray for.

These Are Some Keys For Effective Prayer.

1. Upright Living.

God is holy and he does not delight in unholiness. For God to listen to our prayers and answer us, we must live upright lives; we must present ourselves holy before God in prayer. “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listen to these godly man who does His will”, – John 9:31. We cannot expect God to meet our demands when we would not keep his commands. Keeping God’s commandments is living upright. God is powerful and able to do everything we ask. “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear,” – Isaiah 59:1-2.

“If I had cherished sin in my life, the LORD would not have listened, – Psalm 66:18. These were the words of King David, a great King of Israel who knew the keys to God’s heart, and for that reason enjoyed God’s favor all the days of his life. Living upright is a key to God’s presence, thus access to His treasury.

2. A Forgiving Heart.

A heart of forgiveness is a gateway to the presence of God. Being unforgiven makes us sinful and God does not hear the prayers of sinners. When we forgive those who trespass against us, we are also guaranteed forgiveness from God. And when we are also forgiven by our father in Heaven, we are cleansed from stains of sin and therefore stand holy before God and eligible to get the answers to our requests. This is what Jesus had to say about forgiveness. 24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father In Heaven may forgive you your sins. But if you do not forgive, neither will your father who is in Heaven forgive your sins”, (Mark 11:24-26).

Some people may intentionally hurt or offend you, but in your own interest, you ought to forgive them even if they don’t show remorse or feel sorry for what they have done to you. This way you are automatically forgiven for the wrongs you ignorantly did and didn’t remember to ask for forgiveness. When we forgive others, it benefits us more than those we forgive.

3. Pray With Concentration.

“So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees”. (1 Kings 18:42). Elijah casting himself down and putting his face between his knees means he wanted absolute concentration while praying to God. He did not want to look elsewhere or get his eyes caught up somewhere thereby losing focus on God and what he was praying for. Prayer is a communication between man and divinity and therefore needs not to be distracted. In the Bible, whenever a Jew was praying, to God, he would turn to face a wall or pillar so that he won’t get distracted.

Isaiah 38:2, “Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed unto the LORD”. Today, It is advisable that you close your eyes while praying to God to avoid distractions. This makes prayers effective.

God Still Has Compassion For You

4. Pray Continually And Persistently.

1Thessalonians 5:18, “Pray without ceasing.” You must pray continually. It is a key to effective prayer. You must pray and not get tired. You should not be tired of praying because prayer is the key to our desires and requests.God does not get tired of listening so we should not get tired of praying. In Luke 18:1, Jesus told His disciples to always pray and not give up. He told them parable to persist in prayer.

5. Be Specific About Your Requests.

“In bitterness of soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. And she made a vow saying “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me and not forget your servant but give her a son, then i will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head,” 1 Samuel 1:10-11. Like Hannah have to know what you really need and pray to God for it. Hannah went up to the temple to pray so many times but always with one request, and that was what she really needed.

You should go to God with what you need not what you just want. You have to be specific with your prayer. Not asking for so many things that you won’t be able to handle. One at a time. It makes prayer effective and open to immediate answers.

In conclusion, you need to go before God in prayer with a pure heart and with great faith. You should pray with boldness believing that God is able to do everything we ask Him. God loves to see us say bold prayers. It shows how much we believe in Him. Jesus assured us, saying, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and i will do it,” john 14:14.

A M E N

Love overcomes sin

Everyone Needs Forgiveness

We all have done things that require forgiveness. Maybe you lied to your friend or hurt someone, or stole something. You know in your heart that these actions are wrong.

The Bible calls these actions sin, and the Bible says that sin separates us from God. But God loves you and wants you to have freedom from the guilt and shame of sin and to be reunited with God. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He will forgive you if you accept his plan for forgiveness

But let’s back up a little bit.

How did God's world go so wrong?

It started when the first man and woman broke their relationship with God by disobeying Him.

They turned their back on God. God called this sin. It was sin that separated people from God.

Sin brought suffering and death into the world.

Am I guilty of sinning against God?

Yes. The Bible teaches that all people everywhere have sinned against God.

We've not loved and honored God as we should. Instead, we've chosen to live for ourselves, loving ourselves rather than loving God.

That's why each one of us stands guilty before a holy God deserving His judgment upon our sin.

No matter how hard we try, we can't save ourselves. No matter how many good things we do‐our guilt remains.

Can God forgive me for all I've done?

Yes. While we were completely without hope, prisoners of our sin and shame, God sent His only Son Jesus Christ into the world to sacrificially pay the death penalty for our sin.

This is how God demonstrated His love and mercy.

The judgment of God that you and I deserve was poured out on Jesus Christ when he died on the cross. Jesus died the death you and I deserve.

Now God's forgiveness for all our sin is feely granted to every one who receives God's mercy through faith in Jesus Christ.

The wages of sin is death for us all. But the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ for all who believe.

This is the truth that can make you free.

Can I be sure Jesus has the power to save me?

Yes. Because Jesus alone conquered the power of sin and death when He rose from the dead. By His victory over death, Jesus has done what we couldn't possibly do for ourselves: He led the way out of death into life.

Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die."

The Bible says that, "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life."

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me."

Right now God is calling you to turn away from your sinful life and turn to Jesus so that your sins may be forgiven.

In this prayer, I invite you to simply cry out for God's mercy through faith in Jesus Christ.

My Father and my Creator, I've sinned against you. Please forgive me. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus into the world to take the punishment for all my wrongdoing by dying on the cross in my place. I believe that by rising from the dead, Jesus has shown that He alone has the power to save me and give me eternal life. By faith, I freely receive Your mercy, love and forgiveness in the name of Jesus.

Pastor Chuwuemeka Ohanaemere allegedly resurrects dead woman during church service

We came across a video of an Anambra-based pastor identified as Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere, supposedly raising a woman from death. Pastor Ohanaemere, the general overseer of the Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention Deliverance Ministry (A.K.A the land of freedom) has stirred controversy after a video of his church service leaked. According to the video, the pastor claimed to have resurrected a dead woman two people who appeared to be her husband and possibly her sister, brought her into the church during a service. 

They wept as the pastor laid on top of the 'dead woman' and 'resurrected her'. The members of the church excitedly ran to their pastor to show their gratitude and possibly thank him for his 'signs and wonders'. Pastor Chuwuemeka Ohanaemere allegedly resurrected a dead woman during church service

5 Things You Must Know In Order To Be Saved

There are five things you must know in order to
be saved.
1. You Must Know That You Are A Sinner In The
Sight Of God.
As recorded in the book of Romans 3:10 , “…
There is no one righteous, not even one.” A
righteous person is a one without sin, and since,
the Bible says no one is righteous, it means you
are also not righteous, thus a sinner. There are
only two ways to live in this world; your own way
or giving it to God’s will to live in His way. You
are either on God’s way or on your own way. If
you have turned to your way, then you have gone
astray and for that reason, you are a sinner in the
sight of God. “We all, like sheep, have gone
astray, each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of is
all” – Isaiah 53:6.
You are not a sinner because you sin, you sin
because you are a sinner. You would not want a
doctor unless you knew you are sick. You will
never want a savior until you know you are a
sinner. You must therefore know that you are a
sinner first of all.
2. You Must Know That Your Sins Have Been
Laid On Jesus.
“We all, like sheep have gone astray , each of us
has turned to his own way; and the LORD has
laid on him the iniquity of us all.” – Isaiah 53:6.
God had to deal with your sin before He could
offer you salvation. He had to cleanse you; he
had to settle your debts so that you could be set
free. Your sin was so greater that it had to take
the life of a sinless man to save you. Jesus was
there(where it mattered most) to be offered as an
atonement for your sin. ” 4 Surely, he took up our
infirmities and carried our sorrows….. 5 But he
was pierced for our transgressions, he was
crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that
brought us peace was upon him…..” – Isaiah
53:4 & 5.
Jesus Christ was made to bear your sins and
carry them to the cross in your stead. Sin made a
great barrier between you and God, and Jesus
came to tear down the barrier.
3. You Must Know That You Cannot Save
Yourself.
You are saved by grace through the death of
Jesus Christ on the cross. ” For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith – and this is not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by
works, so that no one can boast – Ephesians
2:8-9. No man can be his won savior. You
cannot save yourself by getting yourself enrolled
as a member of a church. You cannot save
yourself by deeds, good works or by your might
or by merit. There is nothing you can do in your
power to save yourself.
If you could have saved yourself, then there was
no point in God sending His one and only son
(Jesus Christ) to come all the way down here,
and suffer such humiliation and that painful and
shameful death on the cross. The fact that Jesus
had to come and die for you shows clearly that
you cannot do anything to save yourself.
4. You Must Know That Jesus Christ Alone Can
Save You.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no
other name under Heaven given to men by which
we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. Salvation is found
nowhere else apart from Jesus Christ. You
cannot look or rely on anyone to be saved except
that you look to Jesus. “She will give birth to a
son, and you are to give him the name Jesus
because he will save his people from their sin,”
Matthew 1:21.
Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the father
except through me.” The Bible makes it perfectly
clear that Jesus Christ alone can save you.
Jesus Christ is the solid rock you can stand on,
all other ground is sinking sand.

5. You Must Know That You Must Receive Jesus
As Your Own Personal Savior.
“To all who received him, to those who believed
in his name, he gave them the right to become
children of God”, – John 1:12. John 3:36 – 36, ”
The father loves the son and has placed
everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the
son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the son
will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on
them”
You become God’s child by receiving the LORD
Jesus Christ as your personal savior. If you are
dying of thirst, you must drink the water that is
offered to you. Jesus has been offered as the
living water to quench your thirst once and for
all.

After knowing these five things to get you saved,
you must make a decision. It is in your best
interest to get saved. This sis the truth you must
know, not just sweet words to convince you. You
must make a decision mow, not tomorrow or any
other day. “Now is the time of God’s favor, now
is the day of salvation,” – 2 Corinthians 6:2.
I advise you to accept Jesus now and enjoy the
riches and success in the Kingdom of God and
above all be saved for all eternity.
A M E N

All Things are Possible If You Believe

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe,all things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23).

 In Mark 9, a man was so helpless and came to Jesus. His son had been taken over by an epileptic spirit. The man, desperate and in dire need of help, told the master, " ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire,and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing,have compassion on us, and help us" (Mark 9:22).

 You might be in a similar condition today and are completely at sea as to what to do. You might even be pleading like that man, asking God to do just anything and have compassion on you. 

I'll to tell you this: brighten up! Notice the Master's response: "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth"(Mark 9:23). What a message to a frustrated and desperate father who had gone everywhere seeking help!

 Notice that Jesus didn't say it depends on how long the matter has been, how serious the case is or how much you can pay for it! He only said, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes."

Your comment will be appreciated. Also share

Credit: Rhapsody of Realities.   

The One Thing That Every Man Needs.

“Martha, Martha.” the LORD answered, ” you are worried and upset about many things, But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42. One thing is essential, and that is the ultimate reason God created man; to worship and to seek Him. Others have chosen to worship other gods. It could be family, job, a way of life, spouse, games, money or even one self. The things we spend much time in doing and value over every other thing are the idols we worship. Everything that replaces God in our lives are our idols. They replace God because, we choose to do them instead of reading God’s word, praying and fellowshipping with God. As human beings, we are mostly defined by what we worship. What we worship tells who and what we are. We become more like what we worship. We gain our worth and identity from what we worship. As men and creatures of God, we loose our worth and importance when we choose to worship anything or anyone either than God, our creator.

Apart from God, everything else is easily shaken and when that happens, our lives turn upside down and become unstable, and we begin to crash. Apart from God, we cannot rely on anything else that can’t guarantee us anything better or equal to God, and there is absolutely none. Jesus Christ is the solid rock we can stand on, all other ground is sinking sand. In our text, Jesus and his disciples had visited a woman named Martha and her sister Mary. While Martha was trying to prepare something for Jesus, Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to what he said. So Martha went to Jesus to complain that, her sister join her in the work. Jesus told her not to worry about the many things that bothered her. Jesus said “many things”, because he knew that it wasn’t only about Mary not helping her, but many things bothered her as well. Jesus went on tell Martha, the one thing that is needed, that Mary was doing right. That one thing that is needed is sitting at the feet of the LORD. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first of the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you”. Seeking God above everything else is the one and most important thing one would ever do. Getting all the wealth, fame, accolades and honors minus Jesus is vanity and folly. David, a great and wise king said in Psalm 27:4, ” One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in this temple.” Let us all in agreement and in one spirit, join in with that David and seek this one thing. If Jesus is the one and most important thing in your life, when everything else is falling apart, you won’t feel like your whole world is falling apart because He is your everything. G O D O V E R E V E R Y T H I N G. N O T H I N G O V E R G O D I will sincerely appreciate you sharing it and commenting. Thanks

Who to help

Happy sunday everyone. I attended church today and I was touched by the message and I thought it is awesome sharing it with you guys. There is this problem which comes to everyone's heart when they have money and decide to be generous.

"Who exactly are we suppose to help?". The reverend made it clear to us the congregation who to help. According to the reverend father in Mary the Queen parish located in Ekpoma,Edo state said and I quote If you decide to help someone, Give to those that don't have, don't bring to us the reverend fathers who already have enough(Not that it is bad to give to God's prophets) but give to those who find it hard to cater for their living.You don't need to have enough before you give, One cup of garri(Cassava) might be worth more than a thousand dollars to some people. The man of God used this words of the scripture to back it up Psalm 41:1-4 which says (41:1.Blessed is the man who considereth the poor,the lord will help him in time of trouble. 41:2.The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive;he shall be blessed and God shalt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.) Please read up the rest and please don't forget to share and comment.

Staying In Jail For Preaching Brought Me Closer To Jesus

James, a 23-year-old Laotian Bible school student, was imprisoned for allegedly sharing the Gospel in an undisclosed village in Laos. He tells Open Doors about his four months in jail and how the ordeal brought him closer to Jesus Christ. It happened on August 20th, 2015. Ten people came to arrest me. I was stunned, but I felt no fear. I thought that maybe this was part of God’s plan. At the time, my brother-in-law was pursuing his Master’s Degree at the same Bible school I attend. He was working on a project that involved surveying the villagers. He was unable to go to one particular village so he asked me to do it for him. I was instructed to ask the villagers their names, ages, and occupations. It was simple and harmless. I was happy to do it. I sought the village leader for permission, and he told me I could go straight to the villagers to conduct the survey. So I did. I went to one house and asked them for their information. When I went to the second house, I was arrested. Ten people came. The village leader called them. They accused me of sharing the gospel and converting people even though this wasn’t the case. I was merely asking questions. It was for Bible school, yes, but it was harmless.

Evangelism cannot be done in Laos, and the authorities would have none of my explanations. I was a Christian carrying out suspicious activities. I was asking around too much. I was to be put in jail. This [was] my life for four months. In jail, I learned whom I should trust. I learned to depend on the one who gives me strength; the one who I know will help me. God has planned everything. I couldn’t blame Him. I couldn’t even question Him. I knew that jail was still part of His plan. There were two nights when I dreamed I was already dead. God reminded me that my life was not my own, but something He has given me. When I woke up from the dream, tears were streaming down my face. I knew that I had an uncertain future and that seeing my family again might take a very long while. My family told me they couldn’t get help. They said I might be in for much longer. Everything was in a shambles. I couldn’t even remember memory verses. What I know though is that everything that happens is part of God’s plan. For God I could stay in jail for a long time. I was released on December 21st, 2015. People from Open Doors paid the bail so I could be released. When I learned that I’d finally be able to walk free, I felt numb. Not because of anything else, but because my mind was concerned with the other prisoners. Some of them do not have a family to help them. When I arrived home, I broke down. I hugged my parents. I missed them so, so much. The love of God and that from my relatives strengthened me. Prison was faith stretching and faith strengthening. There is nothing else to do but trust God. James, a 23-year-old Laotian Bible school student, was imprisoned for allegedly sharing the Gospel in an undisclosed village in Laos. He tells Open Doors about his four months in jail and how the ordeal brought him closer to Jesus Christ. It happened on August 20th, 2015. Ten people came to arrest me. I was stunned, but I felt no fear. I thought that maybe this was part of God’s plan. At the time, my brother-in-law was pursuing his Master’s Degree at the same Bible school I attend. He was working on a project that involved surveying the villagers. He was unable to go to one particular village so he asked me to do it for him. I was instructed to ask the villagers their names, ages, and occupations. It was simple and harmless. I was happy to do it. I sought the village leader for permission, and he told me I could go straight to the villagers to conduct the survey. So I did. I went to one house and asked them for their information. When I went to the second house, I was arrested. Ten people came. The village leader called them. They accused me of sharing the gospel and converting people even though this wasn’t the case. I was merely asking questions. It was for Bible school, yes, but it was harmless. Evangelism cannot be done in Laos, and the authorities would have none of my explanations. I was a Christian carrying out suspicious activities. I was asking around too much. I was to be put in jail. This [was] my life for four months. In jail, I learned whom I should trust. I learned to depend on the one who gives me strength; the one who I know will help me. God has planned everything. I couldn’t blame Him. I couldn’t even question Him. I knew that jail was still part of His plan. There were two nights when I dreamed I was already dead. God reminded me that my life was not my own, but something He has given me. When I woke up from the dream, tears were streaming down my face. I knew that I had an uncertain future and that seeing my family again might take a very long while. My family told me they couldn’t get help. They said I might be in for much longer. Everything was in a shambles. I couldn’t even remember memory verses. What I know though is that everything that happens is part of God’s plan. For God I could stay in jail for a long time. I was released on December 21st, 2015. People from Open Doors paid the bail so I could be released. When I learned that I’d finally be able to walk free, I felt numb. Not because of anything else, but because my mind was concerned with the other prisoners. Some of them do not have a family to help them. When I arrived home, I broke down. I hugged my parents. I missed them so, so much. The love of God and that from my relatives strengthened me. Prison was faith stretching and faith strengthening. There is nothing else to do but trust God.

The Holy Spirit Is One Of God’s Most Wonderful Gifts. Do You Have the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is one of God’s most wonderful gifts. How can a Christian know for sure he or she has the Holy Spirit and is growing spiritually? One of God’s greatest gifts is the Holy Spirit, and it provides a lifeline to God by which He gives many of His other wonderful gifts. The Holy Spirit gives a Christian spiritual power and understanding and makes it possible for us to become more like God and eventually inherit eternal life. So it is important to know how to receive the Holy Spirit, how to stir it up and how to be assured that we have it. How does the Bible say we receive the Holy Spirit? Jesus Christ told His disciples that they would receive the Holy Spirit after His death. On the Day of Pentecost, the beginning of the Church of God was announced with powerful miracles, and Peter preached an inspired sermon describing how we can receive the Holy Spirit: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38). Other passages show that the Spirit is usually given to the repentant believer after baptism when a minister lays his hands on the person and asks God to give the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). Repentance, belief, baptism and the laying on of hands are the steps God asks us to follow today before He gives His Holy Spirit, so if a person has not followed these steps, he or she does not have the Holy Spirit in him or her yet. What does the Bible say we should do to avoid quenching the Spirit? In David’s impassioned prayer of repentance, he pleaded with God, “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). He knew that if he didn’t keep repenting and seeking God, he was in danger of an unpardonable sin, for God will not forgive us if we do not repent. Paul also gave warnings to Christians not to grieve, neglect or quench the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:19). To avoid these dangers, a Christian must do the opposite. Instead of grieving the Spirit, we should pray daily to be filled with God’s Spirit, to “walk in the Spirit” (meaning to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit), and to sow to the Spirit—to grow spiritually (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16, 25; Galatians 6:7-8). Instead of putting out the fire of the Spirit, Paul encourages us to “stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7). What are some evidences of the Holy Spirit? The Bible lists many things the Holy Spirit enables us to do. Paul wrote that God’s Spirit opens up our spiritual understanding of things that seem like foolishness to those without spiritual discernment (1 Corinthians 2:10-14). Through regular prayer and study of the Bible, the Spirit helps us grow in understanding of God’s plan and our part in it. It writes God’s laws on our hearts and minds, helping us internalize God’s way of life and think like He does ( Hebrews 8:10 ). It enables us to transform or change our minds (Romans 12:2). Jesus said the Spirit will provide us with help and guidance (John 14:16; John 14:26; John 16:13). One of the most important evidences is that “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). Godly love is described in more detail in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Though we all fall short, a Christian should see this fruit growing in his or her life. Paul lists other important fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Christians will examine themselves to see how much this fruit is growing, and will regularly ask God to provide His gracious Spirit to help them grow more. Some mistakenly think that what is called “speaking in tongues” proves whether you have the Holy Spirit. For the truth of the matter, see “ What Is Speaking in Tongues? ” It is God’s plan for us to repent, be baptized, receive His Spirit and then be transformed in mind to become more and more like Him. By praying for, yielding to and stirring up the Spirit, we will see the spiritual growth that assures us God’s Spirit is working in us .

What Is Speaking in Tongues?

Speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14 "So, the miracle that day simply meant that every member of the audience heard the apostles speaking in his or her own native language “the wonderful works of God,” regardless of what language the apostles spoke."Many years after this event took place in Jerusalem, some of the members in Corinth had been given the gift to speak in different tongues (languages). However, instead of using the gift to benefit and serve others, they became proud of it. The apostle Paul then wrote 1 Corinthians 14 to address this problem. In verse 9, Paul reminded them: “Unless you utter by the tongue [here glossa refers simply to the organ of speech] words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken?” Later, in verses 27 and 28, Paul gave this instruction: “If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church.” So the language spoken in church has to be of value to the hearers. To illustrate the point, an English-speaking audience would not benefit from someone speaking French, unless they also knew the French language or there was an interpreter. Applying Paul’s instructions about speaking in tongues today Therefore, members of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association (sponsors of this website), do not speak at church in unintelligible “languages” that no one else understands or benefits from. However, some ministers and members do speak in different known languages such as in French and Spanish, and there are translators as well. The gift of “speaking in tongues” (languages) is not the criterion that proves whether one has the Holy Spirit. There are other spiritual gifts, such as the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge ( 1 Corinthians 12:8 ), that come through God’s Holy Spirit. Also, the fruit—the result of having God’s Spirit—is that one will display love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control in his or her life ( Galatians 5:22-23 ).

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IS THERE A GOD?

Unlike any other revelation of God, Jesus Christ is the clearest, most specific picture of God revealing himself to us. Why Jesus? Look throughout the major world religions and you'll find that Buddha, Muhammad, Confucius and Moses all identified themselves as teachers or prophets. None of them ever claimed to be equal to God. Surprisingly, Jesus did. That is what sets Jesus apart from all the others. He said God exists and you're looking at him. Though he talked about his Father in heaven, it was not from the position of separation, but of very close union, unique to all humankind. Jesus said that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father, anyone who believed in him, believed in the Father. Just once wouldn't you love for someone to simply show you the evidence for God's existence? No arm-twisting. No statements of, "You just have to believe." Well, here is an attempt to candidly offer some of the reasons which suggest that God exists. But first consider this. When it comes to the possibility of God's his, the Bible says that there are people who have seen sufficient evidence, but they have suppressed the truth about God. 1 On the other hand, for those who want to know God if he is there, he says, "You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you." 2 Before you look at the facts surrounding his existence, ask yourself, If God does exist, would I want to know him? Here then, are some reasons to consider... 1. The complexity of our planet points to a deliberate Designer who not only created our universe, but sustains it today. Many examples showing God's design could be given, possibly with no end. But here are a few: The Earth ...its size is perfect. The Earth's size and corresponding gravity holds a thin layer of mostly nitrogen and oxygen gases, only extending about 50 miles above the Earth's surface. If Earth were smaller, an atmosphere would be impossible, like the planet Mercury. If Earth were larger, its atmosphere would contain free hydrogen, like Jupiter. 3 Earth is the only known planet equipped with an atmosphere of the right mixture of gases to sustain plant, animal and human life. The Earth is located the right distance from the sun. Consider the temperature swings we encounter, roughly -30 degrees to +120 degrees. If the Earth were any further away from the sun, we would all freeze. Any closer and we would burn up. Even a fractional variance in the Earth's position to the sun would make life on Earth impossible. The Earth remains this perfect distance from the sun while it rotates around the sun at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph. It is also rotating on its axis, allowing the entire surface of the Earth to be properly warmed and cooled every day. And our moon is the perfect size and distance from the Earth for its gravitational pull. The moon creates important ocean tides and movement so ocean waters do not stagnate, and yet our massive oceans are restrained from spilling over across the continents. 4 Water ...colorless, odorless and without taste, and yet no living thing can survive without it. Plants, animals and human beings consist mostly of water (about two-thirds of the human body is water). You'll see why the characteristics of water are uniquely suited to life: It has wide margin between its boiling point and freezing point. Water allows us to live in an environment of fluctuating temperature changes, while keeping our bodies a steady 98.6 degrees. Water is a universal solvent. This property of water means that various chemicals, minerals and nutrients can be carried throughout our bodies and into the smallest blood vessels. 5 Water is also chemically neutral. Without affecting the makeup of the substances it carries, water enables food, medicines and minerals to be absorbed and used by the body. Water has a unique surface tension. Water in plants can therefore flow upward against gravity, bringing life-giving water and nutrients to the top of even the tallest trees. Water freezes from the top down and floats, so fish can live in the winter. Ninety-seven percent of the Earth's water is in the oceans. But on our Earth, there is a system designed which removes salt from the water and then distributes that water throughout the globe. Evaporation takes the ocean waters, leaving the salt, and forms clouds which are easily moved by the wind to disperse water over the land, for vegetation, animals and people. It is a system of purification and supply that sustains life on this planet, a system of recycled and reused water. 6 The human brain ...simultaneously processes an amazing amount of information. Your brain takes in all the colors and objects you see, the temperature around you, the pressure of your feet against the floor, the sounds around you, the dryness of your mouth, even the texture of your keyboard. Your brain holds and processes all your emotions, thoughts and memories. At the same time your brain keeps track of the ongoing functions of your body like your breathing pattern, eyelid movement, hunger and movement of the muscles in your hands. The human brain processes more than a million messages a second. 7 Your brain weighs the importance of all this data, filtering out the relatively unimportant. This screening function is what allows you to focus and operate effectively in your world. The brain functions differently than other organs. There is an intelligence to it, the ability to reason, to produce feelings, to dream and plan, to take action, and relate to other people. The eye ...can distinguish among seven million colors. It has automatic focusing and handles an astounding 1.5 million messages -- simultaneously. 8 Evolution focuses on mutations and changes from and within existing organisms. Yet evolution alone does not fully explain the initial source of the eye or the brain -- the start of living organisms from nonliving matter. 2. The universe had a start - what caused it? Scientists are convinced that our universe began with one enormous explosion of energy and light, which we now call the Big Bang. This was the singular start to everything that exists: the beginning of the universe, the start of space, and even the initial start of time itself. Astrophysicist Robert Jastrow, a self-described agnostic, stated, "The seed of everything that has happened in the Universe was planted in that first instant; every star, every planet and every living creature in the Universe came into being as a result of events that were set in motion in the moment of the cosmic explosion...The Universe flashed into being, and we cannot find out what caused that to happen." 9 Steven Weinberg, a Nobel laureate in Physics, said at the moment of this explosion, "the universe was about a hundred thousands million degrees Centigrade...and the universe was filled with light." 10 The universe has not always existed. It had a start...what caused that? Scientists have no explanation for the sudden explosion of light and matter. 3. The universe operates by uniform laws of nature. Why does it? Much of life may seem uncertain, but look at what we can count on day after day: gravity remains consistent, a hot cup of coffee left on a counter will get cold, the earth rotates in the same 24 hours, and the speed of light doesn't change -- on earth or in galaxies far from us. How is it that we can identify laws of nature that never change? Why is the universe so orderly, so reliable? "The greatest scientists have been struck by how strange this is. There is no logical necessity for a universe that obeys rules, let alone one that abides by the rules of mathematics. This astonishment springs from the recognition that the universe doesn't have to behave this way. It is easy to imagine a universe in which conditions change unpredictably from instant to instant, or even a universe in which things pop in and out of existence." 11 Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner for quantum electrodynamics, said, "Why nature is mathematical is a mystery...The fact that there are rules at all is a kind of miracle." 12 4. The DNA code informs, programs a cell's behavior. All instruction, all teaching, all training comes with intent. Someone who writes an instruction manual does so with purpose. Did you know that in every cell of our bodies there exists a very detailed instruction code, much like a miniature computer program? As you may know, a computer program is made up of ones and zeros, like this: 110010101011000. The way they are arranged tell the computer program what to do. The DNA code in each of our cells is very similar. It's made up of four chemicals that scientists abbreviate as A, T, G, and C. These are arranged in the human cell like this: CGTGTGACTCGCTCCTGAT and so on. There are three billion of these letters in every human cell!! Well, just like you can program your phone to beep for specific reasons, DNA instructs the cell. DNA is a three- billion-lettered program telling the cell to act in a certain way. It is a full instruction manual. 13 Why is this so amazing? One has to ask....how did this information program wind up in each human cell? These are not just chemicals. These are chemicals that instruct, that code in a very detailed way exactly how the person's body should develop. Natural, biological causes are completely lacking as an explanation when programmed information is involved. You cannot find instruction, precise information like this, without someone intentionally constructing it. 5. We know God exists because he pursues us. He is constantly initiating and seeking for us to come to him. I was an atheist at one time. And like many atheists, the issue of people believing in God bothered me greatly. What is it about atheists that we would spend so much time, attention, and energy refuting something that we don't believe even exists?! What causes us to do that? When I was an atheist, I attributed my intentions as caring for those poor, delusional people...to help them realize their hope was completely ill-founded. To be honest, I also had another motive. As I challenged those who believed in God, I was deeply curious to see if they could convince me otherwise. Part of my quest was to become free from the question of God. If I could conclusively prove to believers that they were wrong, then the issue is off the table, and I would be free to go about my life. I didn't realize that the reason the topic of God weighed so heavily on my mind, was because God was pressing the issue. I have come to find out that God wants to be known. He created us with the intention that we would know him. He has surrounded us with evidence of himself and he keeps the question of his existence squarely before us. It was as if I couldn't escape thinking about the possibility of God. In fact, the day I chose to acknowledge God's existence, my prayer began with, "Ok, you win..." It might be that the underlying reason atheists are bothered by people believing in God is because God is actively pursuing them. I am not the only one who has experienced this. Malcolm Muggeridge, socialist and philosophical author, wrote, "I had a notion that somehow, besides questing, I was being pursued." C.S. Lewis said he remembered, "...night after night, feeling whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England." Lewis went on to write a book titled, "Surprised by Joy" as a result of knowing God. I too had no expectations other than rightfully admitting God's existence. Yet over the following several months, I became amazed by his love for me. 6. Unlike any other revelation of God, Jesus Christ is the clearest, most specific picture of God revealing himself to us. Why Jesus? Look throughout the major world religions and you'll find that Buddha, Muhammad, Confucius and Moses all identified themselves as teachers or prophets. None of them ever claimed to be equal to God. Surprisingly, Jesus did. That is what sets Jesus apart from all the others. He said God exists and you're looking at him. Though he talked about his Father in heaven, it was not from the position of separation, but of very close union, unique to all humankind. Jesus said that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father, anyone who believed in him, believed in the Father. He said, "I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 14 He claimed attributes belonging only to God: to be able to forgive people of their sin, free them from habits of sin, give people a more abundant life and give them eternal life in heaven. Unlike other teachers who focused people on their words, Jesus pointed people to himself. He did not say, "follow my words and you will find truth." He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me." 15 What proof did Jesus give for claiming to be divine? He did what people can't do. Jesus performed miracles. He healed people...blind, crippled, deaf, even raised a couple of people from the dead. He had power over objects...created food out of thin air, enough to feed crowds of several thousand people. He performed miracles over nature...walked on top of a lake, commanding a raging storm to stop for some friends. People everywhere followed Jesus, because he constantly met their needs, doing the miraculous. He said if you do not want to believe what I'm telling you, you should at least believe in me based on the miracles you're seeing. 16 Jesus Christ showed God to be gentle, loving, aware of our self-centeredness and shortcomings, yet deeply wanting a relationship with us. Jesus revealed that although he views us as sinners, worthy of his punishment, his love for us ruled and he came up with a different plan. God himself took on the form of man and accepted the punishment for our sin on our behalf. Sounds ludicrous? Perhaps, but many loving fathers would gladly trade places with their child in a cancer ward if they could. The Bible says that the reason we would love God is because he first loved us. Jesus died in our place so we could be forgiven. Of all the religions known to humanity, only through Jesus will you see God reaching toward humanity, providing a way for us to have a relationship with him. Jesus proves a divine heart of love, meeting our needs, drawing us to himself. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, he offers us a new life today. We can be forgiven, fully accepted by God and genuinely loved by God. He says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." 17 This is God, in action. Does God exist? If you want to know, investigate Jesus Christ. We're told that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." 18 God does not force us to believe in him, though he could. Instead, he has provided sufficient proof of his existence for us to willingly respond to him. The earth's perfect distance from the sun, the unique chemical properties of water, the human brain, DNA, the number of people who attest to knowing God, the gnawing in our hearts and minds to determine if God is there, the willingness for God to be known through Jesus Christ. If you need to know more about Jesus and reasons to believe in him, please see: Beyond Blind Faith . If you want to begin a relationship with God now, you can. This is your decision, no coercion here. But if you want to be forgiven by God and come into a relationship with him, you can do so right now by asking him to forgive you and come into your life. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock. He who hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him [or her]." 19 If you want to do this, but aren't sure how to put it into words, this may help: "Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins. You know my life and that I need to be forgiven. I ask you to forgive me right now and come into my life. I want to know you in a real way. Come into my life now. Thank you that you wanted a relationship with me. Amen." God views your relationship with him as permanent. Referring to all those who believe in him, Jesus Christ said of us, "I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand." 20 Looking at all these facts, one can conclude that a loving God does exist and can be known in an intimate, personal way.

Dead girl allegedly raised up by Reverend father Egwu Unummuo in Enugu state

It was an amazing experience recently in Enugu state when a young girl was raised up from the dead by a Catholic priest named Reverend father Egwu Unummuo. According to reports, the young girl came to worship at Jesus And Mary Adoration Ministry Of The Holy Spirit, Amichi. She was said to have fallen down and died on the spot. "A young girl who came to worship at JESUS AND MARY ADORATION MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,AMICHI,was reported dead after she was hit by a demon,she fell down and died,Stewards kept her in the chapel while waiting for the adoration prayer to end so that Fr Egwu Umummuo will decide on what to do. "But to my greatest surprise,just like in Jesus own days,Fr Egwu saw the lifeless body and told people around that he doesnt believe that the young girl is gone(dead). He started praying for the lifeless girl and she instantly came back to life. "PRAISE be to GOD ALMIGHTY for he is A MYSTERIOUS GOD.THANKS to GOD OF ADORATION for he is A MIRACULOUS GOD. All HONOUR and ADORATION to GOD of FR EGWU UMUMMUO. "Nwachukwu(Child of God)I call GOD OF FR EGWU UMUMMUO AN IMPOSSIBILITY SPECIALIST. What do you call him? Pls watch the video very well and give God name that befits him most."

Some Jewish brothers have proved to Nnamdi Kanu that the Igbos have a Jewish heritage

Some Jewish brothers have proved to Nnamdi Kanu that the Igbos have a Jewish heritage.

- They reportedly showed him where Igbos are written in the Torah which is the central reference of Judaism - Whether the Igbos have a Jewish heritage remains a controversy Some Jewish brothers visited the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. Facts were gathered that during the visit, the Jewish faithfuls reportedly showed Kanu where Igbos are written in the Torah to prove that the Igbo people are truly from Israel. A Facebook user, Chinasa Nworu, who shared the photos wrote: “ Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was surprised to see where Igbos are written in the Torah. The Jewish faithful visited him showed him how Igbos are Jews and are written in the Torah before the wicked Britain deleted it from the English Bible .”

10 Shocking Verses You Will Not Believe Are In The Bible

Here are some top 10 shocking verses you will doubt are in the Bible. However, you can crosscheck as you read this article. 1) Deuteronomy 23:1 “No one whose t*sticles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord”. 2) Psalm 58:10 “The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.” 3) Leviticus 15:19 “‘When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening” 4) Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” 5) Numbers 31:17-18 “So kill all the boys and all the women who have had intercourse with a man. Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves.” 6) Genesis 15:9 “The Lord answered, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat, three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle dove and a young pigeon.” 7) Deuteronomy 25:11 “When two men are fighting and the wife of one of them intervenes to drag her husband clear of his opponent, if she puts out her hand and catches hold of the man by his privates, you must cut off her hand and show her no mercy.” 8) Genesis 19:8 “Look, I have two daughters, virgins both of them. Let me bring them out to you and you could do what you like with them. But do nothing to these men because they have come under the shelter of my roof.” 9) Ezekiel 23:19-20 “Yet she increased her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth when she engaged in prostitution in the land of Egypt. She lusted after their genitals as large as those of donkeys, and their seminal emission was as strong as that of stallions.” 10) Matthew 19:12 For there are eunuchs who are born thus from their mothers womb, and there are eunuchs who are made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who are eunuchs for the kingdom of heavens sake. Let those who can accept it, accept it.”

10 Promises Every Believer Must Always Remember

The only thing that limits God is His own word. God is trapped by His word. The Bible (The word of God) is full of promises made to believers by God. We must remember that God always keeps His promises. God has no record of a failed promise. Here are ten relevant promises to remember. 1 He Will Give You Rest. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and i will give you rest – Matthew 11:28 2 He Will Strengthen You So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10 3 He Will Answer You. Call unto me and i will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know – Jeremiah 33:3 4 He Will Bless You. I will surely bless you and give you many descendants. – Hebrews 6:14 and Genesis 22:17 5 He Will Provide For You. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things and at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work – 2 Corinthians 9:8. And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4: 19. 6 He Will Direct Your Steps. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths – Proverbs 3:6 7 He Will Never Leave You. 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 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid ; do not be discouraged. – Deuteronomy 31:8 8 He Is For You. What then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us – Romans 8:31 9 He Will Not Fail You. ….You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your GOD gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled, not one has failed. – Joshua 23:14. 10 He Loves You. The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. Conclusion: God is faithful and His promises are true. God has 100% record of promises fulfilled. ” God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he he promise and not fulfill?”, – Numbers 23:19. Believers should live in hope that God is faithful and able to do what He has said He will do.

Jesus’ Mother And Brothers

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd as sitting around Him and they told Him, ”Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you. ” Who are my mother and brothers? ” Jesus Asked. Then He looked at those seated in a circle around Him and said, ”Here are my mother and my brothers! 33 Whoever does God’s will is my brother, sister and mother. – Mark 3:31 – 34 Everyone belongs to a group of related blood (that’s by birth) or by adoption-family. As believers, we belong to a unique family that goes beyond blood relation,boundaries etc. By faith in Christ Jesus, we were reborn into the family of Christ. Understanding the scriptures well, we know that the family we join in Christ(Spiritual) is a more loving and lasting family than the families we have in this world(physical). As believers in Christ, we are one big family regardless of our earthly families, tribes, languages, colour etc. We become dissociated when we give up our faith, go contrary to the teachings of our father(God). Christ Jesus considers us as part of his family because we choose to follow him, talk to him daily in prayer, listen to him by reading the Holy Bible and obeying Him. Stay connected. We shall live together in God’s eternity. Ephesians 2:19 – Consequently, you are no more foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.

10 Best Ways To Love

Many People Have Suffered in presumptuous relationships due to the lack of love or the wrong way of loving or being loved. Love doesn’t hurt. Anyone who doesn’t understand love will hurt you. God is love, thus,teaches us the best way to love. Love does no harm to it’s neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. – Romans 13: 10 . Let’s look at these ten best ways to love; 1. Listen Without Interrupting It is clear that good lovers or relations always have the quality of patience to listen to each other without interrupting. In conversation, there can be contrasting ideas or opinions and in such situations, it is only good to listen attentively without interrupting. There is this saying, that goes like, ”We listen to understand , we don’t listen to reply ”. Interruptions does not bring understanding, it only brings argument which is not good in relationships. Ephesians 4: 2, Be completely humble, and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. James 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. 2. Speak Without Accusing My dear brothers , take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, or man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires. – James 1:19-20. You should be tactful and careful when speaking, so not to offend or accuse the other wrongly. You should be able to control your tongue , so that you would not hurt others with your words. 3. Give Without Sparing ‘Sharing is caring’ as the saying goes. God spared not His only son gave Him up to suffer and die for our redemption and salvation out of love. And by so doing he commands us to also give without sparing out of love.Proverbs 21:26 says, All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing. 4. Pray Without Ceasing (Intercession) Don’t get tired of praying. Do not cease praying or interceding for others too. It is your act of love and righteousness towards others. In fact, the best thing you can do for your loved ones is your prayer for them. Colossians 1:9 For this cause , we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding . 5. Answer Without Arguing Better a day crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife – Proverbs 17: 1 To maintain peace and love, we must adhere to this virtue. We should know how to answer questions without arguing. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’. Whatever is more than these is of the evil. – Matthew 5:17 6. Share Without Pretending Like God shared His love with us through Christ without any doubt or pretense, we have to share with others the same way. Share whatever you have with loved ones with good intentions, and from your heart .Ephesians 4:15 says, Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow into Him who is the Head, that is Christ. We say “Sharing is caring”, but not sharing is not caring when it is done in pretense. 7. Enjoy Without Complain Do everything without complaining or arguing – Philippians 2:14 . Complaining whiles enjoying undermines the beauty of love and harmony. 8. Trust Without Wavering Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres – 1 Corinthians 13:7. There is no love without trust; They are indispensable. There must be complete trust in relationships. Wavering in trust does not ensure security in a relationship. 9. Forgive Without Punishing Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the LORD forgave you . – Colossians 3:13. As imitators of Christ, we must follow His footsteps. We are forgiven ro forgive others too. Love forgives and does not hold grudges. Love does not revenge. See Romans 12:17-20. 10. Promise Without Forgetting Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life – Proverbs 13:12. Never forget to fulfill your promises. Be sure to fulfill them in due time. Keep promises to avoid mistrust.

Where Is Our Conscience?

But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of GOD – 2 Corinthians 4:2.

Where is our conscience as a people? Do we even have conscience at all? These are a few definitions i gathered for conscience; “The moral sense of right and wrong, chiefly as it affects one’s own behaviour” “A personification of the moral sense of right and wrong” “Motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person’s thoughts and actions”. “Conformity to one’s own sense of right conduct”. “A feeling of shame when you do something immoral”. Closing out on my research on the word CONSCIENCE, I chanced on :Consciousness; thinking; awareness;especially self-awareness”. The above definitions give me little or no hope to the questions i asked earlier. The scriptural text drives the nail right through the coffin. So, I ask if there is indecent dressing or human rights has replaced conscience to drown societies? Does shame hit or prick the conscience of this generation when they dabble in immorality? Are we redefining what is “wrong or right” outside the conscience brackets? Insanity is watering down the proper institution of marriage, erecting pillars of same sex marriage which is championed globally. What is wrong with us? So now political conscience is only to STEAL from the people? Politicians lie boldly to us to defraud us. Are your decisions, choices and actions in sync with sound conscience? From whence cometh the “open marriage” concept? I don’t want to even venture religious conscience because most followers don’t even know what they are following much more understanding it. Geeeeez! Why do you think terrorism is on the ascendency? Aren’t many “lost” even iin churches? Let me attempt binging somethings to your attention by picking four points from the scriptural text above; 1. Hidden Things Of Dishonesty When dishonesty things are hidden, they are more destructive when exposed or explodes. We all have dark spots which are our personal challenges but when founded on dishonesty then it lacks conscience, worse is when it is hidden. You know that you are making your riches through dishonest means so it must be hidden, it will one day come out. No matter how hard you cover up, what happens when you die? Are you proud of how you got the job or landed that favour? “Use what you have to get what you want” was perhaps the game, the recipient had no conscience to stick to integrity so you hiding it? Can you proudly talk about how you landed it publicly or it’s forever a hunting secret? Lack of conscience has set many on mission to wreck their marriages with what they invite in or wrecking agents out there ready to crash marriages. Now both husbands and wives cheat in our generation, some have taken it a step further as “open marriage” to perpetuate such abominable acts. A lady once said to me “married men are more responsible and will take good care of you, they will not even worry you much with sex”, alarming as it may sound a healthy young man said “I love older married women because they are experienced and take excellent care of you”. I am not judging but this is where we are, a world of dissipating conscience. Will you collect bribes openly? I guess you are laughing it’s message that it’s wrong yet we indulge in this criminal activity on daily basis to the extent of influencing judgements and compromising law enforcers. You know some vehicles aren’t road worthy yet bribes keep them on the road. Will it be too much to ask what the church is using the monies for? This will start third world war especially when the church taxing issues comes up. For the records Churches are considered as non-profit making entities; don’t ask me if it’s true. Let’s see their financials first. Sorry my pastor friends, this is no attack but merely asking questions. Before you tag me backslidden, double check the “names” JESUS was called for spewing the truth and for the records JESUS paid “TAX”. What dishonesty are you hiding in your life?. 2. Not Walking In Craftiness “Marked by skill in deception” is the definition i got from my electronic dictionary for the word CRAFTY, which could also mean cunning. I bet you want to point fingers at fraudsters who defraud people all over popularly known as 419 in Nigeria. Truth be told they are very crafty and intelligent with their deception but i want to elevate my discussion a bit higher. What these folks do for living isn’t right but some of them think it’s their way to “HUSTLE”. Wrong is wrong but conscience has been thrown to the dogs. Let’s go down memory lane with all the promises and counter promises by politicians and you will immediately know that they are skillful with deception. They have all the solution in opposition but they get into power and it eludes them. The Arab spring was a message to politicians across the world but the African politician remains deliberately blind or deaf, if they pay close attention they will know that the rising youth will soon hold them to ransom to demand accountability. It is a dilemma whether the opposition or the government is for the people because it a vicious circle. Politicians cook all sorts of deals to syphon monies with their private partners in the name of creating jobs while ” LOOTING AND SHARING”. I heard some well informed and ordinary Ghanaians say that they will not vote in the 2016 elections, the ruling NDC claimed to be transforming lives for a better Ghana while the opposition pushed a change agenda to prosper Ghanaians and fight corruption. I am still waiting to see how the NPP administration will effectively combat corrupt now that they are in power. I am all for the fight against corruption and wish them well. My point simply is that ” no politician can promise a people prosperity and success” because these are worked for, not bestowed. It is the responsibility of the people to work for their success and prosperity while the government provides an enabling environment. Can we know in all honesty the health conditions of our public figures? Occupying a public office puts your life in public, as a matter of fact we are spending and taking care of you. Is it too much to disclose the health conditions of our public office holders? Knowing will kill suspicions, reduce propaganda and appreciate expenditure. Can we therefore ask for full public health status disclosure to the people before running for office? Will it also be too much to ask for the medical expenditures of these public office holders? If I am asking for the medical expenditures then their vacations and working expenses must be made public as well. One last thing, why won’t they develop the medical infrastructure in Africa instead of going abroad for medical treatment? I have chills hitting churches but if these craftiness of fabricated miracles, cooked prophecies and intelligent extortions stops then we will be clear in our minds when it comes to church. Growing up men of GOD could even settle political disputes because they weren’t bias but that office has soo much been brought into disrepute that i don’t know what to say. I have nothing wrong with a man of GOD being politically affiliated but he shouldn’t be biased, rather put the nation first. 3. Not Handling The Word Of God Deceitfully Since when did the word of GOD become a money-making tool? Truth be told, the word of GOD has deceptively been turned into a wheel of fortune by some to defraud and enrich themselves. Did JESUS charge for consultation? Did HE put a price tag on prayers? Was JESUS a fasting and prayer contractor? Did JESUS sell anointing oils imported from the far cast? Do you remember JESUS selling “healing porridge” and “holy water”? Where in the Bible did JESUS sell anointed handkerchiefs and face towels? Did JESUS claim to be originator of HIS POWERS or acknowledged HIS heavenly FATHER for that? Salvation is personal relationship with your MAKER, not in gimmicks and things. “Healing is the children bread” therefore it must be free. I don’t want to get into the anointing oils and the merchandising side of the WORD of GOD. Must members be coerced to give or it must be willingly? How do you know this is the amount GOD wants me to give? So because I am rich bear the prophet’s brunt? One thing i know is “when GOD calls you with a vision. HE makes available provision”. God doesn’t extort or force us to give our own lives so please men of GOD easy. Let’s go back to the TRUE WORD of salvation, we have even stopped preaching the second coming of CHRIST when the end-time signs are imminent. Another side of the problem is an itchy ear following, miracle seekers, prophecy chasers and non-thinking membership who ask no questions yet swallow everything raw. We will soon get to a place where “anointed sex” will be sold in churches if it’s not already happening. Abomination all over and the anger of GOD keeps swelling towards the church because instead of being the light, we are fast becoming deluded proponents of “darkness” 4. Manifestation Of The Truth Manifestation of the truth is when our thoughts and actions are anchored on the WORD of TRUTH. Now we will ask questions based on the illumination we have received. The truth is despised by many so we may be despised but we will be vindicated. Anything outside the WORD of GOD isn’t the TRUTH, go for the TRUTH manifestation by immersing yourself intelligently in the WORD of GOD. Choose GOD over a man of GOD starts to dominate. Test and Judge everything by the word of God. S E E K T H E T R U T H A N D B E C O M E A C R U S A D E R O F I T.