DEVOTIONAL:

A VISION PROPELLED LIFE

Bible Reading: 1Timothy.3:1-7

       Paul's two letters to Timothy and his letter to Titus are Known As His Pastoral Epistles Because They Deal With The Life Of The Church. At the Time They were Written, The church had Been In Existence For About Thirty Years And The apostles were passing away. It was therefore necessary to consider the changing leadership of the church and how the church should be organized.So Paul wrote to give church leaders guidance on how to administer the churches for which they were responsible. Today's passage acquaints us with christian leadership and the need for them to be positioned for good success.You can enjoy wealth,good health, miracles,signs and wonders when you are guided by heavenly vision. Vision is the product of effective thinking. It is mentioned in literature that great men think because they are great, and great men are great because they think. An aspect of thinking that differentiates great men and women from mediocre ones is the ability to handle a vision. How important us vision to renowned men and women? It is very critical. Vision can be defined as foresight, based on insight with the benefit of hindsight. A man of vision sees what God has for him and its fulfillment. Vision is no doubt one of the most powerful forces available to man today. Vision gives meaning to life. It keeps us alive and conditions our lives. Proverbs.29:18 says,

" Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he".

             Someone once said, "Action springs out of what we fundamentally desire". A man with no vision is at best a living corpse. He desires nothing and so achieves nothing. Every great person in history is a personal owner of a vision. A lady was since asked "what would be worse than being blind" She answered "To have sight with no vision" .This quote emphasizes the need for vision and the power of imagination to guide ones life. We need a vision for our businesses. Personal ownership of a vision is needed for our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, for our home and our family. A man or woman of vision achieves good success in his or her endeavors. Are you a man or woman of vision? To actualize your vision, be resolute, be prepared for a change and be prayerful. Note that success has other price tags on it and these price tags read: courage, determination, discipline, risk taking, perseverance, consistency and doing the right things for the right reasons.

ARTICLE:

A STEP OF FAITH

        A lot of what God wants to do in your life won't be done until you do what He has already revealed to you. Sometimes when we trust God for direction, He leads us in part. One step at a time, and sometimes He may not reveal the next step until we have obeyed His last instruction. What He asks you to do isn't always all that huge, just like Moses' move at the Red Sea wasn't all that huge. All God was asking Moses to do was to hold out his stick. That's not that huge. If Moses would just hold out his stick, then God said that He would handle the rest. He would do all of the big stuff. He would open the Red Sea, harden Pharaoh's heart, make him go in after them, and close the Red Sea back up.

      But to reveal the faith within us, God often asks us to do our little thing first. Hold out our sticks. Take that step. Make the move. Have the conversation. Quit the job to stay at home. Accept the job that He has shown. Stop the habit. Curb the tongue. Go to church. Go overseas. Whatever it is that He is revealing to you, God will often wait to do His big thing until you have done what He has asked you to do.

      He does this because He wants us to see Him in a way we've never seen Him before. He wants us to experience Him in a way that we've never experienced Him before. Just like father Abraham"s test,God wants to make sure that He is our last resort. He wants us to see the connection between our act of faith and His deliverance. He wants to be more than just a Cosmic-Santa Claus with a pocketful of miracles to throw down. God wants a relationship with you. He wants you to see Him up close and personal so He puts you in a situation where He is your only solution. Where it can't be fixed if He doesn't fix it. Where it can't be reversed if He doesn't reverse it. Where it can't be solved if He doesn't solve it. Because, God says, I've let you use all of the natural options available to you, and you are still stuck. Well then, when that happens, know that you are stuck with a purpose. Look to God.

If you don't have a relationship with God, click HERE.

NEWS:
         

        HOUSE ON THE ROCK, TO HOLD ANNUAL WORSHIP PROGRAMME TAGGED THE EXPERIENCE.

     Pastor Paul Adefarasin of The Rock Catherdral, Lekki invites you to her annual worship programme tagged ''the experience''. 

Date: 5th December,2014
Time: 6 pm
Venue: Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan, Lagos

      Ministering in songs include local and international gospel artists;
           Don Moen, Donnie McClurkin, Nathaniel Bassey, Frank Edwards, Israel Houghton, Chioma Jesus, Onos, Midnight Crew, Sinach, Micah Stampley, Angela Christie, alongside other anointed ministers of God.

          Come and have a wonderful time in God's presence... It promises to be an awesome session of worship.

NEWS:

RIGHT TO PRAY IN THE NAME OF JESUS RESTORED IN NORTH CAROLINA

      A federal district court lifted its order against the prayer policy of Forsyth County, North Carolina, Thursday in light of the Supreme Court's decision affirming prayer before public meetings.

After winning that lawsuit in May, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Forsyth County asked the district court to lift its order against the county's prayer policy. The order required the county to censor the way people pray to ensure only generic prayers are offered at public meetings.

"All Americans should have the liberty to pray without being censored, just as the Supreme Court found only a few months ago, and we are delighted to see this freedom restored in Forsyth County," said ADF Senior Counsel Brett Harvey. "The Supreme Court affirmed the freedom of Americans to pray according to their consciences before public meetings. For that reason, the district court was right to lift its previous order against Forsyth County's prayer policy, which is clearly constitutional."

     The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina's order in Joyner v. Forsyth County in 2011. Although the Supreme Court declined to review the case, it upheld a similar policy from the town of Greece, New York, on May 5 and affirmed that Americans are free to pray according to their own beliefs at public meetings. That cleared the way for uncensored prayers to resume in Forsyth County.

NEWS:

PHOTOS FROM THE PROPOSED SITE OF THE MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE

      The new multimedia history museum is now under construction in Washington, DC—an eight-story, 430,000 square-foot experience dedicated to the best-selling, most-read, and most-banned book of all time: the Bible. Under new ownership, the former Washington Design Center is currently being reconstructed into the Museum of the Bible—set to open in 2017. The Museum of the bible will be a significant addition to the city's cultural and tourism landscape, offering a scholarly approach to the ancient biblical text—with a modern presentation.

     Sharon Bernett, who takes us on an exclusive presentation and shows different views of the proposed building says that an estimated 2 million people per year will visit the museum once it opens.  "We have all sorts of artifacts that tell the story," says Shannon Bennett. "Stained glass windows, Julia Ward Howe's hand-written 'Battle Hymn of the Republic' lyrics, Dead Sea Scroll fragments — and we place them in immersive environments.".
"First, to reveal how the Bible was translated and transmitted throughout the ages; to demonstrate the Bible's impact on culture, including government, the arts, sciences, even humor; and finally, to demonstrate the narrative of the Bible itself, with artifacts that illustrate the stories."
"We take a strong scholarly approach with the museum; this is not about proselytizing, rather tracing the Bible's journey across history," says Bennett.

Under new ownership, the former Washington Design Center (left) is currently being reconstructed into the Museum of the Bible

The proposed front entrance of the museum

Steve Green met Pope Francis this March, when select biblical artifacts in the Green Collection were exhibited at the Vatican

Shown in an artist’s rendering, the Impact floor of Museum of the Bible has an aesthetic look inspired by the Apple Store

A rendering of “Abraham’s Tent,” an immersive storytelling space in development for Museum of the Bibledd caption

ARTICLE:

 YOUR KNOWLEDGE VS RESPONSIBILITY

''He who reads and doesn't obey has no advantage over he who cannot read or respond''
                                                                                                                     -Mark Twain

Anchor passage: 2Chronicles.34:3

''During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. Then in the twelfth year, he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroying all the pagan shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved idols and cast images.''

      The present day sixteen year old teenager can never be identified with piety. They would rather be known for their immaturity, mischief or irresponsibility. Perhaps some voracious appetite and knowledge of the latest trend in fashion and entertainment too, but certainly not for piety, even if they are found to be reigning monarchs.

      Young King Josiah was different. We are not told what led Josiah to earnestly desire an experience of the Lord. It certainly was not the example of his father, King Amon, or his grandfather, King Manasseh, both of whom were wicked kings. Something was born in Josiah’s heart that led him to take seriously both his own spiritual well-being and his royal obligation for the well-being of his people. In a few short years, he used his royal power and prestige to rid his territory of the infamous idolatry that plagued his people and to commission the refurbishing of the neglected temple (34:8). All this by the time he was twenty-six years of age!. Josiah’s devotion to the Lord and spiritual leadership were developed without the benefit of the Scriptures, which makes his accomplishments even more remarkable. Prior to the rediscovery of the Scriptures, Josiah had known enough about the Lord to know that he needed to know more, and he had seen enough of idol worship to know that it was clearly wrong. Acting on the limited information available to him, he achieved great things. But when he received the word of the Lord, his vision was expanded and his experience enlarged.

      So when Hilkiah the priest eventually discovered the lost Scriptures (34:14), Josiah was horrified to discover how far he and his people had strayed from the Lord’s commands. He immediately ordered further study and inquired of the prophet Huldah. When he understood the significance of the word of the Lord, he put it into practice and called the people to follow his lead.

     Our sense of responsibilty lies not only in responding to what we know but in knowing what we should know. To know the word and not to obey it is wrong. To have the word and not to read and know it is no better. The bible says in James.1:25;
He that looks into the perfect law of liberty and abides therein, being not only a hearer but also a doer of the word, the same shall be blessed in all his ways.

      Most of us have access to the word of God but do nothing about reading or observing to do as it says. The kind of knowledge we mostly expose ourselves to isnt always profitable enough. We, the young people of this age are in the know of the latest trend in fashion, sports, entertainment and the likes, but have very little of the word of God in our hearts. Sometimes, our true sense of responsibility lies in knowing the right thing and to observe to do them.

DEVOTIONAL:

THERE FOR A PURPOSE

Bible Passage:2Kings.5:1-4

       Known unto God are all His works from the foundation of the world (Acts.15:18). One of the arguments some philosophers put up for the existence of God is that, the Cause of all things must be a rational and intelligent being because to everything the Cause caused to be, is a purpose given. This so-called Cause is God and there is nothing He created that has no purpose. Whatever God permits to come to you or to come to your way is for a purpose.There is a purpose behind you being an African, Europian, Asian or American. Far beyond the superficial things you may be looking for in that your exalted position in your organisation, God may have something in mind for you to accomplish. Maybe you got sponsored and supported to occupy a political office or maybe you are in government,have you found out why He opened that door to you, or are you busy seeking mundane things for yourself like the ungodly and unpatriotic ones?

       In some cases, God's purpose may bring you into an unpleasant or unfavourable situation, just like the young girl in today's bible reading. She was taken captive  from her native land in Samaria to the far and strange land in Syria. However, see what great effect the quiet and little counsel she gave her mistress had in the life of the great but leprous commander of the Syrian army, and by extension the entire nation of Syria. Beyond the healing of her master, she projected the God of her fathers among the heathen, so that He might be feared and honoured. It is a pity that some christians today do things that bring shame and reproach to the name of God. Such people misrepresent God through their compromising acts among sinners. Hear what the little girl said in 2Kings 5:3,

''And she said unto her mistress, would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him from leprosy''

       It was just this one -minute piece of information that God was waiting for to orchestrate a chain of events that would culminate in His name being glorified among the heathen. From this story, we also learn why it good to be kind and nice to those who are around us, even servants, housemaids, gardeners , drivers etc. Some bosses despise and treat their subordinates inhumanely. Some housemaids, drivers and workers are treated as though they are not human beings(Colossians.4:1). If Naaman and his wife had been maltreating this maid, she probably would not have given them the counsel that led to the removal of their shame and reproach.

NEWS:

CHRISTIAN COUPLE BURNED ALIVE IN PAKISTAN

''As  Sharma was illiterate, she could not ascertain whether those papers were from the Qur'an. She considered it junk and burnt it with the other rubbish.''

The 4th of November was a sad day to remember among the christians in Pakistan as a Muslim mob burned to death a young Christian couple, including a pregnant mother of four children. Their alleged crime? Blasphemy.

      Shahzad, his wife, Shama, and parents had been working and living at the brick kiln of Yousaf Gujjar for the last thirteen years. On November 3, 2014, while cleaning the house, Shama found some papers that belonged to her father-in-law who had died a week prior to this incident. She gathered all those papers; some of the papers were printed in Arabic. Shama was illiterate and did not know whether those papers were from the Qur'an. She burnt all of them together (a common way of disposing of papers).

      Her Muslim neighbors, Shakoor and Inayat saw her burning the papers. They informed Khawar Yousaf, (owner of the brick kiln) that Shama burnt the Qur'an. Khawar called Shama and Shahzad to his office, locked them inside and beat them.

One of the brick kiln laborers told the press that a fruit vendor named Muhammad Ramzan used to come to the brick kiln. On November 3, 2014, he passed by the garbage post where he also saw some partially burnt pages that had Arabic written on them. He found out that a Christian couple had burnt the Qur'an and they were in the custody of the brick kiln owner.

Outraged, Ramazan went to his village's mosque and told the cleric Maulvi Muhammad Hussain that the Qur'an had been desecrated. Muhammad Hussain sent out a message to the adjacent villages' mosques and also made an announcement at his own mosque. All told, about six to seven villages were informed that a Christian couple had burned the Qur'an.

 

Shahzad and his wife, Sharma

  On November 4, 2014 at about 6:30 a.m., an enraged mob of about four thousand Muslims attacked at the brick kiln. They attacked the office where the couple was detained. The mob beat the couple with clubs. Soon the couple fell unconscious; the mob took them on top of the brick kiln and lay them down on the openings from where coal is thrown to increase the fire. The Muslims also put an iron sheet on them which was about 7 feet long and 3 feet wide to press them in order to keep them from moving.

While the couple was being burnt, the Muslims were chanting slogans of Allah-o-Akbar (Allah is great). They remained there until the couple was completely burnt. It was also reported that the police received the information and arrived at the site but due to the huge number of people they could not intervene. However, the police registered the crime report and about 50 people have been arrested so far.

The Christian eyewitnesses told that the Muslims also burnt the Bible and threatened the Christians that they would burn the Christian houses and church in the village. They also said that Khawar Yousaf had demanded 150,000 Pakistani rupees (roughly $1471) from the couple to let them escape from the village. But the poor couple was unable to pay.

      During the course of our investigation, we also gathered that Shama was in the second trimester of her pregnancy.

''Father,please forgive the persecutors of the faith, for they know not what they do. (amen)''

ARTICLE:

QUEEN OF HEAVEN

 "The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven" (Jer 7:18).
           
         The promised land of Canaan is not a place you can stroll into. Even when God has promised the possession of a particle territory, a battle has to be fought to gain full access. The children of Israel fought battles and conquered nations before they got to the promised land. And when they eventually got to Canaan, they met a greater challenge than the previous ones. Most of us know well, God's promises for our lives, but do nothing to possess our possession. We sit and fold our arms waiting for some miracle that will never happen. This is because ''God will not do for you, what you can do for yourself'' .Yes, God has spoken and His word it's settled, yet you need to take a step of faith to actualize the promise.

      If you want to change the spiritual climate of your city you must address the principalities that rule that city. Such was the case of the apostle Paul when he went to the city of Ephesus. There was a territorial principality that was worshiped by the people of Ephesus named Diana of the Ephesians (also known by her Greek name, Artemis). The people gave money to this false god and it strongly influenced the economy because of this. The city was also the center for magic and the occult.

       Her temple in Ephesus was listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the most outstanding and opulent example of architecture in the whole city. Her followers called her "magnificent," "great goddess," "savior," and "Queen of Heaven."

       Paul preached in Asia for two years and had great success confronting this territorial principality. Paul began to neutralize the Queen of Heaven's power so much by the gospel that the common people began to notice. They not only stopped worshipping and sacrificing to her, the silversmith's who were manufacturing idols were going out of business, so they staged a public riot. They filled the huge amphitheater and shouted for two hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians" (Acts 19:34). Many who were converted burned all of the idols and magic books. "When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power" (Acts 19:20). Based on the Nigerian economy today, the pile of magic paraphernalia that was burned would have been worth one hundred and eighty million dollars!!

        In order for you to impact your city you must identify and break down the ruling principalities that may be hindering the gospel there. The bible says it is impossible to possess the house of a strong man without first binding the strong man. As children of God, you must understand that there are various territorial principalities in charge of various geographical locations, industries and line of businesses. The more common principalities in the western world would include the religious spirit, the spirit of mammon, pride, and freemasonry to name a few.

     Be wise friends, don't beat against the air. Ask God for wisdom and discernment in dealing with your local and regional principalities.

And if you don't have a relationship with God, click HERE to begin one.

NEWS:

BIBLE MUSEUM TO OPEN IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2017

     Hobby Lobby President Steve Green has reportedly sought the help of former President of the United States of America, George W. Bush with the Green family’s Bible museum project.

 

At a conference to promote the $800 million museum, Green and Bush spoke about the Bible. 

 

"I read the Bible every day during my presidency," Bush said. "The easiest time to be faithful is during a time of crisis. The hardest time for faith is when all is well. Faith informed my principles and decisions, but not my tactics. It would give me strength, but I didn't use my faith to make decisions. Freedom is a faith-informed principle.”

 

      The Museum of the Bible will feature antique Bibles, manuscripts and numerous other religious artifacts. It is expected to open in 2017. 

 

Bush is supportive of the museum and its location near Capitol Hill, in the United States of America. 

 

"It's very important that the Museum of the Bible invites and makes people of all faiths feel comfortable. It will be an important part of our capital,” Bush said. 

 

DEVOTIONAL:

THE WORD

Bible Reading: Isaiah.40:6-8

     The word of God is God communicating with us and the word is God revealed to us. In it we see His nature and His character. The word of God is forever settled in Heaven. The word of God is a living spirit(John.6:63). The word of God reveals the mind of God to us and therefore His will to us. What can man do without the word of God?Nothing! It is the word of God that gives us the salvation from sin. It confronts us with the reality of our fallen state, the doom of sinners and the way through the love and mercy of God. It is the same word that serves as our compass on our journey to heaven(Acts.20:32).. The word of God also reveals God's provision for our successful and victorious living here on earth, and how to harness His promises in our lives.What would we do without the word of God? Any congregation of God's people that gives prominence to the word of God, teaching and preaching it, and patterning their lives according to it will be blessed. But those that do otherwise are treading on very dangerous grounds.

Isaiah.40:8 says,

The grass withereth,the flowers fadeth:because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it:surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flowers fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.

    The word of God will outlast anyone.Though heaven and earth shall pass away, the word of God shall not pass away(Matthew.24:35). What should your attitude towards the word of God be? The word itself reveals this: ''Tremble at God's word" (Isaiah.66:2). This directs God's attention to you for favour and victory(Isaiah 66:5). You are to uphold the word of God in your life irrespective of the circumstances. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego upheld the word of God even at the point of death, and God did not disappoint them. You are to feed your mind the word of God. This will renew your mind to think the way God thinks and will restrain you from sin.(Psalm 119:11). The word of God coming out prophetically from the mouth of God's annointed servants is as powerful as the written word. The story of the official in Samaria, who derided the word of God from the mouth of Elisha attests to this. He paid for it with his life (2kings 7:18-20). I encourage you to tremble indeed at God's word; study it, meditate on it, obey it, and you will prosper(James.1:25).

NEWS:

PRAYERS RESTORES MOM FROM THE DEAD, SAW GLIMPSE OF THE AFTERLIFE

      Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro was in a recovery room on September 23^rd at Boca Raton Regional Hospital gushing with joy over baby Taily’s birth when she suddenly blacked out, according to a story by The Press.
Doctors and nurses immediately started CPR on the 40-year-old mother of two, intubated her, and called in assistance from the rest of the hospital.
 Dr. Michael Fleischer – who had just delivered the baby – rushed back to Ruby’s side. Other doctors and nurses joined the effort and worked for over two hours attempting to revive her, according to The Press.

      Then things went from bad to worse – Ruby’s heart stopped completely!!!
 

Ruby and her baby Taily

            Medical personnel pumped her chest for 45 minutes and tried shocking her heart with electrical stimulation, but it was to no avail. She was clinically dead and placed on a ventilator for over three hours. Ashen-faced, Dr. Fleischer informed her family there was little chance she would survive, and brought the family into the operating room to say goodbye. There, her mother cried out for God to please take her instead. Ruby’s sister hugged her one last time.

        There was nothing more that could be done by the doctors (in human terms) than record her time of death. “Once we say that’s it, that’s it,” anesthesiologist Dr. Anthony Salvadore told The Press.
Her family went to another room and began to pray fervently to God, with some holding hands and others on their knees.

As they prayed – crying out to the throne of grace – something amazing happened!!!

    A faint heartbeat appeared on the monitor. Then more and more heartbeats began to appear — like raindrops from heaven.

One of the nurses immediately notified the family members and asked them to intensify their prayers as her heart had restarted again.

      Ruby woke up in ICU the next day wondering why voices were telling her to open her eyes. Then she saw her family crying and relatives had arrived from Miami. She realized something must have gone wrong.
In the next few hours, Ruby was able to recall a powerful dream or vision in which she spoke to her late father, who told her it wasn’t her time. Whether a dream or vision – in the body or out of the body – she wasn’t completely sure.
“I remember seeing a spiritual being who I believe was my dad,” Ruby told the press. “I remember the light behind him and many other spiritual beings. I wasn’t walking; I was flowing. It was peaceful. There is nothing to be afraid of.
“At one point it was like a force almost…like ‘you’re not going any further. That’s when I understood I was not going to stay there. (I’m) going to go back. It’s not (my) time. I was chosen to be here.”

    A few days later, Ruby went home, making a full recovery—without any brain damage from the loss of circulation. Living for 45 minutes without a pulse is extremely rare, doctors noted. There were no burns from the electrical shocks delivered to her heart. There were not even any bruises from the chest compressions.
. 

Ruby with hospital staff

   
  Ruby returned to the hospital November 4th for a tearful reunion with the medical team that tried to save her. She hugged the doctors and nurses and thanked them.
“God had the right people in the right place,” she said as she held her baby, Taily in her arms. 

         “There was no pulse, no blood pressure,” Dr. Chad Loutfi, a critical care specialist at the hospital told the press. “The patient was not breathing on her own. It was indeed something we don’t see. I’ve never seen this happen. The whole family and a big majority of the medical team believe this was at least some kind of divine intervention.”

NEWS:

CHURCH LEADERS URGE GOVERNMENT TO STOP POLITICAL ACTIVITIES AND FIGHT BOKO HARAM

       Influential church leaders in the country have appealed to the government to suspend political activities and focus solely on defeating Boko Haram. Right Rev. Stephen Dami Mamza, Most Rev. Nemuel Babba, Samuel Dali Danti and Amos Yakubu made their appeal to the Nigerian government after news broke that a suicide bomber had attacked a school in Yobe state, killing at least 48 students.

 

       In a statement the leaders said, "The Christian leaders are worried over the recent takeover of six local governments in Adamawa State namely; Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South, and parts of Hong and Maiha Local Governments by the insurgents.

 

"We are also worried that the Christians are been systematically eliminated by members of the Boko Haram Islamic extremists. We are forced to believe that the whole attack is a deliberate plan to exterminate Christians living in the affected areas."

 

     The church leaders urged the government not to downplay the events that have been taking place including killings and kidnappings. 

 

   The leaders believe, “the whole onslaught is a deliberate attempt to exterminate Christians in the captured region.”

NEWS:

THE MYLES MUNROE TRIBUTE

          The Redeemed Christian Church of God in the United Kingdom staged a tribute in memory of the late President and founder of the Bahamas Faith Ministries, Dr.Myles Munroe and his wife Pastor Ruth Munroe.

Click HERE to watch the video.

ARTICLE:
 

 JUST DO IT...

Anchor passage-1Kings.13:18-19

      As i ponder over this passage of the scripture, i still find it hard to imagine how sacred and delicate it could be carrying out orders from God. The beginning of that chapter talks about a holy man that God sent to warn Jeroboam of his attrocities. God commanded him never to eat the smallest crumb of meal or anything in that land, and he was determined to obey Gods instruction to the letter. On his way back, an old prophet caught up with him and persuaded him to come dine with him in his home, this holy man refused and stated clearly that he was going to obey Gods command of not eating anything in that land. But instead of the prophet going back his way, he decided to persuade the holy man and even lie to him that he was also a man of God and there was nothing wrong with them having a meal together. Unfortunately, the holy man could not discern the lie and as such fell completely. He eventually disobeyed God's orders and went in to dine with the prophet. The bible in the later part of that chapter records that while he was still seated at the table eating with the prophet, God spoke to him and punished him for disobeying. He paid dearly with his life.

        Now i'm thinking..... How susceptible many of us are to a similar sin and how often we enjoy the grace of God. When God gives instructions and strict guidelines to go by, we trivialize it and seek a better and more convenient way of going about it. God is very principled and disciplined. He knows what He wants and how best to achieve it, so it is not in our own interest to help God devise a better way of carrying out His assignment. This holy man was determined to obey Gods command to the fullest, but unfortunately, his determination wasn't just enough. Sometimes we have to realize that our determination isn't enough. We need the constant guide of the holy-spirit every step along the way, especially in the area of discernment. The bible encourages us not be ignorant of the devises of the devil. We have to be wise. Sometimes, the devil comes up with better ideas and concepts of doing God's will, but we must never succumb because God is precise in His choices. Disobedience or application of wisdom like some of us call it, can sometimes be deadly even when it seems  the only rational thing to do.

      Many times we even get a second chance to make right our acts of disobedience, unlike this holy man who never got such. He died on his way back just the way God had commanded it. God saw his heart and knew  he really wanted to obey but He expected more from him. He expected him to be able to  discern the lie that the prophet had told him. This is the exact spot that caught my attention!! Why didn't God just stop him from going home with the prophet? Why couldn't He just tell him straightaway that the prophet was lying? So many times we allow ourselves to be deceived by our friends and colleagues as to what God tells us to do. We even seek their opinion concerning God's instruction and orders. God's words are final, irrespective of what anybody says or thinks. When God gives an instruction we should never allow anyone, irrespective of how spiritual they may seem to contaminate it for us. Most of us think that when we get a revelation from God, rather than jump to action,we should seek guide from spiritual elders. As good as this may seem,we have to be wise and stick to the the conviction of the holy-spirit inside our hearts. Anybody's opinion remains irrelevant as long as God is still speaking. His words are meant to be obeyed not discussed.

     May God help us to live a life of complete obedience to Him and grant us the ability to discern every lie of the devil in whatever form its coming from.

Enjoy the rest of your day.....

NEWS:

ACTING IN WISDOM

Here's a life transforming message from Peace House, Gboko, Benue State.

Preacher: Pastor Gbile Akanni.

Download HERE

NEWS:

R.C.C.G, CITY OF DAVID; JOSHUA VILLE HOSTS FOREIGN GOSPEL ARTS FOR PRAISE CONCERT

      The Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David; Joshua Ville holds special programme tagged ''night of worship''. Ministering in songs include Tye Tribbet, Tasha Cobbs, Sonnie Badu amongst others.

      It promises to be a wonderful time in God's presence. Come and experience worship in a new dimension. 

Awesome praise like none other!!!

NEWS:

RCCG,HOLY GHOST CONGRESS

     The Redeemed Christian Church of God invites the general public to her annual end of the year programme tagged the holy ghost congress. The theme of this year's programme is ''the good shepherd''.

Ministering: Pastor E.A Adeboye and other anointed ministers of God.

ARTICLE:

A JEALOUS GOD?

   

      I heard a story about a little girl who was writing a letter to God. "Dear God," she said, "What does it mean You're a jealous God? I thought You had everything." I was amused at the innocence of the question, but she wasn't alone in her confusion over that portrayal of God. The idea of a jealous God bothers a lot of people, and it may not sit too well with you. Yet, God is referred to as "jealous" eight times in the Bible. Exodus 20:5 says,

 "For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God."

 And He never apologizes for it; He just states it.

       The jealousy of God is actually a wonderful thing. In the original language, the word means to have zeal over one's property; it means "Hands off! This belongs to me." A holy kind of jealousy should accompany the love we have for those closest to us; it protects the relationship from those who might want to damage it. I think something is wrong in any relationship of love where there's not some kind of jealousy. For instance, I'm jealous over my wife. If someone asked me if they could take her out on a date, I wouldn't say, "Well, I'm not a jealous husband; go ahead." I'd have to be a nutcase to say that! I have a jealous love for her, and she has the same for me.

       Different translations have different ways of expressing the jealousy of God. Young's Literal Translation says, "I…[am] a zealous God." The Torah says, "I am an impassioned God." The Living Bible says, "I, the Lord your God, am very possessive. I will not share your affection with any other god!" The Good News Translation says, "I tolerate no rivals," and the Contemporary English Version says, "I demand all your love." So, jealous is an accurate translation.

       The servants of God know this about Him. Paul and Barnabas didn't allow the people at Lystra to bow to them (see Acts 14:8-18). Twice in the book of Revelation, angels rebuked John for bowing to them (see 19:10 and 22:8-9). Why? Because God alone is worthy of our worship. He forbids us from worshiping angels, Mary, saints, pastors, movements, theologies, or ideologies. God is a jealous God.

Yes, as the little girl said, God has everything. But He is jealous—possessive, impassioned—for all of your love, devotion, and worship. That's as it should be. You belong to Him.

And if you don't have a relationship with God, begin one HERE

ARTICLE:

WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

       

       Temisan's mother was a bitter woman. Nothing was ever good enough for her. In her eyes, her home was never clean enough, her flowers were never trimmed well enough, her husband was never affectionate enough, her jewelry was never glittering enough, her friends never giving enough, her pastor never attentive enough, her bank account never large enough and so on, and so on.

       All her life, Temisan had been reminded that she wasn’t a good daughter. “You don’t come to see me as much as you should,” her mother would always say. “Tade’s daughter gave her a big surprise party last week.” “Nkechi’s daughter made her curtains for her kitchen.” “Onome’s daughter takes her out to lunch once a week.”. She would whine and complain always.Temisan was so dejected, Feeling that no matter what she did, it would never be enough to satisfy her mother, she eventually gave up trying and decided to concentrate her care and concern somewhere else. She refused to let her mother's ungrateful attitude get to her.

  Temisan's parents had never enjoyed a good marriage, and after her father died, a new man came into her mother’s life. He wooed and won her heart, and they quickly became engaged. With this new love in her life, Temisan's mother was a changed woman. The grass was greener, the sun was brighter, and suddenly Temisan  was a better daughter.

 “Oh Temisan, I just love you so much,” her mom gushed. “I feel like we are getting closer and closer all the time. You are becoming such a precious daughter to me.”

      For weeks , Temisan could not fathom the reason for this sudden change of behavior in her mother. She had changed nothing about her approach. She still called at the usual time,visited at the usual time,sent the normal quantity of gifts, She didn't do anything extraordinary and all of a sudden, she had become the better daughter!! What could be responsible for this change?? It was not long before she realized through the help of the holy-spirit that the new man in her mum's life was the reason for the change. She now felt loved and sought after.She felt pursued and desired. She also returned the love by falling in love with the man. This overwhelming feeling was the catalyst for the irrevocable transformation that took place in her life and relationships. Her new husband would constantly tell her how beautiful she was and would dot about her like a queen.

       Interestingly,this is just what most us need to break away from that addiction, insecurity, unfaithfulness and decline in our relationships. The greatest love of all is what we have. The bible says behold what manner of love the father has given unto us that we should be called the sons of God. What love could be greater than that of our Lord Jesus Christ who laid down His life to pay for our sins. There's none.

        As Solomon observed, what each of us longs for is unfailing love (Proverbs 19:22). We dream of a love that will stay fresh and new every morning—a love that will never die.

When we understand that we have that love in Jesus, it changes our perspective on life. The sun shines brighter, the leaves wave greener, the scents smell sweeter, and the future is bursting with promise.

It changes everything.

If you have not found that true love in Jesus, He's waiting for you HERE.

NEWS:

DR.MYLES MUNROE AND WIFE, RUTH DIES IN TRAGIC AIR-CRASH

      

       It's so sad to hear of the death of the heroic evangelist and minister of God, Dr.Myles Munroe, his wife, Ruth and their daughter alongside nine others on board the private jet which crashed at Bahamas International airport yesterday afternoon. The aircraft was said to have crashed onto a crane shortly after ascension at the airport.

         Dr.Myles Munroe is the  leader of Bahamas Faith Ministries, located right there in the Bahamas.

    The entire body of Christ all over the world grieves at the passing away of these ones. May their gentle souls rest in perfect peace.

PRAYER POINTS:

PRAYER POINTS AT THE  RCCG, NOVEMBER HOLYGHOST SERVICE

 1) Father, thank you for chasing Ebola away from Nigeria.

2)Father please remember our brothers and sisters across Africa and the rest of the world, and destroy Ebola completely.

3)Father please we request that all our girls be brought back alive.help the helpless and set them free in Jesus name.

4. Father this is the last holyghost service this year, please reach out from heaven and send help to me.

5. Praise Him for His mercy that kept you alive till this moment.

6. Father, i promise to testify of any breakthrough that comes way.

7. Father, if my faith is too small,help my unbelief.

8. Father,please have mercy on me and my family today in Jesus name.

9. Father, please hold my hand and help me.

10. Father, please hold my hand and help me.

11. Father, please uproot every mountain of sorrow in my life.

12. Father, put an end to every drainage in my life.

13. Father, please dont let my expectations be cut off.

14. Father,another year is ending, please remember me before it is too late.

ARTICLE:

OBEDIENCE CAN SOMETIMES BE FOOLISH

   

         I wrote an article some weeks ago about obedience and how important it is for a steady walk with God and man. Obedience remains one of the major keys to an effective living. Most times it just seems reasonable to obey especially when someone that knows better is giving the instruction. When God gives specific instructions about certain things to be done, only a foolish person thinks it better to do it his own way. The bible records that even the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisest of men. Obedience to authorities is also an important obligations of a good person.The bible says that all authority is ordained by God.

     As good and important as it is to be obedient,sometimes it can be foolish and unreasonable. Yes, it really can be. There are certain periods where we have to draw the line especially when it comes to obeying men.
In the Book of Acts, Peter and John got in trouble for preaching Christ. In Acts 5:29, when they were told not to preach anymore, Peter answered and said this,

"We ought to obey God rather than men."

       That is where you draw the line. If you are ever asked to do something that would cause you to be disobedient to God or that would cause you to violate your conscience (not your preference, but your conscience), that is where you draw the line.

Paul made a statement that he lived in good conscience before God and before men. Your conscience deals with things you truly believe in your heart are morally right and wrong. If you go against your conscience in one of those things, then that is sin.

 

       So this is not even about religion.It is not about being a believer or an unbeliever. It goes beyond all that. Most of us deceive ourselves a lot and carry out heinous crimes in the name of religion. Our Lord Jesus Christ didn't even come to give religion. He came for something better- to reconcile man with God. 

       Your conscience is one thing that will judge you on the last day if you claim to be ignorant of everything else (and ignorance cannot even be an excuse). God gave every man he created the ability to discern between right and wrong within himself. Stand your ground when it comes to conscience and obedience to God. If people ask you to do something that violates either of these two things—then it is time to take a stand for what you know is right.

        For example, in many nations of the world, it is illegal to share your faith. It is illegal to win people to Christ.  But Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." We have an allegiance to a higher authority. And when the authorities are telling us to do something that would cause us to disobey God, we obey God, not men. This is because we are accountable to a greater system. As children of the kingdom, we have no cause to fear the one that destroys the body alone but rather the one who destroys both the body and the soul.

 

MESSAGE:

BY THEIR FRUITS 

This is another transformational message from the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor E.A Adeboye titled 'by their fruits'

download and enjoy HERE

MUSIC DOWNLOAD:

TONIA ft PROVABS - MADUPE 

 This is another inspiring single from one of nigeria's finest gospel musician Tonia titled madupe. Download and enjoy HERE

*to download,click 'save link as' on your right mouse button.

NEWS:

LEGENDARY NICK WALLENDA COMPLETES HIS FIRST HIGH WIRE WALK: a principle of balance.

       Nik Wallenda is an entertainer who wants to not only thrill hearts, but to change hearts for Christ. Christ is the balance pole that keeps him from falling.

  He is popularly known as "King of the High Wire," who doesn't know fear. As a seventh generation of the legendary Wallenda family, he grew up performing, entertaining, and pushing the boundaries of gravity and balance.

         When Nik was four years old, he watched a video from 1978 of his great grandfather, Karl Wallenda, walking between the towers of the Condado Plaza Hotel in Puerto Rico, stumbling, and falling to his death because of improper rigging. When Nik heard his father quote his great-grandfather-"Life is on the wire, everything else is just waiting"-the words resonated deep within his soul and he vowed to be a hero like Karl Wallenda.

     Balance is the theme of Nik's life: between his work and family, his faith in God and artistry, his body and soul. It resonates from him when performing and when no one is looking. When walking across Niagara Falls, he prayed aloud the entire time, and to keep his lust for glory and fame in check, Nik returned to the site of his performance the next day and spent three hours cleaning up trash left by the crowd.

       ''Praise You God, thank You Jesus!" exclaimed Nik Wallenda with hands raised in the air, after completing his first high-wire walk, Sunday night, between skyscrapers in Chicago, with no net, and no tether.

About 500 feet up over the Windy City, Nik did what he does best, and made walking a high-wire the width of a penny, look easy.

       The feat was a two-part walk—the first one up a difficult incline to a higher building—and although he decided not to stop to take a "selfie" during it because of the wind, the stunt went smoothly; under 7 minutes long.

Dare I say, a cakewalk?

        Nik's second tightrope walk of the night was shorter, but he was blindfolded—relying on a "pinging beacon" and his father's voice at the other side, to guide him. The second walk took only 80 seconds.

Not the least bit shy about his Born-Again Christian faith, Nik gave God the glory, as he has in previous high-wire walks; over the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls.

         Nik Wallenda has certainly earned the title of "King of the High Wire," as he set two world records with Sunday night's walks between Chicago skyscrapers.

(Oh, by the way, that's "s-k-y-s-c-r-a-p-e-r-s" for those setting trends in the Twitterverse, who sadly misspelled the word as the trend "#Skyscrapper" Sunday night)

Perhaps Nik's answer to how he does it, could prove good advice for all of us in every spectrum of life these days: "Just stay calm and focus on that next step. There is no time for fear to enter into your mind," says Nik. 

Of course many want to know when will he stop and say "this is enough."

Nik answered that question on the TODAY Show, Monday: "I really do feel like I'll know when enough is enough, and it may be soon. My great grandfather did lose his life and it really had to do with his physical ability... he couldn't hold on when something happened. I've trained to hold on to that wire if something happens... And I always tell my family; 'When you think it's time, let me know and I'll give it up.'"

But for now, Nik is moving on to his next stunt: recreating his great grandfather's greatest walk,Tallulah Gorge, in Georgia—600 feet-high, 1,000 feet long. 

Nik said his great grandfather, Karl Wallenda did "two headstands on the wire. I've never done a headstand on the wire in public; I'm training for that."

        That wire walk will be extra special for Nik as Karl Wallenda's walk was filmed by the BBC, and Nik wants to perform the stunt "alongside" his great grandfather using that film.

click to HERE watch the live video of Nik's feat.

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NEWS:

BRITTANY MAYNARD FINALLY DIES AS SHE WANTS

           I posted the story of Brittany Maynard some weeks back here.Well, my faithful readers who have been following and leaving their comments on my post know about her story. And as for those who didn't bother to check the post, Brittany Maynard is a 29 year old woman who decides to voluntarily take her life due to chronic brain cancer she was diagnosed of about 11 weeks ago.read more of her story here. Prior to her death, she moved a motion to legalize suicide. She called it the ''death with dignity'' campaign.

PHOTO: Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old with terminal illness, is fighting to expand the death-with-dignity option to all.

        Brittany finally dies on November 1, which she had earlier slated as her death date. Eleven months ago,she made a bucket lists of all the things she hopes to achieve before she dies and she was happy to fulfill them all.

These are some of her last words: 

"When people criticize me for not, not like waiting longer or whatever they've decided is best for me, it hurts because really I risk it every day that I wake up and I do it because I still feel good enough and i still have enough joy and I still laugh and smile with my family and friends enough that it doesn't seem like the right time right now but it will come because I feel myself getting sicker I feel it happening each week." 

"If November 2nd comes along and I've passed, I hope my family is still proud of me and the choices I've made,"

''My health has been deteriorating in the past weeks and there is never a day i don't have seizures.Recently, i had two seizures in a day.Something that had never happened before. I presently have a ring of support around my bed as i type''.It's a devastating condition indeed..

"I remember looking at my husband at one point and thinking I know this is my husband but I can't say his name,"

"If all my dreams came through I would somehow survive this but I most likely won't so beyond that having been an only child for my mother I want her to recover from this and not break down and not suffer from any kind of depression," 

PHOTO: Brittany Maynard and her pet

PHOTO: Brittany Maynard, left, hugs her mother, Debbie Ziegler, next to a helicopter at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, Oct. 21, 2014.

PHOTO: Brittany and her husband Dan Diaz