1 Corinthians 15:58 ERV
[58] So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don’t let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.
https://bible.com/bible/406/1co.15.58.ERV
The world and its environment are full of discouragement, and a lot of wickedness surround us.
The psalms says that God should respect His agreement because evil exists in every place of the earth. Psalms 74:20
The admonition is to keep standing still regardless of all the atrocities in the world.
Wickedness abounds everywhere, but God is able to keep His own to the end, and He will.
Romans 12:15-21, Life in this life
Be happy with other people’s successes so that a bitter spirit does not hinder your breakthroughs.
Think of others in a good way.
When you know someone is going through difficult times, empathize with them.
Say nice and comforting words. Sending a text and giving a call goes a long way to make the other person feel important and help alleviate their lonely predicament.
Doing good is better than doing bad. Do I need to say that? Yes, we live in a pathetic world, and a lot of good behavior is fading away quickly.
Do not feel you have arrived and don’t need people in your life.
Watch! You might not have anyone during your downtime if you mistakenly drive them away.
Be at peace with others, but the world is not a peaceful place.
Sometimes, I wonder how Jesus would have lived in our current society.
How about the men of old who set great examples for us? Would they not be disappointed in our present-day behavior?
Regardless of the evil perpetrated in our environment, evil cannot win.
Good will always overcome evil.
Therefore, let your life be full of good works.
Romans 12:13-14 Impactful Giving
Don’t give as a regular act.
Give Purposefully to make a positive impact on others, especially those who are close to you.
Today, it is difficult to help others without getting into trouble, but it is still possible to do the right thing at the right time to the right fellow.
Your heart can guide your actions, and the obvious things are likely God’s way of showing you where help is needed.
It is nearly impossible to show kindness to those who maltreat us, especially for doing good.
The grace of God can help us behave correctly in the face of difficulties.
The ultimate fate of all
We all will leave (die) this world and face the Judge of all judges.
And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, Hebrews 9:27
I’m confident there’s still a God somewhere who ultimately determines the fate of every man.
The system will likely fail you. Things may not work as you hoped they should; handicapped and unable to make any difference.
You can’t trust anyone to make it work for you because of the wickedness in the heart, more dangerous if it’s unrepentant, callous, and egregious.
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? Jeremiah 17:9
It is my hope and confidence that everyone will be judged by the ultimate Judge. Regardless of color or race, no one will escape the hands of the almighty God.
So, there’s still hope that if everything else fails, God cannot. And that, in His time, He will make all things alright.
Re: When God is not God
I’m frustrated! What I expected is not happening. Oh no, but why, Lord? No one understands. I need help now, but none here to help.
Sounds familiar to everyone.
First of all, God cannot choose to not be God. This concept only exist on our mind when we feel disappointed that God did not do what we trusted Him to do.
This happens when we hold onto His promise(s) and did not see it happen.
God’s promises are “yes” and “amen”. It will surely come to pass. It’s just a matter of when. Remember, God honors His Word more than His name.
If you don’t know when an event will take place, you simply wait and on the lookout. If it doesn’t happen at the moment you expected, does this make Him incapable or limited, or a liar? The answer is definitely “No”
So, what happens when we expect Him to do a promise and it does not happen? We surrender to His will. This is because He knows all things and He knows the best.
Learn to accept God both in the good time and also in the bad time. Learn from men of old and those who had gone through and going through a hard time right now and you will see that God has done and He is doing so much good for you than you can ever imagine.
Abraham was and is a good example. He didn’t know when God’s promise of a child will take place, but he waited. Although, he erred and missed it. His mistake still lingers on. At the right time, God visited him and his wife gave birth to Isaac.
God cannot seize to be God regardless of how we feel about Him, or the event of life.
Often, we are in a hurry, thinking that God is not doing His promise. Yes, He is! You just don’t see it with your naked eyes.
Remember, He uses both the good and the bad to accomplish His purpose in life.
God was God in Pharaoh, and God was also God in David.
So, whether it’s a good situation or a bad situation, God is still God.
..but there’s a single situation that God is not God.
When you refuse to believe and doubt this Word, then God can’t be God. God is not God in your life when you doubt Him because He’s incapable of working His good promises in an unbeliever.
Therefore, accept His purpose and His will even when it does not makes sense.
God is still God regardless of our condition–good or bad.
The life of man on earth 1.0
So, this is an introduction to a series on the life of a man called Job (in the Bible).
Recently, I studied the book of Job. After about a week, I realize that God wants me to review what I learned. I believe this will be beneficial to everyone who reads and takes time to think about how “events of life” happen and shape us into what we were, what we are now, and what we will become in the future.
The first lesson I am going to share is that nothing happens without the knowledge of God.
Yes, God knows about everything because He is an all-knowing God.
O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. Psalm 139:1
You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. Psalm 139:2
Man is limited in many ways. For instance, I may not be able to do 100% justice to this work for some reasons. My mind could blackout if I am unsettled. I may experience disturbance from my environment. If my mind is unclear, it means that I may not hear God perfectly. Also, the equipment I use could malfunction and break down, etc. My point is that Man encounters a lot of difficulties and challenges in life for which he has little explanation, whereas God does not have any of these.
So, man is limited, but God is unlimited.
The other factor that is important here is the adversary. Yes, there is always an adversary, and the ultimate adversary of man (any man) is the devil.
From the beginning, the devil has been an adversary of both man and God.
Therefore, whenever you are in any confusing situation, it’s either you missed it; or the devil got you.
God never misses it because He is God, and He does all things well.
God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:10
There are so many things to discuss. So, please sit tight, and let’s dive deep into this.
Make sure to come back for more!
How to stop The Falling From Grace 1.0
Recently, I have been studying some notable names in the bible that made mistakes or missteps in their actions but were ultimately saved by grace through the ministry of intercession.
Two people stand-out of the many that are worthy of discussion. I’m talking about Peter and David, both of whom, if not for the grace of intercession that they enjoyed, could have fallen, and their end would have been catastrophic. They made huge errors but rose again through intercessory prayers.
I found the secret to averting falling from grace, and it is Prayer, and I am not talking about the usual talking to God or asking that we all do. I am talking about pleading or begging for a cause, not for a short time but a continual or consistent, intentional act that draws the grace of God to move in a given direction.
Prayers and continual intercession could save anyone from falling regardless of the level of fall.
For the next blogs, I will devote time to talk about Peter and David.
Peter enjoyed the grace of Jesus’ prayers in the dark moments of his life, and as a result, he gained strength that was invaluable in times of need.
David fell after a careless busy-body exhibition, but Nathan, the prophet, interceded on his behalf. He also cried out his soul to God.
Join me as we delve deeper into the two personalities in my next post.
Stay Connected to Your Calling
Stay connected to your calling. Today, in this world we live in, it is easy to lose hope and faint. It is even easier to get deceived with lies. In the quest for searching for the truth, many lose their true calling. It is easy to lose hope in the face of despair, especially when you have lost a dear person or a thing. It is easy to become gullible if you do not have a strong and firm grip on the truth.
Jesus Christ said that because sin shall abound, many people’s love for God will grow cold.
Amidst all these possibilities listed above and more, you can stay connected to God and your true calling by holding on to the truth that kept you till the moment you have your first doubt. The same faith that keeps you before can keep you going.
In a simple word, do not give up on your calling.
Stay strong in the faith you once believe and do not let the troubles of this life discourage you.
Faithful is He who saved you, and He can save you to the end if you do not give up. Staying connected to Him will let you appreciate that God will not leave you; neither will He forsake you in your time of need.
Photo by bhuvanesh gupta on Unsplash
The Freedom We Have
If truly America is the land of the free, then it should be the land of the free. Its citizens should not have to protest to be free. There seems to be ample evidence that people, not just in America but all over the world, are tired of fighting for freedom, justice, and liberty.
The bible says that “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Well, it is absurd to think that some would not mind practicing slavery despite civilization, but people’s mind is free, and it will be an uphill task to hold people bound as it was a practice in the old days.
Paul the Apostle admonished a slave master (Philemon) to take another man, (Onesimus) not as a slave anymore but, as a dear brother.
Those in captive always seek to be free and will do anything to be free.
Rise to your freedom. Write it out! Do not be tired to express yourself with confidence. Slave masters do not care to continue to enslave you again if you are careless about your freedom. Teach your kids the same too.
We should live as a free man on planet earth. This responsibility rest on man and, God has given us free will to chose between good and evil. It is human who enslaves others and not God.
Therefore, we must strive to achieve our God-endowed purpose, which is to live, multiply, and subdue the earth.
Victory at last
When Jesus said, “it is finished”, I perceived He was saying that He’s conquered all and defeated the enemy.
Before making those affirmative words, He was heavily burdened by the sufferings but afterwards, He declared victory over sin, Satan and death.
So, as believers who believed in Him, you rise up not in fear but in faith and declare your victory over sin, Satan, death, failures, failing marriages, failing businesses, falling projects, sicknesses and diseases, including coronavirus. Victory is ours in Jesus name
You must get up and say to that “thing”, whatever it is, “get up and get lost!”
the weakest believer on any day is stronger than the enemy the moment He recognizes and exercise the God given authority.
Victory at last!