Genesis 1:26a; Then God said, “Let Us make man in our image, according to our likeness. [NKJV]
Our anchor scripture depicts the big picture God had before He made man. God wanted specie that had His image and His likeness.
Image and likeness according to the dictionary is the representation of the external form of a person however God didn’t just want man to have His external features as we all may think, but He wanted man to have all of His qualities including the most outstanding quality which is Holiness (Leviticus 11:4, 45; Isaiah 43:3, 15; Ezekiel 39:7; Hosea 11:9).
Holiness means to be pure, to be without sin. As believers, we are those who have received God’s forgiveness from past errors, who enjoy the free gift of salvation and are now known as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. So why then do we struggle with sin still? Apostle Paul in Romans 7:17-23 explained a believer’s dilemma.
We know what God expects of us but we aren’t able to do it, we decide not to do bad but we do it anyway, We decide to do good but we don’t really do it. Our decisions, such as they are don’t result in actions since the power of sin keeps sabotaging our best intentions.
The struggle with sin continues because Regeneration is a process and God has not finished creating man (i.e you and me) in His image and likeness, The moment we became born again His work in us continued through the influence of the Holy Spirit which dwells in us (Titus 3:5).
The bible says in Proverbs 24:16a; for a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again. God gives room for us to make mistakes but He doesn’t expect us to remain in sin.
We are to take full advantage of the grace that has been made available for us and receive the enabling power to concede and proceed. You may ask will I ever be able to overcome sin? The answer is yes, every God-begotten person conquers the world’s ways.
The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world’s ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.
Are you still torn between God and your old way? Give yourself time, submit yourself to the Holy Spirit’s leading and workings and you will indeed end up victorious.
If this article has blessed or challenged you, you may leave a comment below and share your own perspective with us, we shall be willing to share on our platform with others so they can be blessed too.
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PUT IT INTO ACTIONRomans 8:19; For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.[NKJV]
Apostle Paul clearly defines talents in Romans 12:6 as God’s different gifts given to us for doing certain things well. It is given to all of his children, from creation God has been intentional about giftings. These talents differ, and it is what we do with ease.
When God made the first man Adam, He blessed him with the ability to give names amongst other things, but the only way he could express this was to put this ability to work. So God gave him the livestocks, birds and wild animals which he named thereby manifesting his giftings (Genesis 2;19-20).
The whole idea behind God giving us talents is not for it to lie dormant but for it to be manifested. Our anchor scripture makes us realise that all of God’s creations are eagerly waiting to see each and every one of us fully display what has been invested in us.
Giftings are given for multiple reasons; to serve others, to serve the lord and for profit. Have you discovered your gifts yet? Are you putting it to use? Or like the unprofitable servant, have you buried your gifts? When you stand before God at the end of your life, would you have used up all the talents God gave you? And not have a single bit of talent left? Would you be able to say to God, ‘I used everything you gave me.
It is paramount that we discover and not neglect our giftings (1 Tim 4;14). What is it that you do with ease? You are to use that gift that it may grow more and more. You have been entrusted with the talent that is in you, go work with it. Take your place and leave no space.
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WISDOM FOR SURVIVAL
Psalm 73:26; My flesh and my heart fail But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. [NKJV]
A season comes in the life of every believer when we are been stretched. This stretching occurs when a particular affliction continues as a vicious cycle, when we have spent our strength and yet results are not forth coming.
When all we know, all the people at the top that we’ve looked up to don’t come through for us and we are left alone. This is the time when the enemy corners us and tries us beyond the syllabus.
A lady I know very well, who was a devout believer, had given her life to Christ at an early age and had kept herself pure. However as she advanced in age she began trusting God for a life partner because He had already blessed her with a good job and all her needs were being met except this one thing.
She kept praying and trusting God but no one that met her godly standards seem to be approaching her. She kept waiting, up until one day when she got tired of waiting and decided to go search a man for herself, she did on the social media.
Since he is younger and had no job so he moved in with her. Her story didn’t end well as the young man now beats her on a daily basis and she has become a topic amongst her unbelieving neighbours. Your story doesn’t have to end this way.
The psalmist in our anchor scripture acknowledged his limitations and announced His source of strength. Since we are not all knowing it is possible for the enemy to try us beyond what we know, however we serve a God that is all knowing.
Acknowledging our limitations, we are urged to pray ahead (Psalm 32:6) and in the face of these challenges and you’re overwhelmed, don’t run away, run to God. We are to call to remembrance God’s strength which He readily exchanges for our weakness and ask for it. Are you overwhelmed right now?
Battling an ailment that seems to defy all medication? Facing a lecturer or teacher that wants you to compromise? Have you spent years and still waiting for the fruit of the womb or a life partner or even still a good job? Stay calm.
All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.
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If this article has blessed or challenged you, you may leave a comment below and share your own perspective with us, we shall be willing to share on our platform with others so they can be blessed too.
If you also have questions relating the challenges you facing about life, please feel free to contact us and God in his infinite wisdom will give direction by his spirit to overcome challenges.
SOW UNTIL IT RAINSEcclesiastes 11:3a; If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; [NKJV]
The bible encourages us to invest in all acts of charity, willingly and with the right motives of course and expect a reward. However since we aren’t privy to God’s timing it may seem that the rewards never come but the truth is that certainly they do come just not in the exact way we expect.
Our anchor scripture gives us an explanation, a glimpse into the process of having a bountiful reward. Sowing is likened to a cloud and reaping is likened to rainfall. How does the formation of a cloud lead to actual rain? To get rain, the water condensing in the clouds has to become heavy enough to fall to Earth. The tiny droplets just aren't heavy enough to cause rain to fall.
Sowing sparingly is like tiny droplets they aren’t enough to make a cloud heavy to cause a rainfall meanwhile sowing deliberately and consistently will be able to make a cloud heavy enough to cause a heavy down pour.
Acts 9:36-43 tells the story of a certain disciple called Tabitha also known as Dorcas “This woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did.” Among her good works was that of fashioning coats and garments for widows and the needy of her church and community with her own loving hands.
Tabitha did this consistently until she died in the midst of her works of charity. However Tabitha didn’t stay dead, her good deeds spoke for her. Her fellow disciples at the church where she had worshiped and those who had been recipients of her benevolent nature, learning that Peter was nearby; sent members to beseech the apostle to visit the grief-stricken company.
Peter heeded the call and after seeing and hearing testimonials of Tabitha, He got on his knees and prayed her back to life. Tabitha had no idea that she will die, or that her giving had impacted that many lives who would eventually speak up for her when her voice couldn’t be heard, her cloud was heavy with giving and when she needed the rain the most it fell.
It’s not easy to be consistent at a thing that seems not to be yielding immediately but be encouraged today and not go weary, keep at it until you see your harvest.
If this article has blessed or challenged you, you may leave a comment below and share your own perspective with us, we shall be willing to share on our platform with others so they can be blessed too.
If you also have questions relating the challenges you facing about life, please feel free to contact us and God in his infinite wisdom will give direction by his spirit to overcome challenges.
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PAUSE AND PRAY
Inner strength isn’t only demonstrated in being
able to face challenges headlong; it’s also demonstrated when we are able to
take a pause.
A pause is a temporary stop: a period of time in
which something is stopped before it is started again. It could span between a
few seconds and several months but it doesn’t mean it’s the end yet.
It is a time when you shut your mind from the daily
challenges that demand your attention and withdraw to pray. Since a believer’s
life is characterized by battles and there’s always a need for decisions to be
made, we can’t ignore the need for a pause.
What do you do when you are overwhelmed?
Do you break down and cry?
Do you give up? How do you make your decisions?
Do you just pick superficially?.
Have you trained yourself to practice the pause?
When you are in doubt, you ought to take a pause,
When you are angry you ought to take a pause,
When you are tired and stressed, you ought to take
a pause.
Whatever the enemy throws at you, you ought to
train yourself to first take a pause and pray.
Failure to take a pause can put a permanent end to
your journey. Are you ready to forfeit that?
If
this article has blessed or challenged you, you may leave a comment below and
share your own perspective with us, we shall be willing to share on our
platform with others so they can be blessed too.
If you also have questions relating the challenges you facing about life, please feel free to contact us and God in his infinite wisdom will give direction by his spirit to overcome challenges.
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THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WORKS
Proverbs
3:13; Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains
understanding.[NKJV]
However far a believer may have advanced in
knowledge and in love, there is still an unfathomed depth of knowledge of God
available for us to explore, and which we should still attempt to fathom.
As believers we should not be satisfied with just
reading the letters of the word of God, we should advance to the stage of
studying to get insight, lingering long enough to get understanding, only at
this point can the word come alive to us and be a great influence in our life’s
experiences and challenges.
Acquiring knowledge is commendable but understanding
this information and being able to apply it is better. It is good to be present
in the house of God during services, taking notes and getting involved in
kingdom services but have you gained understanding yet?
Has it been able to teach you to know what is true
and to make you realize what is wrong in your life? Has it been able to straighten
you out and help you do what is right, has it been able to prepare you for your
life’s purpose? . .
If you have an understanding of the word, it will
cease to be a book filled with ancient stories you will know what it means and
how it works and the result is spiritual growth because maturity comes by
reason of exercise.
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DISCOVERING GOD IN THE MIDST OF ADVERSITY
Psalm 3:3 But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. [NKJV]
There are many names by which God is called. Most, borne out of revelations, names that mere mortals in the bible turned heroes of faith gave to God after they had encountered Him and He had come through for them in their challenges.
King David in the psalm which is our anchor scripture called God a shield because God protected him on all occasions from attacks within and without. He called God his glory and the lifter of his head because he had experienced shame amongst his children, within his cycle of friends and even in his kingdom but God restored him and fulfilled His promise to establish his kingdom.
Affliction is something that causes agony, suffering, or great pain. An example of an affliction may be the diagnosis of a fatal illness, it could be having a difficult boss set over you, constant humiliations from the landlord, a stubborn child, an estranged spouse, inability to meet financial needs, setbacks etc..
A believer’s life is characterized by diverse afflictions fortunately our God is also a diverse God, ready to meet us right at the point of our needs. Our God is a healer, He is also a deliverer, He is the great provider, He is a situation controller and so much more, He is beautiful for all situations.
What challenges are you going through at the moment that has caused you to bow your head in shame? Our God is stronger than any affliction that may be standing as a stumbling block to your rest, He is ready to give you a new encounter as He addresses your situation and reveals himself to you afresh.
Leave a comment at the comment section on bottom of this page if this article has blessed or challenged you. thanks and God bless you.
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Don’t
settle for less.
Proverbs
27;7:”A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, But to a hungry soul every bitter
thing is sweet”. (Nkjv)
The
basic message from our anchor scripture today is that hunger makes a man relish
the most distasteful food, this however doesn’t only apply to physical
hunger.
Compromise is a situation in which people accept
something slightly different from what they really want, because of
circumstances for instance When we feel our prayers don’t get immediate
response from God, or when we are getting little or no result from a particular
idea for instance that we have expended much time and effort on we are tempted
to compromise and settle for less.
The
Christian race is not a physically attractive one, the process of waiting is
not an easy one, however neither is it unrewarding, The way you behave during
your waiting or adversity, the company you keep, the sacrifices you render and
the covenant you respect will determine your due season.
Apostle
Paul says it best in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 “Do you not know that those who run
in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may
obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.
Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown”.
Are
you trusting God for a miracle? “Run the race in such a way that you may obtain
it”. Are you trusting God for a glorious future? “Run in such a way that you
may obtain it”.
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DESIRE
MERCY
Romans 9:16; “So then it is
not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy”. (Nkjv)
The average human is a very independent being and only when at dead ends
does he see the need for help. However our anchor scripture gives us a reason
for the frustrations that we feel when our efforts have become futile.
Because
we desire a thing really bad and then do everything necessary to get it doesn’t
mean we will, yes forget all the motivational books you have read or the
motivational speakers you have listened to, if the God factor is excluded our
desires and aspirations won’t manifest.
King Solomon in the bible, a young man
saddled with the responsibility of ruling his father’s kingdom and building a
temple for the Lord. Solomon realised the need for total dependency on God, he
didn’t depend on his strength to rule the kingdom or to build for the Lord,
instead he realised his limitations and with such insight he penned these
words: “Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. It is
vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For
so He gives His beloved sleep”. (Psalm 127:1-2).
In what areas of your life are you still in charge? Is it your marriage?
Your career? Your children? In executing ideas? In achieving your goals? Ever
heard of the saying “Self-made”?
it’s a foolish saying and it is borne out of
pride, from a heart that’s indirectly saying it doesn’t need God hence giving
no space for grace. God didn’t fashion us in such a way that we will not need
him, there is a void in every one’s life, it’s a special hole he put there
where only He can fill, failure to accept this will only cause us pain.
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TRUSTING
GOD IN THE DARK.
2 Corinthians 5:7
“For we walk by faith and not by sight” (Nkjv)
Bible
scholars have reasoned that the absence of faith leaves only fear; this is true
however I believe that the absence of faith is traceable to rationalisation. To
rationalize is to cause something to seem reasonable.
Rationalizing
attacks our faith and hinders us from receiving from God that which He is able
to give to us. How? Too many times we put God in a box, trying to figure Him
out saying to ourselves, “ surely can this even be done?”, “If I do this then
surely this is the only result I can get from it”,
1+1
may equals 2 with man but with God it may equals 11 (Ephesians 3:20). God’s
ways are not our ways neither are His thoughts our thoughts, He doesn’t need
the situation to make sense before He can make things happen.
He
has proven this over time even with the parting of the red sea, the slave boy
Joseph becoming a prime minister, the pregnancy of the Virgin Mary and He won’t
stop being God now that it’s your turn for a supernatural intervention. In what
way are you rationalizing God? And blocking yourself from receiving the
fullness of the blessings He has in store for you?
Don’t
be the architect of your own delay Remember Naaman who almost missed His
healing because dipping in the pool to cleanse leprosy just didn’t make sense.
Step back and let God do what He does best, turning difficult and seemingly
impossible situations around.
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TRUSTING IN GOD’S TIMING
Proverbs
13:12; Hope deferred makes the heart sick but when the desire comes, it is a
tree of life (Nkjv)
Promises are declarations that
one will do something, promises undeniably results in hope. Hope on the other
hand is a desire with anticipation, it means to want something to happen or to
be true. Now there is a difference between God making you a promise and man
making you a promise.
Man is limited and may waver in keeping his promise but
God is limitless and is more than capable in keeping His promise. The only
problem man has with God’s promises is His Timing. Joseph is a timeless example
of a man that received a promise of greatness from God in the form of a dream
at a very tender age.
Although His father was quick to interpret and scoff at
the dream, his brothers despised him and sold him out partly because of the
dream, this promise was still all Joseph had, it gave him a sense of
significance and worth, it made him stay true to God when he was in the pit his
brothers dug for him, when he was sold into slavery and moved into a foreign
land, even when in prison for a crime he didn’t commit and though it seemed
like nothing would happen for Joseph, the bible records in psalm 105;17-22 ;
“
Until the TIME that his word came. God’s promises are not always fulfilled as
quickly as or in the way we might hope, they come according to His timing and
His ways but be rest assured that He will fulfil it.
For many of us, all we
have in heaven and earth are God’s promises. We lack men who are helpers of
destiny, we lack material possessions, we lack good friends and looking around,
it’s only God’s plan and promises for us that gives us a sense of worth and
significance, but has God made a promise to you? The bible says God is not a
man that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said,
and will He not do? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good? Be rest
assured today God is saying to you; “I will make you laugh”.
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THERE IS NO GLORY WITHOUT SUFFERING.
Matthew 20:21-22; and he said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that
these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right hand and the other on the
left, in your Kingdom”. But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you
ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized
with the baptism that I am baptized with? They said to Him we are able. (Nkjv)
In the above
passage we see a mother and her very ambitious sons approach Jesus for places
of honour, Jesus did not out-rightly refuse their request but he however
pointed out to them a process that they did not seem to have considered. There
is absolutely nothing wrong with being ambitious, as a matter of fact it is
only normal to want to rise above mediocrity but just because we desire this
does not mean that it gets handed over to us, there is a price for leadership,
and an even greater price for honour.In the military, general officers ranks
currently used in the military are : One star for the Brigadier general, two
star for the major general in the army. Three star for the lieutenant general,
four star for the General in the army above these four star ranks are five star
ranks but these are generally reserved for war time use. Persons that holds this ranks are the generals of
the army, the very highest rank, senior to the five stars ranks, are the
General of the armies, these ranks are sometimes called the six-star ranks only
three people have ever held these ranks, these ranks are sometimes considered
to be the equivalent of the foreign ranks of grand marshals. None of these
stars are given without the soldier partaking in war, believers can be likened
to soldiers ( 2 Timothy 2:3) and as such are in constant battle with the enemy
(Ephesians 6:12) for not just our destiny spaces on earth but ultimately for
our eternal prize ( 1 Corinthians 9;24-25).
Don’t go
around with the mind-set that your knowledge of Christ, their acceptance of His
lordship over their lives and full access to Him in the place of prayer will
automatically deliver to them their goals which was the error Salome the mother
of James and john made but it doesn’t work that way, the same way stars of
honour are given to military men after war is the same way you can’t achieve
your dreams or receive your inheritance without passing through a process or a
season of difficulties.
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HANDLING OPPOSITION
(By Dupe K.)
Nehemiah 4:1 “But so it happened, when sanballat heard that we are rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews”. (NKJV
Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was a task that Nehemiah was determined to achieve, He had counted the cost, calculated the materials, manpower and protection that will be needed however once he began this great work with his team, he was faced with opposition. Nehemiah’s opposition came in the form of a man named Sanballat who strongly disagreed with this plan, tried to change it and prevent it from succeeding. Nehemiah however handled this opposition and many other hurdles well enough and ultimately the walls were completed. Making a difference will always come with oppositions, it’s almost impossible to avoid. It’s like seeing a rose without thorns, rare, very rareOpposition can come in different forms; it could be verbal abuse, spiritual warfare or physical battles(Victimization). Be aware however, that the enemy is Satan, not necessarily the persons that he instigates against you.Since Oppositions can’t be avoided, how then do we handle it: We pray, After Nehemiah and his team were mocked, the first thing they did was not to reply back in words, but in prayer (Neh 4;4), Jesus Christ is very familiar with oppositions and promises strength in the place of our weakness, after they prayed, they didn’t dwell on the insults, they proceeded with their work. We also are advised after prayers to leave our worries with God. What if it continues, someone might say and my life is being threatened. In Neh 4;9 Nehemiah and his team were faced with such a dilemma and they prayed some more for God’s intervention while they also took responsible measures to protect themselves.
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WHEN GOD SAY “NO” By Dupe K.
Exodus 13;17-18; “Then it came to pass, when pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the philistines although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt”. So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the red sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt. (Nkjv).
Most people don’t handle rejection well, just like most people hate
refusals especially to requests that they believe are important to them,
refusals causes resentment.
We don’t always get what we want from those that
can help even in our dealings with God, He says no too. Every believer is
familiar with the scripture John 14;14, Jesus said “If you ask anything in My
name, I will do it”. It’s true Jesus said this but has it always worked for you?
The reason why it hasn’t worked isn’t that Jesus lied but because when asking
we don’t ask around the perimeters of God’s will for our lives. In our anchor
scripture, pharaoh had just let the people go and judging by human reasoning,
it’s best that the Israelites pass through the land of the philistines, why?
It’s shorter and they can be farther away from the relentless pharaoh, asides
that going that route was the fastest and most direct route from Egypt to the
promised-land. The wilderness that seemed less attractive was by God’s
standards the best route to pass. Imagine that, The wilderness!,Most believers
go through the wilderness experience after a no from God like it’s a
pre-requisite course needed to earn a degree. It’s a time when your request to
God gets delayed and you have to wait, it’s also a time when you get
re-directed but most importantly it’s a time when you get closer to God. Have
you received a no from God recently? Don’t lose heart. There’s a reason you
aren’t married yet, There’s a reason that admission has been delayed, There’s a
reason you lost that Job, there’s a reason you haven’t moved from that house
yet, there’s a reason your life is full of detours. Our God is a compassionate
God, the bible in Isaiah 46;10 says God is One who sees the end from
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