Let’s Take Stock
Looking through year 2005, it is evident that our world experienced many earth shaking events which led to the loss of several thousands of lives. These events also cost more people their past, present and future. We have every reason to be happy that we are alive today but we should remember that it is by God’s special mercies that we were not consumed (Lamentations 3:22). As we give thanks to God Almighty during this special season, and as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ (we ought to do this in a very big way), let us remember those who started the year with us but are no longer alive. Especially, let us remember to pray for and reach out to their parents, spouses, children, relatives and other people they left behind. Let us remember the underprivileged amongst us too. They obviously need us more than ever before.
Furthermore, let us utilize this unique period to prepare for year 2006. This time last year, I wrote and I quote ”Let it not be said of you that you prepared to fail because you failed to prepare”. This statement is still as golden as it was then therefore; let us skew all our resources towards preparing for success in year 2006. Let us set aside quality time to fast, pray and to commit everything about us into God’s able hands. If we do this, he will take absolute control of our lives (Proverbs 3:6).
Now this is very important! Let us create time to appraise our current position in the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 10:12, Apostle Paul said ”let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”. Since standing is just a step from falling, we shouldn’t assume that all is well with us without first checking our lives thoroughly. Let’s take stock and let’s be mindful of the need to be vigilant. If we want to excel in 2006, then it will be helpful to consider the following tips. We should:
1. Involve Jesus Christ in all our activities. We should also make Him our personal Lord and Saviour. If you have done this before now-brilliant otherwise, do so at this instant because tomorrow may be too late. From John 14:6, it is clear that Jesus is the only way that worth following and the only truth that can stand us out. He is also the only person that is capable of putting life back into those areas of our lives that may have been functioning sub optimally hitherto.
2. Allow the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives. Remember that he is in charge in the current dispensation and he has an extraordinary capacity to teach us all things and to bring them to our remembrance (John 14:26). Let us therefore align with him so that he can put us on the path of success.
3. Not be far away from the Holy Bible. This amazing book has been programmed to give us incredible success in life (Joshua 1:8) and it is one of the major ways by which God will reach out to us in year 2006.
4. Make it a point of duty to pray without ceasing (1Thessalonians 5:17). This is an important chore and it is very close to God’s heart. It is also through it that we can convey our heart felt concerns to him. If you want a first-rate report in 2006, then pray to God!
5. Make sure that we give thanks to God always-it is his will that we should do this (1Thessalonians 5:18). Whilst thanking him, we should not forget to praise him too. And the moment we start doing these, he will shift his base to our side (Psalms 22:3) then signs and wonders will take place.
Friend, if you want to crack year 2006 without being cracked then, get cracking with the tips above. May the good Lord help you as you labour to attain your best in him and may his joy be your strength throughout this season and beyond in Jesus name. Amen.
Finally, let me use this opportunity to wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS in advance. God bless you real good.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Holy Living, Living, Stock Taken
Launch Out Into The Deep
In Luke 5:1-11, it was written that Simon and his friends fished all night without catching anything. Obviously they must have been very disappointed but as they were washing their nets preparing to go home, Jesus approached them and requested for the use of Simon’s boat and he agreed. In appreciation, Jesus asked him to lunch out into the deep for a catch. Initially he was reluctant to comply with His instruction. Thank God that he later did and to his amazement, they caught so much fish such that they had to call for outside help yet, they could not cope. This startling incidence prompted Simon to ask Jesus to depart from him but He refused because once He decides to bless someone, nobody can stop Him.
The following points can be deduced from the account above.
1. Frustrating moments will surely come.
As long as we are alive, we shall experience frustrating moments now and again. It may crop up in our businesses or jobs, health, education, relationships, finances, spiritual lives etc. Simon and his friends were experienced fishermen but that night, they had their frustrating moment in business until Jesus Christ came into the picture. Perhaps you were doing very well in certain areas of your life before but the story has now changed; don’t worry-such is common. Just remember that you are not alone; God is around the corner to help you (Psalms 46:1). Please give him a chance!
2. You may have to give your all to God so as to get his all.
Simon’s only tangible possession was his boat and he released it to Jesus Christ. Let’s say he didn’t, he would have died unsung, unmourned and unremembered like many fishermen before and after him. But because of his act of generosity to Jesus, Simon and his brethren became legends and they still are up till now. You too can give your all to God via getting some people back to their feet physically, mentally, spiritually, financially etc. Is God asking you for your money, time, energy, skill, influence etc today? If He is, please release it to him today. Remember that he that scatters gains more whilst he that gathers only comes to poverty (Proverbs 11:24).
3. God will remember you at some point.
It wasn’t immediately after Simon released his boat to Jesus Christ that He remembered him. No! He remembered him only after He had finished speaking. Perhaps you have given God what seems to be your all but it seems a commensurate reward is not forth coming; don’t worry, just tarry on. He will surely reward you but at His own appointed time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
4. You must be prepared to obey God whenever He remembers you.
Whenever God remembers you, He will tell you what to do. Jesus remembered Simon and his friends and He told them to launch out into the deep for a catch and they obeyed him. In the same vein, you must be prepared to obey God by doing whatever he tells you to do. Is He telling you to launch out into the deep and start a Ministry for Him or is He telling you to dabble into a particular business? Is He telling you to change your present job so that your situation can change? Is He telling you to attempt a particular examination or is He just telling you to relax for the time being? Please obey Him so that it can be well with you (Jeremiah 42:6).
5. Amazing result awaits you if you obey God.
Simon and his friends obeyed Jesus and launched out into the deep and their destiny changed. They caught so much fish such that they called for outside help. As if that was not enough, Jesus also made them Fishers of Men and by extension, prominent ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. Amazing results awaits you too if you obey God through Jesus Christ. Isaiah 1:19 says ‘’If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land’’. This is my prayer for you today and for the rest of your life and so shall it be in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Go out and Fish, Launch out, Obedience
Let Thy Kingdom Come
The Lord’s Prayer (Mathew 6:9-13) is a very vital part of the bible because it shows the world, the best way to approach the concept of prayer. And as expected, it is very popular among Christians and many of us learnt it by heart when we were very young. Its second verse (verse 10) will form the pivot of this write up and it goes like this:
”Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
For us to appreciate above passage very well, I suggest that we look around the word KINGDOM closely first. It is a compound word made up of two other words; KING and DOMAIN, fused together.
A King by definition is someone who rules over a country and a people. He is usually a man and his position is customarily hereditary and he reigns for as long as he lives. His domain on the other hand, is his territory and in it, his words carry maximum weight. It is also a reflection of his influence and affluence. If you invite a King to your house for example, he will come down with his entire domain because wherever he goes, his domain goes. In a nutshell, you will have his entire Kingdom to contend with and the moment he arrives, power will manifest and events will take place in quick succession.
God is the King in the domain called Heaven. He has absolute power there (Psalm 62:11) and His reign has no end (Isaiah 26:4). And like many earthly kings, He too can be invited by individuals, communities, nations, etc. for one purpose or the other. If you invite Him into any area of your life where attention is needed for example, He will come with His entire Kingdom and in a situation like this; power must exchange hands and stunning results must ensue. However, the only way anyone can have access to God is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
Now, let us look at some of the results of God bringing His Kingdom into a person’s life or into a particular place.
1. Great Joy
Great joy is one of them. In Acts 8:4-8, Phillip preached Jesus to the people of Samaria and they accepted him warmly and took to all that he said. Their action therefore, was an indirect way of asking God to bring His Kingdom into their land and He did with stunning miracles taking place subsequently and there was great joy all over the land. In the same vein, if your life is currently devoid of joy, please ask God to bring His Kingdom into it. He will and stunning miracles coupled with great joy will soon begin in your life in Jesus name. Amen.
2. Great Calm
When God brings His Kingdom into a situation, great calm follows. In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus Christ and His disciples were in a boat on the sea. A great storm which threatened their existence soon commenced. Meanwhile, Jesus was fast asleep and they had to wake Him up. Without a shred of doubt, their action can be interpreted as asking God to bring His Kingdom into their situation through Jesus Christ. And immediately, He arose and rebuked the storm and there was a great calm afterward. Is your life or the life of someone close to you being threatened by a disturbing ‘storm’ lately? Or is it your ministry, business, education, health, finances, etc. that is affected? If your answer is yes, then do what is right immediately. Ask God to bring His Kingdom into the picture; He will oblige you and there will be great calm before long in Jesus name. Amen.
3. Deliverance
Deliverance is another striking example of what will happen when God brings His Kingdom into a troublesome situation. In Luke 9:37-42, a wise father brought his son who had epilepsy to Jesus for deliverance. His action, as we can see, is similar to him, asking God to bring His Kingdom into his son’s life through Jesus Christ and it was so. Without wasting time, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit tormenting the boy, healed (delivered) him and gave him back to his father. Maybe you are being tormented by an affliction (physical, mental, spiritual, professional, financial, etc.) at the moment, then now is the right time for you to do something cogent about it and the best approach is to ask God to bring His Kingdom into it. I am positive that He will answer and deliver you and your life will never be the same again in Jesus name. Amen.
4. Life
Life is another example of what can happen when God brings His Kingdom into a person’s life or troublesome circumstance. John 11:1-44 gives an account of how Lazarus was brought back to life having been dead for four unbroken days. Please recall that it was Mary and her sister Martha that sent words to Jesus Christ about Lazarus’ illness to start with. So, in some way, we can safely conclude that their action is akin to asking God, through Jesus Christ, to bring His Kingdom into Lazarus’ dead body and He did and it bounced back to life. This scenario can be repeated again these days given that Jesus, is still as effective as He used to be in restoring life back to people’s dead or defective circumstances (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, if any of yours is affected, please ask God to bring His Kingdom into it right now. He will surely answer you and it will bounce back to life in Jesus name. Amen.
5. -Salvation
Salvation is a hugely important sequel of God, bringing His Kingdom into a person’s life or situation as we shall soon see. Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), a Chief Tax Collector and a big time crook, knew that Jesus was coming to his territory and like others in his community, he wanted to see Him at all cost. No doubt, he wanted God to bring His Kingdom into his life perhaps; he could have a new life (salvation) through Jesus Christ. So, he pressed on with the multitude in search of Jesus but he was hampered by his short stature and for this reason, he climbed a sycamore tree so as to have a better view of Him. But when Jesus got to the tree, He looked up and asked him (Zacchaeus) to come down. He later followed him home and saved him.
Friend, God can also bring His Kingdom into your life or situation today if you wish but, you must be ready to follow the right protocol first. You must give your life to Jesus and allow Him to be your personal Lord and savior i.e., you must be born again (if you aren’t yet). When this step is done with then, you can confidently ask Him to bring His Kingdom into your life or into your situation that needs His attention and He will not spurn you. After that, you’ll have great joy, great calm, deliverance, new life etc. as your benefits in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
c Adedayo Stoney Adegbulu, 2005
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Assurance, Faith, God's Kingdom, God's Power, Let Thy Kingdom Come
Your Joker May be in The Desert
Today, we shall consider Luke 9:10-17. The Apostles had just returned from an eventful preaching tour and as they were recounting their experiences to Jesus Christ, people kept coming and going such that they had no time to eat or rest. And being mindful of their plight, Jesus led them to a desert place for respite all to no avail. At that point, He had no choice than to address, heal and feed the people (5000 of them excluding women and children). He did this with five loaves and two fishes only.
A typical desert is a huge expanse of barren land where most things including food and water are scarce. Its weather is at the extreme that is; very hot during the day and very cold at night. And being environmentally unfriendly, not too many species of plants and animals do well in it. Furthermore, security to lives and properties is a major concern. These and other issues make survival in deserts a big deal. However, not everything about them is horrible. For example, buried deep in their bowels are vast deposits of mineral resources such as Petroleum and Gas, Gold, Precious Stones, Uranium etc. These are what I call ‘Jokers in the deserts’. And a lot of them have been exploited to turn some deserts into paradise on earth.
Figuratively speaking, ‘desert situations’ can occur in people’s lives. These are agonizing situations that makes their existence difficult. Examples include war, natural disasters, joblessness, debt, poverty, hunger, ill health, lack of progress, lack of significant assistance, dearth of ideas and silence from God. If any of these is troubling you, then you need a ‘joker’ to bail you out but you have to locate it first!
The disciples first located the ‘jokers’ within their reach i.e. five loaves and two fishes before handling them over to Jesus. After that, He caused them to multiply greatly and then used them to eliminate the peoples’ most pressing ‘desert situation’ which was hunger.
Friend, let me congratulate you if there is no ‘desert situation’ in your life at the moment. But if there is any, please get rid of it very quickly with whatever ‘joker(s)’ you have. Thank God that He deposited many of them into us right from the word go. And if you utilize yours properly, they will turn your ‘desert situation(s)’ into a life changing experience (2 Kings 4:1-7).
Friend, what stands you out in the public? What do you have that others don’t? What are your unique characteristics? What are the things that you do with absolute ease? These are the ‘jokers’ that you can harness to eradicate your ‘desert situation(s)’. Please hand them over to Jesus Christ as did the disciples and He will multiply them greatly and use them to give you the clean break that you deserve (John 8:36). Please act wisely and act now!
Finally, please note that the most amazing ‘joker’ available to all for combating life’s ‘desert situations’ is the Name of Jesus (John 16:23-24, Mark 16: 17-18). Nevertheless, it can only work for you if you have accepted Him into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour that is, if you are born again. If you are, good but if you are not, do so today. After that, you can boldly utilize His powerful name with incredible results (Roman 10:13). Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Desert, Desert Situation, Jokers, Talents
Arise and Go!
We will consider the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-24) in this write up. He was one of two sons of a certain man. One day, he went to his father and asked for his inheritance. In most cultures, a request of this nature is bizarre and totally unacceptable since people usually don’t talk about inheriting others when they are still alive. However, he was obliged and he went abroad and squandered all that he was given. Famine soon set in and he suffered intensely but he was wise enough to retrace his steps. He got up one fateful day and said ‘’I will arise and go—’’. That is, in repentance, he went back to his father where he could find help, and he was restored back to his rightful position in their family.
Like the prodigal son, many people have reached their lowest point in life as a result of certain unwise actions they took in the past which are now haunting them. If you are one of them, I perceive the Lord telling you to ARISE and GO to where help can be found. But let me alert you here that your response may be one of those highlighted below and each one has its distinctive consequence. Let us consider them with appropriate biblical examples one by one. You may choose to:
1. Disobey Him.
A good example of this scenario can be found in the book of Jonah Chapter 1. The Lord commanded Jonah to ‘ARISE and GO’ to Nineveh on an errand for Him but he chose to disobey Him. Instead of going to Nineveh in the North East, he headed for Tarshish in the West. The consequence was that he ended up in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights.
2. Obey Him partially.
In 1 Samuel Chapter 15, the Lord commanded King Saul to ‘ARISE and GO’ to Amalek and destroy everything insight because its people made life difficult for the Israelites as they came up from Egypt. Initially, the King responded enthusiastically to God’s instruction but he later derailed by keeping for himself, some of the spoils of war that God specifically instructed him to destroy. For obeying God partially, he lost his children, his anointing, his throne and his life.
3. Obey Him completely.
In Genesis Chapter 12, God told Abraham at an old age to ‘ARISE and GO’ to a strange land far away from his people and he obeyed Him completely. For doing so, God blessed him with children even though it was physiologically impossible for him and his wife to have them on account of old age. As if that was not enough, God also blessed him with riches, honour, glory, good life and with the privilege of dying peacefully and of being buried decently.
Today, if you are suffering as a result of your past misdeeds, the time has come for you to be free. All you need to do is to ARISE and GO to Jesus Christ where there is help. He is waiting for you and He is willing to set you free. He confirmed this in Matthew 11:28 when He said ’’Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest’’.
How will you respond to above instruction? Will you disobey Him? Or will you obey Him partially or completely? The choice is yours but remember that disobedience and partial obedience to His instructions is fraught with danger. It certainly pays to obey Him completely! The prodigal son and Abraham as well as many other people all over the world did and they did not regret their actions. You too will not regret yours in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Arise and Go, Obedience, Repentance
God is Still Working in The Dark
Today, we shall be considering the fact that God is still working in the ‘dark’; the dark in people’s lives. But before we proceed any further with this write up; let us take a good look at two sides of the word ‘dark’ so that we can better understand its significance. They are:
1. The absence of light.
Many untoward things happen in the absence of light. For example, visibility is poor, movement is restricted and crime may escalate. Also in the absence of light, Satan and his agents are at their peak maiming and killing people and destroying their properties. However, it is cheering to know that God is equally effective during this period counteracting their evil antics. Remember that He does not sleep nor slumber (Psalms 121:4). It is also on record that He performed many outstanding miracles in the absence of light (i.e. in the dark). For example, He created light in dark (Genesis 1:2-3), He sent Angels of death to visit Egypt in dark (Exodus 12:29), He sent a strong wind which divided the red sea for the Israelites to pass through in dark (Exodus 14:21-22) etc.
2. An unpleasant or a gloomy state.
Gloom is a major part of today’s world and it is visible everywhere you turn to; in individual lives, in families, in communities, in governments etc. All over the world, people now find it difficult to feed properly, to pay their debts and mortgages; job opportunities are fast shrinking and businesses cum investments are collapsing at an alarming rate. A glance at the state of the world’s infrastructures also connotes gloom. Schools are crumbling, health facilities are going under, transportation systems are deteriorating etc. Because of all above and a lot more, many people are frustrated and they believe that the easiest way out is to end it all up. Many people even query the relevance of God nowadays. To such people, I say please pause a little bit! God is still very relevant and He is actively working in the dark of our lives. Today, He is saying ’’Let there be light’’ in your situation and it will be so (Genesis 1:3) in Jesus name.
Friend, are you experiencing a ‘dark’ (gloomy) situation in your life at the moment? If you are then, I assure you that you are not alone; God is with you and you are bound to do well eventually but you must be prepared to endure to the end (Matthew 10:22b). Abraham Lincoln’s situation was probably worse than yours. For a substantial part of his life, very few things worked out fine for him but he endured to the end and became one of the most celebrated Presidents of the United States of America. Do not give up and please constantly remember that ‘’weeping may endure in the night, but joy comes in the morning’’ (Psalm 30:5).
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Dark, Darkness, Gloom, Gloomy, Hope, Hopelessness, State of Darkness
The Sun Will Shine Again
Some of my friends lost their relatives recently and in this write up, I want to identify myself with them in obedience to the instruction of Apostle Paul in Romans 12:15. That is: ‘’Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep’’. If you are one of the people rejoicing at the moment, I join you to give thanks to God Almighty. May your joy not be cruelly truncated in Jesus name. Amen. But if you are mourning the loss of a loved one, please accept my heartfelt sympathy.
Certainly this period cannot be fun for you and you must be very low in the spirit right now. Furthermore, you may have questioned God critically and you may even be at the verge of parting ways with Him. If this is the case with you, please hold on! Whilst it is normal to grieve (this is the price we have to pay for love), please don’t allow grief to steal your trust in God.
At a time like this, you may find the following bible passages helpful.
1. ‘’Man’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed’’ (Job 14:5).
God determined the life span of your beloved just like every other person’s and there is really nothing anybody could have done to prolong it. His or her assignments on earth have ended and the time to rest has come. This should be your joy!
2. ‘’Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of the saints’’ (Psalm 116:15).
If God is celebrating the home coming of your beloved right now, then you shouldn’t mourn endlessly. Remember that at the appropriate time, he or she will rise up and be re-united with you in Christ (1Thessalonians 4:16-17). This also should be your joy!
Friend, I urge you to quickly wipe away your tears, brace up yourself and start to bless the name of the Lord. Please, I am in no way suggesting that complying with my advice will be easy but I am persuaded that it is possible to do so with the help of Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:13). And by His grace, the Sun will Shine Again and you will be happy.
Finally in Matthew 5:4, Jesus Christ said ‘’blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted’’. May the Holy Spirit comfort you therefore and may the joy of the Lord be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10) as from this time forth in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Bereavement, Encouragement, Gloom, Gloomy State, Sadness, The Sun Will Shine Again