Mind of Christ
Mind of Christ monthly E-zine
THE WINTER OF LIFE
Whenever one thinks about the seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn and winter readily comes to mind. Each one has its own distinctive characteristics which I would have loved to highlight here but for time and space limitations. However, since winter is central to this write up, I will spend some time on it.
In general, the winter season reminds people of different things. It reminds some of the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas festivities, exchange of gifts, family reunion, falling snow, beautiful white landscapes, etc. It reminds others of decreased day-light, freezing temperatures, slippery roads and associated difficulties, increased energy bills, wearing of thick clothes, guzzling of hot beverages, respiratory tract infection, etc. And because it caps each year, it gives people the chance to review their activities during the outgoing year and strategize for the incoming one. So, it could be a sad season for some of them.
Just as the winter season cap each year, so does a season, some authorities tag ‘Winter of Life’, cap each person’s life. Usually, it comes with old age but circumstances of life such as crippling illnesses, massive injuries, misfortunes, etc. may fast forward it. And it is linked with ill-health, forced inactivity, paucity of funds, bereavements, loneliness, sadness, insecurity, anger, regret, etc. Also, it reminds people that their lives may be coasting to an end, which may be ignoble.
Regrettably, all of us would pass through the ‘winter of life’ at one time or the other, whether we like it or not. Are you already in yours? Are its hassles weighing you down at the moment? If they are then, I have good news for you! And that is, beyond this horrific season is God who is willing to help you. He might even reprogram your life so that, your ‘winter’ season will become more accomplishing and when you exit this world; you’ll do so as a fulfilled person and a strong contender for heaven. However, you have to satisfy some basic conditions first. They include:
1. You must be born again. A lot of people want to attain heaven and the urge to do so, naturally heightens with the advent of the winter of life. But no one can get there without becoming born again; that is, without Jesus Christ taking charge of the person’s life first (John 3:3). So, if you are not yet born again, please do so forthwith. And if you became born again earlier on, but you are not very happy with your present relationship with Jesus Christ then, endeavour to rededicate your life to Him without delay. When this is settled and you don’t derail along the line, you will attain heaven at some point. The thought of this should be enough to keep you happy throughout your ‘winter’ season.
2. You must study your bible devotedly. When your winter of life time arrives, you need top-notch arsenals to fight and subdue all encumbrances that will surely come your way. These amazing arsenals are the words of God (Hebrews 4:12) and you can only acquire them from the bible. Therefore, make it a top priority to spend ample time to study it daily . Studying the bible devotedly and applying its contents correctly, will also give you demonstrable successes in all facets of your life (Joshua 1:8).
3. You must work for God. With as much energy as you can muster, please work for God even in your winter of life. This will keep you up and doing and earn you quality rewards from Jesus Christ in the end (Mark 10:29-30). So, please roll up your sleeves as from this moment and get busy for God. Reach out to people, preach the gospel to them, pray with them, heal them, meet their needs as much as you can, make them happy, allay their fears, etc. and God will reward you richly without fail in Jesus name. Amen.
As you can see, it is impossible to avoid the ‘winter of life’ and it could be very devastating if care is not taken. However, God can make it more tolerable and more fulfilling for you if you wish. So, don’t be discouraged by what you may be experiencing right now, instead, look upwards to God for help and He will come to your aid (Matthew 7:7-8) in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
c Adedayo Stoney Adegbulu, 2012
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags:
YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
In Matthew 5:14, Jesus Christ said: ”You are the light of the world…”. He uttered this statement to describe His disciples, as part of His Historic Sermon on the Mount. Even though many people believe that He is dead right, the question remains, why did He describe them as such? Well, we shall soon find out but before then, let us look at some points around light so that we can understand Him better.
Light is an electromagnetic radiation which is visible to the human eye. While its primary source is the Sun, it’s others sources include lightning, meteors, volcanoes, lasers, floodlights, light bulbs, lamps, lightsticks, lanterns, touches and candles.
It is, for many reasons, a hugely valuable add-on to the world. For instance, it abolishes darkness and enhances visibility. It also hampers antisocial behaviours thus making human settlements safer to live in. The disciples of Jesus Christ were also very valuable to the world in their own time. They preached to the people, taught them, supported them, fed them, comforted them, healed them, delivered them from bondage, risked their lives for them and above all, led them to Christ. Without a shred of doubt, they shed light on the best way the world ought to take care of people. I am therefore not surprised, that Jesus Christ tagged them ‘the light of the world’ and I agree with Him 100%.
Many people these days, having been saved and doing well for God also qualify to be called lights of the world. And Apostle Paul validated this position as follows: ”For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord …” (Ephesians 5:8). However, they must demonstrate the following characteristics of light, among others, at all times if they want to continue doing well on earth.
1. Brightness.
All useful lights must be bright enough to make people see well and to get tasks accomplished readily. Equally, all the lights of the world must be bright enough to make the task of attracting people to God accomplished readily. Jesus Christ corroborated this view in Matthew 5:16 by saying: ”Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”.
2. Colour.
The natural light is made up of seven lovely colours viz. red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Meanwhile, colours do add value to things. Likewise, Jesus will colour (i.e. add value to) all the lights of the world if they abide in Him. He made allusion to this viewpoint in John 15:7 like this: ”If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you”.
3. Temperature.
Every light carries in it, a measure of heat energy. And the brighter it is, the more heat energy it carries and the hotter it becomes. Similarly, the brighter any light of the world is, the hotter (or more fervent) he or she will become for use by Jesus Christ. However, if he or she does not shine brightly then, his or her temperature will fall, and Jesus will have no choice than to do away with him or her (Revelation 3:15-16).
How then can I become a light of the world and how can I shine brightly henceforth you may wish to ask? Well, the starting point is by accepting Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, if you haven’t yet. And if you have done so earlier, but you are not very happy with your relationship with Him at the moment, please consider rededicating your life to Him immediately. Then, with Jesus Christ in your heart and God’s word in your mouth, go out and show love to people. Visit them, talk to them, help them, feed them, clothe them, defend them, give them hope and most importantly, preach Jesus to them. And the more you do these, the brighter your light will shine before men, the more Jesus will use you and the more He’ll reward you fittingly at the end of the day (Matthew 25: 31-40). May you be found worthy of use in His sight at all times in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
c Adedayo Stoney Adegbulu, 2012
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Assurance, Fath, Hope
YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH
In Matthew 5:13, Jesus Christ, while addressing His disciples, said: ”You are the salt of the earth…”.
He uttered this statement as part of His celebrated Sermon on the Mount which served to influence how the disciples perceived and comported themselves. So, why did He specifically tag them the ‘salt of the earth’? We shall soon know; but for now, let us look at some points about salt so as to understand Him better.
The common salt is a white crystalline substance. It is also called Sodium Chloride (NaCl) and it gives the sea water its characteristic taste. It is the only mineral that people eat and it is often used as a seasoning agent to enrich the taste of foods. As a preservative, it is very effective in preventing the degradation of food products. Furthermore, it is a good disinfectant and in cold climes, it is used to melt ice on roadways to make them motorable.
No doubt, it is invaluable to mankind because it adds significant value to a lot of stuffs. Likewise, the disciples of Jesus Christ added significant value to many people’s lives. They preached to them, taught them, fed them, gave them succour, healed them, delivered them from bondage and led them to Christ. Clearly, they were the shakers and movers of their time and they left the earth better than they met it. No wonder, Jesus Christ called them the ‘Salt of the Earth’.
Apart from the disciples of Jesus Christ, several Christians in times past and nowadays, also qualified to be called ‘salts of the earth’ because their activities added significant value to people’s lives. Some of them are:
1. Michael Faraday (1791-1867). His works on electricity and magnetism revolutionized physics and today, our computers, telephone lines, web sites, etc. depend on them.
2. Isaac Newton (1642-1727). He was an English physicist, mathematician, astrologer and theologian. He is considered by many, to be the greatest scientist that ever lived.
3. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895). He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases. He also created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax.
4. William Wilberforce (1759-1833). His robust activities led to the abolition of slave trade through an act of the British Parliament.
Others in this group include Paul of Tarsus (Author and Apostle), David Livingstone (Missionary), Mary Slessor (Missionary), Florence Nightingale (Nurse), Dr Martin Luther King Jnr (Civil rights leader), Mother Teresa (Missionary/Humanitarian Worker), Nelson Mandela (Anti-apartheid activist/Former President of South Africa) etc.etc.
You too can become one of the Salts of the Earth of this generation (Philippians 4:13). But first, you have to identify what comes easy to you and use it constructively with the help of Jesus Christ. For example, if you are adept at writing, write to enlighten people and to lead them to Him. And if you are proficient in talking or listening to people, healing, organizing, assisting or mentoring them etc. then, you are in business. Just commit whatever skill you possess into His hands and He’ll boost it for use to add significant value to people’s lives. In the end, He’ll reward you handsomely (Matthew 25:31-40) and your joy will be full. Please remember that with God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37)!
Jesus is Lord!
c Adedayo Stoney Adegbulu, 2011
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Assurance, Faith, Hope
Proverbs 3:5-6-The Benefits of Trusting God (4)
• Divine Strength
God is willing to give people enduring strength if they put their trust in Him at all times. Prophet Isaiah gave credence to this view when he said: ”Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4). So, if you are desirous of enough strength to triumph on earth, then you need to ask and trust God for it and He’ll give it to you without qualms in Jesus name. Amen.
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Proverbs 3:5-6-The Benefits of Trusting God (3)
• Divine Strength
God is willing to give people enduring strength if they put their trust in Him at all times. Prophet Isaiah gave credence to this view when he said: ”Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4). So, if you are desirous of enough strength to triumph on earth, then you need to ask and trust God for it and He’ll give it to you without qualms in Jesus name. Amen.
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Proverbs 3:5-6-The Benefits of Trusting God (2)
• Divine Direction
The renowned King Solomon, having enjoyed divine direction several times in his life, recommended trusting the Lord to everyone as follows: ”Trust the Lord with all your heart….And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). It sounds reasonable therefore that, if you sincerely want to succeed in life then, you need divine direction and the only person who can honestly give it is God. However, you must be prepared to ask and trust Him for it first.
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Proverbs 3:5-6-The Benefits of Trusting God (1)
• Divine Confidence
Many times, the Psalmist’s life was laden with fear and each time, God expunged and replaced his fears with divine confidence just because he trusted Him. He referred to one of such occasions like this: ”…In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56:3). God is still in the business of replacing people’s fears with divine confidence if they trust Him. You too can trust Him and He’ll give you divine confidence to confront and subdue all the challenges you are facing at present in Jesus name. Amen.
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