₦airaland Forum

Commit to the relationship (4)

Tue, 8 Aug 2023

‘Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?’ Amos 3:3

Benjamin Franklin’s formula for a happy marriage was this: ‘Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.’ One of the reasons marriages end in divorce is because we see only what we want to see. And if we saw obvious faults that could destroy the relationship, we allowed our heart to overrule our head and thought, ‘He or she will change after I marry them.’ What you turn a blind eye to today, you forfeit the right to complain about tomorrow. So if you’re wise, you will do these two things before you make the decision to marry someone:

1) Discuss openly what you will and will not accept in your relationship. These things are called ‘deal breakers’. Things like abuse, infidelity, alcohol and drug abuse, anger and moodiness, and buying stuff you can’t afford. If you think breaking up with someone now is painful, wait until you’re married with children, and mortgages and families are involved! The Bible says, ‘Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?’ (Amos 3:3 NKJV)

2) If there are no deal-breaking concerns, but you basically fear the unknown, use your faith in God to bridge the gap between your doubts and the peace you wish for. Don’t invent reasons not to commit. Stop nit-picking every flaw in the other person. The Bible says, ‘His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor…Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6 NKJV). Pray together and give the Wonderful, Counsellor a chance to guide you in your relationship choice. God instituted marriage; when you do it His way, you can enter the highest halls of human happiness.

Commit to the relationship (3)

Mon, 7 Aug 2023

‘Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him.’ 1 Samuel 20:17

For a relationship to succeed, both parties must be totally committed to it. Today let’s look at some more of the reasons why we may be afraid to commit.

1) Consider whether you have real feelings for your partner or whether you are biding your time until somebody better comes along. In other words, be honest with yourself because your happiness depends on it.

2) Talk about your specific fears with your partner. Let them know if, for example, you fear they will try to change you. Or, you feel emasculated if you don’t submit to them. You may fear that if the marriage fails they might take your money and leave you impoverished. You may fear they might restrict time with other people you care about, or that they may demand too much of your attention. You must honestly share your feelings and request feedback to your concerns.

3) Try a thirty-day interval of no contact with your romantic interest and find out how life would feel without him or her. Some non-committed relationships are merely for convenience, so assess your feelings apart from the inconvenience you will endure. Convenience is a weak foundation for a marriage.

4) Re-examine your expectations. Don’t expect your partner to fulfil every facet of your life. For example, if you have a need for high adventure that’s manifested in bungee jumping, find friends to enjoy it with, and be happy that your partner is faithful, loving, and laughs a lot. And one more thought: there is an emptiness within each of us that only God can fill. And when He does, we require less from our partner and learn how to become a better partner.

Good one

peretei2024:
I thank God, today am a graduate, married with 2 kids without their 1kobo contributed.

🤔

......be careful who you sleep with

Commit to the relationship (2)

Sun, 6 Aug 2023

‘The two shall become one.’ Matthew 19:5

The word commit means ‘to bind, or obligate, or pledge’. And for some of us, it evokes pictures of servitude, restraints, and the loss of our freedom. In other words, it frightens us. Many people place a high value on their independence and self-sufficiency, and as a result, some of them can also become more reluctant to commit to a relationship that requires compromise and consideration of another person's views (see Philippians 2:3-4). It may lead to a desire to keep the relationship fluid and flexible, so they can stay or leave whenever they want. The partner desiring the commitment finds such a relationship frustrating and unfulfilling. So, what should you do if you’re reluctant to commit to the relationship? Two things:

1) Be honest with yourself about your fears, feelings, and motivations. David said, ‘You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom’ (Psalm 51:6 NKJV). Notice, wisdom comes from being honest about what is going on inside you. What are your memories of your parents’ marriage and how it affected you? Have you observed similar patterns of behaviour on your part or that of your potential mate when it comes to dealing with relationships?

2) Admit the role you may have played, even as an enabler of poor behaviour, in the collapse of a former relationship. Have you changed now? Are you willing to? If so, then here is God’s promise to you of a better future: ‘Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing…’ (Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV)

Commit to the relationship (1)

Sat, 5 Aug 2023

‘For wherever you go, I will go.’ Ruth 1:16

One of the greatest Scriptures on commitment in the Bible are the words of Ruth to Naomi: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.’ (Ruth 1:16 NKJV) Why are we afraid to commit to a relationship?

1) Fear of losing control: ‘Why forgo my independence?’

2) Fear of lack: ‘What if he or she ruins my finances?’

3) Fear of inadequacy: ‘What if I can’t meet his or her expectations?’

4) Fear of loneliness: ‘What if he or she deserts me?’

5) Fear of pain: ‘I’ve been hurt before, and I don’t want to be hurt again.’

So, what do you do? Today the answer has become a ‘common law marriage’, but this isn't God's way. Living together without marriage is like renting a room versus buying a house. If a repair is necessary for the rented room, the renter is apt to abandon the room for another. If a repair is necessary for their home, the owners (who should have put much consideration and prayer into the decision to purchase) make the required commitment to protect their investment. A study on cohabitation found that nearly 19 per cent of couples who lived together before their engagement had suggested divorce during their marriage. In couples who did not live together first, the figure was just over 10 per cent. Contrary to what you may think, those who play around and move from relationship to relationship don’t experience lasting happiness. Whereas, those who commit themselves to God and to one another experience true and lasting happiness.

God has not forsaken you

Fri, 4 Aug 2023

‘You will deny Me three times.’ Luke 22:61

The Bible says, ‘Peter remembered the word of the Lord … “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly’ (Luke 22:61-62 NKJV). What is it that saves us? Our good works? No, it’s our faith in Christ. ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.’ (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV). Now you understand the words of Christ to Peter: ‘I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail’ (Luke 22:32 NKJV). When you have faith in Christ, you can bounce back. When it comes to God’s grace, there is no statute of limitations. Peter denied Jesus not once but repeatedly. Perhaps that’s your story too! This wasn’t a moment that Peter would be proud of but an experience he would grow stronger as a result of. When someone fails badly, we say that they ‘crash and burn’. And when something is burned, all that’s left is ashes. But we serve a God of restoration who gives ‘beauty for ashes’ (see Isaiah 61:3). If you had seen Peter swearing that he didn’t know the Lord, would you have picked him to be your church leader? God did. He made him the head of the New Testament church. We tell people, ‘Don’t get into messes’ and ‘Don’t sin’. And that’s good advice – God doesn’t want us sinning. But we should really say, ‘Don’t walk headfirst into sin when you know better. But when you fail, as you surely will, turn to God and He will restore you and use your failure to strengthen you

Are you being sifted?

Thu, 3 Aug 2023

‘Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.’ Luke 22:31

Jesus knew Peter would deny Him, yet He called him to be His disciple, saying: ‘And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”’ (Luke 22:31-32 NKJV). The mistakes you make and the messes you create usually don’t happen by accident but by choice. Yet they don’t put you beyond the reach of God’s grace. The secret of victory is to let God use your mistakes to develop you rather than let Satan use them to destroy you. Note the words ‘Satan has asked for you’. Satan wants to take back what he lost – you. When you doubt, he has the power to bring you down; you’re setting yourself up to fail. Have you ever seen wheat going through a threshing process? It’s not a pretty sight. And when it happens in your life, it doesn’t feel good. So the question is, if Peter, one of Christ’s handpicked disciples, could fail, how much more likely is it to happen to you? And when it does, what do you suppose the Lord wants to accomplish through it? Today your life may be a mess, but if you turn to God, He can make something beautiful out of it. And one more thought: Jesus told Peter, ‘I have prayed for you.’ Today, Jesus is praying for you. ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’ (1 John 2:1 KJV). So, if you have fallen, Jesus will lift you up and restore you.

It is well

...he don set

.....this is so sad. 😢

Growing older with grace (2)

Wed, 2 Aug 2023

‘For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.’ Proverbs 3:2

By the year 2030, one in five of us will be seventy years of age or older. That’s about 20 per cent of the world’s population. Millions of us will live to be a hundred or more. When asked at his birthday party how he felt about turning eighty, American President Dwight D. Eisenhower replied, ‘It sure does beat the alternative!’ African American Anita Bogan died in 2007 at the ripe old age of 106. Her obituary in the Los Angeles Times read: ‘Blessed with good health and a sound mind, Bogan spent most of her old age doing what she wanted to do, with a feisty, what’s-age-got-to-do-with-it attitude. In the decades following her 80th year, she created a non-profit foundation to build senior housing, opened a floral shop, played golf daily, took cruises to celebrate her birthdays and inspired people. On Bogan’s 100th birthday, the Kern County Board of Supervisors declared an “Anita Bogan Day”.’ By her attitude towards life, Anita changed the way people around her viewed ageing. And the Bible doesn’t just promise long life, it promises quality life. ‘My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.’ (Proverbs 3:1-2 NKJV). ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.’ (Proverbs 9:10-11 NKJV). The secret of enjoying the ageing process is to build a close relationship with God and live according to His principles.

Winning123:
Dear Lord, Let no life be lost!

Amin Jesu 🙏

wahala! wahala!! wahala!!!

@ 25? 😢.
.....what could have gone wrong? But who am I to question God?

BAT needs to tread softly too 🤔

Racoon:
This matter is really escalating now. It means we are back to the era of military coupists government. The tyrannical mindsets of African leaders is not helping the continent.

.....and what has Africa benefited from the civilian rule over the years too, if not for corruption? 🤔

Growing older with grace (1)

Tue, 1 Aug 2023

‘If you respect the LORD, you will live longer.’ Proverbs 10:27

Does the thought of ageing make you anxious? If so, it’s time to re-examine your value system. With God, the contents are more important than the package. And in order to make peace with your wrinkles, you must come into agreement with Him. Ultimately, it’s not the number of days in your life that count but the quality of life in your days. Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine. Note what the host of the wedding reception said: ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first … but you have saved the best till now’ (John 2:10 NIV). And that can be the story of your life too. You don’t have to suffer from gerascophobia, the fear of ageing. Keep fighting, keep growing, and keep moving forwards. Listen to the words of Caleb: ‘For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God … Moses solemnly promised me, “The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever”… Now, as you can see, the LORD has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise – even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So give me the hill country that the LORD promised me … So Joshua blessed Caleb … and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land’ (Joshua 14:8-13 NLT). That’s called ‘growing older with grace’.

Break out of the box

Mon, 31 Jul 2023

‘Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.’ Psalm 78:41

The Bible says: ‘They provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power’ (Psalm 78:40-42 NKJV). The Israelites continually provoked God’s anger and grieved His heart in the wilderness. How? By limiting Him. By limiting what He could do for them and through them. And we do the same when we fail to recognise and use the gifts He gives us and the creative ideas He places within our minds. God wants you to break out of the box of your own history, hang-ups, and personal limitations. One of the ways in which you do that is by constantly exposing yourself to new ideas, new places, and new people. God’s Word says: ‘Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left’ (Isaiah 54:2-3 NKJV). Note the words ‘enlarge’,‘stretch out’,‘lengthen’,‘strengthen’ and ‘expand’. Creativity is just teachability. So, are you teachable? The words on a tombstone read: ‘Died at forty, was buried at eighty.’ Unless you keep learning, growing, and expanding your thinking, that can be your fate too. You say, ‘But I’m not naturally creative.’ Creativity is not necessarily something you’re born with; it comes from developing your God-given gifts and seizing the opportunities He sends your way in life. Do you want to break out of the box? That’s how you do it!

Sonnobax15:

All of dem.

most truthfully 😢

God help us in Jesus name 🙏

Let your children enjoy their childhood

Sun, 30 Jul 2023

‘I will lead on slowly, at a pace which … the children, are able to endure.’ Genesis 33:14

Today there is a tendency on the part of some parents to try and make their children grow up too quickly. They rush them through the milestones of childhood and thrust them into the turmoil of adolescence. This is the conclusion of developmental psychologist Dr David Elkind, who called this cultural phenomenon the ‘Hurried Child Syndrome’. It happens when parents encourage their children to act like teenagers, such as buying make-up for preschool girls, allowing early teenage dating, treating kids more like grown-ups, expecting them to make adult-level choices, dressing them in designer clothes, and especially, subjecting them to graphic sexuality in television, music videos, movies, and the internet. Years ago, parents understood the necessity of a safe and orderly progression through childhood. There were cultural markers that defined the ages at which specific behaviours and activities were deemed appropriate or inappropriate. Today these markers have vanished, or they have been moved downwards. And it can be a big mistake. When you treat your children as if they’re already grown, it becomes very challenging to set limits on their adolescent behaviour in the near future. How can you establish a curfew for a thirteen-year-old, for example, who has been taught to view himself or herself as an adult? In short, the ‘Hurried Child Syndrome’ deprives our kids of childhood and puts them on an unnatural timetable that’s detrimental to their mental and physical health. If you’re wise, you will heed the advice of Jacob to his brother Esau: ‘I will lead on slowly, at a pace which … the children, are able to endure’ (Genesis 33:14 NKJV).

You belong to God

Sat, 29 Jul 2023

‘Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!’ Psalm 139:14

Do you remember the old TV series The Six Million Dollar Man? He was built and equipped with nuclear-powered bionic limbs and implants. Well, he has nothing on you! You’re unique … one of a kind … a genuine marvel of God’s creative genius. For example, your tongue has four hundred little taste buds, each one capable of discerning the difference between asparagus and lemon meringue pie. And how about your intestinal system? Twenty million little mouths capable of digesting almost anything. Then, there is your cooling system. Frigidaire has nothing like it; three hundred and fifty thousand sweat glands per square inch. And how about your sensory system? A network of ten million nerves, the branches of which send and interpret messages and also formulate a response for each. You’re one in seven billion! Nobody else has your voice pattern, fingerprints, or DNA. When you were born, God didn’t stop and say, ‘What are we going to do with this one?’ No, you were given your father’s name (see Isaiah 43:1). You were bought with a price (see 1 Corinthians 6:20). You were made a member of His redeemed family (see 1 John 3:2). Your steps are ordered by him (see Psalm 37:23). He has already planned your success (see Jeremiah 29:11). He loved you when you were unlovable and chose you before you could do either right or wrong. Doesn’t that give Him the right to say, ‘I want your praise and obedience, I want you to spend time with Me, I want you to read the letters I’ve written to you, and I don’t want anybody or anything to come between us’? The word for today is – you belong to God!

Prophecy fulfilled

Fri, 28 Jul 2023

‘Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done.’ Isaiah 46:10

How can you be sure the Bible is divinely inspired and, therefore, worthy of your trust? By prophecy fulfilled! No other religion has specific, repeated, and unfailing fulfilment of predictions made many years in advance of events over which the predictor had no control. Finite human beings know the future only if it’s told to them by an infinite being. And God provided this evidence for us so we would know that the Scriptures have a divine author: ‘For I am God … Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done’ (Isaiah 46:9-10 NKJV). The Bible’s sixty-six books, written between 1400 BC and AD 90, contain approximately 3,856 verses concerned with prophecy. And here is the best part! Over 25 per cent of the entire Bible contains specific predictive prophecies that have already been fulfilled – literally. Sir Isaac Newton said, ‘I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.’ You ask, ‘Then how come some people don’t believe the Bible?’ Because they haven’t opened their hearts to God! Paul writes: ‘No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches … the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned’ (1 Corinthians 2:11-14 NKJV).

....he knows now that Obi will not win. 🤔

Don’t quarrel about it

Thu, 27 Jul 2023

‘Stop before a dispute breaks out.’ Proverbs 17:14

Have you seen the bumper sticker that reads, ‘People who think they know it all are especially annoying to those of us who do?’ You will find know-it-alls everywhere. Older people, afraid of uselessness, struggle to prove they still have some superior amount of knowledge. Religious people use their convictions like a club to beat others over the head. The Bible says, ‘Earnestly contend for the faith’ (Jude 1:3 KJV). But there is a difference between contending and being contentious. Paul writes: ‘Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful’ (2 Timothy 2:23-24 NIV). Note these four phrases: 1) ‘Must not be quarrelsome.’ Don’t argue, just plant the seeds of God’s Word and trust the Holy Spirit to work in people’s hearts. 2) ‘Be kind to everyone.’ There is no need to be hostile, demeaning, or disagreeable with someone who doesn’t share your viewpoint. What’s driving you towards such unkindness? Must you prove people mistaken to validate your self-worth? 3) ‘Able to teach.’ Instead of trying to force your opinions on someone, simply say, ‘Here is what I have discovered in God’s Word, and here is the difference it has made in my life.’ Your experience is never at the mercy of someone else’s argument. 4) ‘Not resentful.’ Only when your own hurts have been healed can God use you to heal the hurts of others. So, pray: ‘Father, make me an instrument of peace so that people will be open to the truths you reveal to them through me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.’

I think those buses are for those in Abeokuta alone....🤔. I haven't seen any in other towns of Ogun State.

Dapo Abiodun, get your acts together please.

Showing love and respect

Wed, 26 Jul 2023

‘Love one another … giving precedence and showing honour to one another.’ Romans 12:10

One of the first signs of trouble in a marriage is taking each other for granted. And it happens subtly, like a weed growing up and choking a rose. Dr James Dobson writes: ‘One of the best ways to keep a marriage healthy is to maintain a system of mutual accountability within the context of love. This is done by protecting what I call the ‘line of respect’. Let me illustrate. Suppose I work in my office two hours longer than usual knowing that my wife, Shirley, is at home preparing a special candlelight dinner. If I don’t call to let her know I’ll be late, you can bet that I’m going to hear about it when I get home. Shirley would see my behaviour as insulting – and she’d be right. So she’d say, in effect, ‘Jim, what you did was selfish, and I can’t let it pass.’ In those few words, and probably a few more, she would have spoken her mind in love and held me accountable for my disrespect. Then we would move on together. In a healthy marriage, some things are worth defending, and mutual respect is at the top of the list. This doesn’t mean you should nag, insult, publicly embarrass your mate, or point out insignificant indiscretions that should be overlooked. But a workable system of checks and balances can keep your marriage on course when issues of respect are at stake. This kind of mutual accountability is the best way I know to avoid an unexpected explosion when stored resentment and anger reach a critical mass.’ So:

‘Love one another … giving precedence and showing honour to one another’ (Romans 12:10 AMPC).

...he sees himself as a celebrity nii 🤔

Hummm

*DR ADEDEJI ADELEKE*

*WHY MY $2b POWER PLANT WILL BE DELAYED FOR ONE YEAR.*

*(THE LAST THREE PARAGRAPHS SWEPT ME OFF MY FEET🫡)*

*Abusiness magnate and Pro-Chancellor of Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Dr. Deji Adeleke, has explained the reasons the ongoing construction of a* *1,250-megawatt power plant which cost $2 billion in Ajebandele village, Ondo State may be delayed for one year.*

*Adeleke one of the leading industrialists in Nigeria commenced the project a few years ago to complement the existing 4,000 megawatts of Nigeria.*


*Addressing the 9th set of graduates of Adeleke University Ede, Osun State, Adeleke disclosed that looters invaded the power plant site to steal components of the turbine machines which cost $ 5 million and may lead to delay in delivering the project in record time.*

*In his speech, entitled,*

*‘Change Begins with You’*

*Adeleke counseled that citizenship comes with responsibilities which will go a long way in nation building, saying, “Everybody must contribute its quota, by doing the right thing and then we will hold our leaders accountable.”*

*He said: “I am building a 1250MW power plant, Nigeria has about 5,000 MW, adding mine to it is a lot. The cost is $2 billion. We started it in a village in Ondo state. We brought in turbines that cost about $72 million.*

*“The construction of the project engaged over 1000 people and at a minimum 200 to 300 people will come from that village, that is for direct employment not to talk of indirect. The few security that we engaged are to protect our engineers so that they will not be kidnapped so we need young men from that village to help us guide the power plant.”*


➡️ *”Last month, we discovered that some of the turbines have been broken into, some of the components built with copper have been looted, those components were yanked off in each of those turbines, these are heavy items that will require at least 10 people to lift single one. This means that somebody would have brought in a truck at night to carry those things away.*


➡️ *“The project will be delayed for another year to get those things they looted back. This is going to cost us a minimum of $5 million to replace. So can we blame our leaders for that? These are young peoples in their twenties that we employed. We have to sack them out of the plant and bring in securities from top agencies in Nigeria to man and take over the whole plant. I am sure that those things they looted, they won’t seek it for N5 million.”*

➡️ *Adeleke explained that he turned down an exemption letter from the United Arab Emirates(UAE) because the country had banned Nigerians from visiting the country.*

➡️. *“I buy a lot of spare parts from a company based in Dubai, so I was sent a letter that I will be given a special exemption to be visiting Dubai if I wanted to, so I told them that I am not interested, if Nigerians are not welcome to come to Dubai, why should I be happy to get an exception to go to Dubai, what is Dubai anyway?”*