₦airaland Forum

Delivered from People-Pleasing

Tue, 28 Feb 2023

‘'I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,’ Acts 26:17

Paul’s ministry began when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. In that humbling encounter, the Lord said to him: ‘“Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future. And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light …'’’ (Acts 26:16–18 NLT)

Before Paul could be successful in his calling and minister effectively, he had to be delivered from the fear of people. That included those who knew him well and those he had yet to meet who didn’t know him at all. He had to be detoxed from the need for approval. In essence, God was saying to Paul, ‘You’re just the postman. Some days people will like what you deliver, and other days, they won’t. You have to deliver the post anyway. So I’m setting you free from the fear of their rejection and the need for their acceptance.’

Has God called you to do a particular job? Are you afraid you’ll make mistakes? Count on it—you will! Are you worried you’ll be criticised? It comes with the turf! People will disappoint you in 101 different ways, but if you’re determined to do the will of God, pray, ‘Lord, deliver me from people pleasing, so I can share with them what You’ve given to me.’

Then get on with the job!

What an insurance policy!

Mon, 27 Feb 2023

‘All the days of my life.’ Psalm 23:6

Most insurance companies are trustworthy. They will cover you through most of the seasons and adversities of life. But not all insurance companies are that way. In some cases, the moment you make a claim against them, they either hike your premiums through the roof or cancel your policy. But the insurance policy you have with God is awesome. The premiums were paid in the crimson cash of Jesus’ blood when He spoke these words: ‘It is finished,’ which means paid in full. There are different kinds of insurance policies that cover things like fire, property, theft, health, vehicles, and death. But the only insurance policy that can cover you beyond death is the one God offers. And you don’t have to worry about reading the fine print because He will not cancel it. Paul lays it out for us: ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or unclothedness, or peril, or sword?…in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:35, 37-39 NKJV). Have you repented of your sins? Have you placed your trust in Christ to be your Saviour? Then you’re covered for time and eternity. ‘Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; ’tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.’

Navigating life’s losses (4)

Sun, 26 Feb 2023

‘A time to keep, And a time to throw away.’ Ecclesiastes 3:6

What else do our children need from us when they’re grieving? 1) Our honesty. They need to know we’re hurting too. When they see you crying, but you tell them, ‘I’m all right,’ they’re confused. They think either you’re not hurting, and tears don’t mean anything, or you’re not being real with them. They need to know the genuine you, so they can be real with you and trust you with their hurts. 2) Our awareness of their feelings without overprotecting them. For them, as for you, ‘There is a time to weep…mourn…lose’ (Ecclesiastes 3: 4, 6 NKJV). God has made all these experiences ‘appropriate in its time’ (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NASB). Don’t inhibit or invalidate their sadness, anger, and depression. It’s part of their God-given humanness and will help them become balanced, compassionate adults. 3) Sensitive listening. Kids learn and grow through loss when they have an open and understanding listener. Listen, then reflect on their feelings. ‘Sounds like you’re angry. Want to talk about it?’ Don’t analyse; ask! Listen with your eyes and ears. ‘Your words say you’re all right, but your eyes suggest you’re sad.’ 4) Permission to express negative emotions. Anger and resentment aimed at doctors, the system, family members, you, and even God is normal! Don’t say, ‘You shouldn’t say such things.’ Instead, say, ‘Sounds like a real, honest expression of pain and disappointment. Want to talk more about it?’ Expression detoxifies negative emotion. 5) Inclusion in our grief rituals. Include them in family gatherings, funeral planning, and services, and they will find comfort in the validation, closure, and healing these times bring!

Navigating life’s losses (3)

Sat, 25 Feb 2023

‘A time to gain, and a time to lose.’ Ecclesiastes 3:6

How can we help children navigate life’s losses? 1) Don’t underestimate their capacity for grief. Children are often the forgotten grievers. Their pain is real and intense; recognise and validate it. 2) Don’t avoid talking about the loss when they’re present. Excluding them from adults in mourning denies them the opportunity for support and increased understanding of their loss. Include them in the family’s collective grief experience. 3) Encourage them to share their feelings about the loss. Teach them that being real is more important than being strong, and confirm that their feelings matter. Very young children have a limited understanding of the meaning, permanence, and irreversibility of death. They can only talk about it briefly and concretely. Older children understand its meaning and should be encouraged to talk about it. 4) Make allowance for each child’s personality. Our personality determines our grieving style. Introverted children may need their own space; extroverted ones may need to be verbal and sociable. Dependent children need strong adults around them; independent ones can handle a lot on their own. 5) Communicate realistically with them. Adults often use language that confuses children. ‘Your dad has gone home…fallen asleep…passed away…gone to his rest,’ etc. Speaking of death as the end of this physical life is Biblical, clarifies the significance of the loss, and allows children to ask questions that matter to them. Your children can handle loss, and they can understand that everlasting life is God’s great solution, and one day we will join our loved ones in heaven (see John 14:2-3).

Navigating life’s losses (2)

Fri, 24 Feb 2023

‘A time to be born, and a time to die.’ Ecclesiastes 3:2

Researchers at the Colorado Institute of Grief offer us this helpful four-stage path to recovery. Stage 1) Shock. Our initial response is one of denial and disbelief. ‘I can’t believe this is happening! There is a numbing of our senses, a God-designed natural anaesthesia that buffers the early blow and allows us time to gather our coping mechanisms. Stage 2) Protest. We feel anger and resentment against God, yet we feel guilty for blaming Him. We may blame ourselves, the doctors, or the patient and question God’s love and faithfulness, and even bargain with Him. ‘If You will just do a miracle and bring them back, I will …’. Stage 3) Disorganisation. Everything comes apart at the seams. The lifestyle we knew and loved unravels. The dreams we cherished evaporate. We feel hopeless, powerless, and lost in a strange, empty universe. Secondary losses may loom: financial insecurity, social dislocation, depression, loss of concentration, etc. We’re convinced that life will never be normal again. We survive moment to moment, afraid to anticipate the road ahead. Stage 4) Reorganisation. Unrelenting grief gives way to waves of sadness varying in frequency and intensity. We begin to accept and accommodate our loss. The energy we expended on grief work becomes available again, enabling us to adjust to the demands and opportunities of our new lifestyle. Slowly we re-emerge and take hold of the reins again. The process will take many months, and full recovery may take years. But God promises it will come! There will be ‘a time to heal…build up…laugh…dance…gain!’ (Ecclesiastes 3:3-4, 6 NKJV).

Navigating life’s losses (1)

Thu, 23 Feb 2023

‘A time to mourn, And a time to dance.’ Ecclesiastes 3:4

God’s Word neither ignores nor minimises the painful realities of life. Inevitably, we, and our loved ones, will experience life’s losses: illness, ageing, death, divorce, disability, loss of independence, unemployment, financial reversals, etc. Today’s culture prepares us for gain, but not for loss; to dance, but not to mourn. Major losses throw us into unchartered territory. So, we need to understand the dynamics of our loss in order to help us through it and back to living again. Life-changing loss begins with bereavement – the agony of feeling that something or someone indispensable to us has been ripped away, leaving us feeling robbed. Then comes grief – searing emotions of overwhelming sorrow that are often accompanied by anger, distress, confusion, and helplessness. Next, we move into the mourning stage and begin to express our grief and loss. This is the hard work stage of tears, memories, and heartrending spasms of weeping that shake us to our very core. We feel guilt and remorse over what we have said or done or not said or done. Our heartache gives those around us the opportunity to respond, offering the comfort and reassurance we need to begin healing. This is God’s protocol for healing broken hearts. At the age of 120, Moses, the Israelites’ beloved leader died leaving behind him a grief-stricken nation (see Deuteronomy 34). God allowed them thirty days to mourn their loss and to comfort one another before resuming the business of life. So take the time you need to do the work of mourning your losses because Jesus said, ‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted’ (Matthew 5:4 KJV).

Are you being sifted?

Wed, 22 Feb 2023

‘Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ Luke 22:31-32

When Jesus told Peter, “Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat,” it raises the question in our minds, Lord, did you have to say yes? A good sifting brings glory to God, such as when Job continued to praise his Maker when things seemed lost and even his wife was telling him to give up on God. It probes your weaknesses. When you’re still thinking, ‘I can,’ a swift sift will push you to say, ‘I can’t, but God can.’ It allows God to scrape away the distractions that could hinder you from fulfilling His purpose in your life. Peter’s sifting would scrape away all his stomp-and-snort bluster, revealing a heart that’s teachable and willing to welcome Cornelius and his Gentile clan into the family of God. Notice, Jesus didn’t say, ‘Get ready for a whirlwind of hurt, Peter. I know you’re going to let me down!’ Instead, He pointed to the future. Peter would survive the sifting; he would return humbled but stronger and with a purpose to strengthen his brothers and sisters. The Lord said yes to the sifting in order to transform Peter from a leader who serves to a servant who leads. And that’s a significant shift from the thinking of men to the thinking of God. You may have days when you wonder if God is letting Satan sift you. You can take a God-view of it, knowing He is always in control. Remember, ‘“greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world’ (1 John 4:4 KJV).’

Let God lead you

Tue, 21 Feb 2023

‘He leads me in the paths of righteousness.’ Psalm 23:3

Life is full of choices, decisions, and options. It’s also full of people with strong opinions who will try to tell you which way they think you ought to go. If we could turn back the hands of time, nearly all of us would alter some of our past choices because they have caused us to find ourselves on the path of wrongness rather than righteousness. Sheep will gravitate towards whatever appeals to their instincts, such as a berry bush, even though it will take them away from the flock and the shepherd’s protective care. They think they know the right path when they really have no clue. Have you been following your appetites and instincts rather than your shepherd? You say, ‘But God has given me a brain to use.’ Sure, and you need to develop it. But it’s limited, and it will only take you so far. The Holy Spirit desires to take you beyond those limits. ‘As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God’ (Romans 8:14 KJV). How does God lead us? Objectively through His Word and subjectively through His Spirit. As you read His Word, you hear His voice, and as you lie down (Psalm 23:2 KJV), He impresses upon your heart what He wants you to do. If you have gone onto the wrong path, turn to God, and He will guide you back onto the right path. You say, ‘Would God actually speak to someone like me?’ Yes, ‘He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice’ (John 10:3-4 NKJV). Today, let God lead you!

.......and he should just go with his bad luck. Can't wait to be honest.

Broken arrows

Mon, 20 Feb 2023

‘As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.’ Psalm 127:4

Children are like arrows; they must be aimed in the right direction. When they’re aimed in the wrong direction, they may become involved in harmful habits or destructive lifestyles. And as long as we jeer at or judge them, they will never feel comfortable turning to us for help as they go through life. Broken arrows come in all forms. Pain isn’t prejudiced; it spares no age group, cultural background, or social strata. What’s the answer? Let the strong bear the infirmities of the weak (see Romans 15:1). ‘Jesus…had compassion on them and healed their sick’ (Matthew 14:14 NLT). Compassion is the mother of miracles! When the disciples thought they would die in the storm, they didn’t challenge Christ’s power; they challenged His compassion: ‘Carest thou not that we perish?’ (Mark 4:38 KJV). Where there is no compassion, there will be no miracle. Only when you’re moved by someone’s pain rather than turned off by their symptoms can you bring healing to them. One author writes: ‘We can build all the churches we want. But if people cannot find a loving voice within our hallowed halls, they will pass through unaltered by our clichés and religious rhetoric. Church is not a club for the well-heeled but a hospital for those needing to be healed and set free. You don’t have to like everything about the people you’re called to minister to, but you do have to love them because God does.’ We have been called to gather up those the world has thrown away because they matter to God: ‘“They shall be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “on the day that I make them My jewels”’ (Malachi 3:17 NKJV).

AllenforGOD:
Bros i want to be free from sexual impurity,lust,masturbation
:-(

There's nothing impossible for God if you believe and have faith in Him and His words. The first thing is to confess your your sins (between you & God) and ask for forgiveness.....then accept Christ as your personal saviour.

Pray this simple prayer: Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, and I admitted that I've been wrong in so many ways to you. Please Lord, forgive me of all my sins. And I give my life to you this morning, I accept you as my personal saviour, please come into my heart and dwell within. Give me the power to overcome sins, and give me that strength to continue to follower and learn from your foot. Thank you Lord Jesus because you came to die for my sins. And I accept this free gift by faith in Jesus name. Amen.

Endeavor to stay away from the things that makes you feel guilty and those you know are sins. Get a Bible, or download one online and read it from time to time. It's the perfect word of God. When you read the Bible, the Lord is talking to, and when you pray, you are taking back to Him.

Reading the Bible might be very difficult sometimes, but allow yourself as you read through for the Lord to communicate with you. HE will definitely speak to you.

Then, look for any spiritual church preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and start attending. The Lord will give you a good direction on this.

One thing I want you to be conscious of is that the Lord love you and He will definitely give you the grace to walk with Him. May His grace be sufficient for you in all your life as you've decided to walk with Him from this moment with grace.

God bless you my brother.

You are thirsty for God

Sun, 19 Feb 2023

‘Give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty.’ John 4:15

This Samaritan woman tried to fill the emptiness in her life with multiple relationships. But it didn’t work. When you try to find in anyone else what can only be found in Christ, you place so much stress on the relationship that it will break under the weight of it. Why did Jesus say, ‘You have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband’ (John 4:18 NIV)? Because one of the first things hurting people need to do is break the pattern of using other people as a narcotic to dull the pain of their inner void. The more you medicate the symptoms, the less chance you have of allowing God to treat the cause. The other dysfunctional tendency that can exist is that you keep increasing the dosage. When you become increasingly dependent on others rather than on God to create a feeling of wholeness in your life, you’re abusing your relationships. Clinging to people is very different from loving them. It’s not so much a declaration of your love for them as a crying out of your need for them. Like lust, it’s extremely selfish. It’s taking instead of giving. Jesus quenched the Samaritan woman’s thirst with His Word, saying, ‘Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life’ (John 4:14 NIV). And she went back home totally changed, for that’s what Jesus does. Listen to her testimony: ‘Come, see a man who told me everything’ (v. 29 NIV). And what Jesus did for her, He will do for you today.

Jesus wants to set you free

Sat, 18 Feb 2023

‘But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”’ Luke 13:12

The Bible says: ‘There was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity”’ (Luke 13:11-12 NKJV). Notice four things in this story: the person, the problem, the Great Physician, and the prescription. For every person, including you, there will be a problem. But more importantly, for every problem, including yours, the Great Physician has a prescription. Jesus’ opening statement to the problem in this woman’s life is not a recommendation for counselling; it’s a challenging command: ‘You are loosed!’ Christian counsellors are a gift from God, but often more is involved in maintaining deliverance than just discussing past trauma. Jesus didn’t counsel what should have been commanded. After you have analysed the condition and understood its origin, it will take the authority of God’s Word to put the past under your feet! This woman was suffering as the result of something that had attacked her eighteen years earlier, yet her trauma was as fresh that day as it was the day it occurred. But while her problem was rooted in the past, her prescription could only be found in the present word from God. Jesus, who is the Living Word, is ‘the same yesterday, today, and forever’ (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV). That is to say, the word you are hearing today is able to heal your yesterday! Jesus said, ‘Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.’ Why didn’t Jesus call her by name? Because His promise applies to all of us.

You will get through this

Fri, 17 Feb 2023

‘To every thing there is a season … A time to weep, and a time to laugh.’ Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4

Sorrow comes to us in many forms. You can lose your job, your home, or your health. But nothing hurts more than when you lose someone you love dearly. Waves of grief will come at you like the ocean throwing its waves up onto the beach. Whatever you do, don’t drown. Don’t stop there and allow yourself to be pulled under by the current. Allow yourself to feel the grief without tying it around your neck. Allow the weight of it to help you work through your thoughts, fears, and, if necessary, your tears. Grieving relieves the soul, like exhaling carbon dioxide relieves your body. But there comes a point at which you must get up and go on. The stages of grief you go through are; shock, then denial, then bargaining, then sorrow, and finally acceptance. David said, ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me’ (Psalm 23:4 KJV). When you get through this valley, you will be able to look back with more gratitude and less grief. Instead of focusing on what you have lost, you will be thankful for what you have left. And don’t be afraid to indulge in those rare moments of laughter that come even in the face of heartbreak. Laughter medicates the soul and alleviates the tension of those times; it requires us to step outside our present pain and adjust our focus. This in itself is a healing balm. ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine’ (Proverbs 17:22 KJV).

Baba werey ! .....and Emefiele too is werey kekere.
Awon family werey.

You can change your self-perception

Thu, 16 Feb 2023

‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’ 1 Corinthians 15:10

The new birth begins a transforming process in how you think about yourself. But it must be continued each day by renewing your mind. ‘Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect’ (Romans 12:2 NLT). When your thinking is changed by God’s Word, two things happen: a) you know His will for you, and b) you know He is pleased with you. When those two things happen, your self-perception is changed, and you’re no longer at the mercy of other people’s opinions or evaluation of you. Our opinion of ourselves is deeply affected by the opinions of the authority figures in our formative years. If our parents tended to neglect or ignore us, we concluded that we weren’t worth their time, attention, or love, and it tore at our self-worth. But as we mature in God’s Word, we learn to walk in the light of our new self-image, and we gain new self-worth. Regardless of what you have been through in life or the mistakes you have made, God will help you to realise who you are and what He has graced you to do. Before Paul met Christ, he killed Christians; that’s as bad as it gets. But after he met Christ, he wrote, ‘By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.’ When you understand God’s grace – His unearned, undeserved, unfailing favour towards you – it will profoundly change how you feel about yourself.

Ride on

Instead of worrying, trust God

Wed, 15 Feb 2023

‘Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’ Philippians 4:6

Paul writes: ‘Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 4:6-7 CSB). Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair; it’s always in motion, and it keeps you busy, but it never actually gets you anywhere. In fact, if you do it too long, it wears you out! That’s why we must learn to ‘take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV). One medical expert says that we create about thirty thousand thoughts per day, and an uncontrolled thought life can create a perfect environment for needless worry to thrive. The cause of worry is simple: it’s the reluctance to trust God to take care of the various situations in your life. Most of us have spent our lives trying to take care of ourselves, so it takes a long time to learn how to trust God instead. And the only way you learn that is by doing it. Each time you pray and turn the problem over to God, you experience His faithfulness. That makes it easier for you to trust Him next time. And when it comes to life’s problems, there will always be a next time. So each time you begin to feel anxious, say, ‘I trust God completely; there is no need to worry!’ The more you think about this truth, the more you will find yourself choosing trust over worry.

Respond the right way

Tue, 14 Feb 2023

‘We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials.’ Romans 5:3

In World War II, Viktor Frankl was sentenced to a Nazi concentration camp. The guards deprived him of everything. They took his wife, his family, and his clothes. They even stole his wedding ring. But he had one thing no one could take from him. In a classic book, he wrote, ‘The last of human freedoms is the ability to choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.’ The guards could not take from Frankl his freedom to choose his attitude. We do not know what is going to occur tomorrow or even today. We can’t control all our circumstances, but we can control how we respond to them. We can control whether an experience makes us stronger or weaker, increases our faith or our fear, makes us a better person or a bitter person. The saying goes: ‘The same sunshine that melts the butter hardens the clay.’ God wants our struggles to strengthen us. Paul writes: ‘We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love’ (Romans 5: 3-5 NLT). And here is another very important thought. The tests and trials we go through in this life are what qualifies us to rule and reign with Christ in the next life. Knowing that will help you to respond the right way!

Yinmu

Awon odale

You can have peace of mind

Mon, 13 Feb 2023

‘The LORD blesses his people with peace.’ Psalm 29:11

Everybody wants peace of mind. Whether you’re a businessperson facing the pressure of deadlines, a homemaker trying to round up kids, or a student trying to make it through the university term, everyone wants peace of mind. But most of us experience more stress than peace. How acquainted are you with stress? ‘Here is a little quiz. Complete each of these sentences with the appropriate word: ‘I’m ready to throw in the…I’m at the end of my…I’m just a bundle of…My life is falling…I’m at my wits’…I feel like resigning from the human…’ How did you do? If you answered, ‘towel, rope, nerves, apart, end, and race,’ give yourself an A+.’ Most of us have muttered these words so often that they’re almost second nature. Stress is a regrettable fact of life in our contemporary world. Sales of sedatives are at an all-time high, and books on peace of mind become immediate best-sellers. We are warned that too much stress is unhealthy. So what else is new? We have understood that for centuries. Thousands of years ago, Solomon wrote, ‘A heart at peace gives life to the body’ (Proverbs 14:30 NIV). We know about stress, but where can we go to find peace? To God! Take a moment and read these two promises: 1) ‘The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.’ 2) ‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace’ (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).

You are being pruned (2)

Sun, 12 Feb 2023

‘My suffering was good for me, ...’ Psalm 119:71

God uses problems, pressures, and people to prune you for greater fruitfulness. Are you aware of Him using any of these three things in your life today? God can use all situations in your life to help you grow if you will just have the right attitude. He will use a major frustration, a financial setback, a sudden sickness, a broken marriage, a rebellious child, or even the death of a loved one to get your attention. You say, ‘But it hurts so much!’ Yes, pruning is painful. Sometimes a gardener will prune a tree until it looks like a totem pole or a giant toothpick. It’s not a pretty sight. But the pruning process is positive. God is not mad at you. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, …’ (Romans 8:1 NKJV). God does not punish His genuine children. Jesus took your punishment on the cross. God’s pruning is for your best, for more fruitfulness in your life. Can God’s pruning fail to produce? Sure, if you don’t cooperate. How does God produce ‘… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.’ in your life? (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT). He produces these qualities by allowing you to face situations and people with exactly the opposite qualities. He teaches you to love by putting you around difficult people. He teaches you patience by letting things frustrate you. You say, ‘How can I cooperate with God?’ The Bible tells you: ‘Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus’ (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT).

You are being pruned (1)

Sat, 11 Feb 2023

‘But God’s discipline is always good for us ...’ Hebrews 12:10

Did you know that some master gardeners actually talk to their plants? Why? Because it helps them grow! Imagine yourself saying, ‘You’re such a good plant. My, you are looking fine today! I’m so proud of you!’ Now picture yourself talking to a plant you’re pruning and saying, ‘This pains me more than it pains you.’ Whack! ‘You will thank me for this afterwards!’ Whack! ‘It’s for your own good!’ Whack! Now picture the plant talking back: ‘You don’t have a heart. You hate me. I’ve worked long and hard to make those roses you just cut off.’ Isn’t that what we say to God while He prunes us? ‘Don’t you love me? Don’t you care about me? Don’t you see what’s going on in my life right now?’ We think God is mad at us. No, He is not mad. One of the major mistakes we make is confusing pruning with punishment. Don’t equate the two. God sees you as someone who can bear more fruit, someone with potential for greatness, someone He wants to utilise in a significant way. He wants you to be as fruitful as you can conceivably be, so He prunes you, even lopping off some of the things He has been blessing in your life. Have you lost a job you loved? Or a relationship you loved? God may have something much better in mind. Can you trust Him? Do you believe He is at work in your life? His Word says, ‘… God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished’ (Philippians 1:6 NLT).

Always treat people with respect

Fri, 10 Feb 2023

‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ...’ 1 Peter 3:15

The Bible says, ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ...’ Two ways to get an egg out of an eggshell are to 1) crack it open or 2) put it in a warm, loving environment and allow it to incubate and hatch. The second way preserves the chick, while the first one kills it. Similarly, two ways to get the good news of the gospel across to people are to 1) pound them over the head with it or 2) love them into God’s family. Have you noticed that some evangelism is just a thinly-veiled insult? ‘You need what I have because you’re so awful.’ People do need the good news, but your disposition can keep them from receiving it. Respect unbelievers; don’t humiliate them. Respecting means accepting them. That doesn’t mean you have to approve of their lifestyle. Acceptance and approval are different. But everybody has the right to be treated respectfully. The best way to share the gospel with unbelievers is to surround them with love and acceptance as you share it with them. Be respectful, sensitive, and caring. Theologian D.T. Niles said, ‘Evangelism is just one beggar telling another where to find bread.’ Share God’s Word! You do the sharing, and God will do the saving. Once you sow the seed of God’s Word into someone’s heart, you can love them and leave them and trust God to do His part.

Committed and connected

Thu, 9 Feb 2023

‘So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.’ Romans 12:5

The Bible describes the Christian life in war terms: fight, conquer, strive, battle, overcome, and victory. Whether you realise it or not, you’re in a spiritual battle, and you need support and backup. When you became a Christian, you became a member of God’s army. Imagine you go to a recruiting office to join the Army. They say, ‘Wonderful, sign here.’ You say: ‘Wait! I have one stipulation. I don’t want to be committed to any particular platoon. I want to be able to float around. I’ll be part of the Army, but I don’t want to be committed to a certain group of soldiers. If the battle gets too hot in one area, I’ll move to another area and join another platoon. And if I dislike one platoon’s leadership, I’ll join another.’ Would you want a person like that fighting by your side? Of course, you wouldn’t! But that’s how many Christians today relate to God’s army. They float around from church to church with little or no commitment to any particular group of Christians – so while the battle is being fought, they are AWOL. There is no such thing as a free-floating believer in the Bible. The distinction is commitment. The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia, which means being committed to one another. Jesus said, ‘"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."’ (John 13:35 NKJV). And you can’t love in absentia. So, be committed and connected.

Faithfulness (4)

Wed, 8 Feb 2023

‘Great is thy faithfulness.’ Lamentations 3:23

Faithfulness can turn the most menial job into a vitally important one. For example, think about how dependent we are on something as small as a postage stamp. It’s always ready for service. It goes wherever it’s sent. It does whatever it’s asked to do. It sticks to the task until it’s done. It doesn’t give up when it’s licked. It stays up to date. And it finds no job too small. We weren’t all born with equal talents; some of us are more gifted in certain areas than others. But every one of us was born with an equal responsibility to utilise his or her abilities at full capacity. That’s the most any of us can do, and it’s what God, who gave us our talents, expects us to do. Two hundred years ago, when the U.S. Marine Corps was first formed, officials gave considerable time to contemplating a fitting motto. They finally chose the Latin phrase semper fidelis, a phrase now engraved on the mind of every Marine. What does it mean? ‘Always faithful’! Both are important words, but the most important is the first one: always. Why? Because a Marine can’t afford to be faithful only when it’s comfortable or convenient, or when they feel like it, or when it will make them happy. Semper fidelis means you must always be faithful – regardless of the cost. God wants to be able to say the same thing about you as is said about Him: ‘Great is thy faithfulness.’ So whether you’re a boss, an employee, a father or mother, a husband or wife, a friend, a teammate, or a Marine, the word for today is – always be faithful.

REVEALED: How Aso Rock Cabal Misled Buhari Into Fuel, Naira Crises Over Plot To Make Atiku President



By Alhassan Bello

As Nigerians suffer on the crises caused by the fuel scarcity and naira swap, it has been revealed that the Aso Rock cabal led by Mallam Mamman Daura is behind the problem that is making Nigerians to suffer.

Credible sources disclosed in Abuja, Katsina, Adamawa and Sokoto states that those who lost the primaries of APC tried to convince Daura to change President Muhammadu Buhari's mind in his support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. No particular person among the losers was mentioned in the plot, but reports suggest that the plotters sold a dummy to Daura that Tinubu will not respect Buhari after getting power.

According to the sources, Daura first snubbed the promoters of the idea. It was learnt that Daura later agreed to join the plot when Atiku Abubakar, who is very close to him, convinced him that Buhari would be making a terrible mistake to allow power move to the South where northern interests may be jeopardised. Atiku told Daura several fabricated stories by a team of blackmailers he set up in PDP to argue his point.

It was learnt that to achieve the plot, Atiku and some  PDP leaders set up a blackmail group led by Nduka Obaigbena to paint a frightening picture of Fulani suffering under a southern President.  According to the sources, in this group are Dino Melaye, Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Sule Lamido and Raymond Dokpesi.

The sources explained that Melaye and members of his group are playing on Daura's mindset in his pro-Fulani sentiment to always place Fulani interest above any other interest in Nigerian politics.

They convinced Daura that his kinsman, Atiku Abubakar, will protect Fulani interest in the coming administration while they had discovered an alleged grand plan by Tinubu and some Eastern leaders to work against Fulani interest after taking power down South.

Convinced by the presentation of  Obaigbena, Atiku was again invited by Daura, who promised Atiku that situations would be created that would make him enjoy support across the country. By this time, Atiku himself was in the dark about what the plan would be. He was asked to come back again.

Before he came back, Daura had perfected his plan. He lied to Buhari, relying on the stories by Obaigbena-led blackmail group. To implement the plot,  Daura asked Atiku to raise N85 billion to start organising his campaign. Atiku said he could not raise the money because he was broke and was yet to recover from the last presidential primaries and election expenses after losing to Buhari.

Daura therefore hatched a plan to convince Buhari to reimburse PDP states that implemented Federal projects so that he could be seen as a national leader who does not discriminate. Buhari agreed. Daura, who is widely known for his rabid pro-Fulani disposition, thereafter tutored Atiku to worm himself to the hearts of PDP governors that will benefit from the windfall. Buhari was convinced by his nephew and paid the money to the states. Some of these governors include Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and Godwin Obaseki of Edo State. But the plan failed to work as Wike began a political war with Atiku and so could not release Rivers money to Atiku. Obaseki also refused to surrender his state money, but Okowa released huge sums of money to Atiku for their joint campaign.

When details of how Okowa surrendered Delta money to Atiku leaked, civil servants and pensioners protested on the streets and asked Okowa to explain how he spent their money. The South East governors that benefited from Buhari's windfall also refused to surrender their money.

With Atiku facing imminent failure, Daura called in Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and NNPC Managing Director, Alhaji Kyari, a Fulani, to join in the plot to blackmail APC into failure and set Nigerians against the party. Emefiele was not difficult to convince to join the plot because he and Okowa are cousins from Agbor, Delta State. Daura worked on Emefiele to convince Buhari about the international honour he will get if he organises credible election devoid of votes buying. Emefiele therefore bypassed Finance Minister, his supervisory authority, to convince Buhari to change Nigeria currency to purportedly prevent votes buying.

The ignorant Buhari who always wants to be seen as upright, bought into the idea. Even the Federal Ministry of Finance fumed over the plan because without its input, Daura convinced Buhari that naira change was the best option for Buhari to organise a clean election. While Daura had hoped that PDP governors would surrender the reimbursements by Buhari to finance Atiku's election, reality dawned on him when these governors, except Okowa, refused to surrender their money.

Kyari also quickly joined the plot that has potential to keep him in office after Atiku's victory, hence the crisis in fuel distribution system that has crippled the nation's economy, resulting in sufferings all over Nigeria in which APC government is held responsible, not knowing that PDP is at work in collaboration with Buhari's nephew.

In the last few days, Dino Melaye has been visiting Emefiele's house during dark hours along with some CBN senior officials of Fulani stock,  according to another credible source in Abuja.

And so with failure imminent in Atiku's camp, the  option of blackmailing APC as a bad party is better, by setting Nigerians against the party by twin plots of petrol scarcity and printing of small quantities of naira notes while setting a short timeline  to effect a change of naira to create scarcity, a method that can't work even in a country of 30 million people. By these plots, Nigerians will naturally campaign against APC as a bad party amid widespread suffering that will create opportunity for Atiku to win.

But all the plots collapsed as northern governors led by Nasir El-Rufai and Atiku Bagudu got wind of the plot. They spoke with Buhari about the problem, reminding him about the sacrifices the Southern politicians made to give victory to Buhari. Surprisingly, Bauchi Governor was reported to buy into El-Rufai's group argument. Therefore, within a short period, the cabal held several meetings while El-Rufai group also held their meetings.

In one of the meetings, Buhari was reminded about his place in history and that he should remember that he could not spend his youth to keep Nigeria one during the civil war but now spend his adult life to divide Nigeria. He was told clearly that the West will naturally join the East to end the union called Nigeria if Buhari sticks to the Daura plot to retain power in the North.

According to sources, Buhari had to bend from his hard line stance when young elements of his Fulani stock told him the truth about the impending danger if Northern politicians break the agreement with their Southern counterparts, more so that the last Constutional Conference recommended power rotation between North  and South, which political parties in Nigeria, including PDP and APC, adopted in their zoning arrangement in their constitutions.

The fallout of the initiatives of the young elements in Northern establishment led to the meeting with Buhari on Friday where Buhari was told about the dangers of failing to follow the agreement on power rotation.

For now, PDP's plot with Daura, who wants a Fulani man to succeed Buhari at all costs, may fail as Buhari may not be able to control the anger and rebellion that will follow the failure to take power back to the South.


(I am Dr Alhassan Bello, a patriotic Nigerian writing from Abuja FCT)

Faithfulness (3)

Tue, 7 Feb 2023

‘Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.’ Luke 16:10

Pastor James Merritt said, ‘The other day, I asked my beautiful wife if she married me for my looks.’ She replied, ‘No, I married you for your brains – it’s the little things that count!’ Merritt was joking, of course. What really counts in life is faithfulness in little things; it’s how dependability begins, grows, and matures. Longfellow wrote, ‘Most people would succeed in small things if they weren’t troubled with great ambition.’ Sometimes we think we’re too big for small things; we would rather get on with what we perceive as bigger, more important matters. But here is how Jesus sees it: ‘"Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. "So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with what is genuine? "And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?’ (Luke 16: 10-12 CSB). If you want to succeed on the job, come to work on time; stick with the job until it’s finished; when you see something that needs to be done, do it, even if it’s not in your job description. Give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay; take your designated lunch break, not a three-hour paid holiday; report your expenses truthfully; support the team; and uphold the company’s reputation (however, if there is a genuine problem in this area, you should consider speaking out). In other words, be faithful on the job: ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, …’ (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NIV). That’s the kind of faithfulness God honours.

N200 on 5k yesterday. But 1.6k on 11k for a sister on Saturday.

Faithfulness (2)

Mon, 6 Feb 2023

‘It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.’ 1 Corinthians 4:2

Faithfulness requires making 100 per cent of your effort 100 per cent of the time. The magazine Insight once published an article by Gary Sheer called Strive for Perfection…or Else! It contained some alarming facts! The article said if 99.9 per cent was good enough, 103,260 income tax returns would be processed incorrectly that year, 22,000 cheques would be deducted from the wrong bank accounts within the next sixty minutes, 12 babies would be given to the wrong parents each day, two plane landings daily at O’Hare International Airport would be unsafe, 18,322 pieces of mail would be mishandled within that next hour, 291 pacemaker operations would be performed incorrectly that year, 880,000 credit cards in circulation would turn out to have incorrect cardholder information on their magnetic strips, 20,000 incorrect medicine prescriptions would be written within that next twelve months, and 107 incorrect medical procedures would be performed by the end of that day. Those are pretty sobering statistics, especially if you are one of the people whose life is affected! Here is the bottom line: only your best should be good enough in any situation. Anything less than that will never be good enough because it reflects your failure to be totally faithful and completely dependable. That’s why the Bible says, ‘Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.’ With God, faithfulness isn’t merely a concept or a suggestion; it’s a requirement of all who serve Him – and that includes you!

One of the reason I don't subscribe to BB, it's full of shit. What lesson is to be learned from this now?