Fine Lady, what could the problem be? Suicide is not an option. Read my posts on suicide @www.lovelashblog.com. Please, if you need someone to talk to , e-mail me, nifemilash@gmail.com. God loves and cares about you.

“See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worst thing come upon you.” This was the charge that Jesus Christ gave the man he healed man by the pool of Bethesda. Can anybody imagine anything worse than being plagued with an incurable infirmity that rendered one incapacitated, stagnated, useless, helpless and wasting away for thirty-eight years?
There is every possibility for many to see this charge, “see, you have been made well. Sin no more, so that a worst thing does not happen to you” as only applicable to the individual spoken to, yet it is not. This admonishment is a very important one applicable to all true believers; all that have met Jesus Christ and have embraced God’s gracious salvation that they totally avoid sin, so that more terrible afflictions/bad experiences than what they experienced before embracing God’s gracious salvation do not happen to them.

True as it were, through God’s gracious salvation by Jesus Christ, believers (those who put their faith in Him and His finished works on the cross of Calvary) have received by forgiveness of sins (Acts 10: 43; Romans 4: 6-8; Colossians 1:14). They have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life-eternal (John 3:16; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 5: 11; 1 John: 3:14). They have passed from power of sin to the power of the Lord (Romans 6:17-23) and from the dominion of satan to the dominion of God (Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13). They are in new personal relationship with God as sons (John 1:12; Romans 8:16-17; Galatians 3:26) and are rescued from the penalty of sin (Romans 1:16; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 1:18). They are new creatures created after God in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4 : 24; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3: 9-10). After salvation, it is expected of Christians to deny ungodliness and worldly lust, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. This is because Christ gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquities and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2: 11-14).

However, Jesus knowing that there is possibility for the healed man/believer to relapse in faith due to careless living and not being mindful of the powerful forces capable of leading one to sin around him gave the healed man at the pool that charge. These powerful forces are:
(i) The World: believers are still living in this sinful world described as lying in wickedness, 1 John 5:19. The world it controlled by satan and exists independent of God. Many things of the sinful world such as the worlds ideas, morality, music, governments, culture, education, entertainments, mass media, religion, sports, philosophies, science, art and medicine are under the influence of satan and are in opposition to God and His righteous standards.
(ii) Satan the untiring evil and wicked impostor, the arch-enemy of man’s soul is still very much around in the world going about with his bag full of lies, temptations, old tricks, deceits looking for who to devour (2 Corinthians 11:13; 1 Peter 5:. He does not act alone but with his cohorts and human agents
(iii) The Flesh: Believers are still having the fallen nature of humans that predisposes them to sin and makes them leave out God in their lives. The flesh is always at war with man's spirituality (Romans 8: 6-8,13; Galatians 5:21 Galatians 5:19 -21). According to 1 John 2:26, Satan influences the flesh to resist the believers enslaved to old habits and sinful ways using the enticing things of the sinful world in three aspects to create open hostility to God and His people.
(a) The lust of the flesh- impure desires, sinful pleasures and sensual gratification 1 Corinthians 6:18; James 1:14; Philippians 3:19.
(b) The lust of the eyes - coveting or lusting for things that are attractive to the eyes but are forbidden by God (Exodus 20: 17; Romans 7:7).
(c) The pride of life – the spirit of arrogance, pride and self sufficient independence that does not recognize God as Lord,. to seeking to exalt, glorify and promote oneself as the center of life.

Jesus gave this charge secondly, because of the complex nature of sin in itself which makes it easy for one to commit knowingly and unknowingly. Sin is just a little deviation from the right thing, thereby making it very easy to fall into without realizing it. Sin is subtle yet powerful in the sense that it looks harmless on the surface; yet has a very strong grip on its victim, it pulls down. One small sin leads to another. Sin fascinates, it entices, it trills and it has sweet feelings, yet it is addictive. It is a dragnet satan uses to lure people. Sin most times has sweet feeling yet is a slow potent poison that gradually and systematically spreads and destroys the immune system of the body, spirit, soul and life of man. It is harmful, it is deadlier than AIDS, consumes than cancer and its end result is eternal damnation. It is a snare, a trap and an evil projection secretly laying in wait for its victim. It assassinates, the wages of sin is death. Below are the definitions given to sin in the Scripture;

The Bible defines it in several ways such as in 1 John 3:4, sin is defined as, “the transgressions of the law”. Talking about the law, the Lord God has given us ten commandments to observe and keep as recorded in Exodus 20:3-17. Any break or deviation from one of these is not only a break of that particular sin, but also a contravention of all the other laws (James 2:10) “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”.
“A high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked is sin” (Proverbs 21:4). In Proverbs 14:21, we have it that,“He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth.” Proverbs 10:19 contributes to this, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”
Proverbs 24:9 have this to add to the definition of sin: “The thought of foolishness is sin.”
The Bible in Romans 14:23 says, “...whatever is not of faith is sin,”
In James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
“Every act of unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17).
Last but not the least, Jesus gave this charge to save the believer from the grave consequences going back to sin might cause.

CONSEQUENCES OF SIN
The Bible contains stories of believers who despite their relationship with God continued in sin as well as the consequences that they faced for their sins. They are written for us to learn from to avoid their mistakes, 1 Corinthians 10: 11. We shall study the life of Samuel to learn more about some of the consequences of sin on the believer. The story of Samson is recorded in Judges Chapters 13 to 17.
Samson was an individual that could be said to have operated under God’s special anointing and grace. His conception was divine and with instructions to his parents on how he should be brought up, Judges 13: 5,7, 24-25. Samson was one of the judges of Israel. He was a Nazarite, a man separated for God unto holy living and services for life, Numbers 6: 1-8; Judges 13:7. He was a man of physical powers and endowed with the Spirit of God Judges 13:24-25; 14; 6, 19; 15:14.

SINS OF SAMSON
Samson as a Nazarite for life and one destined to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines was supposed to be a man totally devoted and committed to God and His people in addition to being an example for others to emulate. As such, he was expected to live a life of holiness, sanctity, and commitment. He must not shave his hair, drink or eat anything made of the vine tree for life or any unclean thing. He must live in the midst of the people of God, marry from among them and must not come near any dead body be it of man or animal, Numbers 6:1-8.
However, he took the grace upon his life as a license to live carelessly and he sinned in the following areas:
(a) As a Nazarite, self-denial and love for God was supposed to be his lifestyle. However, he chose to pursue his own interest, emotions and desires.
(2) He disobeyed God’s commandments on mixed marriage, Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3. All the women in his life were non-Israelites Judges 14:2-3; 16:1, 4.
(3) He disregarded his parent’s God-given instructions on how he should live as a Nazarite in total dedication and commitment to God, in self denial and personal purity all the days of his life. He ate unclean food (honey found inside the carcass of the dead lion he killed and defiled his body by contact with dead bodies, Judges 14: 8-9; 19.
(4) As a Nazarite and a judge over Israel he was expected to stay and be in the midst of his people however He was found of going to the Philistines' side outside God’s designated place.
(5) He misused God's gifts and empowerment for personal gain and advantage.

CONSEQUENCE 1:
Sins create openings for satanic to invade and attack. Luke 11: 24-26. If he had stayed within his place of jurisdiction, he wouldn’t have fallen into the hands of all the strange women that caused him great pains, afflictions and his life. God’s unbreakable hedge of protection is upon the lives of His children and all they have, keeping them safe from Satan and all his works. Satan/demons cannot force their way into any believer’s life and attack as Satan himself testifies in Job 1:10. Satan couldn’t attack Job and had to seek for God's permission to do so because Job was a righteous man, Job 1:1. However, sin in the life of anyone breaks and creates an opening for satanic invasion and attack. Sin is Satan's property and it attracts satan to anywhere it is. Satan could not enter and operate in Jesus' life because there was no sin found in Him, John 14:30. Jesus was Holy and without sin. Samson’s love for self-gratification was his undoing. “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins” (Proverbs 5:22).

Please visit www.lovelashblog.com for the complete consequences of sin. God bless you!

Brock1:
I av been having suicidal thoughts since childhood and up till now, it's still d same...

I came from a poor home, I av strived all my life till now to break out of poverty but all monies i gathered were lost in good businesses that went bad.
I av lost all I had.

While growing up, I sought for help from different well to do individuals but all turned to their deaf ears, I actually see no reason to continue living again even with my current low income paying and promotion barred job as bsc holder .

My childhood friends who I always had in mind when we were young by giving him money at my level, is controlling good money now, I narrated my ordeals to them, it went unattended to, so many friends have forsaken me(which I never had in mind not to help dem if I made it in life), same with some close elderly ones.. So this really shows no one cares..

Why should my life continue in pain, I don't know what d future holds, but it may seem same with wat I av been experiencing, I don't want to bring children into dis world without me properly catering for them, Its better d pain ends with me than to spread it to my next generation.

I no the country is hard, my parents have fault, our government are not helping same with my Christian leaders..


If anyone has a vital and not jus vague advice, I will appreciate.

Will you like to talk to someone? If yes, please send your phone number to me.,@ nifemilash@gmail.com. God bless

Please, visit www.lovelashblog.com to learn about how suicide is connected to falling out with God and others ways to avoid becoming a victim of suicide.

Please, you can visit www.lovelashblog.com to read extensively on suicide and how to avoid becoming a victim.

Mine is lovelashblog.com. It is a blog of encouragement, inspiration, motivation and counselling based strictly on the Christian Scripture.

We live in an era where everything has been time-lined according to human time and human wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. The human time is counted by the clock that reads in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years. Human’s timelining is good to a certain extent in that it helps one to plan certain things ahead and work towards achieving them. However, true life experiences have shown that things don’t always work out for everybody according to human timeline allotted to them and like other things in life, they are subject to change. Some things happen as scheduled, some happen earlier than scheduled, some happened latter while some happen very late. This is due to the fact that life’s timeline does not work based on human’s timeline but according to God’s timing based on His plans and purpose for individuals and with eternity as the expected end, Jeremiah 29:11. God’s timing just like everything about Him is far different from ours, Isaiah 55:8-9. A lack of understanding of the difference between the human timeline and God’s life timeline is one of many causes of increase in depression and suicide among the youths owing to their failure to achieve certain things at the time they had planned for them.

Life’s timeline for every living thing and individual is determined by God and remain a mystery to man, Ecclesiastes 3:11; Acts 17:26. We can plan the timing for certain things to be accomplished based on human time but such things would happen only at God’s appointed time for them. Life’s timeline is outside man’s determination and control. Worthy of note is that God’s time for anything can never be altered, be late or too early, it is always exact! When it is God’s time for something, such things come easy and effortless and beautiful.

God’s timing for every human is not universal like the human-made clock. It varies for each individual. As humans differ from one person to another so also is our life’s clock and timeline. We start the journey of our lives differently and everyone has his or her own timeline to achieve certain things or attain certain statures. Everything happens according to our time and purpose, Ecclesiastes 3. We are in the world for different purposes. What I am saying, in essence, is that each individual has his own unique clock/timeline and operates on a timeline different from others in different areas of his/her life. It is possible that in certain areas of our lives, one’s life timeline may tally with those of our age-mates/friends, family and at other times one’s timeline may fall short/behind others; or at other times it might be faster than others. Whichever way it is, accept it!

It is worthy to note that the time certain things happens is one’s life is not as a result of one’s power but the workings of God – the perfect, accurate life’s timekeeper who keeps time and ensures everything happens as timed by Him.

Looking around, you would see some people who achieved everything early in life; that is their time. Others may experience serious delays in life; that is their time as well. Some graduated from the university early but have a delay in getting a job, whereas some who experienced delay in getting admission into the university graduated and got a job immediately. Some married at an early age but couldn’t bear children until later in their life. Whereas, we have seen those who married late and conceived almost immediately.

If your life’s timeline favors you, please don’t mock those who seemed to be lagging behind. Don’t compare other people’s time to achieving success with your own, because everyone has his/her own destiny. There is time and purpose for everything on earth. Face your own life and don’t let anyone destroy you with another person’s timeline or their own timeline. At the appointed time everything will take shape its proper shape. So don’t get depressed because you have not achieved what your peers or mates have achieved. No hurry in life.

Also, note that some things are meant to come earlier than we have planned, so don’t insist on achieving certain things before doing other things that God brings your way. For example, God may impress it in your heart to build a house while all you wanted is to further your education. Once all the provisions to build the house is there, go ahead and build the house, it is the time and it might be the only time for you to do it in your lifetime. Embrace all situations as it comes. To know that the time for a particular thing has come, everything concerning it would come easy and with little stress. Everything would work out perfectly well. So, do things as they are presented to you.

You should exercise patience at all times. Some, due to many years of waiting become so frustrated, impatient and went ahead to commit suicide while at the edge of their breakthrough. Impatience was what made King Saul make the sacrifice he was not supposed to make and he lost the throne. If having satisfied yourself that you have done the needful/rightful things and delay comes across your way, the best thing in to accept the situation and keep yourself occupied doing something worthwhile until your time comes. Delay is not denial! Therefore, it is not a time to brood over your situation or be heartbroken or involve in self-condemnation or blame/accuse others. Your time would surely come. Experiencing delays in life does not imply you are a failure or that our mates are better than you. It is a matter of your life’s timeline which is beyond your control. Your own time would come, be patient. Don’t cut corners because you want to achieve certain things else you would mess up your life, rather seek God’s face because He alone can change the time.

I learned a great lesson of the goodness and beauty of God’s time while seeking admission into the university for my last child. He is a brilliant boy and had wanted to study medicine at the university. He had distinctions in all his papers in WAEC. His result was the best recorded in the immediate family and we were confident he would have no problem gaining admission into the university. By our calculations, he would become a qualified medical doctor before his 23rd birthday. But, we were wrong! He couldn’t gain admission in the first year, and also in the second year, despite his high scores in JAMB and POST UTME exams. It was not a case of being given another course; he was not even offered admission at all. It was really frustrating seeing his mates who were not as brilliant all getting admission into the universities. We waited and kept praying. I even attempted seeking admission for him into one of the Private universities despite knowing I wasn’t buoyant enough to send him to one all to no avail.

One day, into the third year of waiting, a friend of mine called and asked after the welfare of my kids. In the course of our discussion, I mentioned his inability to get admitted into the University. My friend couldn’t believe my son had not been offered admission at all both in the private and public universities he had applied for with his result. He then asked, “why not send him abroad to study?” And I replied with which money? He then suggested, “let him apply for a scholarship.” I laughed hard at his suggestion saying, “Have you forgotten we are in Nigeria where scholarships are given based on who you know and not by merit? He told me to give it a try. I responded that I did not even know of any scholarship website and he promised to send me a list. He immediately sent me one with the promise to send others later.

Please visit www.lovelashblog.com to read the full content.

GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I!

Hagar and her son Ishmael of about 17 years old wandered into the wilderness of Beer- Sheba after being sent away, Genesis 21:11-14. They had just a skin of water and bread with them. The water and bread soon finished and they were left with nothing except the clothes they wore, the empty skin for water and the sandals on their feet.

They were in the wilderness, a dry and weary land, a land with no spring of water, a land without big trees that could give shade from the scotching heat of the sun, a land full of wild animals. A land not inhabited by humans. They were alone in the open with no other clothes to change into, no food, no money, no water, no other human being to look to for help. They couldn’t go back to where they came from probably they had being warned never to come back. They couldn’t go further because doing so meant moving deeper into the wilderness, and into more danger. After going without food and water for days Ishmael was dying from hunger and thirst. He had become so famished, dehydrated and weak that the mother had to prop him up under one of the shrubs. With a heavy and broken heart she walked few yards away from him thinking the end had come for her beloved son Ishmael for she had said “let me not see the death of the child.” With a trembling heart full of fear for the life of her son she sat down and she wept! Genesis 14-16. What a terrible and hopeless situation!

Hagar had thought all was over for her and her son, she had resigned to fate. She had given up! However, it was not yet over! The God of heaven that sees everything, the One that hears even the faintest sigh of the heart, the help of the helpless, and hope of the hopeless intervened. Did the Scripture not say He would be gracious as soon as he hears your cry? Isaiah 30: 19. God saw their plight right there in the wilderness. He saw their tears and He heard their cries. He sent an angel to give her succor and assurance of His faithfulness to fulfill all He had promised her before now in Genesis 16: 11-12. Jehovah Jireh, the great provider opened her eyes and she saw a well of water she never saw before. He had miraculously provided a well of water just like the ram He miraculously provided for Abraham in place of Isaac. God had turned her crying to joy! So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. That water was full of all that nourishes the body, soul and spirit. God was with the boy right there in the wilderness as he grew up. God did not allow any harm to befall them despite dwelling in the wilderness full of dangers because He was their habitation day and night. God was with Him right there in the wilderness and helped him fulfill all his life’s destiny, Genesis 21: 17- 21.

Some times in life, we find ourselves in certain unpalatable situation we never ever envisage we could be. I am talking of situations that totally destabilizes us leaving us confused and not knowing what to do. Situation that totally demobilizes us where though the present place we are is not conducive yet leaving the place is not possible; moving forward is impossible, moving backward is risky and dangerous and moving to the right or to the left side is not easy too. I am talking of situations where you are left all alone with nothing, no shelter, no cloths, no food, no one to look to for any help and assistance. I am talking about situations when nothing seems to work and everyone and everything is against you. At such times the heart becomes weak, weary and discouraged and the temptation to give up is high. Yet, you must not give up, for your breakthrough is nearer you than you can imagine. God the ever present help in the time of trouble is nearby. Cry unto Him for help and He will answer you, Psalm 50:15: Psalm 34:15. Don’t lose hope for just when you think it is over, God sends you a miracle that will take care of all areas of your needs in a way you can never figure out. He is the miracle working God, the Alpha and Omega. God will take care of you, continue clinging onto Him.

Kindly continue post on http://lovelashblog.com/2019/02/07/dont-give-up-god-will-take-care-of-you/

God loves you and so do I.

SELF IMAGE AND SELF ESTEEM
Each one of us carries around within our hearts a self-picture/description of our strengths, weaknesses, physical features, abilities and character (self-image) and evaluation of our worth, competence and significance (self-esteem). Self-image could either be a good/bad self-image while self-esteem could be a positive/negative self-esteem. These have great influences on how we present ourselves to others, feel, think, act and do other things. People with good image and positive self-esteem have good self-description and positive evaluation of their worth, competence and significance. They see themselves as being good, worthwhile and capable. They feel good about themselves, love and believe in themselves. They take good care of themselves and are courageous, confident and bold and what other persons do or say about them has little or no effect on them.

On the other hand, those with a bad self-image and low self-esteem have an awful picture of their self-image and low evaluation of their worth, competence and significance. They evaluate themselves as been unworthy and capable. They feel bad about themselves, they don't feel loveable or lovely and they don't take care of or believe in themselves. They are not courageous, not confident and often allow what others do or say about them have a negative effect on them.

EFFECTS OF LOW SELF ESTEEM
We all have experienced some form of inferiority at one point or the other in our lives and which we simply overcame. However, there are some people it has become part and parcel of. Bad self-image and low self-esteem causes mental anguish, loneliness, depression and is capable of leading to suicide. It makes one miserable. It hampers achievements and fulfillment. It makes one compare oneself to others, wishing to be like someone else. It makes one have a negative attitude life's challenges as well as a pessimistic outlook on life. It makes one have self-defeating habits and behaviors, striving to become something or someone else instead of appreciating and enjoying who they are. Bad self-image and low self-esteem have devastating effects on those given to it as we see in the life of King Saul.

Prophet Samuel's statement in 1 Samuel 15:17 about King Saul reveal something very important that could be said to be among the things that influenced the way he behaved and acted. The prophet Samuel told King Saul "When thou wast small in thine own sight…" (1 Samuel 15:17). Is it not surprising that this remark was made of a man whose father was said to "be a man of power" and himself described as 'a choice young man, and goodlier'. "And there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people?" (1 Samuel 9:1-2: 10:24). The statement Saul made about himself in reply to Prophet Samuels words of praise of him and family affirmed he was truly small in his own eyes; "And Saul answered and said; Am not I Benjamite, of the smallest tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me?"(1 Samuel 9:21). This statement is that of someone that believed he is insignificant and unworthy! It is a statement of low self-esteem/inferiority complex and bad self-image! King Saul suffered from inferiority and a bad self-image.

Among the traits of people with inferiority complex are negative opinions about themselves; they believe that they are incompetent and unworthy. They find it difficult to accept praise and are fond of making belittling statements about themselves.
Can you imagine Saul, an adult and a father with all those rugged physical qualities going into hiding among "the stuff" "baggage" when he was to be revealed to the people as king? (1 Samuel 11:22-23). This he did because like him, people with insecurities have negative self-consciousness about their appearance, performance, and status which most times causes them to withdraw from others. Although, Saul was a perfect match for Goliath the head of the Philistine's warriors considering his height, and his experience in the many battles he had already fought and won, (1 Samuel 14:47-48) he couldn't confront Goliath because he thought he was not good enough and afraid of the threats by Goliath (1 Samuel 17:10-11). People with a sense of insecurity always have self- doubt; they are never good enough in their own eyes. They fear challenges and taking risks.

Inferiority complex and a bad self-concept was what made him see an innocent young chap (David) of his own son's age as his competitor and enemy and he kept a "jealous eye on him" (1 Samuel 18:9) simply because of mere words from the songs by some women. His jealousy turns to paranoia. He started throwing javelins and running after the poor boy's life. Insecure people are always jealous and have critical and judgmental views of others. They view others as competition to beat and not as friends. Insecurity was what made a God-anointed king like him to fear and listen to the voice of his subjects under his control and disobeyed God. This is because people with an inferiority complex are extremely afraid of other people and also sensitive to the opinions of others. They don't act independently but like to follow the crowd. King Saul consulted the witch at Endor he had outlawed as evil from the land because insecure people tend to always return to their vomits (1 Samuel 28:3,.

Instead of Him as a king to develop a good relationship with David as one of his loyal subjects, his son's friend, a son in-law, a captain over his army and comforter, he removed David from himself, 1 Samuel 18: 11-12. This is because people with low-self esteem have difficulty getting along with others. King Saul wasted precious time he could have used to prepare and strategized for war against all the enemy nations surrounding him to chase after David a man at peace with him because inferiority makes one leave the real subject unattended to while chasing after shadows.
It is pathetic to see the devastation inferiority and low self-esteem brought upon King Saul, one of the Bible characters with the best introduction in the Scripture and one of the most gifted. He was a man with great potential, a leader, a warrior, an anointed king, and a prophet.
Many in the society especially youths have chronic low self-esteem issue that is seriously hindering every area of their lives and health. Low self-esteem has reduced many with great potentials to mere shadows of themselves as it did to king Saul.

CAUSES OF INFERIORITY
Inferiority is not something developed in a day but developed over time from childhood or in younger years. Some of the causes are as thus:
a) Saul's statement about his family as the least of all the families of the tribe Benjamin, and Benjamin the smallest of the tribes of Israel, revealed one of the causes of inferiority complex is racism, classism and ethnicity, discrimination and degradation of people belonging to a minority group and tribe by the people from the majority group or color. Going through the Bible one discovers that the Israelites of old were found of saying derogatory statements against smaller tribes.

b) In places or communities where people's worth are measured by their wealth, achievements and high educational levels, people from poor homes tend to suffer from inferiority complex than those from rich homes.

c) Saul's outstanding physique was yet another likely cause of his poor self-image and low self-esteem (he towers from shoulder upward above all members of Israel). Having outstanding features, looks, talents, gifts, and abilities has its own advantages and disadvantages. People with very outstanding features, beautiful looks, academic prowess like those with physical deficits and handicaps and other rare features suffer inferiority alike. One of the disadvantages is that their uniqueness draws other's attention to them and it is this uniqueness they will use to bully them, due to jealousy and envy. People don't like or appreciate the unusual because they are afraid of what they don't understand.

d) Abuse: Those who have suffered grievous physical, verbal, cyberbullying, emotional and sexual abuse tend to suffer insecurities than those who didn't. Sarcastic remarks from teachers or disciplines meant to embarrass children in front of others, name-calling, ridicule all rob children of their self-esteem.

e) Experiences of defeat or failure: Some individuals, families, society, and religion set certain goals and high standards of attainment. Failure to attain these when others have succeeded will definitely make those who couldn't meet up to feel inferior.

f) Parents with issues of inferiority and insecurities themselves usually bring up their children the way they are thereby passing their inferiority and insecurities to their children.

g) Faulty thinking: We all self-talk and think about ourselves. Ironically, most of the thoughts and talks that many of us have and entertain in our minds concerning our selves are those that undermine self-esteem which in the actual fact are lies we believe about ourselves.

HOW TO OVERCOME INFERIORITY ISSUES
The good news is that all hope is not lost for those suffering from low self-esteem because it is a feeling one can overcome through God and with determination to change as well as a commitment to reading the word of God. It is something one can overcome in gradual but progressive way over time.
• TURN TO GOD
The first step to true self-realization and self-evaluation is to turn to God our creator by embracing His gracious salvation through Jesus Christ who died for us on the cross of Calvary. Jesus Christ the Captain of our salvation is a Champion in the area of right self-description and good self-evaluation and humility. His indwelling spirit in us is the spirit of love and a sound mind. His Words in the Holy Scripture and fellowshipping with other believers enables one to get over inferiority complex. Going through the Scripture, one discovers that all the genuine believers such as Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Job, King David, and Apostle Paul just to name a few all passed through situations capable of making them feel insecure. However, they did not since they knew who they were as children of God. Knowing who our God and father is will help us know and understand who we are. They were bold, outstanding, courageous, outspoken and outgoing yet humble.

• SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU
Saul was small in his own eyes, 1 Samuel 15:17. However, God who sees and knows everyone and everything He has created and the One who does not see as a man sees saw Saul in a different perspective. The way God saw Saul was the way he was described in 1 Samuel 9:1-2. God saw Saul as a beloved and wonderful person from a noble family and a wonderful tribe from among His chosen people of Israel. God saw in Saul a man he was fearfully and wonderfully made with unique and outstanding physical features no one else in the nation had; a man of inestimable worth and significance He had created in His own image and likeness. He saw in him a man of great potential, a youth with talent and a born leader and a man whose heart followed after him. God believed Saul could achieve greatness and made him a king over His nation Israel. God knew his areas of strength and weakness and anointed him with the Holy Spirit to help in areas of his weakness and spirituality.

The way God saw Saul best describes the way He sees and knows each and every one of us irrespective of tribe, sex, age, religion, nationality, status, strength and weakness (Psalm 139:1-17). God made each of us who we are, how we are and placed us in the families, tribe and the nation we belong to because He knows what is good for us. He has our best interest at heart (Jeremiah 29:11). He owns the earth, and everything belongs to Him (Psalm 24:1). God does not discriminate against anyone of us as coming from the least group or tribe or from a poor family but as one from a wonderful family lineage and tribe. With God, no race is superior to another. No complexion or stature is superior to another. To God, we are all humans and the same red blood runs in our veins (Acts 17:26; Colossian 3:11). In God are all families of the earth named (Ephesians 3:15).

God sees each of us as a special unique individual, the only one with his or her unique physical features, one of a kind that He had created wonderfully and fearfully, Psalm 139:14. He sees each one of us as His beloved child, one in His image and likeness, each having his or her own share of His spirit and characters. We are his offspring, Acts17:28. As his children, each of us is greatly loved and of inestimable value to him, as he tells us in Isaiah 43:4. He sees each of one as someone with great deposits of potentials, gifts, and talents, one who could achieve greatness in life because we are the crown of His creation, Psalm:5: 5-8,

His great love and value for us made Him redeem us back to Himself when sin dented His image and likeness in us. He brought us back to himself with the most precious blood of His only begotten son Jesus Christ because we are of inestimable worth, 1 Corinthians 6: 20; 1 Peter 1:18-19. He made us new creatures and gave us His Holy Spirit within us. We are complete in Jesus Christ, Colossians 2:10. Jesus has made us kings and priests to our God, Revelation 1:6. All written above and much more are what the Word of God says you are. Believe in what the word of God says you are and act who you are in Christ.

• KNOW YOURSELF
The foremost thing you should always have at the back of your mind irrespective of the condition of your body and situation of your life is that you are a human being having a body, soul, and spirit and with blood ruining in your veins like everyone else. You are created by God in His image and likeness, born of a woman and with the God type of life in you. You are everyone else's equal as a human; therefore don't be afraid or intimidated by anybody. As a carrier of the spirit of God in the inside of you, you are not ordinary, you are loaded and full of potentials and capabilities. You are loaded because you have the spirit of God in you. You are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. You are an overcomer, the child of the Most High God. No matter what may come your way you have what it takes to overcome it.
• DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS
We are all unique individuals with our individual differences. This implies you are yourself and others are themselves. You are unique, you are special, you are a class of your own. That is to say that in this world, there is no one else exactly like you. Note that in this world you are bound to meet people who you might consider to be better than you and those you are better than, which is just an opinion because a man's life is not depended on possession or achievement. We start the journey of our lives differently and everyone has his or her own timeline to achieve certain things and or attain certain statures. Everything happens according to our time and purpose, Ecclesiastes 3. We are not in any competition in life; you are your only competitor. We are in the world for different purposes. So, find out your purpose and do all it demands to fulfill it. Face your own life and don't let anyone destroy you with their timeline or another person's own. At the appointed time everything will take its proper shape. So don't get depressed because you have not achieved what your peers or mates have achieved.

GOD LOVES YOU. Kindly visit www.lovelashblog.com to see full post

The Problem Of Suicide
The rate at which people commit suicide these days is very alarming and terrifying. “Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death worldwide and the 2nd leading cause of death of young people between the ages of 15 and 29. According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) suicide data, about 800,000 people die by suicide yearly; that is, one person dies every 40 seconds. The report revealed further that, of every one death by suicide, there had been about 20 suicide attempts. (June 2018 Christian Women MIRROR)

More worrisome is the rate of suicide among Nigerians once reputed to be the happiest people in the world. These days, there is hardly a week that cases of suicide in the urban cities are not reported on social media. Unspecified numbers of people attempted suicide daily while several are battling with suicidal thoughts. A World Health Organization (WHO) study published by Spectator Index reported on, July 2018. Nigeria has fifteen percent (15%) per 100,000, ranking as the 5th highest rate of suicide in the world! That is to say that, in every 100,000 suicide cases worldwide, Nigeria has 15,000 cases. If calculated based on the reported worldwide 800000 yearly suicide cases, Nigeria has 120000 suicide cases annually. This is alarmingly high!

What even makes it more terrifying is the simple fact that the number is likely higher due to the fact that there likely many unreported suicide cases that happened in remote villages and those not reported by families to avoid shame and stigmatization and police victimization.
What can we say about the unspecified numbers of those that had attempted suicide? What of the countless depressed individuals all around us who are contemplating suicide because of inner pains and fears? Behind so many smiles, fine dresses and make-up are people going through various levels of pains and depression on our streets and around us than we know of. This implies any member of our family, friends, colleague or neighbor could be contemplating suicide without us knowing it.

Based on my personal study of suicide cases in Nigeria as reported in the social/mass media, I discovered that those suicide victims cut across all ages, religions, tribes, gender, status and professions. This is to say that all categories of people were involved: the elderly/young people, male/female, the married/the unmarried, the rich/the poor, the celebrities/commoners, the illiterates/the intellectuals, the religious/non-religious, working class and non-working class.

Nigerians once known for their ruggedness, love for life with high endurance level to hardship and unpalatable situations of life have become zero tolerant to so many things that are making them depressed and suicidal. How did we get to this level? How can we curb this menace that is almost becoming an epidemic? We can't just fold our hands while this is happening, the time to act is now! WE MUST ALL SAY NO TO SUICIDE.

S.O.S: We all have a part to play to curb this menace called suicide before it claims more lives. Are you depressed or having issues? Please speak out and seek for help if you are having issues before it turns to depression.
Let us be our brothers keepers. The best time to show love and care to your neighbors, friends and loved ones is while they are alive and not when they are dead. Giving of befitting burials, writing of wonderful tributes and comments on social media, candle lights processions wearing black and buying of expensive coffins and burial vaults and wake-keeps are of no benefits to the dead! Dead men cannot read tributes and comments. Make it a duty to visit or call your relatives, friends or neighbors having problems and render help where you can.

The Federal Government and all arms of government and religious leaders should as an act of urgency establish counseling centers and create units in the hospitals for the depressed persons.
SALES OF POISONS SHOULD BE CENSORED.

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:
If you are reading this and you are contemplating suicide or battling with suicidal thoughts, please know that suicide is not a solution to any of life’s challenges or problems. Suicide is not an option at all, so don’t consider it. Speak out and reach to people who can help you.
On no condition should you give up on yourself or on life. No condition, no matter how critical or overwhelming can overcome you except you give in to it. It is important you keep hope alive knowing that hard times or conditions don’t last forever; therefore whatever hardship you are passing through now, shall surely pass.

No hardship or challenges is worth dying for. Suicide is not the answer. Your predicament today is just a phase in your life and you would get over it. You have what it takes to overcome because you were created to have dominion over life’s circumstances, so don’t be a victim of your circumstances. Don’t believe or fall for the evil/negative suggestions, reports and antics of the devil. Know that Satan is an enemy of your soul and he is out to steal your joy, destroy and kill you, “The thief cometh not, but to steal, to kill, and to destroy” John 10:10b

The decision to commit suicide is a tough but a wrong decision to make. Life is the most precious possession all living things have. Life is sacred. It is to be cherished and guided jealously. Therefore, don’t destroy it. Since life belongs to God, He is the best person to contact when having life’s challenges. Life is beautiful and is worthy of being lived to the fullest and to the glory of God and benefit of humanity. Anything that makes one to detest life and makes one contemplate suicide is not of God. God does not want the death of anybody including you, Ezekiel 33:11. He wants you to live, fulfill your time and destiny on earth Jeremiah 29:11. For this reason He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to this world to give his life as a ransom for all. Jesus died for you so that you can have life in abundance. Come to Jesus and live.

You are precious and a vessel of honor unto God who has made you fearfully and wonderfully in His own image and likeness. Genesis 1:26; Psalm 139:14; Isaiah 43:4. You have a purpose to fulfill in life, so live and accomplish your purpose. Know that God loves you, “The Lord hath appeared of old unto thee, saying, yea I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3. He is your very present help in time of trouble “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1. He has promised to help you, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10. He has promised not to leave you or forsake you, Hebrews 13:5. God is faithful and reliable, put all your trust in Him, He will never let you down. Talk to God personally and with all sincerity telling him all your troubles and you will be glad you did “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shall glorify me." Psalm 50: 15.
Believe in God and be strong, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:1, 27

Let us pray:
Father, I thank you for the lives of everyone reading this post because you are the God of all flesh, the owner and lover of every soul of men. You are the King of Peace and all powers belong to you and nothing is impossible for you to do. Father, speak your powerful words of peace that silenced the rages of mighty seas in the time of old into every raging storms of life in the live of this your child. Intervene in all affairs of his/her life and make a way for him/her where there seems to be no way. Give him/her positive turn around and breakthroughs. Loose and destroy satanic bondage. Deliver those having covenants of death over their lives and let them live in Jesus the Prince of Peace’ name I pray. Amen
*If you need someone to pray with or talk to (not on any financial assistance please). Don't hesitate to send me a message via my signature.

You can also visit www.lovelashblog.com for more information on how not to fall a victim of suicide.

GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I.

Although, we cannot foresee what the unfolding months of 2019 may unveil. Yet, those in Christ are not in total obscurity because our God and Father, who knows the end of everything from the beginning has already told in His Words that He has crowned the year with His goodness (Psalm 65:11). God’s goodness could be termed to be the sum total of all His nature and character that are responsible for all His marvelous and wonderful creation and dealings with all created. This implies God’s love, Light, holiness, compassion, kindness, mercy, faithfulness, long suffering and patience will be at work in our lives in the year 2019.

Therefore, no matter how the challenges and situations that were as you ended the year 2018, be assured that 2019 will be a good year for you in Jesus name. Year 2019 is a year you will not be without helper because God Almighty will help you (Isaiah 41: 10, 13).
It is your year of great rejoicing because He shall give you a new song (Isaiah 30:29). It is a year you will not walk alone because His presence will be with you always.
*It is a year the enemy will not triumph over you in victory because God will fight all your battles (Exodus 14:14).
*It a year no situation will overwhelm you because He shall see you through them all (Isaiah 43:1-3).
*It is a year you will receive speedy answers to your prayers because he would hearken to your prayers even before you call (Isaiah 65:24).
*It is a year you shall weep no more because God shall be very gracious unto you (Isaiah 30:19).
*It is a year you shall not make losses in your trade because the Lord shall teach you how to make profit (Isaiah 30:21; 48:17).
*It is a year of you will not be tired or weary because he is your strength and His grace is sufficient for you.
*It is a year of all round breakthrough because He shall lead you in all your ways and cause shut doors and gates of iron to be opened before you (Isaiah 45:1-3).
*It is a year of favor because His goodness and mercy would go with you all the days of your life (Psalm 23:6).
*It is a year of abundance of blessing because He would give you open heavens (Deuteronomy 28:12).
*It is a year of unfailing supply of your needs because He shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory (Philippians 4:19; Jeremiah 31:14).
*It is a year of safety and security because He shall preserve your going in and coming out (Psalm 121:5-.
*It is a year of you shall be honored because God loves you (Isaiah 43: 4).
*It is a year of your salvation, healing and deliverance because He shall deliver you and restore health to you (Jeremiah 30:17; 33:6).
*It is a year of your general well because our God is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we can ever think or do (Ephesians 3:20).

All these and many more are yours on the condition that:
a) Become born again and remain stead fast and unmovable in faith, John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:58.
b) Be anxious for nothing, Philippians 4:16.
c) Put your trust ye in the Lord forever, Isaiah 26:4; Psalm 4:5.
d) Work hard and don’t give room to laziness, Galatians 6:4
e) Walk before God and be perfect, Genesis 17:1; Matthew 5:48
f) Hearken to the voice of your God, Deuteronomy 28:2; Jeremiah 11:7.
g) Help the poor and the needy Psalm 41:1-3.
h) Give God thanksgiving and praises in everything Philippians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
i) Live in peace with all, 2 Corinthians 13: 11. Hebrews 12:14.
j) Be merciful, Luke 6:36.
k) Walk in love as Christ has loved you, Ephesians 5:2.
l) Read your Bible daily, Joshua 1:8; Colossians 3:16.
m) Forgive all including your-self, Mark 11: 22-26.
n) Don’t dwell on your horrible past, Isaiah 43:18-19.
o) Fear God, Ecclesiastes 12:131).
p) Look unto Jesus, Hebrews 12:2.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, from www.lovelashblog.com

There are lots of lies, false and dangerous information about God and life being propagated by the social media, internet, authors, video games, commercial advertisement, the educational sector and some religious organizations that have led to the increase of suicide in the society. Unfortunately, many people especially the youth believe these lies and falsehood hook, line and sinker to the detriment of their own lives. It is of great importance that each individual knows the truth to be able to discard the lies because only the truth can set free.

I have classified the lies into the following four categories:

1. Lies about God
2. Lies about Life
3. Lies about life's challenges
4. Lies about suicide

1. LIES ABOUT GOD
Foremost in this group is the lie that man does not need God. This in fact is the greatest of all lies from the pit of hell. To believe that man does not need God is to believe that man does not need blood and air to stay alive. As far as life is concerned, God is the Ultimate need of every living thing. He is life, the source of all life and the owner of every life. We all need God because He is our God and creator, Psalm 100:3. He is our very existence. In Him we live, move and have our existence, Acts 17:28; Job 12:10. Man without God is mere clay, Job:12:10. The ability to do anything, enjoy anything and live properly is a gift from God that comes only when we enter into a right relationship with Him and submit to Him as our Lord and God through Jesus Christ.

The simple fact that the fallen world we are in has tactfully removed God from all its system, By not acknowledging Him as God is the reason the whole world is in total disarray and chaos, Romans 1:19-32. God is the number one need of each individual and the whole Universe. The emptiness and purposeless living of many are signs that God is needed. He created us in his image and likeness, it is only proper He is given his rightful place as the controller of our lives.

Unfortunately, people who believed they don't need God in their lives find it very easy to allow others have access and control of their lives. Many have allowed Satan to have free access to their lives. Meanwhile, the Holy Bible describes Satan as merciless, unsympathetic, evil, a liar, an adversary, a deceiver, a devourer, a thief, a destroyer and a murderer. Your guess is as good as mine concerning the type of life such people would have. Some believe that what they need us their fellow human beings and prosperity. Their possessions, chariots, silver and gold are their gods, Psalm 20:7. They put their trust in man whom the Bible warned us against in Psalm 146:3-5. Pathetically, when faced with serious life's challenges which in most cases are beyond human comprehension and what money could solve, such people realize the unreliability of human beings and futility of possessions. On this realization and with no one but themselves to turn to, they become recluse or deranged; they lose hope, become depressed, give in to suicidal thoughts and eventually carry out the evil act. Life without God is life in crisis.
Another lie the devil has been using to lead people to suicide especially when faced with challenges is that God does not love or care. This is a grand lie made not only to discredit God but also aimed at destroying the believer therefore utmost care must be taken not to believe this lie.

One thing Satan wants to achieve with this lie is for you to turn your back against God and hate Him. Hatred for God in one's heart is the worst thing anyone could do because it means hating all goodness, life and forfeiting everything God has in store for those who love Him, 1 Corinthians 2:9. It means incurring God's wrath, Deuteronomy 32:41; Proverbs 8:36.

Satan comes with this lie targeted at the two most needed and cherished things yearned for by humans which is being loved and cared for. Once this lie is believed, it worsens, weakens and destroys the heart already in pains, disturbed, and disheartened, and makes the believer become hopeless and depressed. Love and the assurance of being loved by God performs great wonders in the heart of man. When one lives in the joyful comfort of God's loving kindness and care one becomes optimistic amid discouragement, strong in spite of weakness/brokenness, patient amid tribulations, brave amid danger, calm amid strive, cheerful amid gloominess and hopeful amid hopelessness.
It is a great lie that God does not love or care for you as it counters the very essence and character of God which is Love. God is Love and compassionate, 1 John 4:8. God loves every soul in the world both the believers and unbelievers alike. God's love for humanity is the basis of creation and the foundation of creating man in His own image and likeness and the giving of dominion. It is the foundation of salvation and all that God has given and done and He is doing for mankind. How could God whose essence is love, the source of all true love be said not to love and care? How could God who loves and cares for you right from before you were born till this present time even while you were yet a sinner stop loving you? It is not possible for Him to stop loving and caring for you because of the attributes of His love which are; Great (Ephesians 2: 4-5), Endless, Boundless, Changeless. Steadfast (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 136:26). It is not possible that God, whose love and care preceded your birth and conversion not to care or love you anymore? Is it possible that a God who cares for even the ants and sparrows not care for the one He created in His own image and likeness? How could a God who gave His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ to the world turn around not to love those whom the Son died for. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, Romans 5:8; 1 John 4: 9-11. It is not just possible as revealed in Romans 8: 35, 37-39
³⁵⁾" who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulations, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or unclothedness, or peril, or sword?
³⁷⁾ nay, in all these we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
³⁸⁾ for I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
³⁹⁾ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of god, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord".
No matter what happens you must not give up on your faith in God's love for you because He loves you so much. Remember that Job did not give up on God's loving kindness and care for him in the face of the huge losses and could trust without wavering, Job 13: 15-16. King David was sorely persecuted, yet he remained steadfast because he never for once lost sight of God's loving kindness for Him as he indicated in Psalm 26:3, 40:10

Challenges are not indications of the absence of God's love for you. Hebrews 12: 6. Neither is it that God's love is on trial. Whatever the intensity of the challenges you are passing through is not an indication of you not being loved and cared for by God. He is with you in all you are passing through even when it seems He is far away or hidden. He has promised to be with you always Isaiah 43:1-3.
God loves and cares so much about you in whatever you are going through. It is true that one becomes worried and full of anxiety when we see or experience things contrary to our expectations of what we think God's love and care implies. This is where many of us get is wrong, God's love like any other of His Attributes is beyond human wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Remember His ways are not like our own. Part of God's way of showing His love is through chastisement to make you develop godly characters, Hebrews 12:6. Remember, faithfulness to God does not guarantee believers exemption from sufferings, pains, and troubles. However, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, Romans 8: 28. Jesus Christ actually told us we would face tribulations. This is because we live in a fallen world characterized by terrible happenings. He, however promised us His presence, grace, and help in time of trouble. We must never lose the assurance of God's Love and care for us. When you lose the assurance of God's love and care the first thing that would happen is that you would be angry and bitter against God. With anger and bitterness comes complains and murmuring against God. From complaining and murmuring comes despondency, hopelessness and the wish to die.

I may not know what you are passing through, the sorrows, the hardship, the pains, the burdens you are carrying, however one thing I know and I am sure of is that Jesus loves you. Hear what God says to you in Isaiah 54: 4, 10- 12
My beloved, hold on to God's promises no matter how long you have to wait. Lamentations 3:1-27; Habakkuk 3:17.

2. LIES ABOUT LIFE
The first lie in this group is that pleasure and materialism is a way to fulfillment and happiness in life. This is a lie because the scripture makes us to know that a man's life is not depended on his possessions and that true happiness is from God. Unfortunately, the devil is using this lie to send many teenagers, youths and adults to their early graves in two ways:
a) he either makes them get involved into sinful sex, drug abuse, alcohol, reckless lifestyle and all illegal means of making money all in
the pursuit of fulfillment and happiness in life
b) he makes those who wanted to belong but couldn't be involved in such things to believe they are missing out of life thereby making
them see themselves as social misfits and failures.
It is a deceit that not being involved in sexual immorality, drug abuse, alcoholic, partying, reckless lifestyle and making money illegally makes one a social misfit or failure!
Eventually, when those get involved in pleasure and materialism are confronted with the true realities of life that basing one's values in life on fame, achievements, wealth, and sensual pleasure all ended up to boredom, emptiness, and disillusionment according to Ecclesiastics 1:2, they lose their equilibrium, become discouraged, depressed, despair and commit suicide.
Life is good and beautiful and is worthy of being enjoyed because life on earth is of short duration compared to eternity. God is not against the enjoyment of one's life as the story of creation reveals among others that man's comfort and enjoyment on earth was of topmost priority of God at creation, Genesis 1: 26-31; 2:7-25. God's desire for us to have the best of life made Him give us His only begotten son to give any who believed in him abundant life after sin made a ruin of man's life due to man's disobedience in the garden of Eden. God has given us everything to enjoy.

However, the truth is that the story of creation also reveals man was created to fulfill a destiny - God's plan, purpose and will (Genesis 1: 28) and in total dependence on Him. This is to say that life and all life's activities must be done with God in view and the fulfillment of His purpose and will. Only then will such things not degenerate into superficial levity and sinful enjoyment which results is trouble and unhappiness. We can only find fulfillment and happiness if we look for them in God and His will by having faith and trust in Him, only this makes life worthwhile. This is to say that our activities can bring satisfaction and happiness only if one has a personal relationship with God. There is no true fulfillment, pleasure, and happiness of life when lived apart from God and of no benefit of others.
Within this category is another lie of the devil that life goes as planned. This is yet another deceit the devil is using to make the people become discouraged, depressed and commit suicide when things don't work as they had planned it should be. The Scripture reveals that only God's plan and purpose stands but man's plans are subject to change.

It is a good thing to have good plans for one's life, however, understanding certain truths about life would make us understand why things may not work out as planned and help us brace up when things don't work as planned. The Scripture tells us certain facts about life that may likely not make things worked out as planned.
1. Life is spiritual. It is like as a wind, something not visible to the naked eyes. It is beyond the physical and what our senses can
determine. This implies it is not something tangible that we can get hold of and get under our control.
2. Life is a great mystery. This implies many things about life are beyond human understanding and comprehension. Many things about life are enshrouded in great mysteries, they can only be known when it unravels itself, we only know of the moment we are in and not
the future. Life is past finding out.
3. No one is sure of life, Job 24: 22. This implies no one can know or declare categorically what will happen in the next minute, Ecclesiastes 10:14. This is because life is full of uncertainties, it is unpredictable. Unforeseen incidents that one never envisaged such as ill health, accidents, misfortunes, natural disasters, death of loved ones and many others can happen suddenly and force many us to abandon our plans.
4. Life like a coin has two sides of everything and they work hand in hand and we can't have one and avoid the other. The two sides are positive and negative sides; unpleasant and uncomfortable, light and darkness, male and female, day and night, dry and wet, the spiritual and physical aspect of life. There is the evil and good side, life/death, light/dark side, up/down, positive/negative, beautiful/ugly, fair/unfair, mountaintop/lowland, physical/ spiritual, plenty/lack, deep/shallow, happy/sad, strong/weak, desert/oasis, straight/bend, hard/soft, sweet/bitter.
5. Life like nature has its own times and seasons as listed in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Life's times and seasons like that of nature are not static but dynamic. It changes from one season to another without warning thereby making no condition permanent. Every man will experience his/her own share of the different seasons and times. Each season has its own times and purposes. The Scriptures also reveal certain truths we should know about times and seasons:
• They are divinely determined and fixed by God and cannot be changed by any. Acts 17:24-26.Job 14: 5.
• The Scripture also reveals that no man can predict or know when a change of time will come upon him. Ecclesiastes 9:11-12.

This implies that no man has the power to have prior knowledge of occurrences of life. This reveals the futility in consulting evil powers of divination, horoscope and many others that claim to foretell times and seasons. Change of times comes suddenly upon a man like as it did David, Joseph, Job, and all others before us and its duration differs from one man to another depending on the divine purpose it is meant to serve.

6. Only God's counsel stands. God alone knows all that exists. He knows each day, time, seasons and everything that is good for us. He has an eternal plan that includes the purpose and activities of every person on earth, Jeremiah 11:29. Our plans if not dedicated to God have no permanent value. We must see life as a gift from God and look to Him to work out his purpose for us and for this reason we are charged to commit our ways to God for their establishment.

Please see www.lovelashblog.com for the complete article.

God loves you!

God created all humans with emotions and feelings. Going by God's original design of man, all human's emotions both positive and the negative such as love, anger, guilt, anxiety, grief, and their associated feelings, are beneficial and good. They are designed as man's inner means of responding to reports of different things, happenings or situations from the physical/spiritual realm by the human senses to the mind. Different happenings and situations arouse different emotions and different emotions have different feelings associated with it. The human emotions and feelings are of the mind and spiritual in nature and therefore can easily conform to what they are exposed to, which implies they could easily shift grounds or change course. They are influenced and controlled. All emotions and feelings can increase tremendously in intensity.

FORCES THAT INFLUENCE EMOTIONS AND FEELING:

Many things can influence our emotions and feelings positively and negatively:
a) The power in control of each individual's life has a great influence on one's emotions and feeling. When God is in control of one's heart, the heart is influenced positively and one is able to stand holding on to life no matter how overwhelming the emotions may be as seen in David, Job, Apostle Paul, and Joseph. However when Satan is in charge emotions which ordinarily are powerless over one take on a frightening proportion pulling one down with great power as seen in the lives of Samson, King Saul, Ahitophel and Judas.

b) In our last post, we pointed out the fact that our thoughts patterns negative or positive do have great influence on our emotional responses. Positive thought influences our emotions positively. Negative thoughts influences our emotions negatively. Negative thoughts pattern on anything that arouses any of the emotions and feelings would corrupt such emotions and make them become harmful to us. The more one thinks deeply on a particular negative incident or happening the more the emotions and feelings gather momentum until they reach a dangerous and uncontrollable overwhelming degree. Once the emotions and feelings overwhelms one, one enters into depression and from depression to despair and from despair to hopelessness from hopelessness to suicide. Our emotions dictate our actions.

c) Alcoholic intakes and drugs can influence our emotions either negatively of positively most especially when abused can make one loose total control of one's emotions and feelings.

d) Hormones: As humans, our body contains certain glands that produces hormones e.g. adrenalin which helps regulate our body systems. Under normal emotional situations, the level of hormonal secretions are normal and keep the body, soul, and spirit in good shape. However, under intense emotional conditions, the glands secreting these hormones will release an excess of related hormone into the bloodstream. These excess hormones are toxic, it can produce overwhelming negative effects in our mind and in the body

e) The lengths of time /duration spent in any particular emotional disposition and feelings, the more one gets used to it and the more it becomes part and parcel of one until it becomes a habit. Habits they say die hard.

All the characters studied so far under in this series such as Samson, King Saul, Ahitophel, Judas, Joseph, Job, King David, and Apostle Paul exhibited almost all the different emotions during one situation or the other. However Samson, King Saul, Ahitophel and Judas allowed their emotions to overcome and destroy them. While Joseph, Job, King David and Apostle Paul overcame their emotions.

UNDERSTANDING THE EMOTIONS
The emotions that will be treated here are as they pertain to suicide.
1. GUILT: This is an emotional response aroused whenever one's spirit convicts and one's conscience judges one for a wrong done against God, others and oneself. Guilt is associated with the feelings of sorrow, pain, discouragement, anxiety, remorse, regret, shame, blame-shifting, weeping, and self-punishment. It also has its physical manifestation of tension, tiredness, lack of appetite and sleeplessness as Psalm 38 revealed. Guilt can be normal or intense in degree. Normal guilt feelings for any wrong done are not bad because they help us to realize our shortcomings and enables one to accept fault, seek for forgiveness from the offended, accept forgiveness, and make amends/change. However, intense guilt is dangerous and destructive because it brings pessimism, self-condemnation; it makes life miserable which leads to depression which makes one hate life.

The story of two characters King David and Judas one of the disciples of Jesus who committed a similar offense of plotting the murder of two innocent people revealed how two individuals responded differently to guilt. King David plotted the death of Uriah and got him killed because of his wife Bathsheba that he (David) got pregnant through adultery 2 Samuel 11. God sent Prophet Nathan to rebuke him and passed His judgment about his sinful deed against Uriah and he felt very sorrowful about it. He admitted his sins to Prophet Nathan, confessed and repented (2 Samuel 12: 7-13). Psalm 51 showed the depth of his sorrow and confession of sin. He continued with his life.
Judas on seeing that his action of betraying Jesus led to His condemnation to die on the cross, felt very remorseful. Even though, he accepted responsibility for his action, repented, confessed his sins and made restitution by throwing down the thirty pieces of silver he had collected on Jesus' head. He went ahead and hung himself (Matthew 27:3-6).
The difference between Judas' and King David's guilt feelings was that David's emotional guilt feelings were of godly sorrow that led to life while Judas own was worldly sorrow (remorse) self-loathing, self-despair, self –condemning. Apostle Paul gave a perfect contrast of the two types of guilt feelings in 2 Corinthians 7:10. Godly sorrow makes us look to God while remorse makes us look at ourselves. Godly sorrow works a change of direction. Remorse feelings work self-condemnation and self-punishment and insecurity and despair. People who are depressed, lonely, grieving, and are terminally ill all experience guilt as part of their problems.

2. GRIEF: Grief is the natural emotional response to the loss of any precious thing such as job, fortune, opportunity, health, money, loved one and several other things. The most devastating guilt is the loss of a loved one such as a spouse, parents, and child because they are irreplaceable and the death irreversible. The physical symptoms of grieve are weeping, sighing, loss of appetite, dry mouth, and tiredness. Grief can be normal or intense. Normal grief produces sorrow, pain, loneliness, anger, guilt, emptiness and sadness. However, intense grieve causes intense guilt, depression, helplessness and hopelessness and thoughts of suicide.
The Bible reveals that King David grieved for the anticipated death of his infant son and his grown-up sons Amnon and Absalom in 2 Samuel 12:15-17, 13: 31,39: 18: 33. In 2 Samuel 1, he grieved for King Saul and his three sons most especially Jonathan who died in battle. Job was thrown into grievous grief for the loss of everything he had including all his children in one day as revealed in Job 1:13-19. He wailed Job 3:3,11.

3. FEAR/ANXIETY: Fear has two sides, the positive/healthy type and the negative/unhealthy type. The positive type is the natural feeling that is borne out of reverence for God and is called fear of God. Fear of God is good and in several places of the Bible we are encouraged to have this type of fear. Fear of God keeps one in check from doing anything that will make one displease God and also keeps one from sin and all forms of evil (Proverbs 1:7; 8:13; 16:6). It brings riches, honor and abundant life (Proverbs 22:4). Joseph exemplified great fear of God.
The second type of fear is a common emotion condition and inner feeling of apprehension, uneasiness, worry or dread that comes up when one thinks he/she is in danger or that something bad might happen or when one is afraid of a particular thing including people. It varies in degrees. It may manifest in a mild way as mere anxiety over something or total unreasonable dread or hatred (phobia) for something or to paranoia (unfounded fear or suspicion of other people). Fear, when mild has its good side because it makes one cautious and helps keep one from danger. When it becomes a phobia or paranoia it has increased to a high emotional degree which is dangerous and destructive. If utmost care is not taken on time, it escalates to an overwhelming degree where one considers suicide as a means of escape
The Scripture in 1 John 4:18 that says fear "hath torment" best describes the negative effect it has on the mind, mentality and the physical body. According to Gary R. Collings Phd, a renowned Christian psychologist "in times of anxiety, the body appears to be on alert, ready to flee or fight. The heart beats faster, blood pressure and muscle tensions increase, neurological and chemical changes occur within and the person may feel faint, jumpy, and unable to relax or sleep. Fear is disabling, unpleasant and makes one timid. It robs us of our peace. It is a dark shadow that envelopes us and ultimately imprisons us within ourselves. It makes one lose courage, become cowardice, and makes one involve in serious negative thoughts. It magnifies a problem it makes a mountain out of a mole and makes one lose focus. Fear is like a magnet attracting the very things we fear as in the case of Job. It clouds our judgment and distorts our perspective It cuts life short and it is the major cause of various kinds of emotional disorders; anxiety disorder, panic attach, behavioral disorder, personality disorder, and depressive disorder, mental breakdown. It is a product of fear and doubt when it is prolonged, intense and uncontrollable.
King David was a God-fearing and very courageous warrior. However, at a very critical stage of his life, he became afraid of King Saul who wanted to kill him and he almost gave up in despair and he cried in sore perplexity (1 Samuel 27:1). Fear made him lose courage, and his integrity. He was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath that he pretended to be mad (1 Samuel 21:12-13). In 1 Samuel 30:6, he encouraged himself and found strength in the Lord his God.
King Saul was a man of great potentials and a great warrior, however, the fear of men made him obey his subjects instead of God (1 Samuel 15: 24). He feared David and this made him hate him and wanted to kill him (1 Samuel 28:5, 20). He kept a jealous eye on him and soon started throwing javelins at him (1 Samuel 18: 9). He became afraid when he could no longer hear from God. He was afraid when he saw the host of Philistines (1 Samuel 28 5). In despair, he turned to a medium which God commanded against. What he saw and what he was told made him sore afraid, he fell straightway all along on the earth. And there was no strength in him (1 King 28:20). King Saul actually died that night before he committed suicide the next day in the battle.

4. ANGER is one of the emotional responses exhibited by all both young and old due to hurt, fear, frustration, disappointments, threats injustice or an unfair or a bad happening. We get angry more with people than with circumstances we find ourselves. Grievous words stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1). It occurs in varying forms and degrees of intensity from moderate annoyance to violent rage. It can be constructive or destructive. It can be of short duration and it can persist for decades in form of bitterness, resentment or hatred. It can be hidden inside one's mind and held inside or expressed openly. It is often times destructive when it persists in the form of aggression and revenge. It is a leading cause of accidents on the roads, broken relationships, depression, sickness anxiety, grief, and interpersonal tension. revenge it makes you hurt and pained, According to Gary R. Collins PhD, "anger isn't wrong in itself, anger clearly can get out of control and cause a variety of problems, including revenge, verbal and physical abuse, and passive aggression."
A critical study of two of the characters (Samson and Ahitophel) under our studies who committed suicide did so due to Anger. Samson's fight with the Philistines was primarily motivated by his personal anger and revenge than any other thing (Judges 14:19; 15:4-5; 7-. Anger and revenge were what made him kill himself alongside the Philistines (Judges16:28-30).
Ahitophel, that powerful counselor to King David and Absalom of many years whose counsel was said "to be as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God" (2 Samuel 16:23) must have been very angry most especially when the counsel of his counsel was accepted in place of his own. He must have felt so humiliated, dejected by that rejection that without any expression of his feelings he saddled his donkey and "he ... put his household in order, and hanged himself and died,…" 2 Samuel 17:24. He had been overwhelmed by anger.

5. DEPRESSION in a milder form is a state of sad and sorrowful feeling or being emotionally downcast. Sadness is an emotional feeling associated with the feeling of loss, discouragement, helplessness, grieve, dissatisfaction. All the unpalatable life situations and experiences of life such as losses, ill health, bereavement, side effects of drugs, disappointment, and all negative emotions and feelings associated with them, such and grief, guilt, anger, anxiety, unworthiness, and negative thoughts and pessimism could lead to it. According to Collins "The more intense the negative emotions and feelings the more severe the depression, severe depression overwhelms it victims with feelings of despair, fear, exhaustion, immobilizing apathy, hopelessness, inner desperation, and thoughts of suicide,"
No other feeling renders a person almost useless and lifeless in life as depression because it takes away all inner drive and reduces strength, disrupts lives, it takes away motivations and makes one lose interest in work and other functions. It suppresses the immune system causing ill health.
All the characters under our studies expect Joseph experienced depression at one time or the other. King David, Job, Apostle Paul all came out of depression (1 Samuel 30:4; Job 3:3, 11).

6. LOVE: Love, unlike every other emotion, is not a negative response of the carnal heart to negative happenings and things based on information by the human senses but a positive response of a spiritual loving heart that is assured of God's love in all things and situations either it positive or negative. It flows from a self-loving, pure heart, a good conscience with no guilt feelings or fear and a genuine faith in God (1 Timothy 1:5;1 Peter 1:22). Love's feelings are heavenly, good, pleasant full of peace and joy. This type of emotions and feelings are full of great benefits to the body, soul, and spirit.
Joseph passed through a lot of challenges and he came out triumphant in them all without showing any negative emotions associated with such challenges. He lost his beloved mother at an early age yet he did not allow grief to overwhelm him. He was hated with a passion by his brothers yet he did not despise or avoid them. They sold him into slavery that led to his many years of sufferings including imprisonment yet he was not angry with his brothers that sold him. He was separated and cut off from family members and all that matters to him yet he did not suffer from loneliness. He suffered false accusation, injustice, imprisonment yet he did not get depressed. He had the opportunity to avenge himself of all the wrong his brothers committed against him but he did not, instead, he showed them kindness, forgave them and encouraged them to forgive themselves (Genesis 45:5-. His victory was of love. Joseph had a perfect control over his own emotions and feelings that despite all the unfair treatment he experienced from his brothers, He refused to be bitter in the face of injustice; he refused to revenge wrongs done to him when he was in a position to do so. Love is not only the fulfillment of all laws but the power that overcomes all negative emotions and feelings!

HOW TO CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS:

1. HAVE FAITH IN GOD
All those who committed suicide did so due to the hopeless situations they found themselves in without any visible help nearby. However, others like Joseph, Job, King David, and Apostle Paul turned to God for help and they were helped. Faith stabilizes one's emotions because we have believe in God and have an assurance of his presence with us and help in time of trouble "…fear not: for I have redeemed thee, and I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee" (Isaiah 43:1-2). Hold on to God in all situations and you shall be helped'

2. GIVE YOUR EMOTIONS TO JESUS.
Overwhelming emotions and feeling are not easy to handle, they are burdens too heavy for anyone to carry about. Are you battling with negative emotions and feelings and looking for a way out? Give the burdens of your emotions to Jesus totally and He will help you manage it. He is still in the business of stilling the raging storms of the sea as He did before! He knows all about our feelings and emotions, he even expressed anger, grieve, depression, yet he sinned not. As long as He remains the Lord over your emotions you won't experience difficulties with your emotions. So be Born again.

To be continued...
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GOD BLESS YOU

Thinking is of the mind and it means to reflect upon an issue or thing, Humans think a lot and we speak a lot too. However, we do more of thinking than talking. We think on countless things both relevant and irrelevant. These thoughts come uninvited and anything can trigger them such as what we see, hear, a situation, touch, smell, a taste or a memory. Thinking is one activity we can successfully engage in while doing other things. One can easily become addicted to a particular pattern of thoughts he/she is used to continually. There are different degrees of thinking one can get to depending on the content. Shallow thoughts are those thoughts that we dismiss without giving much time to. Very deep thoughts are the ones we keep on thinking about, ruminating, pondering, weighing, it in our mind for a very long time. One can become so engrossed in deep thoughts to the extent of losing consciousness of all happenings around us. Thought patterns are of two types - the negative and the positive. Negative thoughts have to do with all negative thinking while positive thoughts have to do with all positive thinking.

ORIGIN OF NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE THOUGHTS
Man, at creation was good and perfect so was everything he did including his thoughts which centered on God and all the beautiful things in the Garden of Eden. His thoughts were positive - good, lovely, pure. When he fell into sin through disobedience, he became depraved, alienated from God, sent away from the Garden of Eden to the cursed world and became a slave under Satan. The absence of God in man’s life, the demonic influence and power of Satan over his heart and the unpalatable happenings around him affected him negatively in all areas of his life. Man now thinks negatively. This implies he thinks and imagines evil and the worst of God, others, himself, life, the future, everything including situations and happenings.
Since after the fall, the thoughts and imaginations of man are more and more on the negative side as God’s statement revealed in Genesis 6:5.


EFFECTS OF NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE THOUGHTS
A) IT INFLUENCES ONE’S EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS
Man is a triplicate having body, soul and spirit. He is a complete spirit being having all that is needs to relate to God and the spirit realm. The body is the dwelling place of the spirit. The body has some sensory organs with which he contact with the physical world he resides. The soul comprises of the mind described as the center and director of human activity. It is the center of intellect/mentality, intuition, thoughts and imaginations. It is the place of emotions and feelings and also of affection. It is also the place of human will, decision making, desires and wishes. It is also the place our characters and morals are formed. The mind is conditioned by the inputs from the physical and spirit realms and they could be negative/evil or positive/godly.
Godly inputs are positive, good, true, pure, lovely, light, wise, and holy inputs. When godly inputs from the physical and the spiritual realms get to a mind in contact with the Almighty God (godly heart), it thinks on the contents positively because God is in it. These in turn affect the person’s feelings and emotions positively. These in turn keep the heart at rest, peace, joyful, healthy, hopeful and strong (Proverbs 12:5).
However, when negative inputs from the physical and the spiritual realms get to a mind under the influence of Satan, it responds negatively. Satanic inputs are negative, bad, toxic, poisonous, evil, terrible and wicked. When these inputs get in contact with the heart, it becomes dark, defiled and corrupted, poisoned, hard and heavy because the human heart was not originally created to take in negative inputs. Storms break out, emotions and feelings run high negatively. Negative inputs makes the heart sorrowful, bitter, weak, grieved, wicked, foolish, selfish, angry, hopeless, depressed, panicky, hard, weak, sinful, dulled, evil, afraid, bitter and confused.
We can all attest to the good and lovely feelings and emotions we experienced when thinking positively. For example when thinking of someone we are in love with and who is also in love with us; such thoughts give one wonderful feelings of inexplicable joy and happiness in one’s heart. As a result of the happiness in ones hearts, one smiles, talks sweet words to oneself and others; one is cool, calm and at peace inwardly and outwardly. One is full of expectancy and radiates so much sweetness and kindness to other people around. One is energized and could literarily undertake any task successfully.

We can all also attest to how we feel when thinking of someone who dumped or jilted us or someone that hurt us badly. Such thoughts brings inward fear, panic and raises storms of sadness, bitterness and anger in the heart making such a person very sad and bitter. One is pained so much in the heart that one cries, gets very tired and weak and starts having pains all over one’s body. One loses sleep and interest in things going on around. One becomes angry with everyone around you and would insult, abuse, quarrel even become violent.
These are revelations that our thought patterns (negative/positive) affect our emotions, our feelings, behavior, our general well-being, our actions, our words and our relationship with others and God. Negative thoughts affect us negatively while positive thoughts affect positively.
Majority of those who committed suicide did so due to their inability to manage their overwhelming emotional issues such as anger, guilt, anxiety, grieve, despair, loneliness, depression worthlessness and hopelessness caused by long time excessive negative thoughts on life, disappointments, offences, future, ill health, joblessness, lack, persecution, unfulfilled dreams or desires, failures, disappointment, financial crisis, loneliness, hardship, misfortune, bullying and death of loved ones among others. Thinking negatively on the negative things your senses reveal would destroy you while thinking positively upon seeming negative things and situations minister life (Romans 8: 6).
Thinking on the negative things and situation of life are of no benefit at all. It does not solve any of life’s problems rather it escalates/aggravates it by making it look larger than life and weighs one down. Many people who committed suicide did so because they entertained negative thoughts mainly bothered on the world and life’s experiences, negative thoughts of themselves and negative thoughts on the future. With these, looking ahead they see continuing hardship, frustration and hopelessness. Listen to what our Lord Jesus Christ says, “Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns: yet your heavenly father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?’
Which of you by taking thought can add a cubit into his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they row; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if god so cloth the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more cloth you, o ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? Or what shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for tomorrow: for tomorrow shall take thoughts for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6: 25-34)

B) IT INFLUENCES ONE’S HEALTH:
Earlier on, we revealed that positive thoughts make the heart joyful, glad and at peace in the innermost part. Interestingly, joy and gladness and peace of heart are the major sources of strength and health both in the inward man and outward of man (Proverbs 17:22) are like good medicine to the whole body.
Negative thoughts are joy and happiness and peace killers (Matthew 15:18-19). Evil thoughts are harmful to the human spirit, soul and body. They cause so much pain and sorrow in the heart which hurts the heart badly and weighs it down making man restless, tired and defeated. Many who committed suicide do so as a result of long term battle with defeatist thoughts that left them with no joy, gladness and peace of mind.
Negative thoughts are toxics and poisons. Just as toxins and poisons contaminate and totally destroy things they come in contact with so also are evil thoughts. Negative thoughts contaminate and poison the human immune system thereby weakening and destroying them. Once the immune system is weak, one becomes vulnerable to diseases and infirmities. Medical researches reveal 60-70% of all sicknesses and diseases are psychosomatic-mind induced. Negative emotions and feelings of anxiety and worries, unforgiving, bitterness, anger, sadness, grieving, are known to be contributory factors to the different sicknesses and diseases of the heart ravaging mankind which include all types of depressions, anxiety, hypertension, panic attack, cardiac arrest, insomnia, nervous breakdown, cancer and many others diseases that are heart and mind-related.

c) IT INFLUENCES ONE’S PRODUCTIVITY.
Positive thoughts make one to be optimistic in everything one does, that is, it makes one have feelings of high expectations of success. This is needed to enable one put in one’s best in whatever he/she does. Apart from this, good thoughts enables one to think good of others, oneself and of good things for the betterment of others and humanity. Doing this ushers in good ideas and inspirations, enhances creativity and good inventions. The thoughts of the diligent tend to pretentiousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want (Proverbs 21:5).
Negative thoughts are anti-productive. They make one to waste precious time that would have been used to achieve something good to thinking of bad and irrelevant things. Apart from this, one experiences fatigue and tiredness due to lack of joy, gladness and peace of mind. Evil thoughts turn one to a pessimist who always expects things not to be successful. This feeling weakens, demoralizes, discourages and destabilizes the heart and makes one not to attempt or undertake any tangible work.

D) IT INFLUENCES ONES ACTIONS:
Almost all our actions both positive and negative are borne out of our emotions and feelings which are connected to our thought patterns (Matthew 15:19).. Positive feelings and emotions breed positive actions while negative thoughts breed negative emotions and feelings. Negative feelings and emotions breed negative actions. A good man’s actions are full of goodness and kindness. A wicked man’s actions are full of wickedness and cruelty. Evil thoughts are the root causes of all man’s wickedness and violence on earth (Genesis 6:5-7; Psalm 10).
Margaret Thatcher, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has these to say on this, “Watch your thoughts for they become your words. Watch your words for they become your actions. Watch your actions for they become your habits. Watch your habits for they become your character. Watch your character for they become your destiny.”

E) IT INFLUENCES WHAT COMES TO YOU
There are uncountable spirit beings and other things both good and evil all around us just as we have the physical ones. They cannot force themselves into any life. The only way they can attach themselves to any man is spiritually. The spirit man contacts the spirit realm. Our thoughts like words are from within us, they are spirit, life and full of energy. Energy is released while we are in deep thoughts. Positive thoughts release positive energy which is light while negative thoughts release positive energy which is dark. Light is good and lovely and attracts good and lovely people and things to one. Darkness is negative and full of evil and attracts negative and evil people and things to one’s life. Thinking the worst continuously on any negative situations open wide doors for the devil and his demons to invade one’s life. Think well so that good would come to you.

F) IT INFLUENCES ONE’S WORDS
The pattern of our thoughts (negative or positive) has great influence on our spoken words because our thoughts are what translate to our spoken words. This implies our spoken words are our unspoken thoughts. This is to say that negative thoughts produce negative words while positive thoughts produce positive words as our Lord Jesus revealed in Matthew 12:34-35.
Our spoken words are spirit and alive because they are from our mind. Unimaginable negative and positive things happen when we speak depending on the power at work in us. Our spoken words carry so much power and energy having passed through the tongue invested with the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21). James described the tongue as an unruly evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:. Every negative word spoken brings negativity to our lives while every positive word brings positive effects to our lives. Positive words minister health and life (Psalm 34:12-13; Proverbs 15:4; 12:18b). Negative words defile the whole body, snare the soul and kill the spirit (James 3:6; Proverbs 15:4).
In view of these, great care must be taken in the choice of the pattern of our thoughts as they affect our spoken words bearing in mind what the Scripture tells us about the tongue because we all self-talk. To self-talk implies talking to one self. As human beings we involve in self talk consciously and unconsciously, positively and negatively on daily basis. All the good or bad things one says to one-self have a way of eventually coming to pass. What many of us are experiencing at the present are the results of our past talks to our self. The Scripture says “thou art snared with the word of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of the mouth” (Proverbs 6:2). Therefore the Scripture encourages us to confess positively in Joel 3:10 saying[i] “…let the weak say I am strong.” [/i]
Self abuse, self insult, self curse all have negative effects on one. Beware of what comes out of your mouth; because your words can build your life or destroy it. God has promised to do whatever He hears us say about ourselves (Numbers 14:28).
One’s words don’t only work against one in the world, but also on the Day of Judgment as Jesus says, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by your words thou shall be justified and by your words thou shall be condemned” (Matthew 12: 37). Every careless word spoken either as a joke, swearing or curse has serious repercussions. Refrain from your tongue from evil (1 Peter 3:10).

F) IT INFLUENCES ONE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS
Positive thoughts make one lovely, amiable and beautiful to relate with. Positive thoughts enable one to relate freely in love and kindness with others without any hesitation or reservation or suspicion because it harbors no evil towards others.
Meanwhile, negative thoughts rob one of their joy, gladness and peace of mind. Therefore, they are always gloom-faced and very unfriendly. They are very suspicious of everyone else because of their own evil ways. They harbor bitterness and grudges and are easily offended, very unforgiving, and very revengeful.
King Saul and how he related with David was a very good example of how those given to evil thoughts behave towards others. How David related with King Saul was a very good example of how those given to positive thoughts behave to others.

G) IT DEFINES YOU
“As a man thinkest so he is” (Proverbs 23:7). This implies the thoughts of man makes the man or a man is the product of his thoughts. What an insightful statement that you are who you think you are. Think of failure and you become a failure, think of success and you become successful. Good and bad outcome of oneself and other things are established first in the mind before they become manifested in the physical. So what are you thinking of yourself right now?
It is worthy to point out here that unhealthy self esteem a.k.a inferiority complex which had turned many to slaves of others, losing confidence in themselves, with self defeating habits and behaviors has its root cause in negative thoughts of oneself.

H) IT IS A SIN
Having negative thoughts is a great sin against the Holy God who hates everything evil. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 15:26). “Thoughts of foolishness is sin” (Proverbs 24:9). Evil thoughts are devoid of God (Proverbs 15:26). As a sin, it shall be judged by God as He did of those revealed in I Romans 1:21 & 24-32.

GOD BLESS YOU.
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Christians and unbelievers alike experience losses, joblessness, lack, illness, temptations, trials, persecution, unfulfilled dreams or desires, failures, disappointment, financial crisis, damaged reputations, bankruptcy, loneliness, debt, hardship, misfortune, bullying, lack, death of a loved one, injustice, false accusation, pressure among others. Some are able to handle their situations very well, remaining confident and comported and even coming out victorious. Some others facing same situations were crushed under the heavy burdens of their problems and even commit suicide. Why is this so? The difference is in how each individual perceives the situation which in turn dictates their responses and reactions.
What is Perception?
The story of the twelve spies sent by Moses by Gods instructions to go and have a view of the Land that God had promised to give them as their inheritance (Numbers 13:1-33) best describes how people see same situation differently and how such views dictate their responses and reactions (Numbers 14:1-10). Ten of the spies viewed the land and came back with negative report saying; (32)” … the land through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eat up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people we saw in it are men of a great stature, (33) and there we saw the giants, the sons of anak, which come of the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers. And so we were in their sight.”
However two of the spies reported the same land as thus; (7)“… the land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. ( if the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.” What was responsible for the different reports given of the same land viewed was their perceptions.

The evil/negative reports of the ten spies was based on how they saw it as revealed by their human senses “our own sight” and understanding based on viewing things by their physical appearance. It was not only an evil report but also a wrong report.
The good/positive reports by remaining the two spies was not established on physical appearances but on spiritual perception of the situation based on God’s past faithfulness in delivering them from the land of Egypt and God’s promises to give them the land (Genesis 15:18; 17:8; Exodus 33:2). They knew God was present with them (Numbers 14:9). They were aware of his Invisible presence with them. This is faith in action!
These are in fact the two different types of perceptions; positive/spiritual and negative/carnal.

Also worthy of note is the effect of the negative perceptions and the positive perceptions on the reporters. Those who saw the situation positively were bold and courageous, optimistic, brave and calm and therefore said; “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. Neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not” (Numbers 13:30 and 14:9). Did the Scripture in Daniels 11:32, not say that “the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits?
However, the ten with the negative report said, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” Negative perceptions of things result into negative responses. It makes one to be afraid and loose heart. It grounds one down because it drains away one’s confidence and strength. It demoralizes and demobilizes. It discourages.

Furthermore, those negative reports affected all those who heard it negatively too. They became so disturbed, afraid and disheartened and wept throughout the night (Numbers 14:1). After that, they murmured against Moses and Aaron, and wished they had died in Egypt. They rebelled against God and wanted to stone those who brought the good report (Numbers 4:1-4,10). These were the ripple effects of negative perceptions.

The ten spies who saw themselves as grasshoppers and wished they had died in Egypt had what they wished for, they all died (Numbers 114:36-37). The two who saw themselves as winners through God lived (Numbers 14:38). Perception is everything, what you see is what you get!

From all the explanations above we can see the importance of having the right perception of every situation. Your perception is responsible for all responses and reactions, character and conduct, victory and defeat, life and death. Negative perception of life situations is the root cause of suicide.

Man before the fall had the right physical and spiritual perceptions of things, life and life’s situations and right corresponding responses and reaction because his vision was perfect. He dwelt in light, focused on God and was in a godly and perfect environment/surroundings. Man, in his original estate as one created in God’s image and likeness was spirit. He was perfect with no disease or disability. He viewed and did everything spiritually. Man connects to God and the spirit realm through the spirit. He also has a body and soul. The body is the dwelling place of the spirit. The body has some sensory organs with which he views the physical world with. The soul comprising of the mind is described as the center and director of human activity. It is the center of intellect/mentality, intuition, thoughts and imaginations. It is the place of emotions and feeling and also of affection. It is also the place of human will, decision making, desires and wishes. It is also the place our characters and morals are formed. The mind is conditioned by the inputs from the physical and spirit realms. When inputs from the physical and the spiritual realms controlled by God’s spirit gets to a mind in contact with the Almighty God, it responds positively because it is godly. These inputs in turn dictate how the person’s mentality, feelings, emotions and will operates. Godly inputs are positive, good, true, pure, lovely, light, wise, and holy inputs. Godly inputs keep the heart at rest, quiet, peace, joyful, healthy, hopeful and strong (Hebrews 1:1-3; John 1:1-4, 14; Galatians 5: 22-23).

Man occupied and operated from an exalted position of dominion and authority as the crown of God’s creation. The Garden of Eden where he abode was a paradise, a place of light and conducive environment with the best of everything good that life could offer. It was a place of order, peace, love and harmony. Man was totally dependent on God, he fellowshipped with Him and enjoyed His presence and man had fullness of life and peace of mind. God was man’s focus.

To view things in God is the highest altitude to view all happenings around us - through the eyes of the Holy Spirit and in the light of God’s divine purpose and responds to messages from the spiritual and physical realms. He sees God in everything therefore he had the perfect high latitude perception of everything both in the physical and in the spiritual. He was able to have a high view, a far view, a full view and a clear view and the real understanding views of everything. He impacted his environment positively to the extent that the Garden of Eden was said to be a place of joy and gladness, thanksgiving and melody (Isaiah 51:3).

Pathetically, man sinned against God when he put the lust of the eyes and cares of the world above obeying Gods commandment and everything about man and life changed downward. As a result of the sin of disobedience of eating from the tree of good and evil he was commanded against, he was disconnected from the Holy God, who is Light and the source of his life and spirituality. He died spiritually and he became depraved/carnal (one governed by human nature instead of by the Spirit of God). His being dead spiritually also implies he is blind spiritually and no longer able to receive or discern anything of the spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). The eyes became evil (Matthew 6:23). Having being alienated from God, God is no longer his focus and could not see God in anything. This implies he became self-centered, only concerned with himself. He became influenced by physical/outward appearance of things which are actually not real as seen and are temporal (2 Corinthians 4:. Being alienated from God implies among other things that he is now in the spiritual kingdom of darkness. He also lost out of life’s goodness which is found in God. Life ceased being what it was meant to be. He incurred the wrath of God and was cursed and now put on imperfection, death and decay. Creation was cursed on his behalf too. He was driven from his exalted/high place of light, comfort, peace and abundance (garden of Eden) and position of dominion and authority to the outside world already cursed, in darkness and chaos because of Satan who was cast down to it. The presence of Satan in the earth had given physical things deceptive, camouflage counterfeit and false looks. His mind now complies with the dictates of his flesh and became evil because of satanic thoughts and deeds which are negative, bad, poisonous, negative, evil, false, dangerous, hateful, sinful, and wicked inputs. All these make the heart sad, dark, panicky, hard, weak, sinful, dulled, evil, afraid, bitter, confused, foolish and wicked.
Being under the rulership of Satan and living in a harsh environment where evil and terrible happenings occur regularly, his body became diseased.

Effects of man’s fall on his perception/view of things:
Man’s fall had very serious negative effect on his perception of things in several ways;
(a) Man now view things as a result of his becoming spiritually blind, he sees spiritual things through their physical appearances which is wrong because spiritual things cannot be view with human senses. He now sees life’s circumstances as barriers: he now has a carnal mindset. Worst still is the fact that the human senses which he uses has become corrupted, contaminated and diseased, which implies he could not even view physical things correctly too (Matthew 6:22- 23).
(b) The world has been thrown into spiritual darkness making visibility of life’s situations unclear, thereby man stumbles and falls even at noon time (Isaiah 49)
(c) He becomes self centered with concerns for only things that pertains to him alone.
(d) Having been sent out to the world, he now views things from the earth level which is at a very low eye level and an incorrect viewing position of heavenly things. He now views life’s situations from the basement (frog view). The bottom view makes things look big and gigantic and out of proportion. When persecution is viewed with the human understanding it makes us fear, panic, or become resentful. Adversity makes us doubt, discouraged or rebellious, temptation makes us have wrong desires, impure motive or evil passion such as jealousy, hate or temper.) However man becomes double minded; one minute he is spiritually minded in the next he is carnally minded).
(e) Man lost his control over his surroundings. Being in a fallen world full of troubles and surrounded by terrible things and happenings, customs, fashion, rules, modes, manners, religion and forces all which are down dragging. He now conforms to the world (Romans 12:2).

The Good News for Christians:
We thank God for His gracious salvation through Jesus Christ that has among other things restored man to his original estate. As many that believe Him, He gave them power to become children of God (John 1: 12; Romans 8:14-17).
(1) They are translated from the kingdom of darkness to that of light (Colossians 1:13).
(2) The believer becomes a light bearer.
(3) They are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). The believer has the Holy Spirit which has begotten a new spiritual nature with faculties of spiritual seeing and hearing and understanding in his heart (2 Corinthians 5:17)
(4) Their life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)
(5) They are now seated in Christ above all principalities and powers, a citizen of heaven.
(6) They have become people of high of authority and powers having being made Kings and priests (Revelations 1:6).
(7) Jesus the captain and author of their salvation has become their focus.

Christians, we have all these things restored to us through Jesus Christ. For effective perception, it is expected of us to have a right view of life and circumstances of life’s through the eyes of faith on Christ finished works and victory over Satan, the world and the flesh. Jesus is life, and the source of life, the best way to have the right perception of life is to see life through him. Our inability to live and see things the way they are by the spirit is why we are still responding and reacting negatively to unpalatable circumstances of life. This is contrary to how our Lord Jesus wants us to react and respond. He wants us to be of Good cheer in all situations and said “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). Jesus’s victory is our victory, we have victory over Satan, the world and self in Jesus. This must be our perception in times of our tribulations. Perception is everything, the less you perceive life and challenges negatively the less you respond negatively, the happier your life will become. Since we are seated with Jesus in heavenly places above all principalities we are to see things from a high altitude level. This would give us a wide, long and understandable view and not from below the low earth level where we see, hear, and perceive everything that will have us discouraged and cast down.
Among the things I learnt personally from the story of the twelve spies sent to view the land of Canaan is the difference between negative/human perception and positive/spiritual perception and the responses and reaction based on these perceptions. Ten viewed the land with their human eyes and saw defeat and death while two viewed it in God and saw victory and life (Numbers 13: 25-33; 14:1-10). What you see is what you have. The 10 spies saw themselves as grasshoppers and carcass and that was what they got (Numbers 13:33). The two who saw themselves as winners through God lived. See yourself victorious over your life’s battles because the one with you is the Mighty man in battle and has already given you victory.

Be Victorious:
Stop seeing and judging yourself from the eyes of your flesh, because no matter how physically endowed you are, you will always never seem to measure up. King Saul’s with all God’s given physical and spiritual endowment was a perfect match for Goliath but he couldn’t face him because he was little in his own eyes (1 Samuel 9:2, 21; 10:23. He lost out of life’s battles. However, young and inexperienced David aware of God’s presence with him confronted Goliath and killed him. Your physique is not the real you, the real you is the “inner you”. You are more than what your physical body reveals. You are who the Word of God says you are; you are beautiful and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God, so why suffer from inferiority complex? Be mindful of what the word of God says about you and not what others say about you. The reason you are seeing yourself as a failure is because you are measuring yourself with other people’s successes. Focus on your strength and not on your weakness and mistakes. You are unique and special. You are not a mistake but a wonder.
There is a destiny which God would have you see, claim and complete in faith and victory. You have a glorious purposeful expected end. He has put everything in place for you concerning this. All He wants you to do is to lift up your eyes “lift up your eyes….all the land that you see will give to you” (Genesis 13:14-15). Abraham believed God and could see his destiny beyond his physical vision. What kept Joseph going despite all the challenges was his spiritual perception of a glorious future.
Child of destiny, look up, walk shoulder high and stop going about life with bowed heads in dejection and hopelessness, you have a glorious future! Lift up your eyes to the hill from where your help comes from.
Stop seeing yourself as one with one disability or the other when the bible says you are a complete human being (Col. 2:10). Stop living in fear because of the threats and roaring’s of all the toothless powerless workers of darkness masquerading as lions; they cannot harm you because your life is hidden in Christ (Col. 3:3). Be mindful always of your position as one seated in Christ who is seated far above all principalities and powers.
Whatever it is you are passing through, do not focus on the challenge; Focusing on your problems will destroy you because of its overwhelming effect. We are admonished to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith because He in a trialing situation saw life and victory beyond the cross, the crown and glory beyond the grave. As long as Peter maintained his focus on Jesus, resting in the power of His word, he walked on the water but started sinking as he looked at the storming wind. Keep your eyes on Jesus. When you see God in everything and trusting him He will help you. Don’t ever lose consciousness of God’s presence with you. When one loses focus on God’s abiding presence the heart becomes weak and troubled; persecution assails us; and inwardly there breaks a storm of fear, panic, or resentment. Adversity makes us doubt, discouraged or rebellious, temptation makes us have wrong desires, impure motives or evil passion such as jealousy, hate or temper. The reason why God placed the eyes in front of the head is because we are to look forward always, so stop looking back at hurtful past experiences, else you will fall. God is working on your case even when it seems nothing is happening (Isa. 43:18-19).
All the characters previously studied Joseph, Job, King David overcame their challenges because God was their focus, they operated by the spirit of God and they saw all their afflictions in the light of God’s divine purpose. This is to say that they saw God in it all as a result of that, they were not seen as the works of Satan, witches and wizards, and household enemies even when there were glaring visible activities of man’s inhumanity in their situations. David through the eyes and understanding of the spirit saw victory over Goliath even before the challenge. This was what helped David not to kill King Saul on the three occasions he had the opportunities to do so. Apostle Paul’s focused attention on Jesus was what made him see his many grievous afflictions as “light afflictions. Joseph saw God in all that happened to him and this greatly helped him to maintain his cool headedness. Joseph accepted his trial and could therefore make the best use of it. He did his job so well at Potiphar’s house that he soon became the one in charge of the whole household. He did his work so faithfully in the prison that he soon became master over other prisoners. What helped Joseph not to fall into the temptation of fornication was that he looked at it as something against God and humanity. It was what helped him not to pay back evil for evil against all his ten brothers’ heartless crimes against him that made him suffer greatly including his being sold into slavery and imprisonment. It is only when we see God above all our challenges that we can forgive and forget human instruments.

Please visit http://lovelashblog.com/2018/10/29/how-to-avoid-becoming-a-victim-of-suicide-3/ for the complete post.

God bless you

One common thing revealed in the lives of those studied previously of those who remained strong, courageous and victorious over life's challenges and holding unto God to the end is the personal knowledge each of them had of God is as revealed in their words and actions.
Joseph's anchor statements of his knowledge of God can be seen in Genesis 39:9c; 41: 51-52; 45: 5-8. Job's statements in Job 19:25-27, and Apostle Paul's anchor statement as sited in 2 Timothy 1:12 These declarations are definitely not mere surface or superficial statements but proclamations from the depth of the hearts based on their personal knowledge and understanding of who God is. God was a vibrant reality to them!

Unfortunately, this cannot be said of many in Christendom these days. It is pathetic to note that while most Christians even if woken from their sleep can say virtually everything about their denomination's founders, G.O, Pastors and every other person connected to them they can hardly say any tangible thing about God who they claim to be their father and God. This is because they have little or no knowledge of Him. The understanding some have are based on what their pastors told them God is or what the gospel artists sing about God. Although, what one knows about God through others is good, but such knowledge is not enough and cannot sustain in times of life's storms and challenges.

WHAT KNOWING GOD IS:
Knowing God goes beyond knowing that He exists or just knowing a few things about Him. It involves knowing Him in person by embracing His Gracious Salvation through His son Jesus Christ, understanding what each of His attributes implies and believing them to be for you (Isaiah 43:10). God must be a reality in one's life for one to be able to face life's challenges.

NOT KNOWING GOD - WHAT IS LEADS TO
Lack of personal knowledge of God could be said to be the reason why many Christians are easily deceived, fleeced of their hard-earned money and held in captivity by con pastors who capitalized on their ignorance. It is the reason people run helter-skelter from pillar to post looking for help from whom there is none in time of life's storms. It is also the reason why many are powerless, weak, fearful, afflicted and being tossed up and down and deceived commit suicide by Satan and his cohorts from the kingdom of darkness. It is still the reason why there is so much evil and wickedness perpetuated against fellow humans by people who claim to be Christians. It is still the same reason why many have become victims of their circumstances instead of victors over their circumstances. It is still the same reason a genuine anointed servant of God would go seeking for powers from the occult. What a pathetic situation! Did God not say in His word that "Therefore my people have gone into captivity because they have no knowledge; their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst." Isaiah 5:13

IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
The importance of each individual Christian having a personal knowledge of God cannot be overemphasized. Knowledge of God is the greatest need of all of us in our Christian Faith right now for very obvious reasons among which are:
1. God desires our knowledge of Him above all of our religious pieties, rites, gifts and offering. "For I desire mercy, and not sacrifices; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6: 6). The knowledge we have of God determines our level of love, obedience, and dependence (1 John 2:3-4). Those who know Him better love fellow human beings (Jeremiah 22:16, 1 John 3:17).
2. It is in the possession of knowledge of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ that we get to know and understand our own identity. We are the sons of the Most High God invested with so much power and authority as revealed. However, the manifestation of these powers in us greatly depends on our understanding of the workings of God’s power in us. We can only understand our authority through the knowledge we have of the owner and giver of such powers - the Almighty God, His son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Only when we do this can we do great exploits (Daniel 11:32). This is the reason Apostle Paul prayed for the Church as seen in Ephesians 3:14-19
3. Furthermore, we are bound to come across trials and temptations. The trials of our faith would be such that our love, heart, commitment, dedication, dependency, and obedience to God will be tried. In the process, the hand of the Lord shall be heavy upon everything spiritual, physically and mentally to prove our hearts. It is however great to know that in times of trials, God never allows us to be tempted beyond what we can cope with (I Corinthians 10:13) and that God never gives up His children up to death.
4. We are in the perilous end-times where terrible things are happening as revealed in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. The time we are in now is such that no one is even certain of what will happen in the next moment. Tragedies here and there, earthquake, flood, accidents on the airways, railways, waterways and road, religious intolerance, sudden death, strange ailment and diseases, chronic poverty, and other strange things abound. The love of many has waxed cold, divorce is on the increase, deceit, cruelty and man's inhumanity to man are the order of the day. Ethnic, national and civil wars are being fought all over the world. All these occurrences make the heart sad, sorrowful, dejected, discouraged, dismayed, full of anxiety, downcast, depressed, broken-hearted and depressed. Only a personal knowledge of God soothes and strengthens the heart (Isaiah 33:6). It is only the knowledge of God that can stabilize one's heart in the face of betrayed love, broken relationship, infidelity, unchastely, barrenness, joblessness, sickness, disability, and death of one of the partners. Knowing the unchanging love of God, which passes all understanding, surely calms one's heart.

Things are even worse in the Church circle as iniquity has crept into the Church. With the influx of false teachers, pastors, evangelists and prophets, cultism, mysticism, magic, strange powers, witchcraft, divination and other demonic rituals have been subtly introduced into the churches. Many visual things are subtly used to represent God, such things as anointing oil, anointed handkerchief, apron, chaplets, laminated pictures of pastors and wives are what people carry about with them. Many Pastors have tactfully replaced the Holy Bible with their authored devotional books for their members. Many deliverance pastors have made a mess of God's gracious salvation that comes only through faith in Jesus, through strange deliverance prayers. They make their followers believe that until they starve in the name of fasting for endless nights and days, have many night vigils, bathe in special rivers, make prayers using certain objects and articles, involve in sex rump with them, drink and eat poisonous things and do some weird things. 2 Timothy 3:12-13, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived". In situations like this only personal knowledge of God would prevent one from falling victims.
5. Apart from all these, we have an adversary, an arch enemy of our soul and a tireless imposter of God, called Satan the Devil. He goes about impersonating and imitating God's works and words with the intention of confusing the ignorant with the aim of stealing, destroying and killing his would-be victims and taking them along with himself to Hell. This he achieves through deceit, lies and his ability to transform himself as an angel of light through subtle ways (2 Corinthians 11:14). For this reason, it is very important that we know our God personally to be able to distinguish Him and everything of Him from that of the imposter. The personal knowledge one has of the true God will help us to discern, recognized and differentiate the truth from the imitation or fake. We need to know God so as to be able to resist Satan our adversary who is fighting tooth and nail to destroy our faith and eternal destiny (I Peters 5: "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walked about, seeking whom to devour".

From what has been written above you see that not having personal knowledge of God is at our own peril because life's challenges are all about you. Often times, it is what you face all alone and in such situation it is what you know personally of God that will be the anchor for your soul. Jesus knowing what the problems the disciplines would face after his departure asked them "who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15) Jesus is asking you that same question now, “Who do you say I am, what do you know of me?”

BIBLICAL ACCOUNTS OF THOSE WITH A PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND THE GAINS
Only a deep personal knowledge of God could have made Joseph a seventeen-year-old boy, all alone in a strange land to maintain his sanity, purity, dignity, endure all hardship and not give up on life in the face of deep hatred, envy, betrayal, desertion and being sold into slavery by siblings, loneliness, frame up, injustice, imprisonment and other things he passed through.

Only a deep personal knowledge of God could have made Job worship and not curse God, remained sane, comported and maintained his integrity in the face of total wanton collapse of his dynasty, total destruction of his property, death of all one's children, and serious skin affliction and taunting by his wife and friends.

Only the personal knowledge of Jesus could have enabled Apostle Paul not to renounce Jesus but endured all his persecutions and sufferings in stripes, in chains and being beaten with rods above measure, imprisonments, stoning, hunger, unclothedness, thirst, shipwrecks, in perils by own countrymen, by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. He knew Jesus and ministered through the knowledge he had of Him and he did great exploits. He knew the importance of personal knowledge of God and yearned for more saying; "That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if at any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11).
Victory over life's challenges depends on the knowledge we have of Jesus through whom we are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).

Only a personal knowledge of God could have helped King David out of his many troubles. The level of the knowledge of God possessed by King David is of a great interest to us here. His knowledge supersedes all others. He knew God to a very large extent. He knew God's nature, natural attributes, moral attributes, nature of His works, His words, His salvation, and redemption, His name, His ways, His acts, His might, power and strength, His terrific acts, His titles, His man and many more.
It was the knowledge he had of God as the most powerful and great deliverer that made him challenge and conquer Goliath as his statement in 1 Samuel 17:37, 45-48, Psalm 43:7-8 and Psalm 32:7 revealed. King David experienced great suffering in war and exile in the hands of King Saul and his own children and tribesmen. He knew and understood what having God as one's God and Father is and could say; "The Lord is the portion my inheritance and of my cup; thou maintainest my lot” (Psalm 16:5; Psalm 56:9). Definitely, it means David knew all of Him is all of God, all God has is at his disposal. This is a confession from a heart that knew, loved, accepted, relied on, depended and trusted in God. It is a knowledge that acknowledges the fact that God and himself are one. Yes, this is because God lives within us. Knowing that God lives within us makes us discover within ourselves capabilities of which we have never dreamt and awareness of life and a fulfillment of joy beyond our fondest hope. He also had the knowledge that God loved him personally and that He will never do anything to hurt him neither will He allow any evil to befall him. Psalm 147:11, "And the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy".
It is this assurance too that made David be able to use possessive pronoun "My" when addressing God which no one before him did, as can be seen in all his Psalms especially in Psalm 18:1-2. “I will love thee, o Lord, my strength, the Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high tower. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear, what can man do unto me?"

Trust? Yes! Boldness? Yes! Definitely, when one considers the wickedness of man, it takes only a man that knows God and His power to say, "What can man do unto me?" David is such a man!
His Psalm 23 reveals his deep knowledge of God as His shepherd. Psalm 121 reveals his deep knowledge and understanding of God as his helper, while Psalm 91 reveals his deep understanding of God as his protector. He is conscious of the attributes of God's protective presence of divine love that is within, without and all around us. Keeping us
It is a knowledge that knows that all the battles and warfare in our lives belongs to God to fight (Exodus 14:14, Psalm 108:13, 2 Chronicles 32:.

This is, in fact, the secret of all his victories. Never was he afraid to face any enemy, situation, or circumstances no matter the magnitude or dimension for he knew the Lord Almighty, Man of battle, a great God, greater, bigger than every enemy of our soul and all men. Not once did he enter any battle with confidence in the size or strength of his army, for he knew there is no deliverance in them as he revealed in Psalm 33:16-19
Victory depends on God (Psalm 71:16). This is the source of the rich spiritual heritage of serenity and peace of mind and heart with God that David had. (Psalm 62:7, Samuel 22:33, Psalm 20:7-.
He knew that the making of a man, the fulfillment of a desire, victory, promotion, wealth, is not by a man's making but by God's (Psalm 18:32-34, Psalm 18:29, Psalm, 60:12, Psalm 68:35). Of a worthy note are his greatness, wealth and riches despite his humble background of being a shepherd and the least among his father's children. This he did not achieve through his own power but by God's as his statement in Psalm 18:35. One of the verses of his prayer to God in 1 Chronicle 29 clarifies this also.
David knew the excellence, greatness, blessedness, power, and might of God's name, he knew God's name to be a very strong tower, shelter and mighty weapon of destruction against the enemy. Hear this declaration of his as seen in Proverbs 18:10 and Psalm 44:5. "Through thee will we push down our enemies: Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us".
He knew God answers prayers and he prayed always (Psalm 34:15 & 17).
He knew the importance of knowing God intimately and therefore advised Solomon to also know God (1 Chronicles 28:9) "… my son, know thou god of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind…" This is the truth that we are admonished to know of, so as to be free - John 8:32. "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free". God is the Truth, so know the truth. Be strong by drawing strength from Him to face any situation!

HOW TO KNOW GOD
1. Get to know our Lord God and His Christ by spending time studying the Holy Scripture (John 5:39). The Bible is the authentic book of God; it contains the description of the person of God, His character, names, nature, works, words, ways, promises, laws, ordinances, statutes, commandments, and testimonies of God. Know God's infallible words of life so as to sail through life's turbulent waters.

2. Get to know God our powerful creator by studying and considering His works in creation as King David did. Romans 1: 19-20.

3. Embrace God's salvation and know Jesus, who alone has the power to reveal God (Matthew 11:27). Know Jesus the express image of God and power, and wisdom of God so as to know God's wonderful characters (2 Corinthians 4:4).

4. Know the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the living God, the power of God to the believers, for it is not by our power or might that we can confront and overcome challenges, problems, situations, and all forces militating against our lives 1 Corinthians 2: 10-13
GET TO KNOW GOD WHO HAS PUT IN PLACE MANY THINGS FOR YOU TO KNOW HIM, THEREFORE NO EXCUSE FOR NOT KNOWING HIM (Romans 1: 19-20).

GOD BLESS YOU. See www.lovelashblog.com for more

I am certain that if those who committed suicide in the past one year were asked a few years ago whether they could ever commit suicide, their answers would be "Never!" Pathetically, they carried out the act. This was because in the course of their living, they were caught in life’s storms such as illness, persecution, unfulfilled dreams or desires, failures, rape, damaged reputations, bankruptcy, loneliness, debt, hardship, misfortune, bullying, lack, death of a loved one, injustice, false accusation, pressure from loved ones and peers, losses amongst others that overwhelmed them and made them give up on life. What a pity!

Life’s storms and challenges are real. However, there is nothing anyone can do concerning because they are a part and parcel of life and we must come across them. Nonetheless, there are things individuals could do to stay strong, safe and victorious in the times of storm.
In the next postings I shall be dealing with the various ways we can avoid falling victims of suicide. The Scripture warns: "He who thinks he stands should watch less he falls”. 1 Corinthians 10:12

DON'T FALL OUT WITH GOD
There are accounts of certain individuals in the Bible who committed suicide: Those who no one would have envisaged could do so based on their personalities, positions, achievements, endowments, and several other qualities. Yet, when they fell under certain situations, they couldn't stand and gave up on life. Some of these individuals include Samson, King Saul, Ahithophel and Judas just to mention a few.

[b]Samson'[/b]s birth was spectacular and divine (Judges Chapter 13). He was the only child of his parents and a Nazarine. He was blessed by God and empowered with the Holy Spirit which made him very strong and powerful with which he fought and did great exploits against the Philistines. He was a judge in Israel for twenty years. He first fell out with God in the wrong choices of the heathen women he fell in love which was against God’s-given instructions for him (Judges13:5, 8, 18, 34-35). He disobeyed God's command concerning mixed marriage (Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3). Mingling with idol worshipers and immoral people opened his life to satanic powers, delusion and to defeat (Judges16:19-21). His sacred hair locks were shaven and his eyes plucked out by the Philistines. He was rendered powerless and useless. Samson killed himself along with all the Philistines in the temple of Dagon (Judges16: 28-30).
King Saul was the first anointed king chosen by God to rule over Israel. He was a man of great physique and beauty and also a warrior (1 Samuel 9:2; 10: 23-24). He was anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit to carry out his God-given assignment (1 Samuel 10:1, 9). He led the Israelites in many battles against their enemies and they won (1 Samuel 14: 47-49). His problem started when just two years of his reign, he disobeyed God despite Samuel's warnings and the Spirit of God left him (1 Samuel 13: 13-14; 15:2-3, 18-19). He disobeyed God because he failed to acknowledge the Almighty God who put Him on the throne as the Great One who must be revered. He failed because he couldn't see himself as the Lord sees him - His anointed one. He indirectly was fighting against God when he started fighting King David who was to succeed him. His consultations with the witch at Endor to call up the spirit of late Prophet Samuel showed how far he had wandered away from the Living God. And what he was told left him devastated. With this condition of heart, he went to battle where he was grievously wounded and also witnessed the death of his three sons. He killed himself by falling upon his own sword rather than allow himself to be taken as prisoner by the Philistines (1 Chronicles 31:1-4).

Ahitophel was a powerful counselor to King David and Absalom. He was so good at counseling that his counsel was said "to be as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God" (2 Samuel 16:23). However, he parted ways with King David and took side with Absalom against who was rebelling against God's anointed King David his father. This was an indication of his fall out with God and when he saw that one of his counsels to Absalom was not followed, “he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself and died” (2 Samuel 17:24).

Judas Iscariot was among the twelve disciples of Jesus and went places with Him for close to three years. He was the keeper of the group's purse. He betrayed Jesus Christ on whom he collected twenty pieces of silver from the scribes and got Jesus Christ crucified! He later killed himself by hanging (Matthew 27:5).
How are the mighty fallen! It is tragic to see great men of wisdom and might, men who fought and won great physical battles loose to life’s battles by committing suicide.

From the above examples, we can see that staying strong and courageous in times of storms and coming out victorious is not dependent on having a godly family background. If it were, all those who committed suicide above would not have done so since they are all Israelites, God's chosen people! They were believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Physical human strength, power, beauty, experience or skill is not it either; if it were to so, Samson and King Saul's wouldn't have committed suicide. Overcoming life's battles is not also depended on anointing, spiritual gifts, empowerment and the service one renders to God, if it were King Saul, Samson and Judas wouldn't have committed suicide. Neither is it by old age, wisdom, position, and attainment in life, if it were to so Ahithophel and King Saul wouldn't have committed suicide. If life’s battles could be fought and won with man-made weapons of war and human war strategies, then King Saul would have had victory over his life's challenges! (Psalm 33: 16-19).

Accounts of People who overcame Life’s Challenges as seen in the Bible:
In the Bible also, are accounts of certain individuals who faced great challenges, difficulties, pains, and sufferings. These people weathered through them all and came out strong and victorious and lived to old age. Such people include Joseph, Job, King David, and Apostle Paul.

Joseph was from Jacob's polygamous home of four wives and many children of whom twelve were males. Joseph was the eleventh son and his own mother died when he was very young. He was a good son and the father's favorite. He must have learned about the God of Israel, the only true God of the whole universe from the mouth of Jacob his father. He was a dreamer whose dreams revealed he had a great future. He was greatly envied and hated by 10 of his brothers (Genesis 37:2-11). He was greatly antagonized by them and they eventually conspired against him and sold him into slavery as a seventeen-year old teenager (Genesis 37:4, 8, 18). He was taken to Egypt and was bought by Potiphar and served for thirteen years. While at Potiphar's house, his master's wife framed him up and was sent to prison unjustly (Genesis39: 9-12, 20). It was mentioned four times in Genesis 39: 2, 3, 21, 23 that God was with him. He languished in prison for three years until he was sent for by Pharaoh to come and interpret the dreams he had. Pharaoh made him Egypt's prime minister. In all his challenges he remained steadfast and faithful to his God as seen in the names he gave his two children (Genesis 41:51-52). He believed God was in it all (Genesis 45:5-8; 50:20).

Job was a man who held God in the highest esteem as testified of God in Job 1:1. He was a wealthy man with seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yokes of oxen, five hundred she-asses and many servants. He had several children - seven sons and three daughters. Storms of life came and he lost everything in one day as revealed in Job 1:13-19.
His body was also under serious affliction (Job 2:7-. He suffered greatly as he narrated in Job 7:3-6. As if all these were not enough, his wife came to taunt him be bitter and curse God (Job 2:9-10). His three friends too came and heaped blames and accusations on him. But in all, Job remained strong, bold, calm, committed, submissive and dependent on God. His statements in Job 13:15 and Job 19:25-27) revealed his steadfastness.
As a result of unwavering faith in God, he waited patiently until God restored unto him more than what he had lost (Job 42: 12-13).
This is an affirmation of God's faithfulness to those who hold unto Him in faith "But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them because they trust in him" (Psalm 37:39-40).

David was the youngest child of a large family. He was a shepherd. He probably was led to the Living God by his mother at a very tender age as he revealed in Psalm 22;9-10; 86: 16;116: 16. His Psalms revealed he made the Living God his personal God (Psalm 16:5; 73:26; 142:5). He could therefore refer to God with such sweet words as my God, my Shepherd, my Light, my Rock, my Strength, my Deliverer, my Fortress and much more. He most likely suffered neglect by his parents as a youth (Psalm 27:10). He narrated his near-death experiences while keeping his animals to King Saul to prove he could kill Goliath and attributed his ability to kill the animals to God's help (1 Samuel 17: 34-37). His battle with Goliath was a miniature of his lifelong battle. He faced many battles and troubles in the hand of King Saul. Of his sufferings, he said "For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning" (Psalm 73:14). While waiting, with the help of God he slew Goliath and he became the darling of the people. Unfortunately, his fame brought him trouble with the king who became envious of him and wanted to kill him by all means. For nine years he passed through series of troubles, persecutions, and perils in the hands of King Saul and had to run away for his dear life. He became a fugitive, a wanted man and a wanderer. He suffered a lot yet he persevered in following God. After several years, King Saul his enemy died, and David was made king over Israel and became well renown. Many great nations fought against him in battle but he prevailed over them. However, his joy of ascension to the throne was short-lived for his own son Absalom overthrew his government. So, he had to hurriedly flee from the throne to save his life. He was later reinstated to the throne after the death of Absalom. Apart from all these, he was in many sore troubles, but in the face of it all, he endured and remained firm with God. Despite being surrounded by heathen nations and kings, not for once was he ever tempted to worship idols, not even mentioning their names with his mouth (Psalm 16:4). He was hopeful and at peace knowing only God's purpose would prevail (Psalm 3 1-3). He knew of God's great love and that God being a living God would hear and answer him when he calls so he prayed and waited patiently on God. Also known unto him was the fact that God maintains the cause and right of those who fear Him. God also shields, protects and vindicates those who trust Him. He is their refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 63:8; 56:3, "My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me."
Knowing that many are the afflictions of the righteous but that the Lord delivers them from all and he was delivered as he testified in Psalm 55:18. He was not a super-man though as some of his Psalm revealed that at certain times, he was weak and weary too (Psalm 55:2-5 and Psalm 20; 1-2).
He came out of them all because his heart and focus was on his God (Psalm 16:8-11, Psalm 25:15, Psalm 123:1-2)
"I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore, I shall not slide. For the lovingkindness is before mine eye: and I have walked in thy truth (Psalm 26: 1b & 3)
He had an unshaken trust in God (Psalm 16:8-11, Psalm 25:15, Psalm 123:1-2). He made the Almighty God his focus. He made an irreversible choice to live in the consciousness of God's presence always. (Psalm 62:5-7, Psalm 119:112).
To him, God is everything "He is the God of his life" (Psalm 42:8c).
Anyway, one does not expect anything short from a man who knew and trusted His God as seen in Psalm 46:1-3, Psalm 23:1&4 and Psalm 138:7-8. His statements showed that he had sound faith and knowledge of God and left his time in God’s hands because he was persuaded that God was capable of managing it well for him, Psalm 31:12(a) "My times are in thy hand".
The strategy he used in maintaining a fixed heart and not allowing any situation or circumstances to destabilize him, was to seek the face of God in prayers. To worship God with thanksgiving and praises several times a day; to delight in the laws of God and to study God’s word.
Apostle Paul, more than any of the apostles had a hard and rough time in life after he had given his life to Christ. Some of the things he went through are written in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27.
He went further with his ordeals "we are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4: . Is it not a wonder that He could refer to all his sufferings as light afflictions in verse 17?
He however remained steadfast to the end because he knew whom he believed (2 Timothy 1:12 and 2 Timothy 4:16-18).
To Him nothing can be compared to the knowledge of Jesus, our faithful Savior as Paul said in Philippians 3:8. He could, therefore, advise us to keep Jesus always as our focus in Hebrews 12:2.
From the lives of these latter set of people studied above, we see that they all had a personal relationship with God because they were Israelites and they were used by God. However, the former set of people who committed suicide fell out with God at one time or the other due to sins in their lives especially the sin of disobedience and greed. This happened because their hearts were not totally dependent and they were not intimate with Him and they didn't know Him well enough.
Meanwhile, those who came out victorious over many life's battles, staying strong and courageous remained abiding in God and had an intimate personal faith relationship with Him. They were committed, dedicated, trusting, determined, obedient, focused and worshiped God in all circumstances.

TAKE HOME
Dear Friend, how is your personal walk, dedication, and commitment with Jesus? How much of God do you know? How is your personal devotion, prayer and fasting life? Are you still in Faith? A lot of people confuse having a personal relationship with God with belonging to a church denomination, maintaining a relationship with their Pastors, church attendance, giving offerings and tithes, serving in one unit of the church and others. All these are good but having and maintaining a personal relationship with God goes beyond all these.

One enters into a personal relationship with God on repentance and embracing God's gracious salvation through His son Jesus Christ. This is being born again. Maintaining a personal relationship with God implies developing in faith after being born again and remaining rooted and steadfast till the end of one's life on earth as revealed in Colossians 2:6-7. To achieve this involves spending quality time alone in daily personal reading of the Bible, seeking His face in prayers, meditation and fasting. It also involves spending time in personal devotional worship in thanksgiving and praises and living in the consciousness of His presence every moment.
Not developing one’s faith and remaining steadfast is where many have missed it and have fallen out with God. Many, instead of holding onto God are holding to their pastors, parents, church building, academic/professional achievements, spiritual gift, physical and spiritual endowments, wealth and many others. All these are sinking grounds and cannot sustain in times of life's storms and challenges.
Anyone that has embraced God's salvation through Jesus is expected to remain abiding, be rooted, build up in Him, and be stabilized in faith in Him alone. Faith is the lifeline by which the saved persons, holds unto God under all conditions of life. Any departure from this is sin. God is the source and owner of life and it is expected of all to be totally depended on Him. This dependence on God is called faith. When Adam sinned, he stepped out of faith in God (God-dependence) into self-dependence (in-dependence) which is unbelief and they missed out of all the beautiful things of life. Faith is the way we come back into relationship with God through Jesus Christ and it is also the way we are to continue living till eternity. Having faith in God involves an exchange of self-trust for God-trust, that is we stop trusting in ourselves or others and trust Him alone totally.

God's gracious salvation through His son Jesus Christ has given us victory over the world, Satan and the flesh. However, only those who abide in Him will continue to enjoy all of Jesus. It is very important we abide in Jesus the captain of our lives always as confirmed by Him in John 15:4-6.
All God's promises of provision, protection, deliverance, long life, grace, and many others are only for those who remain abiding in God as Psalm 91 clearly reveals.

From the two groups studied above, we observe that those who remained abiding in God held on to life and continued receiving grace, help, strength and many others from God in times of trouble. To remain relevant and victorious we must remain with Jesus without letting go off Him. To remain with Jesus is to keep hanging on life's line because Jesus is life and the source of Life. He is the reason for living. Without Jesus, life is stressful, meaningless, tiring, frustrating and hopeless. Don't fall out with God.
If you have wandered away from God, it is never too late to return back to him. No matter how messed up your life is, come back to God your father as the prodigal son who wandered away from his father because of worldly pleasure did. God is calling you (Isaiah 1: 18-19).
Forsake everything that led to the former situations you were. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let them return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7).

ACTION STEPS:
If you are you have not yet come to God's gracious salvation through Jesus Christ, come to Him now by taking these steps:
1) Admit you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus our Lord" (Romans 3:23; 6:23).
2) Repent of all sins. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19). "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
3) Believe that God loves you and that Jesus His Only Son died for you. "But God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, Acts 10; 40&43)
4) Invite Jesus into your heart "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come unto him and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelations 3:20).
LIFE IS VERY COMPLEX. YOU CANNOT MANAGE IT ALL BY YOURSELF. GIVE YOUR LIFE TO JESUS SO THAT HE WOULD HELP YOU LIVE WELL!

God loves you and so do I.

[uote author=DigitalDibia post=71079126]I know I'm not the only one dealing with these thoughts.

Can we talk about it?

I'm in the middle of a crisis personally.

Yes, I know this is the Religion section. I also know that I'm not the only person dealing with these thoughts that's hoping to find a way through it with Religion.

So, can we talk about something. Anything?[/quote]Please read my blog lovelashblog.com.on write-ups on suicide or email me: nifemilash@gmail.com if you want us to chat. Please don't give up on yourself or life, stay strong.

Lovelash:
News of the suicide of people we know or are familiar with most times leave us shocked, dumbfounded and devastated. At times, we blame ourselves for our inability to prevent the tragedy, wishing we had recognized the signs or had a pre-knowledge of it and prevented it from happening.

Many of the suicide victims don't give any glaring indication or signs of their impending plan to commit suicide. Some of them would actually go the extra mile to put on fake smiles and acting out, pretending all is rosy and well with them all in their bid to deceive those close to them of their evil plans. Some would even deny having issues when confronted by those who might have suspected all is not well.

However, most of them do give signs through their words, moods, and actions that indicate all is not well. The truth worth knowing is that not all who committed suicide really wanted to die! Many of them in their confused and overwhelming state of mind secretly wished they could be rescued or helped, but unfortunately, they received no rescue or help and they died. This happened because these days, many of us are too busy or engrossed with things of our own interest or concerns to the extent that nothing happening to people around us is of any concern to us. This is a very bad attitude. Another reason is that some people who identified the signs simply ignored or took them as nothing serious believing that such people concerned wouldn't do such a thing or that they were just seeking attention. These are the people who on realizing the person they had taken for granted had actually committed suicide, would be full of guilt, regrets and self-blame. Another reason is that many people are ignorant of the suicide signs and therefore could not read meanings to them when noticed in those contemplating suicide.

While it may not be always possible to save or convince some of those known to be at the verge of contemplating suicide against going ahead with their plan, we could make help them if we deliberately attempt to do so. Therefore, knowing some of the signs can make a huge difference in case we meet those who need help.

Below are 10 signs to look out for:
1) Suicide threats and death talks: When someone around you starts threatening or talking about death, sayings words such as: “I am tired of life” or “I am tired of all around me", "I want to die" "I am going to kill myself someday", "Everything will soon be over or “Everything will come to an end very soon", "Death is better than what I am passing through", "You will not see me again soon", " I won't be a burden to you soon", "I am not going to be missed by anybody", "It will soon be over."
2) History of attempted suicide: Those who have attempted suicide before and failed have the likelihood of trying it again.
3) Those contemplating suicide are usually depressed defiance or disoriented.
4) Suicidal people are extremely and deeply pained over issues like job loss, exam failures, financial debt, being jilted by a lover or Loss a loved one and other things. They exhibit feelings of meaninglessness and hopelessness, worthlessness and guilt
5) Distribution of cherished properties: At times those contemplating suicide tactically distribute possessions they cherished to people they are sure would treasure them in preparation for their plan. They at times might write a will.
6) Those contemplating suicide or having suicidal thoughts are usually very moody and withdrawn. They look fatigued or worn out doing nothing. They sleep unnecessarily or suffer sleeplessness.
7) A sudden change in behavior: If someone known as gentle and easy going suddenly becomes very violent. On another hand, there are some of them who all of a sudden start exhibiting superficial happiness and radiance. They may be acting out.
Acquirement of new knives/ dagger, sleeping drugs, and others drugs, any form of poison, rope, and checking the internet for ways to die.
9) Threats to punish parents or spouse: A threat by an aggrieved child "to punish the parents" or "to deal with them" or "to have a revenge on them" "or teach them a lesson," are suicide threats. So also are such words from a spouse to his or her partner.
10) Any "goodbye" posts” or "asking for forgiveness from all and sundry" or "Prayer to God asking for His forgiveness and mercy on one's soul" on the social media are suicide threats. Same are handwritten or typed suicide letter.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO TO HELP:
1. Act Urgently: Urgent and quick actions must be taken immediately if it has been established that a person is contemplating suicide. Go to them immediately. Don't ever dismiss any suicide threat as nothing serious. Don't procrastinate to see them later as 5 minutes later may be too late. Get help and assistance if he/she is behaving violently, and take him/her to the hospital.
2. Be patient and tolerant: Dealing with a person contemplating suicide needs a lot of patience. You may be insulted or ignored, all in a bid to make you leave him/her alone. You may be irritated and angry by their actions and words, please don't leave. Stay with them and bear with them.
3. Listen to them: Make him/her talk to you about their pains and troubles and listen attentively, carefully and sensitively. Don't mock, or challenge their decision. Don't shame or get into argument with them. Make them tell you what they had planned to do to end it his/her life. Collect from him/her any weapon, poison, ropes or drugs hidden anywhere.
4. Empathize: A key thing any person contemplating suicide needs badly is love and empathy; not condemnation. To us what they are planning to do might sound stupid and evil but to them, it is the only thing they believe would end their sufferings because they are not thinking straight at that moment. Condemnation would only harden their hearts more. Be a good friend and not a miserable friend and adviser like Job's three friends in the Bible. Show interest and concern for them. Try and reaffirm their worth as a person greatly loved by friends and family. This is the time to tell them all those beautiful things you know or love, admire about him or her.
5. Instill hope: Suicidal persons are pessimist persons with no hope. It is therefore important to instill hope through the words of God by assuring them of God's help, breakthrough and a better tomorrow. He has promised to help them "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10. He has promised not to leave or forsake you Hebrews 13:5.

"For his anger endureth but for a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 35:5. This implies Hebrews 4;15, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:17.
6. Pray with them and for them: A suicidal person needs prayers yet they cannot pray for themselves because of the state of their hearts, therefore the prayers and intersections of friends and people who care about them would go a long way. It is important we remember them in our prayers. Prayer works.
7. Get help: Take them to the hospital or inform family members.

Please feel free to contact me if you need someone to talk to. Also visit www.lovelashblog.com for more.

E-mail me: nifemilash@gmail.com

News of the suicide of people we know or are familiar with most times leave us shocked, dumbfounded and devastated. At times, we blame ourselves for our inability to prevent the tragedy, wishing we had recognized the signs or had a pre-knowledge of it and prevented it from happening.

Many of the suicide victims don't give any glaring indication or signs of their impending plan to commit suicide. Some of them would actually go the extra mile to put on fake smiles and acting out, pretending all is rosy and well with them all in their bid to deceive those close to them of their evil plans. Some would even deny having issues when confronted by those who might have suspected all is not well.

However, most of them do give signs through their words, moods, and actions that indicate all is not well. The truth worth knowing is that not all who committed suicide really wanted to die! Many of them in their confused and overwhelming state of mind secretly wished they could be rescued or helped, but unfortunately, they received no rescue or help and they died. This happened because these days, many of us are too busy or engrossed with things of our own interest or concerns to the extent that nothing happening to people around us is of any concern to us. This is a very bad attitude. Another reason is that some people who identified the signs simply ignored or took them as nothing serious believing that such people concerned wouldn't do such a thing or that they were just seeking attention. These are the people who on realizing the person they had taken for granted had actually committed suicide, would be full of guilt, regrets and self-blame. Another reason is that many people are ignorant of the suicide signs and therefore could not read meanings to them when noticed in those contemplating suicide.

While it may not be always possible to save or convince some of those known to be at the verge of contemplating suicide against going ahead with their plan, we could make help them if we deliberately attempt to do so. Therefore, knowing some of the signs can make a huge difference in case we meet those who need help.

Below are 10 signs to look out for:
1) Suicide threats and death talks: When someone around you starts threatening or talking about death, sayings words such as: “I am tired of life” or “I am tired of all around me", "I want to die" "I am going to kill myself someday", "Everything will soon be over or “Everything will come to an end very soon", "Death is better than what I am passing through", "You will not see me again soon", " I won't be a burden to you soon", "I am not going to be missed by anybody", "It will soon be over."
2) History of attempted suicide: Those who have attempted suicide before and failed have the likelihood of trying it again.
3) Those contemplating suicide are usually depressed defiance or disoriented.
4) Suicidal people are extremely and deeply pained over issues like job loss, exam failures, financial debt, being jilted by a lover or Loss a loved one and other things. They exhibit feelings of meaninglessness and hopelessness, worthlessness and guilt
5) Distribution of cherished properties: At times those contemplating suicide tactically distribute possessions they cherished to people they are sure would treasure them in preparation for their plan. They at times might write a will.
6) Those contemplating suicide or having suicidal thoughts are usually very moody and withdrawn. They look fatigued or worn out doing nothing. They sleep unnecessarily or suffer sleeplessness.
7) A sudden change in behavior: If someone known as gentle and easy going suddenly becomes very violent. On another hand, there are some of them who all of a sudden start exhibiting superficial happiness and radiance. They may be acting out.
Acquirement of new knives/ dagger, sleeping drugs, and others drugs, any form of poison, rope, and checking the internet for ways to die.
9) Threats to punish parents or spouse: A threat by an aggrieved child "to punish the parents" or "to deal with them" or "to have a revenge on them" "or teach them a lesson," are suicide threats. So also are such words from a spouse to his or her partner.
10) Any "goodbye" posts” or "asking for forgiveness from all and sundry" or "Prayer to God asking for His forgiveness and mercy on one's soul" on the social media are suicide threats. Same are handwritten or typed suicide letter.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO TO HELP:
1. Act Urgently: Urgent and quick actions must be taken immediately if it has been established that a person is contemplating suicide. Go to them immediately. Don't ever dismiss any suicide threat as nothing serious. Don't procrastinate to see them later as 5 minutes later may be too late. Get help and assistance if he/she is behaving violently, and take him/her to the hospital.
2. Be patient and tolerant: Dealing with a person contemplating suicide needs a lot of patience. You may be insulted or ignored, all in a bid to make you leave him/her alone. You may be irritated and angry by their actions and words, please don't leave. Stay with them and bear with them.
3. Listen to them: Make him/her talk to you about their pains and troubles and listen attentively, carefully and sensitively. Don't mock, or challenge their decision. Don't shame or get into argument with them. Make them tell you what they had planned to do to end it his/her life. Collect from him/her any weapon, poison, ropes or drugs hidden anywhere.
4. Empathize: A key thing any person contemplating suicide needs badly is love and empathy; not condemnation. To us what they are planning to do might sound stupid and evil but to them, it is the only thing they believe would end their sufferings because they are not thinking straight at that moment. Condemnation would only harden their hearts more. Be a good friend and not a miserable friend and adviser like Job's three friends in the Bible. Show interest and concern for them. Try and reaffirm their worth as a person greatly loved by friends and family. This is the time to tell them all those beautiful things you know or love, admire about him or her.
5. Instill hope: Suicidal persons are pessimist persons with no hope. It is therefore important to instill hope through the words of God by assuring them of God's help, breakthrough and a better tomorrow. He has promised to help them "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10. He has promised not to leave or forsake you Hebrews 13:5.

"For his anger endureth but for a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 35:5. This implies Hebrews 4;15, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:17.
6. Pray with them and for them: A suicidal person needs prayers yet they cannot pray for themselves because of the state of their hearts, therefore the prayers and intersections of friends and people who care about them would go a long way. It is important we remember them in our prayers. Prayer works.
7. Get help: Take them to the hospital or inform family members.

Please feel free to contact me if you need someone to talk to. Also visit www.lovelashblog.com for more.

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death.

There are different methods suicide victims use in killing themselves. Some of the methods are drastic and graphic. Some are tactful or subtle so that the suicide can never be suspected as the cause of death of such victims. Many of the supposed natural but sudden deaths we hear of people dying in their sleep, as well as lone car/bike accidents, are actually tactful suicides. Many are gradual in that, death comes very slowly; it takes a long time before the victim dies. Involving in life-endangering habits such as smoking, drug abuse, and heavy alcohol drinking despite being warned of the dangers even on the packages of these substances belong to this group. Included also is stopping medication or doing what doctors advised against when medically ill. Intentional involvement in hard drugs trafficking and other crimes in countries where doing such carry death penalty is another type of suicide. Although, in this case, death comes through a second party (the official death executioners), yet the victims are responsible for their deaths.

Whatever means or method or reason for committing suicide is wrong and evil. Suicide is frowned at in the society, condemned by all religions and unacceptable by most customs across the globe. In a good number of Nigerian’s tribes and traditions, death by suicide is considered as a sacrilege, a curse, and an abomination, therefore suicide victim’s corpses are treated with disdain; no final bath, no new final covering cloth, no coffin, no grave and no burial rites. Victim’s corpses are usually taken far away from the communities they belonged, carried to the evil forest and left there to be consumed by wild beasts and birds of the air! In some communities the victim’s families are stigmatized and compelled not to mourn the dead victims. Such families would also be made to perform certain rites and expensive sacrifices to appease the gods of the land and to cleanse the evil act from the land. Is this not a double tragedy for the victim’s family members?

Honestly, I feel pity for those who commit suicide because I believe that making such a decision and executing it, is very harrowing and traumatic for the victims! Anything one does intentionally that causes such excruciating pains and sorrow to the individual is not worth it, therefore suicide is a wrong thing to do. Any action that would make family members and loved ones grieve become stigmatized, and sorrowful for years to come is not something good at all. My heart and prayers are with those who lost their loved ones to suicide. May the good Lord comfort and console you all in Jesus name. Amen.

Please if you are contemplating suicide, please have a rethink, consider what the future holds, your family, loved ones, and friends.

Suicide is a sin against God and humanity. This is a fact we all know and is a reason why most of the suicide victims who left suicide notes asked God, family members, friends and associates for forgiveness over their evil actions. However, of what benefit is a suicide letter of apology or asking for forgiveness when already dead, and when so much damage beyond repairs had happened? I consider that instead of writing a suicide note to be read after one’s demise, it would have been better to have written and delivered a-save-my-soul letter to the people that would be hurt and traumatized by one’s suicide action, telling them about the problems being faced and asking for help while alive? This would have given them an insight into problems being faced and the opportunity to render assistance.

Also, given that these victims knew there is a God that would be offended by their actions, why not go to Him in prayers concerning problems being faced and asking for His help? Why chose to die when you can actually choose life? Why not go to people that hurt you or that you are having problems with and resolve whatever problems bothering you? Why should anyone assume other people ought to know they are hurting or having problems without telling them? No man has the power to know the pains, battles or happenings of another person’s mind, only God has the power! Losing a loved one through suicide is so painful, making family members, friends and loved ones feeling so confused, deserted and asking many unanswered questions. THEREFORE, SAY NO TO SUICIDE!

ACT ON ALL THESE SIGNS BELOW, PLEASE:

The decision to commit suicide most times is not a one day issue but an over-the-time accumulated, unresolved negative issues of the mind. The moment of the dastardly act is usually when the negative issues have reached the unbearable peak /level in the mind. At that point, the slightest, insignificant issue could cause a total damage. This is why it is important not to make or do certain things and decisions when the mind is troubled, unsettled or clouded with negative issues. It is therefore important to note these things written below that indicate being at the risk of committing suicide.

1) If for any reason you suddenly lose interest in life, especially in things you loved doing before or when nothing matters to you anymore. It is time to speak out. Pray, talk to positive trusted friends or persons that can help you.

2) Suicide begets suicide, therefore if there is any case of suicide in your family and you are having suicidal thoughts and other bad imaginations of your death. Speak out. Talk to family members that will listen to you and go for counseling and deliverance.

3) When your friends and family members are pointing out or telling you that you have become unnecessarily angry, irritated, irrational and panicky, anxiety has set in. Accept what they are telling you as the truth. Pray. Own your emotions; don’t allow your emotions to get the upper hand over you. Seek medical help.

4) If for no just reason you suddenly like to be alone and withdrawn from friends and loved ones or have developed hatred for yourself and others. Seek for help, hatred for oneself and hatred precedes self-destruction. Try to forgive yourself for any wrong committed and try to forgive those who might have hurt or offended you. Avoid being alone by all means. Move out and socialize with others by involving in sports and gainful activities. Make new friends, move with people with positive influences, visit friends and family members. Learn a new skill.

5) If you start hallucinating, seeing things others are not seeing most especially frightening things and hearing strange voices in your head telling you to do any negative thing to harm yourself; your sanity needs to be checked by a psychiatrist. Going to see a psychiatrist is nothing to be ashamed of, it does not imply that you are mad. Seek medical help, please.

6) If you become fatigued and experiencing sleeplessness or you sleep endlessly, you are depressed! Seek medical help and go for counseling. Don’t hide your problems from those who can help you.

WHY YOU NEED GOD NOW IN YOUR SITUATION.

When one is faced with life challenges beyond one’s power, wisdom, and understanding, one needs a helper. A helper that is reliable, dependable, caring, loving, compassionate, sympathetic, faithful, kind, merciful and patient. GOD IS, Psalm 55:22; Lamentation 3:22-23; Psalm 130:7; 1Peter 5:7; 1 Corinthians 10:13! A helper that knows and understands your personal abilities, weaknesses, struggles, fears, passions, and troubles and will help you overcome them. GOD IS, Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139. A helper that will remain true always, one that can never get tired or weary, one that will never lie or deceive, one that can never fail or change, one that can never turn you down, forget, forsake or abandon, one that can never spite you or use your problems or secrets to blackmail you. GOD IS, Psalm 121:3; Isaiah 40:28-31; 46:4; John 6:37; Hebrews 13: 5! A helper that will not make unnecessary demands from you, one that will not condemn you but that will accept you just as you are, GOD IS Romans 8:1; John 3:17! A helper that will give succor, hope, rest, relieve, comfort, peace and bring healings to one’s body, soul, and spirit, GOD IS Psalm 146:8-9; 147:14-20; Isaiah 26:3; Isaiah 51: 12.15; Isaiah 41:13 Isaiah 26:3; Isaiah 61:5; Matthew 11:28. A helper that is strong, great, powerful and mighty and can set one free from all forms of generational curses, captivities and powers, one that can grant salvation to all your family problems even to your root. One that is mighty and powerful and can rescue you from the powers you have been sold to, one that can deliver restore all that the enemy had stolen from you. GOD IS, Psalm 34: 18; 62:11; Psalm 12111; Isaiah 49:24-26; Jeremiah 30:17; 33:6; Joel 2:25, 32,John 14:4 ! A helper that is available and accessible at all times. One you can freely relate and talk to at any time, one before whom you can pour your heart to and one that one can reason with you. One that is a good listener and answers when you call, GOD IS Psalm 50:15; Isaiah 30:19; Jeremiah 29: 12-14.

God loves you. He is not happy you are hurting; He does not want you to die Ezekiel 33:11. He wants to help you and has already made adequate arrangement to help and deliver you through His gracious salvation that He provided through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Just follow the following steps in prayer just the way you understand them but with all sincerity of heart now.

1) Admit you are a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus our Lord.”Romans 3:23; 6:23.

2) Repent of all sins. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” Acts 3:19. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9

3) Believe that God loves you and that Jesus His only Son died for you. “But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8.acts 10;40&43

4) Invite Jesus into your heart “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me,” Revelations 3;20

5) Forsake everything that led to the former situations you were. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let them return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7.

***Have you ever felt like taking your life at any point in time? How did you overcome it? Please share your experience to encourage someone***.

If you need someone to listen to you one-on-one please reach me via my email.

WHAT IS SUICIDE?
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death.

There are different methods suicide victims use in killing themselves. Some of the methods are drastic and graphic. Some are tactful or subtle so that the suicide can never be suspected as the cause of death of such victims. Many of the supposed natural but sudden deaths we hear of people dying in their sleep, as well as lone car/bike accidents, are actually tactful suicides. Many are gradual in that, death comes very slowly; it takes a long time before the victim dies. Involving in life-endangering habits such as smoking, drug abuse, and heavy alcohol drinking despite being warned of the dangers even on the packages of these substances belong to this group. Included also is stopping medication or doing what doctors advised against when medically ill. Intentional involvement in hard drugs trafficking and other crimes in countries where doing such carry death penalty is another type of suicide. Although, in this case, death comes through a second party (the official death executioners), yet the victims are responsible for their deaths.

Whatever means or method or reason for committing suicide is wrong and evil. Suicide is frowned at in the society, condemned by all religions and unacceptable by most customs across the globe. In a good number of Nigerian’s tribes and traditions, death by suicide is considered as a sacrilege, a curse, and an abomination, therefore suicide victim’s corpses are treated with disdain; no final bath, no new final covering cloth, no coffin, no grave and no burial rites. Victim’s corpses are usually taken far away from the communities they belonged, carried to the evil forest and left there to be consumed by wild beasts and birds of the air! In some communities the victim’s families are stigmatized and compelled not to mourn the dead victims. Such families would also be made to perform certain rites and expensive sacrifices to appease the gods of the land and to cleanse the evil act from the land. Is this not a double tragedy for the victim’s family members?

Honestly, I feel pity for those who commit suicide because I believe that making such a decision and executing it, is very harrowing and traumatic for the victims! Anything one does intentionally that causes such excruciating pains and sorrow to the individual is not worth it, therefore suicide is a wrong thing to do. Any action that would make family members and loved ones grieve become stigmatized, and sorrowful for years to come is not something good at all. My heart and prayers are with those who lost their loved ones to suicide. May the good Lord comfort and console you all in Jesus name. Amen.

Please if you are contemplating suicide, please have a rethink, consider what the future holds, your family, loved ones, and friends.

Suicide is a sin against God and humanity. This is a fact we all know and is a reason why most of the suicide victims who left suicide notes asked God, family members, friends and associates for forgiveness over their evil actions. However, of what benefit is a suicide letter of apology or asking for forgiveness when already dead, and when so much damage beyond repairs had happened? I consider that instead of writing a suicide note to be read after one’s demise, it would have been better to have written and delivered a-save-my-soul letter to the people that would be hurt and traumatized by one’s suicide action, telling them about the problems being faced and asking for help while alive? This would have given them an insight into problems being faced and the opportunity to render assistance.

Also, given that these victims knew there is a God that would be offended by their actions, why not go to Him in prayers concerning problems being faced and asking for His help? Why chose to die when you can actually choose life? Why not go to people that hurt you or that you are having problems with and resolve whatever problems bothering you? Why should anyone assume other people ought to know they are hurting or having problems without telling them? No man has the power to know the pains, battles or happenings of another person’s mind, only God has the power! Losing a loved one through suicide is so painful, making family members, friends and loved ones feeling so confused, deserted and asking many unanswered questions. THEREFORE, SAY NO TO SUICIDE!

ACT ON ALL THESE SIGNS BELOW, PLEASE:

The decision to commit suicide most times is not a one day issue but an over-the-time accumulated, unresolved negative issues of the mind. The moment of the dastardly act is usually when the negative issues have reached the unbearable peak /level in the mind. At that point, the slightest, insignificant issue could cause a total damage. This is why it is important not to make or do certain things and decisions when the mind is troubled, unsettled or clouded with negative issues. It is therefore important to note these things written below that indicate being at the risk of committing suicide.

1) If for any reason you suddenly lose interest in life, especially in things you loved doing before or when nothing matters to you anymore. It is time to speak out. Pray, talk to positive trusted friends or persons that can help you.

2) Suicide begets suicide, therefore if there is any case of suicide in your family and you are having suicidal thoughts and other bad imaginations of your death. Speak out. Talk to family members that will listen to you and go for counseling and deliverance.

3) When your friends and family members are pointing out or telling you that you have become unnecessarily angry, irritated, irrational and panicky, anxiety has set in. Accept what they are telling you as the truth. Pray. Own your emotions; don’t allow your emotions to get the upper hand over you. Seek medical help.

4) If for no just reason you suddenly like to be alone and withdrawn from friends and loved ones or have developed hatred for yourself and others. Seek for help, hatred for oneself and hatred precedes self-destruction. Try to forgive yourself for any wrong committed and try to forgive those who might have hurt or offended you. Avoid being alone by all means. Move out and socialize with others by involving in sports and gainful activities. Make new friends, move with people with positive influences, visit friends and family members. Learn a new skill.

5) If you start hallucinating, seeing things others are not seeing most especially frightening things and hearing strange voices in your head telling you to do any negative thing to harm yourself; your sanity needs to be checked by a psychiatrist. Going to see a psychiatrist is nothing to be ashamed of, it does not imply that you are mad. Seek medical help, please.

6) If you become fatigued and experiencing sleeplessness or you sleep endlessly, you are depressed! Seek medical help and go for counseling. Don’t hide your problems from those who can help you.

WHY YOU NEED GOD NOW IN YOUR SITUATION.

When one is faced with life challenges beyond one’s power, wisdom, and understanding, one needs a helper. A helper that is reliable, dependable, caring, loving, compassionate, sympathetic, faithful, kind, merciful and patient. GOD IS, Psalm 55:22; Lamentation 3:22-23; Psalm 130:7; 1Peter 5:7; 1 Corinthians 10:13! A helper that knows and understands your personal abilities, weaknesses, struggles, fears, passions, and troubles and will help you overcome them. GOD IS, Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139. A helper that will remain true always, one that can never get tired or weary, one that will never lie or deceive, one that can never fail or change, one that can never turn you down, forget, forsake or abandon, one that can never spite you or use your problems or secrets to blackmail you. GOD IS, Psalm 121:3; Isaiah 40:28-31; 46:4; John 6:37; Hebrews 13: 5! A helper that will not make unnecessary demands from you, one that will not condemn you but that will accept you just as you are, GOD IS Romans 8:1; John 3:17! A helper that will give succor, hope, rest, relieve, comfort, peace and bring healings to one’s body, soul, and spirit, GOD IS Psalm 146:8-9; 147:14-20; Isaiah 26:3; Isaiah 51: 12.15; Isaiah 41:13 Isaiah 26:3; Isaiah 61:5; Matthew 11:28. A helper that is strong, great, powerful and mighty and can set one free from all forms of generational curses, captivities and powers, one that can grant salvation to all your family problems even to your root. One that is mighty and powerful and can rescue you from the powers you have been sold to, one that can deliver restore all that the enemy had stolen from you. GOD IS, Psalm 34: 18; 62:11; Psalm 12111; Isaiah 49:24-26; Jeremiah 30:17; 33:6; Joel 2:25, 32,John 14:4 ! A helper that is available and accessible at all times. One you can freely relate and talk to at any time, one before whom you can pour your heart to and one that one can reason with you. One that is a good listener and answers when you call, GOD IS Psalm 50:15; Isaiah 30:19; Jeremiah 29: 12-14.

God loves you. He is not happy you are hurting; He does not want you to die Ezekiel 33:11. He wants to help you and has already made adequate arrangement to help and deliver you through His gracious salvation that He provided through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Just follow the following steps in prayer just the way you understand them but with all sincerity of heart now.

1) Admit you are a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus our Lord.”Romans 3:23; 6:23.

2) Repent of all sins. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” Acts 3:19. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9

3) Believe that God loves you and that Jesus His only Son died for you. “But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8.acts 10;40&43

4) Invite Jesus into your heart “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me,” Revelations 3;20

5) Forsake everything that led to the former situations you were. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let them return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7.

***Have you ever felt like taking your life at any point in time? How did you overcome it? Please share your experience to encourage someone***.

If you need someone to listen to you one-on-one please send me an email.

www.lovelashblog.com

ZEPHYREN:
Okay good day guys please i am seeking advice on an important issue that's been troubling me and I don't know how to get over the hurdle. So here it is, Early this year (January) I was posted to resume work in an oil and gas company were I met a man who I mostly like to describe to people as an angel sent by God from heaven, after working at this company for 6 months this man decided to help me with my education and to cut the story short he paid quite an hefty sum for me to resume my studies I forgot to mention before ever meeting this man I wasn't sure I was ever gonna further my studies due to funding related issues. So things being what they are now I'm having issues with feeding and my general upkeep cause I don't have anyone I can call for assistance except of course my sponsor, but I don't know how I'll tell him I will be needing allowance every month and there is were I need assistance how do I tell him, do I even tell him what will he think I am just confused please any advice will be appreciated thanks to you all in advance..

Have you been appreciative of him for the one he has done both in your words and actions? Appreciation makes the appreciated to do more. Appreciate him by either asking your family member to visit him with you and thank him or buy him an appreciation gift. After this tell him about yourself. Best wishes.

asuustrike1:

Just thought of committing suicide today. I made arrangement to get hard drugs to easy the act.

Beloved, I may not know the hardship or challenges that you are passing through right now. However, one thing I know is that God does not want your death, so also are your family members and friends including me. So don't go ahead with your suicide plan. You are loved and needed. if you need someone to talk to please e-mail me:nifemilash@gmail.com

THE PROBLEM OF SUICIDE
The rate at which people commit suicide worldwide these days is very alarming and terrifying. More worrisome is the rate of suicide among Nigerians once reputed to be the happiest people in the world. These days, there is hardly a week that cases of suicide in the urban cities are not reported in the social/mass media while there are many unreported suicide cases that happened in the suburbs. Unspecified numbers of people tried unsuccessfully to kill themselves daily while many are battling with suicidal thoughts. A World Health Organization (WHO) study published by Spectator Index reported on, July 2018 that Nigeria has fifteen percentage (15%) per 100,000, ranking as the 5th highest rate of suicide in the world! (That is to say that, in every 100,000 suicide cases worldwide, Nigeria has 1500 cases) This is alarmingly high!

Based on my personal study of suicide cases in Nigeria as reported in the social/mass media, I discovered that those suicide victims cut across all ages, religions, tribes, gender, status and professions. This is to say that all categories of people were involved: the elderly/young people, male/female, the married/the unmarried, the rich/the poor, the celebrities/commoners, the illiterates/the intellectuals, the religious/non-religious, working class and non-working class.

What even makes it more terrifying is the simple fact that it is difficult to identify those who are contemplating suicide because most people conceal their problems and inner pains and fears. Behind so many smiles, fine dresses and make-up are people going through various levels of pains and depression on our streets and around us than we know of. This implies any member of our family, friends, colleague or neighbor could be contemplating suicide without us knowing it.

We must all arise and join hands together to fight against suicide before it claims more lives. SUICIDE IS EVIL. IT IS NOT AN OPTION. WE MUST ALL SAY NO TO SUICIDE.

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT: If you are reading this and you are contemplating suicide or battling with suicidal thoughts, please know that suicide is not a solution to any of lives challenges or problems. Suicide is not an option at all, so don’t consider it.

On no condition should you give up on yourself or on life. No condition, no matter how critical or overwhelming can overcome you except you give in to it. It is important you keep hope alive knowing that hard times or conditions don’t last forever; therefore whatever hardship you are passing through now, shall surely pass.

No hardship or challenges is worth dying for. You were created to have dominion over life’s circumstances, so don’t be a victim of your circumstances. Don’t believe or fall for the evil/negative suggestions, reports and antics of the devil. Know that Satan is an enemy of your soul and he is out to steal your joy, destroy and kill you, “The thief cometh not, but to steal, to kill, and to destroy” John 10:10b

You are precious and a vessel of honor unto God who has made you fearfully and wonderfully in His own image and likeness. Genesis 1:26; Psalm 139:14; Isaiah 43:4. You have a purpose to fulfill in life, so live and accomplish your purpose. Know that God loves you, “The Lord hath appeared of old unto thee, saying, yea I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah31:3. He is your very present help in time of trouble “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1. He has promised to help you, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10. He has promised not to leave you or forsake Hebrews 13:5. God is faithful and reliable, put all your trust in Him, He will never let you down. Talk to God personally and with all sincerity telling him all your troubles and you will be glad you did “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shall glorify me Psalm 50: 15.

Believe in God and be strong, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:1, 27

God loves you and so do I.

Let us pray: Father, I thank you for the lives of everyone reading this post because you are the God of all flesh, the owner and lover of every soul of men. You are the King of Peace and all powers belong to you and nothing is impossible for you to do. Father, speak your powerful words of peace that silenced the rages of mighty seas in the time of old into every raging storms of life in the live of this your child. Intervene in all affairs of his/her life and make a way for him/her where there seems to be no way. Give him/her positive turn around and breakthroughs. Loose and destroy satanic bondage. Deliver those having covenants of death over their lives and let them live in Jesus the Prince of Peace’ name I pray. Amen

WHAT IS SUICIDE? (Topic to be continued, visit www.lovelashblog.com for more…)