Home

  • ARISE AND CALL ON YOUR GOD!

    source of image: abwe.org

    Jonah 1:6 (NLT)

    So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.”

    This is a story of Jonah running away from God. God sent him on a mission to the city of Niveveh with a message that could save the life of the people. Believers, just like Jonah, have been sent out to proclaim the Good News to all the nations of the world.

    Instead of Jonah going to the city where God sent him, he decided to flee from God. He boarded a ship sailing for Tarshish instead of Nineveh. In the course of the voyage, God sent a great wind and a violent storm arose on the sea. The violent storm threatened to break up the ship and the sailors became afraid and everyone began to call upon his own god for safety and deliverance. However, Jonah had gone down below deck and fell into a deep sleep.

    As the sailors cried to their gods and tried to save the ship, the captain went down and discovered Jonah fast asleep below the deck of the ship. Seeing Jonah sound asleep, the captain was very much surprised. He was surprised that someone could be fast asleep in such a chaotic, terrifying and life-threatening situation. Everybody was doing something. The sailors were praying to their gods and working hard to save the ship. Therefore, the captain could not understand why someone would be “heartless” and unconcerned in the midst of such a crisis. Therefore, the captain shouted at Jonah, “How can you sleep at a time like this?” And he continued, “Get up and pray to your God!” The captain knew that it was not normal for Jonah to be sleeping in his hideout when lives and goods were at stake. It was not normal for him to be sleeping when the destiny of souls and the wealth of merchants were at risk. It was not normal for him to be asleep when souls were at the verge of perishing.

    Beloved, how can we sleep at a time such as this? A time when the whole world is in crisis. How can we stay unconcerned at a time like this when everyone is crying for help? How can we stay unconcerned at a time like this when lives are in danger? How can we stay unconcerned at a time like when souls are on death’s expressway? 

    SOULS ARE PERISHING! How can we sit down in the comfort of our homes when the destiny of souls is involved. It is not normal. This cannot be! ARISE O BELIEVER! Get up Brother! Get up Sister! Get up, Apostle! Get up Bishop! Get up Evangelist! Get up Prophet! Get up Pastor! Get up all you saints of the Lord! Let the church of God arise! Let the Soldiers of the cross arise! Let them get up and pray to their God, the LORD Most High! For victory and salvation and deliverance come neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south, nor from the north, BUT VICTORY AND SALVATION AND DELIVERANCE COME FROM THE LORD! HE ALONE HAS THE ABSOLUTE POWER TO SAVE!

    I called on Your name, O Lord, from the lowest pit. You have heard my voice:“Do not hide Your ear from my sighing, from my cry for help.” You drew near on the day I called on You, and said, “Do not fear!” Lamentations 3:55-57 (NKJV)

    Nations are in chaos and the whole world is terrified. Kingdoms and governments are shaking. Systems of the world are crumbling. Markets are collapsing and recession is near. Panic has come upon people and people are trapped by fear of the unknown. Desolation and destruction looms all over the nations of the world. Citizens are uncertain of what is coming and leaders of nations are confused about what to do.

    Believer! This is not the time to throw your hands in despair. This is not the time to raise a voice of despair, but this is the right time to raise the VOICE of HOPE! This is the opportune time FOR US TO ARISE AND LIFT UP OUR HOLY HANDS TOWARDS HEAVEN AND CALL UPON OUR HEAVENLY FATHER! 

    LET US ARISE AND PRAY TO OUR GOD! HE IS THE SOVEREIGN LORD! HE REIGNS FOREVER! HE WILL SAVE AND HEAL OUR NATIONS!

    ARISE, LET’S CALL ON OUR GOD! HE WILL HEAR AND SAVE OUR NATIONS!

    AMEN!

  • DO YOU HAVE A ROOM FOR JESUS IN YOUR LIFE?

    Source of image: Calvary.edu

    Introduction

    So soon we are at the end of the year and a new year is dawning. As the year beautifully and colourfully comes to an end, there is one thing very profound in ourselves, and that is God’s faithfulness. The Lord has preserved us by His mercies and kept us by His mighty power, and has generously provided for all our needs. For this reason, we have every worthy cause to offer to Him a Sacrifice of Praise.

    I thank God for His generous goodness and extravagant kindness towards me and my family. A year ago, I started this blog and I thank God for His grace. More so, I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who visited this website, read, liked, commented and shared an article. I want to thank especially all those who have subscribed to my blog. I’m very much encouraged by your support. God richly bless you. 

    As we blissfully and colourfully celebrate Christmas – the most wonderful time of the year, I would like to share with you a Christmas reading that captured my attention. This Scripture reading is taken from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 2:1-7. I’ve titled this message “Do You Have A Room For Jesus In Your Life?”

    Luke 2:1-7 (NIV) 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 

    Verse 7 (NKJV): And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

    Time is Life 

    We all have our lives to live. We independently and personally decide what to do with our lives. This life is given to us by God and it is given one day at a time. No one has two days at a time, that is impossible. We all have 24 hours everyday to live our lives. Life is measured in time, so we can say time is life. In fact, the basic unit of life is time. Time (consists of seconds, minutes, hours) translates into days, days translate into weeks, weeks translate into months and months translate into years.

    God is so fair and just that He gives all people, no matter their geographical location position and situation in life, whether rich or poor, whether strong and weak, whether white or black or yellow or green the same amount of time for each day. We are the custodians of our time. We decide what we use our time for. We choose how and where we spend our time. We allocate space for things in our lives. We make room for things in our lives. We are the gatekeepers of our lives. We decide what comes, what stays and what leaves our lives. There are thousands of things competing for our time and seeking space in our lives everyday, but we are able to make room for only a few things. We can only make time for a certain number of things in a day. It is obvious that not everything that competes for our time can find space in our lives. The things we make room for in our lives are the things we regard as important. The truth is that the things we make room for or the things we give our time to speak volumes not only of our attitude, but also our priorities. And our priorities show what we live for. 

    Everybody is Busy 

    At some point everybody is busy, even children. We all get so busy. To be busy means to be full up. That is to say we have no space left for any other thing or person in our life.  The question is, is your life so full up that there is no room for Jesus in it? Is your time so occupied that Jesus has no space in it? Is the budget for your money completely full that there is no space for Jesus in it? What about your talents or skills, are they available for Jesus? 

    I would like you to imagine the picture painted in verse 6 and 7 of our reading. Luke 2:6,7 (NIV) 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (because there was no room for them in the inn). Just picture this statement, the time came for the baby to be born, BUT there was NO ROOM for them in the inn or there was no guest house available for them. In other words, Joseph and Mary were stranded at such a critical moment – Baby was coming, but no room for them, because every room was occupied. 

    The question is, is your time and life so occupied that Jesus has no place in it? Is your life so busy with the things of this life that you’ve got no time or room for Jesus? How come we have time for everything, except for Jesus? How come we are able to make time for all things, except for the things of God? How come it is easy for us to make the time to play games, to have fun, to feast or party, to watch movies, to browse social media sites, but it is difficult for us to make time to read the Bible, to pray, to fast, to share the gospel, to serve and to attend the gathering of the saints? How come we struggle to make time for God? We try hard to squeeze God into our busy and tight schedules. There are people who only attend church services and worship or prayer meetings when they have nothing to do. For example, it is a Sunday morning or a time for church meeting and I get up and look at my calendar and say, “I’ve got nothing planned for today, let me go to church”.  That is the attitude of some people.

    Beloved, do not get me wrong. I am not saying playing games, watching movies, having fun and the likes are wrong. No! This is what I’m saying. I’m talking about choosing what is profitable over what is good. I’m talking about choosing what builds up your spiritual life over what is good. This is what I’m saying, 1Corinthians 10:23, “All things are lawful (meaning: we are free to do anything we please), BUT all things are NOT profitable. All things are lawful, BUT NOT all things edify (build up your spiritual life) or bring growth.

    Those things are good, nevertheless, they can become distractions that pull you away from God.  Let’s look at an example from Luke 10:38-42. One day Jesus was in the village of Bethany to visit His three friends – Lazarus, Mary and Martha. When Jesus entered the home of his friends, He began to teach. Then Mary sat down attentively before Jesus and listened as Jesus taught. Martha on the other hand busied herself with the preparation of the meal for their guests.

    When Martha realised that her sister was with Jesus and she was left alone to do the cooking, she came to Jesus asking that Jesus should release Mary, so that she could help her. Then Jesus replied to her saying, “Martha, my beloved Martha, you’re too busy and worried about providing so many things and you are ​troubled and upset because Mary isn’t helping you. But know that only one thing is important. And Mary has made the right choice, and it will never be taken away from her.”

    Here we learn one important lesson of life. Life is all about choices and we always choose what is important for us. How we live our lives is a matter of choices we make and what we make time for is a matter of what we consider important. The truth is that, in life there is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the important things.

    God Desires a Place in Your Life 

    God wants the best of your time, the best of your talent and the best of your money. The Lord desires a place in your life, have you room for Him? 

    Revelations 3:20 (NIV) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

    Jesus is saying I desire to come into your life. I desire to have fellowship with you. But I can’t force myself into your life, because you alone decide who and what comes into your life. Jesus is saying you’ve got a choice to make – a choice to open the door and let me in. Jesus is saying I’m willing to come into your life and have fellowship with you only if you open the door for me. Jesus is standing at the door and continues to knock, desiring to come in, but do you have room for Him? Are you like those innkeepers, or guest house owners who didn’t have a place for the Saviour?

    I believe that if those innkeepers and guest house owners knew what event was taking place at that time in history, they would have even vacated their own rooms and given it to Mary and Joseph. If only they knew the gift of God that was coming into the world, they would not have turned Mary and Joseph away. If only they knew the kind of baby that was to be born, they would have given Mary and Joseph a special place. If only they knew that the baby that was to be born was the Son of God, the Saviour and a King, they would have given Mary and Joseph a special treatment.

    John 4:10 (NIV) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

    Here is Jesus speaking with a Samaritan woman. And He is saying, if only you knew what God is offering you, your attitude would have been different. The opposite would have happened. You would have been the one asking the Saviour for the living water. Jesus is saying that if only you knew what God is offering you, or the blessing God is bringing into your life, you would have been the one making the initiative. 

    Matthew 2:1 & 11 (NIV)

    1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi a from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

    The Magi were not only wise men, but also kings. Here they were in Judea. And they went into the Palace, the Royal House and met Herod the King. And their question was “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 

    WHY did they go into the palace of Herod? They went there because they assumed that if a king was to be born, he had to be born in a palace. These wise men saw the star of this newborn king and travelled all the way from the East to come and worship Him. These wise men might have travelled about 400 to 700 miles to be in Bethlehem. That journey would have taken them days and weeks on camels. 

    WHY were they willing to leave all their official duties in their country and to travel all the way to Bethlehem? They saw a star just like any other person, but they knew what that star meant.  They KNEW the gift of God! They knew that a new King was born. 

    It is rather unfortunate that the wise men could see the star of the newborn King from afar, but the innkeepers and the guest house owners could not see it even when it came to them and knocked at their doors.

    Conclusion

    Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink,…” Beloved if only we can recognise the gift of God (For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23) and who Jesus is, our attitude towards Him will change. We will be more than willing to make room for Him in our lives. 

    “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink… I don’t know what the Lord is asking you for? Is it your time, your talent or your money? If only we knew the gift of God, we would be like the wise men from the East. We will make time to seek the Lord. And just like the wise men, we will make time to go and worship Him with our treasures, we will offer Him our gifts of time, talent and money.  

    Beloved, if you should forget all that you read, just remember this statement:

    In life there is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the important things. You will not have the time for everything, but you will always make the time and create room or space for what is important. Do you have the time, a room or place for Jesus in your life?

    God bless you!

  • THE GREATEST FEAR OF ALL HUMANKIND?

    Image’s source: https://www.lybrate.com

    What Do You Fear Most?

    Is your greatest fear insecurity? Is it fear of failure or success? Is it fear of the unknown? Is your fear rejection, abandonment or opinion of others? Is it fear of contracting a deadly disease and getting critically ill and perhaps losing your life? 

    What do you fear most in this very time when the whole world is combating the Covid-19 pandemic? What are you afraid of losing at this time when nations are in terror and the systems of the world are crumbling down? What is threatening the very core of your life as the coronavirus continues to mutate and spreads rapidly throughout the nations of the world? What is causing the panic and anxiety? What is troubling your peace, as it is clear that there are difficult and uncertain days ahead? 

    What are you most afraid of? What is your greatest fear? The greatest and the most common fear of all humankind is the fear of death. No kind of fear is good, the fear of death is the worst of all.

    Fear Of Death Is A Weapon Of The Enemy

    Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil– and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14&15 (NIV)

    Have you heard that? Fear can enslave you all the days of your life. Fear of death can cripple your life. Fear of death can imprison you. There are some people who all through their life live in the constant fear of the fear of death. Once the fear of death has enslaved you, you become a slave of the one who holds the power of death – the devil. The enemy uses fear to enslave people. To be a slave is to be legally owned by a slave master. A slave by his status loses every rights to live an independent life. A slave cannot live the kind of life he loves and desires. A slave does only what his master commands. The slave master or the lord has absolute right of ownership. The master uses the slave how he pleases. For all his entire life, the slave is under the control of the slave master, whose ultimate weapon is the fear of death.

    The Good News 

    Beloved, I have good news for you amidst your greatest fear. According to the scriptures, Jesus by His death has broken and destroyed the power of the man (the devil) who holds the power of death. This is the good news. Jesus has destroyed the power of the devil, the man who holds the power of death. On account of that, Jesus has set free all people who all lifelong are held in slavery by the fear of death. 

    But God forbid that you become a slave of the devil through the fear of death. Thank God for Jesus the Son of God. The Bible says that Jesus came for this reason to set you free from the fear of death. 

    Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil– and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14&15 (NIV)

    Jesus has won the victory over fear of death for you according to Colossians 2:14&5. The 14th verse says,

    (Jesus) having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

    What is the legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us? It was death. Jesus submitted to the legal demand of the law – death. He took our debt and nailed it to the cross. Hallelujah!

    But do not be excited yet. Now let us read verse 15 of Colossians chapter 2. 

    And (Jesus) having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

    Now I want you to get the picture very clear. One question we must ask ourselves is, where did the fight in verse 15 take place? I said “fight” because no one goes to an enemy and just says, “Give me your arms/weapons”. No! It does not happen that way. Disarming an enemy demands combat. One can only disarm an enemy only when he overpowers the opponent or subdue him or conquer him. So when Jesus died on the cross, He was arrested and taken captive by the one who has the power of death. However, death just gave Jesus legal access to the territory of death so that Jesus could engage the one who has the power of death. The verse 15 says that Jesus defeated them – He triumphed over the powers (spiritual rulers) and authorities (forces). He disgraced them by leading them as captives in His victory procession for the whole world to see. 

    Beloved, the power of the man who holds the power of death has been broken. Fear of death has been conquered by our Lord Jesus! You are no longer a slave to fear of death. You have been set free and you are truly free. It is only Jesus who truly sets humankind free from the fear of death. Galatians 5:1 (NIV) says, It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Romans 8:15 (NIV) affirms, The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” True freedom is the freedom from fear, and even greater is the freedom from the fear of death. Jesus is the very antidote to the fear of death. As it is written, whoever the Son has set free, he is free indeed (John 8:36). JESUS HAS WON THE VICTORY FOR YOU, THEREFORE YOU ARE AN OVERCOMER! 

    Revelations 12:11 (NKJV) says, 

    And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

    What is your testimony? 1 John 5:11 (NIV) reads, 

    And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

    Declare your victory: “ In Christ Jesus, I have overcome the man who holds the power of death. I have got eternal life – the Zoe (the God kind of life) in Jesus my Lord!” 

    Remember that it is only in Jesus that you can have this eternal life that conquers the fear of death. So therefore, if you do not have the Son, this victory is not available to you. Hence, you will continue to live in the fear of death all lifelong.

    A Relationship With Jesus 

    If you do not have a relationship with the Son and you desire to have Him, then let’s look at some scriptural references and pray afterwards a short prayer together.

    1 John 4:9,10&15 (ESV) 

    9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

    Romans 10:9&10 

    9 That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved

    From the Scriptures, there are two necessary things one must do to be saved. One, you must confess (declare) with your mouth that Jesus is the Son of God. Secondly, you must believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. If you can do these two simple things, you will be saved. Once you are saved, God abides in you and you in God. By this transaction, you have received eternal life which is the gift of God which is only available in Jesus, the Son.

    Now, let’s pray the prayer below together…

    Prayer

    Father God, I have come to you. I thank you for Jesus, your only begotten Son. You have sent Him into the world so that I may not die but live through Him. I acknowledge my sins. I repent of all my sins. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and arose from the death that I may have eternal life. Jesus, be my personal Lord and Saviour. Thank you for saving me. Amen! 

    Welcome into the family of God! Do you desire to know more about how you can live a life of peace and true happiness? Do you desire to know more about the right way of life that is pleasing to God? Let’s talk. 

    I very much appreciate your time here.

    God bless you.  

    , ,

  • WAS WÄRE, WENN DU EWIG LEBEN KONNTEST?

    Source: https://www.wallpaperbetter.com

    Das Leben auf der Erde ist zeitlich begrenzt!

    Das Leben auf der Erde ist zeitlich begrenzt, aber die Ewigkeit ist zeitlos. Das Leben auf der Erde hat eine Frist. Es gibt eine Zeit, um geboren zu werden, und eine Zeit, um zu sterben (Prediger 3,2). Der Tod ist eine unausweichliche Realität, die alle Menschen betrifft. Niemand kann diese Wahrheit leugnen. Keine Religion hat diese Realität jemals geleugnet, nicht einmal der Mensch, der nicht an die Existenz Gottes glaubt. Interessanterweise glaubt der Mensch, der nicht an Gott glaubt, sehr wohl an den Tod. 

    Der Tod hat eine Verabredung mit jedem, der auf die Welt kommt. Jede Stadt und jedes Dorf hat dafür eine Vorkehrung getroffen. Deshalb haben wir Friedhöfe und Krematorien. Sie sind die eigentlichen Zeugnisse der Realität des Todes. Es ist für den Menschen bestimmt, einmal zu sterben (Hebräer 9:27). Das bedeutet, dass jeder Mensch dazu bestimmt ist, irgendwann einmal zu sterben. Folglich werden wir alle eines Tages sterben. Alle Menschen werden eines Tages den Tod erleben. Das bestätigt die Wahrheit, dass wir alle Fremde in dieser Welt sind und diese Welt nicht unser Zuhause ist.

    Angst vor dem Tod! 

    Es gibt Menschen, die diese Welt zu ihrem Zuhause gemacht haben und so viel in sie investiert haben. Diese Menschen haben immer Angst vor dem Tod. Die Menschen, die ihren ganzen Reichtum und ihr Vermögen hier auf der Erde angelegt haben, haben Angst vor dem Tod. Für diese Menschen ist der Tod ein grausamer Feind, der kommt, um sie von zu Hause wegzuholen, daher die Angst. Wenn es möglich wäre, würden sie alles in ihrer Macht stehende und mit ihrem Reichtum tun, um den Tod zu verhindern oder aufzuhalten. Leider hat der Mensch keinerlei Macht über den Tod. Es liegt nicht in der Macht des Menschen zu bestimmen, wann und wie der Tod eintritt. Das Wort Gottes kann nicht gebrochen werden, es ist für die Sterblichen bestimmt, einmal zu sterben.

    Keine Angst vor dem Tod!

    Es gibt auch Menschen, die keine Angst vor dem Tod haben. Das sind die Menschen, die wissen, dass das Leben auf der Erde, egal wie lange sie auf der Erde leben, nur vorübergehend ist – so kurz. Das sind die Menschen, die darauf achten, die Ewigkeit nicht gegen eine kurze Zeit (Endlichkeit) auf der Erde einzutauschen. Sie leben mit der Ewigkeit im Blick. Sie sind sich bewusst, dass diese Welt nicht ihr Zuhause ist und dass sie nur auf der Durchreise sind. Sie sind sich sehr wohl bewusst, dass sie irgendwo jenseits des Himmels bei Gott, dem Vater, ein Zuhause haben. Jesus sagte, dass es im Haus meines Vaters viele Wohnungen gibt. Er ist also gegangen, um dir einen Platz zu bereiten, und er wird wiederkommen, um dir nach Hause zu holen. Unser Zuhause bei Gott unserem Vater, ist der Ort, an den wir gehören. Wir wissen, dass unsere Zeit auf der Erde ein Verfallsdatum hat. Unsere Haltbarkeitsdauer auf der Erde ist kurz.  Mit diesem Wissen sollten wir Jesu Rat folgen und uns Schätze im Himmel und nicht auf der Erde sammeln (Matthäus 6:19-21). Das bedeutet, dass wir geistliche Dinge, die eine ewige Bedeutung haben, den materiellen Dingen vorziehen sollten. Wir müssen uns auf Dinge konzentrieren, die eine ewige Bedeutung haben. 

    Menschen, die das Leben aus der Perspektive der Ewigkeit betrachten, sehen den Tod nicht als Feind, sondern als ein Mittel, um in die Ewigkeit zu gelangen. Für sie ist der Tod nicht das Ende des Lebens, sondern ein Mittel, um nach Hause zu kommen. Für sie ist der Tod ein Vehikel und ein Mittel, um in die Ewigkeit überzugehen. Für sie scheidet der Tod nicht aus dem Leben aus, sondern er ruft das ewige Leben in ihnen hervor. Der Tod bringt sie nicht von zu Hause weg, sondern der Tod bringt sie nach Hause. Sie reiten auf den Flügeln und der Kraft des Todes, um nach Hause zu kommen. Das sind die Menschen, die keine Angst vor dem Tod haben.

    Immer noch Angst vor dem Tod!

    Wenn du immer noch Angst vor dem Tod hast, bedeutet das, dass du noch keine Heimat bei Gott, dem Vater, gefunden hast. Der Weg zu diesem Zuhause besteht darin, Jesus als deinen persönlichen Herrn und Retter anzunehmen. Um sich dieses Zuhause beim himmlischen Vater zu sichern, musst du den einzigen von Gott anerkannten Weg gehen – Jesus, den Sohn! Im Johannesevangelium erklärt Jesus, dass Er der Weg, die Wahrheit und das Leben ist und dass NIEMAND zum Vater kommt außer durch Ihn. Ohne den Vater hast du kein Zuhause. Ohne den Sohn gibt es keinen anderen Weg zum Vater (Johannes 14:6). Um zum Vater zu gelangen, brauchst du Jesus, den Sohn. Jesus ist der einzige von Gott anerkannte Weg zum Vater Gott. Wenn du also den Sohn nicht hast, hast du keinen Zugang zum Vater (Epheser 2:18). 

    Sichern Sie sich ein Zuhause beim Vater 

    Wenn du sich ein Zuhause beim Vater sichern willst, dann lässt du uns einige Bibelstellen betrachten und anschließend gemeinsam ein kurzes Gebet sprechen. 

    1 Johannes 4:9,10&15 (Schlachter 2000) 

    9 Darin ist die Liebe Gottes zu uns geoffenbart worden, dass Gott seinen eingeborenen Sohn in die Welt gesandt hat, damit wir durch ihn leben sollen.

    10 Darin besteht die Liebe — nicht dass wir Gott geliebt haben, sondern dass er uns geliebt hat und seinen Sohn gesandt hat als Sühnopfer für unsere Sünden.

    15 Wer nun bekennt, dass Jesus der Sohn Gottes ist, in dem bleibt Gott und er in Gott.

    Römer 10:9&10 (Schlachter 2000)

    9 Denn wenn du mit deinem Mund Jesus als den Herrn bekennst und in deinem Herzen glaubst, dass Gott ihn aus den Toten auferweckt hat, so wirst du gerettet.

    10 Denn mit dem Herzen glaubt man, um gerecht zu werden, und mit dem Mund bekennt man, um gerettet zu werden;

    Aus der Heiligen Schrift geht hervor, dass es zwei Dinge gibt, die man tun muss, um gerettet zu werden. Erstens muss man mit dem Mund bekennen (erklären), dass Jesus der Sohn Gottes ist. Zweitens musst du in deinem Herzen glauben, dass Gott ihn von den Toten auferweckt hat. Wenn du diese beiden einfachen Dinge tun kannst, wirst du gerettet. Sobald du gerettet bist, sagt Jesus in Johannes 14:23, dass Er und der Vater kommen und bei dir wohnen werden. Das bedeutet, dass der Vater und der Sohn hier auf der Erde bei dir wohnen werden, und wenn du eines Tages stirbst, werden sie dich für die Ewigkeit zu sich holen. 

    Beten wir nun gemeinsam das folgende Gebet…

    Gebet

    Vater Gott, ich bin zu dir gekommen. Ich danke dir für Jesus, deinen eingeborenen Sohn. Du hast Ihn in die Welt gesandt, damit ich nicht sterben, sondern durch Ihn leben kann. Ich erkenne meine Sünden an. Ich bereue alle meine Sünden. Ich glaube, dass Jesus für meine Sünden gestorben und vom Tod auferstanden ist, damit ich das ewige Leben habe. Jesus, sei mein persönlicher Herr und Retter. Danke, dass du mich gerettet hast. Amen! 

    Herzlich willkommen in der Familie Gottes!

  • WHAT IF YOU COULD LIVE FOREVER?

    Source: https://www.wallpaperbetter.com

    Life On Earth Is Time Bound!

    Life on earth is time bound, but eternity is timeless. Life on earth has a deadline. There is time to be born and a time to die (Ecclesiastes 3:2). Death is an inevitable reality that befalls all humankind. No one can deny that truth. No religion has ever denied that reality, not even the man who does not believe in the existence of God. Interestingly, the man who does not believe in God, does believe in death. 

    Death has an appointment with everyone who comes into the world. Every city, town and village has made a provision for that. That is why we have cemeteries and crematoriums. They are the very testimonials of the reality of death. The Bible says that it has been appointed for man to die once (Hebrews 9:27). That means everyone is destined to die at some point in time. Hence, we will all die one day. All humankind will experience death someday. This affirms the truth that we are all strangers in this world and this world is not our home.

    Afraid Of Death! 
    There are some people who have made this world their home and have invested so much in it. These people are always afraid to die. The people who have all their riches and wealth laid up here on earth are afraid of death. To these people, death is a cruel enemy who comes to take them away from home, hence the fear. If it were possible, they will do everything in their might and with their wealth to prevent or stop death. Unfortunately, man has zero power over death. It’s not in the power of man to control when and how death should come. The word of God cannot be broken, it is destined for mortals to die once.

    Not Afraid of Death!

    There are also people who are not afraid of death. These are the people who know that no matter how long they live on earth, life on earth is temporary – so brief and short. These are the people who are careful not to trade eternity for a brief time on earth. They live with eternity in focus. They are aware that this world is not their home and they are just in transit – passing through. They are very much aware that they have a home somewhere beyond the sky with the Father God. Jesus said that in my Father’s house, there are many mansions. So He has gone to prepare a place for you and He will return to take you home. Home with God our Father is where we belong. We know our time on earth has an expiry date. Our shelf life on earth is short.  With this understanding, we ought to follow Jesus’ counsel and lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven rather than on earth (Matthew 6:19-21). Meaning we ought to value spiritual things that have eternal significance than material things. We need to focus on things that have eternal significance. 

    The people who have the eternity perspective of life do not regard death as an enemy, rather they see death as a means to get into eternity. To them, death is not the end of life, but a means to get home. They see death as a vehicle and a means of transiting into eternity. To them, death does not eliminate them from life, but death elicits the eternal life in them. Death does not take them away from home, but death takes them home. They ride on the wings and the power of death to get home. These are the people who are not afraid of death.

    Still Afraid of Death!

    If you are still afraid of death, that means you have not yet secured a home with the Father, God. The way to secure this home is to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. To secure this home with the heavenly Father, you have to go through God’s only approved way – Jesus the Son! In John‘s Gospel, Jesus declared that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and NO ONE comes to the Father except through Him. Without the Father you have no home. Without the Son there is no other way to the Father (John 14:6). To get to the Father, you need Jesus the Son. 

    Jesus is God’s only approved way to the Father God. So therefore, if you do not have the Son, you have no access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18).

    Secure A Home With The Father 

    If you desire to secure a home with the Father, then let’s look at some scriptural references and pray afterwards a short prayer together. 

    1 John 4:9,10&15 (ESV) 

    9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

    10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

    15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

    Romans 10:9&10 

    9 That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

    10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

    From the Scriptures, there are two necessary things one must do to be saved. One, you must confess (declare) with your mouth that Jesus is the Son of God. Secondly, you must believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. If you can do these two simple things, you will be saved. Once you are saved, Jesus said in John 14:23 that He and the Father will come and make their home with you. That means, here on earth, the Father and the Son will make your home their dwelling place and if you should die someday, they will take you home for eternity. 

    Now let’s pray the prayer below together…

    Prayer

    Father God, I have come to you. I thank you for Jesus, your only begotten Son. You have sent Him into the world so that I may not die but live through Him. I acknowledge my sins. I repent of all my sins. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and arose from the death that I may have eternal life. Jesus, be my personal Lord and Saviour. Thank you for saving me. Amen! 

    Welcome into the family of God! 

    source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozmSqvEXxbA

  • WHAT SHALL I RENDER TO THE LORD?

    Source: https://growappalachia.berea.edu/2013/11/22/time-thankful/

    Psalm 116:12 NIV: What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? KJV: What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? Psalm 103:2 (NIV) Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

    Holy Bible

    Introduction

    So soon we are at the end of the year and it is amazing how time flies. As we head into the new year, we want to pause and remember all that the LORD has done in our lives, in our families, in our churches, in our communities and in our nations. In a few days, this year will be gone and be gone for good. The new year will begin with 365 days being credited to your account. But before you start the new year, let’s do a review of the year 2021 in view of God’s goodness in its completeness in our lives. In the light of the topic, I will focus on three questions: 1. What has the LORD rendered to me this year?  2. What shall I render to the Lord?  3. What have I rendered to the Lord?

    In Psalm 116:12 and Psalm 103:2, we see David expressing his deepest love and greatest gratitude and his highest praise to the LORD for His goodness toward him. He is giving thanks to the Lord for both material and spiritual blessings that the Lord has given him. 

    Question 1. What has the LORD rendered or done for me this year? 

    To answer this question, each of us must sit down and consider the depth and the height of God’s mercies and God’s goodness towards him or her. There is an old hymn that says, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done”. Beloved, you ought to count all your blessings and name them one by one. I challenge you to number all of His benefits to you without forgetting any. In Psalm 103:2(NLT) David said, “let all that I am praise the LORD and may I never forget the good things He does for me”. I like the way the King James Version renders it. It says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”. 

    In that statement David is addressing one of the chronic diseases of humankind – FORGETFULNESS. As humans as we are, we turn to quickly and easily forget things. We have short memories that fail to recall the good deeds we have enjoyed. More so, in that verse, David uses the clause “Bless the LORD or Praise the LORD”. This phrase comes from the Hebrew word “barak” (baw-rak’). Barak is a Hebrew word that calls us to kneel in submission before our God. It invokes the idea of solitude – a time when all activities and all the shouts and songs and the music cease. David is saying, “my soul, cease from every noise and every possible distraction. Then get alone with God and begin to recount all His benefits toward you. Recount the big and the small, the significant and the insignificant, the visible and the invisible, the material and the spiritual blessings He has given you”.  I encourage you to employ your mathematical faculties and deploy the best of your memories. Rewind your mind to January and fast-forward it to December. As you replay and watch the flashbacks, try to see the drop of God’s goodness and mercies in every scene and chapter of your life. If you succeed in doing that, you will be amazed at your indebtedness to the Lord.

    Question 2. What Shall I Render To the Lord? Psalm 116:12 (KJV) What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

    … unto the LORD: The LORD from the original language means the owner- the man with the absolute right of ownership. By asking the question what shall I render unto the LORD? You are acknowledging your source – who is the LORD. That means you are just a steward of God’s goodies. Now examine your life and see what you have that you have not received. God gives us all things and richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment (1Tim 6:17, 2Peter 1:3). 

    Besides, by asking the question what shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? You are acknowledging your indebtedness to the owner. Gratefulness begins with the acknowledgement of the truth that you own nothing. Ungratefulness on the other hand is the failure to acknowledge the truth that you have because you have been given, and you are because He has made you. There is the tendency to become mean toward God if you don’t acknowledge Him as the owner and the source. We will always find it difficult to give back to the Lord, if we have not acknowledged Him as the source and the owner. It is important to know that giving back to the Lord is an act of gratitude and not a bait for His blessing. The secret is, so long as we acknowledge Him as the source and give back to Him we are not going to lack. 

    … what shall I render?: The question “what shall I render or what shall I offer or what shall I give back or what shall I return to the LORD or how can I repay the Lord” implies that the Lord is not demanding anything from you, rather there is a demand on you to respond or give back to the Lord. It is required of the one who has received from the Lord to take out of what he has received and give back to the Lord. The verb “render” has a wide range of meaning including “to give back as you were given using the exact measure that was used to you”. This refers to the idea that the people who received God’s goodness should give back to the LORD according to the way in which they have been blessed. It means that our reaction must be equal to God’s action in magnitude and in quality. The truth is that the LORD has been so good to you, it is now your turn to respond to His goodness. 

    … for all His benefits: The phrase “His benefits” in the Hebrew language has two fold meanings. One part has to do with what a person has done to you. That refers to dealings, good deeds or what the person has done for you. The second part has to do with what the person deserves as the result of what he has done for you.  So in this regard we are talking about you recounting God’s goodness in its completeness and giving Him what He deserves in return. 

    The Lord has rendered so much goodness to you. Take a very good and careful look around and inside you. Can you see what He has done? How do you want to respond to His goodness? What do you want to render Him? His benefits and blessings are so many that we cannot number them. There is no general rule for responding to God’s goodness and there is no particular way of expressing gratitude to God. Each one of us should find his or her own way of expressing gratitude to God. O, if only I had a thousand tongues, I would  praise my Lord with them all. 

    Question 3. What Have I Rendered To the Lord?  

    In the year 2021, the Lord has offered us 52 weeks, 365 days and 8760 hours. How much of those days have you given back to Him? He has given you some money this year. Some of us it is in millions, some in thousands and others in hundreds. No matter the amount, how much have you given back to the Lord? What about the amazing talents and excellent skills He has given you? Have you served Him with them?

    Conclusion

    Beloved, we have every reason to be very grateful for the measure of health which we enjoy, especially during this pandemic. The LORD has preserved and kept us alive in the midst of many dangers and the pandemic. By some divine providence, death has been turned aside just as it seemed to be speeding towards us with a straight course. 

    Your story may be different, it may be a disease or sickness that wanted to terminate your life and the Lord healed you. My story may be I lost my job and was on the verge of becoming homeless, and the Lord provided a job and a home. For some of us, the Lord has given us some comforts of this life and we can say, “the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”. For many of us, the Lord has provided for us in diverse ways. He has given us a family, a job, business, food and clothing and a place to lay our heads. Beloved, this is enough cause for gratitude. 

    Remember this, “Gratefulness begins with the acknowledgement of the truth that you own nothing. Ungratefulness on the other hand is the failure to acknowledge the truth that you have because you have been given, and you are because He has made you. Know that giving to the Lord is an act of gratitude and not a bait for His blessing.”

    What shall I render to the Lord for all the good He does for me? I will count all my blessings in the light of God’s goodness in its completeness and render to Him the glory, praise and worship due Him.

    Wishing you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

    ,

  • Where is the Christ of the Christmas in your Christmas?

    Source: https://giphy.com/gifs/christmas-snow-card-PRK7GwyAaWnEA

    Christmas is the most special time of the year. It is the happiest season of the year and the most beautiful time of the year. It comes with beautiful and colourful decorations at home, at church, at the work place and in the city, town and village.

    In 1963, Andy Williams sang a song referring to Christmas as the most wonderful time of the year. Yes and indeed, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! It starts with the Christmas pay and bonuses, the Christmas shopping, wrapping of gifts, cooking, baking, cleaning, decorations, writing messages and giving out presents and cards. It ends on 26th with worries and guilt of overspending, over eating, over drinking and probably the regret of over excitement.

    For some people, Christmas is a time of worry, because they do not have enough money to buy gifts for their children, family and friends. For some others, Christmas intensifies their sense of feeling left out. For some other people, the season of Christmas brings back painful memories and sorrow when they think of the lost of their loved ones or other relatives who are living overseas and will not be able to come home for different reasons.

    Nonetheless, we all like the excitement and the thrill of Christmas. We all like the celebration, the enjoyment and the fun of Christmas. But I want you to pause and consider the following questions: What are you celebrating at Christmas? Do you know the Christ of the Christmas? Where is the Christ of the Christmas in your Christmas?

    It is a known fact that Jesus was not born at this time of the year – at Christmas. Nevertheless, the truth is that at a particular time in human history (which Galatians 4:4 refers to as the fullness of time), the time appointed by God, something unusual happened. This unusual occurrence was not about the virgin who became pregnant, but it was about the Almighty God, the Everlasting Father who stepped down out of eternity into time and took upon himself humanity and was made fully human in every way according to Hebrews 2:17. The eternal God stepped into humanity to restore our eternal nature and His image and likeness in us and to give us eternal life, the “zoe” – the God – kind of life.

    Keeping the Christ of the Christmas in your Christmas.

    To keep the Christ of the Christmas in your Christmas, you must be careful not to be taken away by the excitement and the thrill of the season. Do not be lost in the midst of the celebration, eating, drinking, coupled with attending parties and the merry making. Rather, in the midst of the Christmas rush and fun, keep the main event in focus. What is the main event of Christmas? The main event of Christmas is that, God came to this world in human form in the personality of Jesus. According to the narrative of John the apostle in John 1:14, the Word (Christ) became human and lived among us. Therefore, at Christmas we are celebrating the incredible act of God’s love. We are celebrating the arrival of the Prince of Peace, Jesus the Messiah through whose redemptive work we have now received reconciliation and restoration into a wonderful new relationship with God (John 1:12).

    The Angel of God announced in Luke chapter 2 verse 11, “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (NIV). It is highly necessary for all and sundry to personalise Luke 2:11 in this way, “Today in my heart a Saviour has been born to me; He is the Messiah, my Lord.” Prepare a place for Him in your heart and receive Him into your life. Let Him be the king of your life. Let Him not remain in the manger, but let Him remain and reign in your life and may you live
    for Him everyday.

    When Christ, the King reigns in your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, He will always be in your Christmas!

    Merry Christmas!