Why hearing God for yourself is important
Hearing God is a product of a relationship with God. It is important to master how God speaks to you so that you are undeterred by the lies of the enemy
1 reason behind celebrating Christmas and why you should
As most of the world celebrates this holiday as probably just another holiday. It is not just a holiday, but a special day that you can celebrate as a significant event in your life. Christmas is really about Jesus Christ and God’s love for you.
Discerning the voice of God easily
Being unsure of God’s voice is evidence of a lack of intimacy in your relationship with Him. The more you know God, the more you are able to recognize and distinguish His voice. It’s like any earthly relationship whether with your spouse, your pastor, your friend, a family member, or even a work colleague. One of the things that help us identify the voice of someone we are familiar with, is how constantly we relate to that person.
God is not far
Our relationship with God can be likened to an earthly marriage relationship. The health of any marriage is a function of the investment one puts into it. As you deliberately seek to know your spouse, your intimacy grows. Our relationship with God will only flourish through fellowship. To say God is far, is a misconception!
What is love?
Just yesterday many were celebrating valentines day and shared with those whom they love, through various kinds of expressions. I was one of them that took the opportunity to express my love as well, and as I reflected on what this day meant to me, I realized that for me it was not just about sharing a gift, or saying I love you. Or putting on something red or buying something with red to give to my lover. A few years ago the Lord showed me what genuine love looked like. And I want to share with you what God showed me at the time. This became apparent to me, that genuine love went beyond what a person did or did not do, said, or did not say. Genuine love happens by choice despite anything one did or said. Let me take you to a bible verse from the book of Romans, which says,”But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NIV Love is the greatest gift of all Our model of genuine love for each other has to come from God’s model of love toward us. Love is a gift from God, and the above verse expresses what it looks like. God could have easily chosen to punish the whole world for their sins. But instead, God chose to do the opposite. To send His Son Jesus Christ to die for us. Jesus did not only die so that we could be saved. But He also died because God was expressing His love toward us. And that is why John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God showed me that love chooses, and love expresses. However, what comes first is the choice than the expression as the result of that choice. Such love chooses to love the other person, regardless of what they do. And that is why the above scripture says, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” This means that when you truly love someone, it is seen when you are able to handle the right and wrong that they have done toward you, said about you, or whatever thing they have done that you did not like, and you knew about it. Such love goes beyond how you feel about what they’ve done toward you, and chooses to express good toward that person because that’s what they deserve. To be Loved, despite their wrongs. You received yourself from God, and therefore you to can give it to the other person. The next time you tell someone you love them. They will not feel it because you said it. But they can tell that you are being genuine because you don’t expect them to be perfect, you accept them as they are just as God did with us and that you are willing to overlook what they have done, and take them for who they are, without trying to even change them. When this first is established, it determines what you give as an act of your love, and giving can come in many forms, it could be the way you treat them, what you do for them or something that you buy for them as a gift. Whatever it is, just know that it is influenced by the choice you have made. All this is done through conscious decision-making. God gave you and me, Jesus Christ, as that expression of His love for us. And we both did not deserve it, but He did it because he saw us deserving of his love. Such love comes from the heart, inside your spirit and when you capture and practice it you will begin to see how fulfilled your relationships will be. God bless!
Love is the greatest gift of all
Among all the gifts I have shared with you, none is greater than love. Love is the greatest gift of all. And every person has the ability or capability to love because you were made in the likeness and image of God, meaning you are like God in all your form. There are some characteristics that love embodies, that I want to share with you today, for I believe this will change your life. Qualities of Love (This is a love test!) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 How do you guard the greatest gift of all? That means, if you were impatient, even for a moment it was not love. If you were boastful or had a proud look over someone it was not love. If you were self-seeking it was not love, If you were easily angered even in a moment, that wasn’t love. If you were not truthful to the other, it wasn’t love. If it did not protect the other’s heart or did not trust always it wasn’t loving, if there was no more hope, love had checked out the window, and if it did not persevere it wasn’t love. If it failed it wasn’t love. Are you really loving? Or are you really in love? Are your decisions led by love? Is love a big part of your life, because we are told it is the greatest gift you can ever have. “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13″ Unfailing Love ‘Love never fails. As you do your part in life, always incorporate spiritual love. Love from the heart. Anything done with love will last forever because the spirit of God will carry it beyond your lifetime and into new generations after your own. The Bible says, ‘Love never fails’ as for all other things. Prophecies, healings, charitable causes, and every other thing you may think of doing. When these are empty of God’s kind of love. They are empty. When you die, you die with your achievements, because they were empty of real love. The impact of it will last only for your lifetime. God intended your life to be eternal. Including your works. Spiritual love makes them eternal. The Bible says God is Love. When you love with the God kind of love. God remains in what you do when you are long gone and his holy spirit carries it forth without end. Work that embodies your true spiritual love makes an amazing and transforming impact. Anything you do with God in it, through love from your heart is spiritual and eternal and unfailing. It always stands the test of time (it does not give up). However, it has to pass the love test I gave you above!! Actions of Love Just as you walk by faith today, walk also in love. God’s word is full of it. A life with God drenches with it. The world walks by sight, and so do they walk in mental love. Listen sex is not a sign or determinant of love, abuse of any kind is not a sign of love, anger is not a sign of love, impatient decisions with someone is not a sign of love, physical touch is not a sign of love, if it did not endure even a painful moment with someone, it’s not love because love endures all things, and that really means everything. I am just giving you random examples here. There’s a lot out there that is coined love that is not.To walk in that love or for love to have its greatest meaning in you, believe in Jesus Christ from the heart, and confess your belief in Him from the heart, daily. As you do, His love will endow itself in you and produce a sweet aroma that even your enemies will not be able to resist. We know how to love because God is love. without Jesus, you are doomed to fail at love 99%. The strength of love comes from God 24/7. Such is the love that comes from the heart. It not only says, but I also Love You. And I Love You too. It shows I Love You and I Love you too. Why? And How?? 1 John 3:18-20 “Beloved, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” Choices of Love That means love chooses also. It chooses to be all the qualities above, chooses to act right, and it chooses not to fail. Don’t be quick to choose based on how you feel. I’m sure from today, you can love better than before. Guard your gifts!
The Importance of Recognizing and Nurturing Your Gifts from the Holy Spirit
There are three sets of gifts that you will get to enjoy in your lifetime. Every person has a set of motivational gifts, leadership gifts, and also gifts from the Holy Spirit. It is important that you recognize and nurture these gifts so that they can work together. The only way you can make sure you are guarding them is for you to know them and use them well. They all come from God but serve different purposes. Motivational Gifts “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” Romans 12:6-8 Somewhere inside you are one or more of the motivational kind of gifts. You’re encouraged to give, to love, to motivate, to teach, to lead. Motivational gifts tend to operate mostly in your emotions. For example, Did you know it’s innate for you to love and to feel loved? Love is a gift. So is encouragement. Truth is, we don’t all encourage others the same. Some do it better than others. So from this, can you identify yours? Leadership Gifts Some say, others are naturally born leaders, others say you are not born a leader but you can become one.I’d like to say somewhere inside you there is a leader and everyone can lead, they just have to identify their place. “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men Ephesians 4: 7-9. Verses 10-11 goes on to say And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” So there is either an Apostle (a self-starter, a builder) in you, A prophet ( destiny changer), an Evangelist (promoter or marketer), or a teacher (an equip-er) or a Pastor (a guide, a mentor) somewhere in you. You could be a banker, a cash teller, a government minister, a teacher, etc..but you’re performing the role of leadership. So which one are you? Everyone has a leader in them. Gifts from the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit has gifts he confers to those who have come to know and walk with Jesus Christ. And unto them, He gives gifts that help Christians do their work well, in the Kingdom life. Without Christ, you may not know or even get anywhere near experiencing these. This set of gifts can be divided into 3 different sets, but I will keep it simple for you for now. The word of God says, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kind of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these work that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 This set is special because it makes Christianity a lot more fun to live out. and this set is the kind of Gift you cannot control. They are God-controlled gifts, and God determines when and where they are used, especially if you make the environment or your day-to-day conducive for the holy spirit to move in your affairs. As you step out of your door, today know that you are a motivator, a leader, and may have the gifts of the holy spirit, if you don’t yet know Jesus Christ. You have someone to love or encourage, someone to lead and you have God’s work waiting for you, and in Christ, you can be used by God to do big things in the world. Use them, and protect them. Here is how you can guard your gifts to avoid abuse and manipulation.
