Redeeming the time

Christian friends,

The new year is almost here. I can say that for me, 2013 was a year of series of events but I thank God that I have made it into another year. I am indeed grateful to God but however I am still not where I want to be. I have a hunger that is stirring inside me for the deeper things of God and I can't wait to see what else God has in store for me. I believe that as we forge ahead into the future (2014), we have to reexamine ourselves, to look deeper and search our hearts to see how we have progressed so far. What are the things that has kept us back from God? What were our major distractions? What have we replaced God with? These are idolatry. As the book of Hebrews  12:1 says,  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

So Christian friends let us continue to run the race. Put away idolatry. Pick up the Word of God and redeem the time because the days are evil.

In Jesus,

Stephen Ibeh.

Merry Christmas.

The Father delights on the Son. The Son dots on the Father. The love is spread throughout, to Us a child is born. Some one has said that this love is for all and not to very few elites.The joy of knowing that some is not excluding but to reach out on all is part of the plan.We have to reach and receive it. For the One who came to be ransom for many, we can believe that this is the idea, to be rescued from ourselves. Christmas is for all.

The Power of Negative Thinking

The company we keep is the least of our problems.The problem we face is that we are conforming to the society that makes such company possible. The way we see things is either black or white, negative or positive. And to be great in today's society you have to say no more often than yes.

Rose bush

Rougher at the stem
Rugged more at the thorns
Hiding  away the rose for hands not to touch.
May it be still, for it is not sweet
How is it that ice slowly melts for her?
So gentle the scissors cuts,
Retains, the part of thorns, but cuts out the smoother side.
The wasps keep their distance, but love the thrill.
The burning desire of the stem to produce roses.
The thorns can no longer keep the wasps at bay for sometime, for the roses will soon blossom ,softens more than ever.

Introspection

To experiment on something that stimulates our own minds, we look to sensory experiences. And as the thought patterns grows, it hardly no longer needs to be rediscovered as a thought but as a habit. We can find many of these experiment on how we deal with situations in our lives in which we widely accept.  In some circumstances which welcomes change, we widely accept that some things would not change or that some situation may just go beyond repair. We find that hope can be a mirage rather than raw reality. We find that our conscious mind can give out only the report of the moment. In this case, we can only pause and let our hearts do the thinking.

Praising God in the storm

We have a great opportunity to glorify God on the earth to give thanks to Him, all the time.

Some may say that they will wait until heaven to praise God, they speak as if God needs an extra heavenly host in heaven to praise Him.
With one word He can create billions of them, (psalms 33-6)

He has all the angels bowing down at His feet. All praising Him.

The question is why am I here on this Earth and not there in heaven?

This is simply because God choose you.

He wants you to glorify Him on this planet called Earth.

Surely the heavenly creatures are in constant praises but the difference is that they are in His constant presence!

They worship God because of His glorious wonders, His overwhelmingly love, His awesomeness.

Here on earth,  we don't have very little of God's presence, not much of His great wonders except for His creation.

Here on earth, we can only read stories of His miraculous wonders.

But does this merit such praise and worship that we should give up everything and not even be able to perform our daily tasks?

Should we, who have not seen God, praise Him so much as the heavenly creatures? Certainly not!

Nevertheless, He requires us to worship Him in a different form.

We are to worship Him, not by His image or creation,in fact, He considers it as idolatry. But His great wonders through divine revelation , through faith in Him and His begotten Son.

But why is it better to read a book of a great vacation rather than be a part of it. To catch a glimpse of Him through His Word and revelation without seeing the real person?

We have yet to see heaven but what if the greatest opportunity we have now is to glorify Him here and not after?

What if in the storm is now even more better. When God's presence seems distance, yet we praise Him?

God, with the heavenly hosts, all bowing down before Himcannot help but to look to the one who has little yet still praises.

I think this will touch His heart.

Question: What is the reason man exist? (Ephesians, 1:12.)
Answer: For the praise of His glory.