Why Do I Yell at my Wife?

Friday, July 17, 2015

Why Do I Yell at my Wife?

"If you are angry, don't sin by nursing your grudge. Don't let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly; for when you are angry you give a mighty foothold to the devil."1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, "I have a problem. I am verbally cruel to my wife and don't understand why. I yell at her a lot and put her down. Please pray for me."

Dear Josh (name changed), thank you for being honest and admitting that you have a problem—this is the first step in overcoming any difficulty. My prayer for you is that you will ask God to help you to see the root cause of your issue and lead you to the help you need to overcome it.

It seems obvious that you have a lot of unresolved anger which undoubtedly has its roots in a stressful or impaired relationship from the past. This is what is being triggered in your relationship with your wife. As today's Scripture lesson teaches us, anger is meant to be resolved as quickly as possible. Unresolved anger doesn't go away. When we deny or bury it, it will come out in one destructive way or another—not only in damaging our relationships but in physical ills as well.

Could you be angry at your mother by any chance? Or angry at another significant woman when you were a child? Or even angry at your father? Only when you deal with and resolve impaired relationships from the past, will you be able to live in harmony with your wife and have peace in your relationships in the present.

I suggest that you see a well-trained Christian counselor—preferably one that specializes in anger management. And always pray and ask God to help you to see the real cause of your problem and help you to resolve that.

For additional help read the article, "Taming Your Anger" on the ACTS website at: http:///b439f

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for your Word, the Bible that gives practical advice for every area of living—spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and physically. Please help me always to live in harmony with Your teachings. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Ephesians 4:26-27 (TLB).

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Happiness and the Golden Rule

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Happiness and the Golden Rule

Jesus Christ said, "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets."1

"A fascinating study on the principle of the Golden Rule was conducted by Bernard Rimland, director of the Institute for Child Behavior Research. Rimland found that 'the happiest people are those who help others.'

"Each person involved in the study was asked to list ten people he knew best and to label them as happy or not happy. Then they were to go through the list again and label each one as selfish or unselfish, using the following definition of selfishness: a stable tendency to devote one's time and resources to one's own interests and welfare—an unwillingness to inconvenience one's self for others."2

"In categorizing the results, Rimland found that all of the people labeled happy were also labeled unselfish. He wrote that those 'whose activities are devoted to bringing themselves happiness … are far less likely to be happy than those whose efforts are devoted to making others happy.' Rimland concluded: 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'"3

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that modern research has proven once again that the teachings of Jesus, as found in Your Word, the Bible, are as relevant and as valid today as they were when written two thousand years ago. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Matthew 7:12 (NLT).
2. Rimland, "The Altruism Paradox," Psychological Reports 51 [1982]: 521.
3. Ibid., p. 522. Cited in: Martin & Diedre Bobgan, How to Counsel from Scripture, Moody Press, 1985, p. 123. Source: http://www.bible.org/illus.php?topic_id=697

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The God of The 12 Tribes of Israel Answers Prayers

Arise and shine and give all the glory and thanksgivings to our Almighty Father JEHOVAH God for His great faithfulness never fails because, He is new every morning.

The Almighty God of the 12 tribes of Israel in answer to one of my 12 prayer points from our three days Restoration service at the Shiloh Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Onitiri-Yaba, on Sunday, July 12, gave me a great breakthrough that will increase me 1, 000 fold in the abundance of the infinite grace of Almighty Father God, JEHOVAH JIREH.
To Him alone be all the glory, because He will never share His glory with anybody in the heavens, on the earth and entire universe.
Praise God! HALLELUJAH!

I want to thank Pastor (Dr.) Nelson Bushel, the destiny helper Almighty God JEHOVAH sent to me and Shiloh Parish last week to minister during the three days programme with the power of the Holy Spirit and God indeed manifested His glory in our church.
We sent back every evil curse and every evil wish back to the senders.
Somebody shout HALLELUJAH!
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. ~ Psalm 66.






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Nigerian Christians Are Neglecting the Powerful Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Photo Credit: http://endtimepilgrim.org/gifts.htm

Any Christian without the Holy Spirit is powerless. And this is the unfortunate predicament of majority of Nigerian Christians, because they have failed to connect with the Holy Spirit of God. That is why majority of Nigerian Christians live in daily fear and lack boldness and cannot achieve any greatness in life. They have become easy pawns and victims of evil forces in the battlefield of the world. They have eyes, yet they cannot see, because they are spiritually blind. Now, let us discuss the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the power in each one.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
◄ Acts 1:8 ►

1 Corinthians 12 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)Gifts of the Holy Spirit
12
1.Brothers and sisters, I want you to know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
2. You know that at one time you were unbelievers. You were somehow drawn away to worship statues of gods that couldn’t even speak.
3. So I want you to know that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “May Jesus be cursed.” And without the help of the Holy Spirit no one can say, “Jesus is Lord.”
4. There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given to believers by the same Spirit.
5. There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord.
6. There are different ways the Spirit works. But the same God is working in all these ways and in all people.
7. The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all.
8. To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge.
9. To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing.
10. To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages.
11. All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.
One Body but Many Parts
12. There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ.
13. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink.
14. So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.
15. Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body.
16. And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body.
17. If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell?
18. God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be.
19. If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body?
20. As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body.
21. The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”
22. In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without.
23. The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care.
24. The parts that can be shown don’t need special care. But God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any.
25. In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another.
26. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy.
27. You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.
28. First, God has placed apostles in the church. Second, he has placed prophets in the church. Third, he has placed teachers in the church. Then he has given to the church miracles and gifts of healing. He also has given the gift of helping others and the gift of guiding the church. God also has given the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages.
29. Is everyone an apostle? Is everyone a prophet? Is everyone a teacher? Do all work miracles?
30. Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in languages they had not known before? Do all explain what is said in those languages?
31. But above all, you should want the more important gifts.
Love Is NecessaryBut now I will show you the best way of all.

Spiritual Gift of Discernment
The spiritual gift of discernment is also known as the gift of "discernment of spirits" or "distinguishing between spirits." The Greek word for the gift of discernment is Diakrisis. The word describes being able to distinguish, discern, judge or appraise a person, statement, situation, or environment. In the New Testament it describes the ability to distinguish between spirits as in 1 Corinthians 12:10, and to discern good and evil as in Hebrews 5:14.
The Holy Spirit gives the gift of discernment to enable certain Christians to clearly recognize and distinguish between the influence of God, Satan, the world, and the flesh in a given situation. The church needs those with this gift to warn believers in times of danger or keep them from being led astray by false teaching. See also I Corinthians 12:10, Acts 5:3-6; 16:16-18; 1 John 4:1.
Spiritual Gift of Knowledge
The spiritual gift of knowledge is also known as the “word of knowledge” or “utterance of knowledge.” The Greek word for this gift is Gnosis and it simply means knowledge and understanding. The Scriptural emphasis in 1 Corinthians 12:8 is on the ability to speak this knowledge to others in a given situation. In the opening passages of 1 Corinthians, Paul spoke of knowledge and recognized that the highest form of knowledge among men is the Gospel of Jesus Christ (i.e. the testimony about Christ, cf. 1 Corinthians 1:4-7). What we can conclude then is the gift of knowledge is an understanding of the things in this world and in our lives that is founded in the Gospel and rooted in the Scriptures. This gift is closely related to the gift of wisdom which is alluded to by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.
The Holy Spirit gives this spiritual gift to some believers to bring about understanding and to inform the church or individual believers. The person with this gift is usually well-versed in the Scriptures and often has much committed to memory. They can retain the truth and communicate it effectively at the appropriate times. The gift of knowledge allows a believer to relate the Scriptures, and particularly the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to all aspects of life in this world. They can see how it connects to every situation and circumstance and how the reality and truth of the Gospel is to inform every decision a Christian makes.
Gift Definition Pages
Administration
Apostleship
Discernment
Evangelism
Exhortation
Faith
Giving
Healing
Interpretation of Tongues
Knowledge
Leadership
Mercy
Miracles
Pastor/Shepherd
Prophecy
Serving
Teaching
Tongues
Wisdom
http://www.spiritualgiftstest.com/

Please, it would be most beneficial to read and meditate on each of the gifts as defined in the link I provided.
I have pasted the two on Discernment and Word of Knowledge that I know are most lacking among majority of Nigerian Christians, especially the power of the spirit of discernment which to me is a MUST HAVE, because it helps you to discern the evil spirit of falsehood, conceit and deceit or commonly known as the evil spirit of lies which we all know is possessing majority of people in the world and not only Nigerians. But this evil spirit of lies seems to be most active among Nigerians whose lifestyles are packaged in falsehood.
They lie as they drink water. In fact their saliva is coated with lies. And I thank God for the Holy Spirit Gift of the Power for Discernment.
It is a waste of time to lie to me or lie against me as many people who know me have found out.
The Holy Spirit does not waste time in revealing it to me in dreams and visions. And sometimes the revelation comes with speaking in tongues as God speaks aloud to you and also gives you the interpretation and in my own case, the revelation has always been right no matter how the person lies and tries to cover his or her lies.
Our Lord and Messiah Jesus Christ warned us against this evil spirit of DECEPTION.
DECEPTION is what Satan and his children and agents use most. But Jesus Christ gave us the easiest and simplest way to discern and expose them, because He said by their fruits you shall know them. By their behaviours and characteristics of their actions you will sooner or later know them and please, always expose them. When you fail to expose them, you have become an accomplice and converted to their cult of Satan, the Father of Lies.
The difference between children of God and children of Satan is the TRUTH.
Children of God hate lies and that is why we cannot accept lies, no matter how attractive and lucrative the lies come to tempt us and ensnare us.
With the power of discernment as we pray, we shall be delivered, because it is written:
"We have escaped like a bird from the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped."
◄ Psalm 124:7 ►

"For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."
◄ John 4:24 ►

"For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."
~ ◄ Matthew 24:24 ►

"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light."
◄ 2 Corinthians 11:14 ►

"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"
~ ◄ Matthew 7:16 ►

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
~ ◄ John 8:32 ►

http://biblehub.com

It is a waste of time for liars to pray to God until they repent.
Every prayer of a liar without repentance is an abomination unto God and becomes a curse unto the liar.

May our Almighty Father JEHOVAH God help us all to desire, ask for and receive the infinite powers of the Holy Spirit in the battlefield of this world. Amen.

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Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye on the Power of Prayer and How To Pray

PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE:
https://www.facebook.com/PastorEAAdeboye

God can give you another chance. Today I join my faith with yours, write your prayer request below and encourage your loved ones to do the same.

If you are living in sin and calling on God to bless you, that's magic you are asking for and magic comes from the devil, Miracles comes from God almighty.

The power of prayer: some of you are saying well I have prayed but nothing is happening. Check yourself Isaiah 59:1-2 KJV
Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: [2] But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

The power of prayer: don't let the devil shut you up, the moment you start to pray quietly then you are gone. Cry Out Loud.

When it's time to pray, don't pray like ladies and gentlemen. Pray like warriors when your problems as been solved then go back to being ladies and gentlemen.

The power of prayer: After you have prayed, RELAX. God has never failed before and He won't start with your case.

The power of prayer: After you have prayed be ready to receive.
1 Peter 2:24, 2Cors 8:9

Visit http://eaadeboye.com.






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Let No One Demote You When God Wants To Promote You

Whosoever Says You Should Not Make A Joyful Noise in Praise of God is an Enemy of God

Now you go inside your room and shut the door to praise and worship God, clapping your hands and singing choruses with joyful noise of praise to God who has given you the breath of life and the voice you have to live everyday. But your flat mate who disturbs you with rants of his discordant hip hop and old school songs and hardly joins you in reading the Holy Bible or praying is upset by your private joyful moments with your maker and owner and upset that your testimonies are in fact increasing with contracts given to you to promote big brands like GTBank, Arel, Emirates Arline, Apple, COVERGIRL, Fair & White Gold, Eva Soaps, Transform Nigeria Group and IMAX on your blogs and you are sharing these testimonies of the favours of God with the publications of your books designed in the Philippines and printed in America and distributed by the leading booksellers in the world. And your duly registered companies with projects are also increasing from just one in 2008 to four companies in 2015.

Instead of him to be happy for you and rejoice with you that you are making progress and success since you came to live with him and he has also been blessed with changing the old car he has not changed in six years to buy two other cars one after the other and travelled for the first time in his life through your opportunities, made N4 million from his printing contracts and more millions from your God given idea and traveling almost every year and even got an all expenses paid trip to speak at a leading American university from your idea. But he takes your close friend who is a member of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries to a  bar to make mockery of you; that you are a college dropout and that your loud clapping and praise and worship of God upset him. He continues to take your friend to the bar and buy him drinks and continues to say negative things about you, but comes smiling before you later and teasing you like a friend.

Hie makes himself an enemy of God and does not even know it. While he is now owing people money, but others are owing you. He cannot pay his office rent for two years and the landlady takes him to court and the case continues and he is also owing two years house rent in a house owned by his elder brother who made another person the caretaker. You tell him that you will be moving to a five bedroom house to use as office and residence and he is not happy about it, because he prefers you to move into a lower place since he wants to demote you against the will of God to promote you.

He knows you have been saving for the bigger place and you have only a month to move, but he suddenly sends you a text message at the time he knows you do your daily morning praise and worship at 5.30 am with a stern warning to leave his flat within a week. He has already warned you that he is not a nice person and can do terrible things. He disrupts your plans and forces you to spend your savings to move into a guest house to avoid any trouble with him.

You tell the world the truth about the great idea you shared with him that has made him over N3 million in three years and he has given you only N151, 000 from the the total amount and kept the rest to himself. Then he becomes angry that you have told the truth which he has been hiding for years and threatens to kill you for not covering his lies.

You turn to God and read Psalm 50 that reveals a lot about him.

God is with you, because the battle is not yours but the Lord's.

For every enemy of a child of God is the enemy of God.

Just keep on praising and worshiping God in Spirit and Truth; in fact, you can make the loudest joyful noise to God. HALLELUJAH!

"For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

◄ Matthew 12:37 ►

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A Special Video From Dr. Murdock..!‏ Wisdom Key 3000 Partnership

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Dr. Mike Murdock is in tremendous demand as one of the most dynamic speakers in America today...

Preached his first public sermon at the age of 8.
Preached his first evangelistic crusade at the age of 15.
Began full-time evangelism at the age of 19, which has continued since 1966.
Has traveled and spoken to more than 14,000 audiences in 38 countries, including Asia, East Africa, the Orient, and Europe.
Receives hundreds of invitations each year to speak in churches, colleges, and business corporations.
Noted author of 200 books, including the best sellers, "Wisdom for Winning", "Dream-Seeds", "The Double Diamond Principle", "Secrets of the Richest Man Who Ever Lived", "The Law of Recognition", and "The Leadership Secrets of Jesus."
Created the popular "Topical Bible" series for Businessmen, Mothers, Fathers, Teenagers, the "One-Minute Pocket Bible" and "The Master 7 Mentorship System"
Has composed more than 5,700 of songs such as "I Am Blessed", "You Can Make It", and "Jesus, Just The Mention of Your Name", recorded by many gospel artists.
He has appeared often on TBN, CBN, BET and other television network programs.
Is a Founding Trustee on the Board of International Charismatic Bible Ministries with Dr. Oral Roberts.
Has had more than 3,500 accept the call into full-time ministry under his ministry.
Has a weekly television program called "Wisdom Keys with Mike Murdock".
Has embraced his assignment to Pursue...Proclaim...and Publish the Wisdom of God to heal the broken in his generation.
Is Founder and Senior Pastor Of The Wisdom Center, A Church with International Ministry around the world.






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How To Discover the Power of Prayer

Until you discover the power of prayer
You are yet to know the greatest power.

The only way to discover the infinite power of prayer is to connect with the only one who can answer your prayer no matter who you are and wherever you are as long as you worship only HIM in SPIRIT and in TRUTH and not in conceit and deceit.
God does not answer the prayers of liars.

Until you connect with the Holy Spirit of God, you have no relationship with God.
And without relationship with God you cannot discover the power of prayer.
For the power of prayer comes from the Holy Spirit and not from your throat.
If the Holy Spirit does not dwell in your heart and soul, you cannot have the power of prayer that will move mountains.

"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me."
~ ◄ Psalm 42:7 ►


"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."
◄ John 4:24 ►

Share your living testimonies of the power of prayer.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Author of "Children of Heaven", "The Prophet Lied" and other books on Amazon., Barnes & Noble and other online bookstores.






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The Law of the Garbage Truck

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

The Law of the Garbage Truck

Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven …. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?"1

Mike Benson asks, "How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood?

"Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? The mark of a successful [mature] person is how quickly he/she can get back his/her focus on what's important.

"I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches! The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly.

"So, I said, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital.' And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.' He said, 'Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.'

"I started thinking, how often do I let garbage trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, 'I'm not going to do it anymore.'"2

However, as many of us know, that's easier said than done. When we overreact to people who "dump their garbage" on us, we need to realize that what the other person does is his or her problem—but to the degree that we overreact that is our problem. To react in a Christ-like manner, it is imperative that we resolve our "garbage." If we don't, we will be forever allowing others to control our moods and trigger our unresolved problems. For help in "Taming Your Anger [garbage]" go to: http://tinyurl.com/b439f

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to recognize whenever I overreact to what others do to me and to resolve my problem so that I will, with Your help, always respond to others (no matter what they do) in a loving and Christ-like manner. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Matthew 5:43-44; 46-47 (NIV).
2. Mike Benson, KneEmail. To subscribe, send a blank email to: kneemail-subscribe@welovegod.org

<:>< NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click HERE http://www.actsweb.org.






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The Search for Truth Part I and II

Thursday, May 14, 2015

The Search for Truth Part I

The search for and avoidance of truth is as old as mankind. At the beginning of mankind's history Satan (the devil) distorted God's truth by telling a part-truth—one of the most deceptive form of lies. This resulted in mankind's fall and introduced evil into the world.1 And when Jesus was being tried, Pilate asked, "What is truth?"2

Today, however, in our so-called post-modern secular world, with our political correctness insanity, according to Kenneth D. Boa and Robert M. Bowman Jr., in their book, 20 Compelling Evidences That God Exists, "Tolerance—not truth—is absolute."3 This is an extremely dangerous way to live and a foundation of sinking sand upon which to build a society—especially as we keep moving our roots farther and farther away from God, the author and essence of all truth and life.

At the root of much of the evil (including terrorism) in today's world is the fact that men have exchanged the truth of God for a lie. In speaking about earlier generations God's Word says, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged … the truth of God for a lie."4

The end result: "God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them."5

The reality is that without access to the truth there is no reality, no freedom, no sense of direction, and no hope of salvation for mankind. No wonder so much of today's world is floating on a sea of distrust and world-wide turmoil. May we never forget that "blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD."6

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please send a revival of Your Spirit and a revival of truth to our land so that as a nation we will turn back to You and know Your blessing and security—and let Your work begin in me. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

To be certain your life is right with God read, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian—without having to be religious at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

1. See Genesis 3:1-6.
2. John 18:38 (NIV).
3. Kenneth D. Boa and Robert M. Bowman Jr.,
in their book, 20 Compelling Evidences
That God Exists, p.18.
4. Romans 1:21-23 (NIV).
5. Romans 1:28-32 (NASB).
6. Psalm 33:12 (NIV).

Friday, May 15, 2015

The Search for Truth Part II

Jesus gave an eternal principle to all people when He said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."1

While Jesus was primarily sharing a theological principle, the same principle applies to every area of life—not only to propositional truth (factual truth) but also to personal truth.

Personal truth means that we are to be in touch with our inner truth; that is, being aware of and honest about our true feelings and motives. As God's Word says, "Behold, you [God] desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part you will make me know wisdom."2

In reality, the more dishonest we are (repressed and in denial) about our inner truth, the more we will distort all truth—including God's truth—to make it match our distorted perception of reality. The opposite is also true, the more honest we are with our inner truth the clearer we will see all truth.

In other words, we see things not the way they are but the way we are. For example, if I am a negative person, I will see things in a negative light—and be critical about them. If I am a supersensitive person, I will read into what others say or do and overreact—not so much on the basis of what they have said or done, but on the basis of who and what I am. On the other hand, as Thomas Dreier put it, "The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove loving and friendly and helpful to you. The world is what you are."

It is not without good reason that God's Word teaches: "Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty and jealousy … put away all evil, deception, envy, and fraud. Long to grow up into the fullness of your salvation."3

If we want to discover truth it starts with our being truthful and honest with ourselves. As long as there is any area in our life where we haven't found freedom, we can be sure that there is some truth we are not seeing or are in denial about. As Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."1

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to see and get reconnected to any and every area in my life where I might be in denial, so I can bring these issues into the light so they can be dealt with and resolved. Help me always to be truthful with myself, others and with You so that I will find true freedom and not distort the truth in any way. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

To be certain your life is right with God read, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian—without having to be religious at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

1. John 8:31-32 (NIV).
2. Psalm 51:6 (NASB).
3. See 1 Peter 2:1-3 (TLB).

<:))))>< <:>< NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click HERE.

Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click HERE.

Source: http://www.actsweb.org/.






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Does God Care?

Monday, May 11, 2015

Does God Care?

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."1

Some time ago when my then twenty-something son came to see me one evening, he was terribly distraught over a broken relationship that triggered a lot of pain from the past. As I hugged him, he sobbed his heart out on my shoulder. I am so thankful that he felt safe enough to do this knowing that it is always okay to share his feelings with me no matter what those feelings are … and no matter what age he is.

At times like these I have little to say—I feel my silence and giving him my presence speaks the loudest. I do, however, assure him of my love and acceptance no matter what. Unfortunately—usually more by men than women—when our kids or anyone else is hurting, we want to fix them and wax eloquent with unsolicited advice—advice that is totally divorced from the need of the moment and totally misses the opportunity to be as Jesus to one who is hurting. What people need when they are troubled is a listening ear, an understanding heart, and a shoulder to cry on.

At a time like this the question is often asked, "Where is God when our heart is breaking … does He care? Strange enough, right while my son was sobbing his heart out, the following gospel song was being sung on my computer. It brought tears to my eyes.

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

Refrain:
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when I've tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I've said "goodbye"
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks –
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?2

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that You do care when my heart is breaking. Help me to always remember this and sense Your comforting presence, knowing that when I commit and trust my life to You, You will, in time, turn my mourning into rejoicing and I will become a richer, healthier, more caring person. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT).
2. Frank E. Graeff, 1901.

<:>< NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click HERE http://www.actsweb.org.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Deadly Disease of Denial

"The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."1

I've worked with hurting people and taught in divorce recovery groups for a number of years. If you asked me what I thought might be the number one problem in so many of these situations, I would say, "Denial. And the second is like it—playing the blame game."

Over and over I hear people say with variation on the theme: "My husband did this. My wife did that." "And what did you contribute to the breakup of your marriage?" I ask. "Nothing … my spouse did such-and-such. He was such a jerk." "And why were you attracted to such a jerk?" I ask! "Have you ever been attracted to other jerks?" Silence …!

No matter what struggle we are in, we are always contributing something. I've seen husbands berating and blaming their wives for their marriage problems when in reality they were very angry at their mother and were taking it out on their wife. I've seen wives do the same thing when they are really mad at either their father or some other significant male who hurt them deeply in the past.

Many spouses are angry about something in their past. Others are too "nice, weak and/or passive" (codependent). Others are over-dependent and smother their partner. But do they see their problem and their contribution to the situation they are in? Many, if most, don't. Far too many of us are in denial about our own deficiencies. The reason denial is so deadly is because, as a Daily Encounter subscriber exactly described it: "'D'on't 'E'ven k'N'ow 'I' 'A'm 'L'ying."

Deniers are avoiders of personal responsibility. They tend also to be blamers. And as I have said many times, if I play the blame game, I will "b-lame"—and will never get well. Only as we acknowledge the truth and reality of what we are contributing to our problems, will we ever have any hope of recovery and becoming well. The reality is that the only person I can ever change is me, and as I change, others are almost forced to change in relationship to me in one way or another. This is not always for the best, however, as some people simply cannot stand or handle our change. To get well this is the risk we need to take.

The only people counselors—and even God—can help are those who willingly admit: "I have a problem. I need help."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in every conflict or difficult situation I am in, please give me the courage to see and acknowledge anything that I might be contributing to the situation I am in and lead me to the help I need to overcome. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Psalm 145:18 (NIV).

<:>< Friday, May 8, 2015

Overcoming Jealousy

"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech."1 "And 'don't sin by letting anger control you.' Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil."2

A Daily Encounter reader asks, "For some unknown reason I have many times felt jealous over other people receiving things. I always ask Satan to get behind me when this happens but he always returns. I have prayed numerous times for deliverance and forgiveness. How can I overcome this sense of being jealous?"

Hello June (name changed), jealousy is almost always the symptom of a deeper problem; that is, "the fruit of a deeper root." It is almost always the result of our own sense of insecurity and/or feelings of inferiority. As a general rule, the more secure we feel within ourselves, the less likely we are to have a problem with jealousy.

In other words, to overcome jealousy we need to overcome our feelings of insecurity. To help you do this I suggest your read the article, "Developing a Healthy Self-Image" at: http://tinyurl.com/af5hf.

Second, as I often say, it is important to learn how to pray the right prayer. That is, admit to God that you have a problem with jealousy and instead of asking Him to simply deliver you from your jealousy, ask Him to help you see the real cause of your jealousy and help you to find the help you need to overcome this problem. For further help read, "How to Pray Effectively" at: http://tinyurl.com/kb62w.

Third, realize that while Satan always wants to defeat us, he doesn't cause our jealousy. That's our problem and responsibility. However, keep in mind as the Apostle pointed out in Ephesians, when we fail to resolve our anger, we give Satan a foothold. The same is true with jealousy (and other problems). When you resolve the cause of your jealousy, Satan loses his foothold and as such you take away his power to tempt and defeat you in this area.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, with all my problems help me to see the real cause/s behind these, and find the help I need to overcome them so I will take away any and all footholds in my life that leave me open for Satan to tempt me in these areas. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. 1 Peter 2:1 (NLT).
2. Ephesians 4:26-27 (NLT).
 Thursday, May 7, 2015

How to Be Sure You Are Going to Heaven
"As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment."¹

The question has often been asked, "If you knew today was the last day of your life, what would you do?"

Do you have any impaired relationships you would want to resolve before you pass on? Have you left a will so your loved ones will benefit from your life's work? Most important of all, when you come to the end of life's journey and you stand before a holy God at the entrance to Heaven, if God asked you, "Why should I allow you to enter Heaven," what would you say? In other words, if you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would spend eternity in Heaven with God?

If not, I urge you to make that preparation today. Eternity is forever. As I did in younger days, many people think that if they do enough good deeds to outnumber or outweigh the wrongs (sins) they have committed, this will qualify them to enter God's heaven. Wrong.

God's Word makes it very clear that nobody enters heaven because of their good works. It is only by God's grace (unmerited favor) that we are given God's gift of forgiveness and saved for all eternity. His Word says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."²

God's Word also says, "For the wages [consequences] of sin is death [spiritual death which is eternal separation from God], but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."³

Because God is a God of infinite holiness no sinner can ever survive in His presence any more than a moth can survive in a flame. Furthermore, because God is also a God of infinite justice, all sin must be judged according to God's standard of holiness and perfection, and His justice calls for death; that is, spiritual death which is eternal separation from God in the place the Bible calls hell.

Fortunately however, God is also a God of infinite love. This is why He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cruel Roman cross 2,000 years ago in your place and mine to meet the demands of God's justice so we can be forgiven of all our sins and receive God's gift of eternal life. This is the expression of His perfect love.

All you need to do is believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died in your place to pay the penalty for all your sins, and to ask God for His forgiveness and accept His gift of eternal life. The following prayer will help you to do this.

Prayer: "Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the wrongs/sins I have committed. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross in my place to pay the penalty for all my sins. Please forgive me. I invite You, Jesus, to come into my heart and life to be my Lord and Savior. I commit and trust my life to You. Please give me the desire to be what You want me to be and to do what You want me to do. Thank You for dying for my sins, for Your free pardon, for Your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name. Amen."

NOTE: If you prayed this prayer and truly meant it, please be sure to Click HERE (http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php) to let us know you prayed this prayer, and we will send you the URL (web site address) of the free "Ten Steps to Christian Growth" which will help you to grow in your new spiritual life.

1. Hebrews 9:27, (NKJV).
2. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV).
3. Romans 6:23 (NIV).



 

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The Empty Promise of Promiscuity

Photo Credit: The Grio.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

The Empty Promise of Promiscuity

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."1

"Recently I've become promiscuous," began 20-year-old Ellen's sad email. "I've been boy crazy for as long as I can remember. My father left my life when I was twelve. My mom worked long hours and had little time for my brother and me after our parents divorced. I don't understand why I feel I can't function without a significant other in my life. I had a baby when I was 16, married at 17, and now I'm 20 and divorced. I'm searching for a 'soul mate' and I'm in love with the idea of love. It's ruining my morals and my values. I feel empty. Can you help?"

The above message was sent to a counselor friend of mine, Dr. Bruce Narramore. Tragically, situations like this in today's permissive society are far too common where so many lonely people seek to fill the empty void and hunger in their heart with false substitutes such as meaningless sex and empty relationships—both of which serve only to increase their sense of despair.

Bruce said, "I encouraged Ellen to seek help to gain an understanding of some of the causes of her problems. I pointed out how the void left by losing her dad and mom programmed her to feel an unusually deep need for human connection which was probably the driving force behind her promiscuity and excessive need for a man in her life. I also told her she could never fill the void coming from those childhood losses through a sexual relationship or even through marriage. We can't fill childhood voids with adult relationships. That is like pouring water through sand. The water is temporarily cooling but soon vanishes. If Ellen doesn't reverse this pattern, she will go through life trying to find the parents she lost through one tragic relationship after another.

"Ironically, not until Ellen becomes emotionally and spiritually strong enough to live without a man will she be ready for a healthy relationship. At that point she will be a mature adult ready for an adult relationship, rather than an emotional child searching for a lost daddy. And she will no longer 'be in love with the idea of love' which is simply a childish fantasy. Instead, she will be ready to love and be loved by a real person."2

Fortunately, Ellen admitted that she had a problem and needed help. She did seek counseling to help her resolve her childhood losses. We trust that she is now well on the road to recovery and ready for healthy relationships. Ellen's situation is a reminder to all who have unresolved losses that they also need to resolve their losses so they can get off the endless merry-go-round of seeking to fill the empty void in their heart by looking for love in all the wrong faces and places and by trying to fill their void with "things" instead of healthy relationships.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to admit to any unhealthy relationships and/or behaviors in my life, see the cause/s of these, and find the help I need to overcome so that I will grow in maturity and learn to fully live and fully love so my life will be a clean channel through which Your love can flow to others. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Matthew 11:28 (NIV).
2. Narramore, Bruce, Project Letter of the Narramore Christian Foundation.

Source: http://www.actsweb.org/daily.php?id=1704






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2015 Elections Exposed the Fake Pastors and False Prophets in Nigeria

 
The 2015 elections exposed the fake pastors and false prophets in Nigeria.

Majority of them prophesied that incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan was going to win without palaver and the others prophesied that the 2015 presidential election would end up like the ill-fated June 12 presidential election of 1993 that was clearly won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who defeated Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC), but annulled by the military head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida who is now one of the founding fathers and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They never expected the PDP to lose the presidential election to the formidable opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), because they concluded that the presidential flag bearer of the APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) was not a match for the ruling President Jonathan since no incumbent President has ever lost in previous presidential elections in Nigeria. But they forgot that only the Almighty God knows the future of all things He has created and all powers belongs to Him as it is written:

1 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.
◄ Psalm 62:11-12. ►, King James Version (KJV)

Of all the news and politics bloggers in Nigeria, I am the only one who was shown the victory of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) in a dream as I have chronicled in my new book "The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream: My Testimony on the 2015 Presidential Election"to be released on May 29, 2015.

RECOMMENDED BOOK BY EKENYERENGOZI MICHAEL CHIMA

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Two Days that Changed the World

Monday, April 6, 2015

Two Days that Changed the World

"But he [Jesus] was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement [punishment] for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed."1

G. Franklin Allee wrote how, "Years ago, a young mother was making her way across the hills of South Wales, carrying her tiny babe in her arms when she was overtaken by a blinding blizzard. She never reached her destination alive, and when the blizzard subsided her body was found beneath the snow. But the searchers discovered that before her death she had taken off all her outer clothing and wrapped it about her baby. And when they unwrapped the child, to their great surprise and joy, they found he was alive and well. She had given her life for her child, proving the depth of her mother love.

"Years later that child, David Lloyd George, when grown to manhood, became prime minister of the United Kingdom, and without doubt was one of Britain's greatest statesmen. The UK was a better place for a time because a mother gave her life for her son."

On a much greater scale the world today is a better place because on Good Friday 2,000 years God the Father gave his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cruel Roman cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind. Thank God that includes you and me. And now, because of Jesus' death, all who put their trust in him will live forever in Heaven with God where there will be no more sickness, sadness, sorrow or death.

Thus Good Friday and Easter Sunday—when Jesus rose from the dead—are two days that changed the world forever.

Note: If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, be sure to read the article: "How to Know God and be sure you're a real Christian" at: http://www.actsweb.org/christian

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, how can I ever thank You enough for giving Your Son, Jesus, to die in my place on the cross. Because You died for me, Lord Jesus, I give my heart and life to live for You all the days of my life. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV).

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NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click HERE http://www.actsweb.org






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The Seven Trumpets of Revelation 8:6-13

Irvin Baxter shows proof that 5 of the 7 Trumpets have already sounded and that we are staring the 6th Trumpet War in the Face.

The seven seals (Revelation 6:1-17, 8:1-5), seven trumpets (Revelation 8:6-13; 11:15-19), and seven bowls/vials (Revelation 16:1-21) are three succeeding series of end-times judgments from God. The judgments get progressively worse and more devastating as the end times progress.

Revelation 8:6-13King James Version (KJV)

6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

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Happy Valentine's Day!

1. There are many passages in the Bible that give us God's definition oflove. The most well known verse is John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

2. God Is Love

   www.allaboutgod.com/god-is-love.htm

Friday, February 13, 2015

Happy Valentine's Day
 

For God so lo	V	ed the world,
That he g	A	ve
His on	L	y
Begott	E	n
So	N
	T	hat whosever
Believeth	I	n Him
Should	N	ot perish,
But have	E	verlasting Life
		God's Valentine Greeting     John 3:16

Cognitive Dissonance 

"Temptation is the pull of man's own evil thoughts and wishes … that lead to evil actions."¹

How true it is that "what the mind dwells on the body acts on!"

Consider, for example, how temptation works. A seemingly innocent thought comes to mind from anywhere of a number of directions or, at times, from seemingly nowhere. We decide (mostly unconsciously) to dwell on that thought and, as we do, it hooks our emotions; and the more we concentrate on that thought, the stronger we feel about it, and the stronger we feel about it, the more we think about it—and then we begin to visualize in our mind what we desire and want to do. And then, unless we make a conscious choice to stop thinking about it, we are just as likely to give in to and act out the temptation.

The battle is won or lost in the mind before we ever act out the temptation.

The battle is won or lost in the mind before we ever act out the temptation.

One of many dangers in consistently giving in to temptation is that, as another has pointed out, "If we don't live the life we believe, we will end up unhappily believing the life we live."

We do this because as long as we don't live consistently with what we believe, our mind experiences what is called "cognitive dissonance"; that is, mental disharmony. Because we can't tolerate this mental conflict, we change our beliefs to match our behavior and then rationalize and justify what we do—an extremely dangerous path to follow. The end result is what the Bible calls having a dead conscience which ultimately leads to death—spiritual death.2

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the desire and good sense to live in harmony with your Word, the Bible, and never rationalize or justify anything that is contrary to your Word and your will. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. James 1:14-15 (TLB).
2. See James 1:15.

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 NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click HERE.: http://www.actsweb.org/


PS:  To celebrate the Valentine's Day, I have the biggest Valentine's Day offers on a Nigerian website http://totnaija.blogspot.com/2015/02/coco-amo-valentines-day-giveaways-for.html with many giveaways from my partners Coco Amo and Amazon.

Happy Valentine's Day!







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