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Showing posts from September, 2011

Thankfulness

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Oh! How much we love the words THANK YOU, PLEASE and SORRY. It is part of etiquette and politeness. I have a friend who is very good at it. She says these words as frequent as she says I. This little act of courtesy really moves me. I like it a lot. Though it was a little bit hard for me to practice and also took a long time for me to get used to it. When I finally did, I felt wonderful. It was nice and pleasing to be around people saying those three things clearly and boldly. I gained the respect and friendliness of a lot of people. A good attitude begins with gratitude. As these three things are essential in our daily dealings with our neighbours so are they important in our relationship with God. In fact they are the most important words in our prayer. Remember our pattern of prayer should be like this: Thank God for His providence (THANK YOU) Ask for Forgiveness (SORRY) State your request (PLEASE) Conclude with thanking Him again Yes, it is the same thing. After all, y

Success

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Success according to Oxford’s Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, is the fact that you have achieved something you want and have been trying to do or get. Success brings happiness, joy and love. Everyone wants to succeed but not everyone can stand another person’s happiness or success. Isn’t it funny how people want to SUCCEED in doing bad things? People have their own concept of success. A survey of students showed the following results: 60% - Achievement of one’s personal dream 30% - Result of hard work and determination. But shamefully, only 10% said it’s a result of prayer and hard work. We acknowledge success in our endeavours so dearly but we fail to consider the giver of success; He who blesses the work of our hands. This is the right time to change. Are you letting Jesus change you from the inside out? A change in behaviour begins with a change of heart, and the only person that has access to your heart is Jesus Christ. The word of God is the key to success. Quite alright we

Tongue and Talking

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The tongue is an association with the word of the mouth. It affects our relationship with others and also affects our lives for good or bad. Our tongue is used for edification and at the same time, criticism. The same tongue we use to bless is the same tongue we use to curse. The tongue is small but important. It can be compared with a little spark which can set a whole pile of coal ablaze. The same care we give our physical appearance should be the same care we should give our tongue. A word from our mouth speaks volumes about our heart. One’s words are the mirror of his heart. Do you notice that the first thing the doctor says is: "Let me see your tongue." Why so? This is because some diseases are detected by the appearance of the tongue. This also happens as a test of one’s spiritual condition. Your tongue portrays your personality. If Christ were to ask the same question as the doctor, how would you react? In the case of Peter’s denial of Christ, was it not his speech

Friendship with God

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"Show me your friend and I will show you who you are," or is it "You are known by the friends you keep." This is very true. Friendship with God, look at it this way: You do things together, you love Him deeply as you love your earthly friend, you share your secrets and discuss about the day’s event with Him at night before going to bed. You complain to Him, cry to Him, lean on Him and in fact do everything with Him. See it is cool. That was how efficiently we started. I asked Him out. He did not hesitate to give me a positive reply. No day passed without my calling Him. I visited Him with my partner and we usually had a good time chatting together. Our relationship lasted because I told Him and never hid anything from Him. A bond developed and a friendship began with Jesus Christ. I no longer cared about who loved me, who does not like me, who hated me, who disliked my personality or who my enemy was because I had a friend who believed, understood and accepted me

I got saved

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With reference to 88 year old Tita Nava, a retired village Professor and Administrator in Manilla, who has got the same story with me. I wanted a true worship of God involving my spiritual, physical, moral and academic well-being. I wholeheartedly did a lot of changes to my personality. I devoted myself and looked into the mirror of God’s word, where I saw myself clearly and boldly. I discovered that worldly pleasures were those things that crowded Christ out of my life and that Christ was lifted up on the cross that I might be lifted up out of my sins. Forgiveness is free but you must accept it and so I did. I feared God and had nothing else to fear. I did things that pleased Him even though it displeased human beings. His word guided my conscience and as such my conscience became my guide. I made sure I love others for that was the only way my love for God was seen. I now agree that faith is the ability to see God in the dark. I worked hard at what I should be and that was how less

Youngospel

There are lots of the preachers around who are eloquent in speech and swift in action. Is it the way the message thrills through the air or is it the way they stamp their feet on the podium, thump their fists, roar and shout? Well, I call that oratory. The message of the Lord is interesting to our dull ears especially if coming from the mouth of a well known and prominent preacher. Let not idle-talkers and deceivers confuse you, for eloquence is never a substitute for truth. Do not be fooled by people who turn the word upside down in order to please their listeners and draw more attention towards their selfish desires. Faith is misplaced if not in the God of the Bible. I was born into a Christian family of the Qua Iboe faith. My parents gave me a good home training and made me abide by the Christian living. That was it, but I never truly had interest for church and its activities though I made sure I did what was right. I did not steal, lie, cheat, fight or do any of the things th

In The Middle Of The Beginning

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My name is Yubbie Ubong Akpan. I am from a very rich home. My family is one big happy family and we are very wealthy. When I say "we are rich", I mean every letter of the word R-I-C-H. We lack nothing in terms of food, water, clothing, shelter, security, good health, unity and peace of mind, unity etc. My father has mansions, estates and industries, on hills and plains reaching out to places unknown and far beyond human eye; as well as orchards of mouth-watering fruits. Our gates are made of pearls and our pavements of ruby. Our floor is marble and our windows are made of stained glass. We have large rooms and halls and a very big den with a wall-mount television, where my dad and brother watch the daily activities of man. Almost all our furniture is made of gold, except the toilet, bathroom and kitchen which have silver and stainless steel equipment. We have lots of servants in attendance, who do their work with pleasure and outstanding radiance; especially when it comes t