Thinking About ... the Power of God's Love

Something about Tyler Perry's message at Whitney Houston's funeral yesterday led me to meditate deeper on the 8th chapter of the book of Romans. As I did so, God reminded me of His love for each of us, and how powerful that love is.

At the end of this post I've pasted links to some songs that talk about this very thing. I desire for you to have no doubt about this, and I pray that God reveals this Truth to you personally as you read these words and listen to these songs.

Listen first to this one below. Everything about God is amazing and difficult for us to comprehend with our puny finite minds - we've just gotta accept, receive and enjoy all He has for us, such as His unconditional love and its implications for your daily existence...


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Don't ever believe the lie that 'God could never love someone like me'.  While we were yet sinners, God loved us so much He came down to Earth as a man - the man Jesus Christ  - to personally pay the price to set us free from our sins. Romans 5:8. While we were yet sinners  - He loved you first, dear reader - unconditionally, always has, always will. So get with the program and get off the guilt wagon already!

I believe in my heart that someone reading this needs to hear this message from our Father in Heaven.
Someone is going to be made free as this Truth dawns on them today.

If thinking about the fact that you - yes you reading this - are the subject of God's love, the apple of His eye - if this fact, this Truth, doesn't cause your self image and self esteem to soar through the roof - I don't know what will!

The fact that the most Powerful Being in existence (who knows EVERYTHING about you, including your deepest, darkest secrets), considers YOU worthy of His love regardless, should make you soar confidently like an eagle above all circumstances no matter how challenging they are. So always remember that God, through Jesus Christ, loves you.



The love that God, the Creator of the Universe, has for you and I, is so amazing, great and unconditional that:

• whether or not you love Him, or believe in Him, He still loves you so much that even if you were the only person on planet Earth He would still have given His all, His very life, to save yours.
  
  
  
• God's powerful love washes away ALL your guilt and shame, no matter what sins you have committed, no matter what depths you have sunk to - when you come to Jesus Christ in repentance, His love causes Him to use His shed blood to wash you white as snow - when this happens, you become justified ('just-as-if you never sinned!)...so no more guilt trips, baby! Romans 8:33
  
  
  Guilt is a deadly emotion, like cancer is a deadly disease - it destroys you from the inside out and keeps you from performing at your peak. Don't live with guilt. Deal with it, receive the love of God that's freely and unconditionally available to you and you will be empowered to overcome your guilt, once you've repented of your sins.
  
  Then you will be in a peak state to achieve phenomenal success in any area of your life, no baggage - and anytime anyone tries to make you feel bad or guilty by reminding you of your past sins, look them in the eyes, smile and tell them: "I refuse to feel bad about that because God's nailed my guilt and shame and all my sins on the Cross of calvary because of His great love for me. He took it all away so that's not even on my record anymore! I don't know why you're dwelling on it, cos I've moved on from there pal! Get a life why dontcha! :D" God's love declares you 'Not Guilty'! and there's nothing any haters out there can do about it!
  
  
• God's love for you, through Jesus Christ, makes you able to be more than a conqueror in ALL circumstances - tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword (or their present day representatives...) - Romans 8:35
  
  
• God almighty, through Jesus Christ, has got your back. And if God is for you, who dares to be against you? See why you can, when you receive Jesus Christ in your life as your saviour, you can be bold as a lion? He's got your back, baby! No need to fear anything or anyone...and it's all cos He loves you unconditionally.

So from today I want you to step out boldly, knowing that yes, Jesus loves even you - doesn't that just make you glad? Doesn't it just put a spring in your step? A smile on your face? Doesn't it just make you know that 'everything's gonna be alright'?

I pray the fact that 'yes Jesus loves me'  takes on a real, liberating, empowering meaning for you from today. I'm telling you, this revelation will have you so excited about your life you'd be raring to go face every day feeling like royalty!



Anytime you feel down, unloved, rejected and so forth, come back here and prayerfully read through this post again. Think about The Power of God's Love for you.



Have a fantastic week, dear reader! Bask in the glow of your Father's love.

Stewardship...the flip-side of the teaching on Giving...

Many pastors preach about how you oughta give, give, give 'to the Kingdom', but very few people teach about how you should be a good steward with your finances.

I wonder if it's because good stewardship involves more effort on your part than just giving...and many of us are lazy by default, and shy away from anything that involves work or effort if possible.

I'm tired of watching Christian TV cos most of it seems to be appeals for money, money, money. Very few people are teaching you how to manage your finances - they just teach you to part with them. That ain't right. It's not balanced teaching.

It's true that if you're a consistent giver you won't go hungry or get poor, but it's also true that if you're not a good steward of your resources (finances, etc), you won't prosper or excel in life. Giving in the context of good stewardship is what brings about great rewards. But if you give in the context of poor stewardship, you're not only unwise, but are on a self-destruct mission.

If you are irresponsible with your finances, no responsible Father will reward or prosper you by giving you more finances, people!

So the teaching about giving must be balanced with the teaching on good Stewardship.

Wake up, Church!

Quit thinking that giving is a get-rich-quick scheme, and quit listening to preachers who make it appear to be so. Search the Scriptures for yourself and you will discover the whole counsel of God in this matter.

Stop this madness of taking one tiny part of Scripture and going crazy with it, while all the time neglecting the rest of the Word.

Educate yourself on good financial stewardship (some people call this 'financial intelligence').

Don't just swallow up everything your pastor says - be like the noble Berean Christians, and ALWAYS search the Scriptures for yourself to make sure what he's said is the Truth.

Don't get suckered into giving if  you are not also being taught the wisdom of being a good steward in the first place.

God is not mocked: you will reap what you sow. If you sow bad Stewardship, even the little you think you have will be taken from you.

Here are a few tips to get you started on good stewardship: for every income you receive...
-- Pay God first (tithe is the minimum to get you into the habit of giving...)
-- Pay yourself 10%
-- Pay your taxes and everyone else.
-- Live within your means on the rest...

If you're in debt, then add to that list 'Put aside 10% each month for paying off debts' - then begin paying them off and stop doing things that drive you right back into debt - that's bad stewardship.

If you desire to see an improvement in your finances, you've got to manage your money wisely, be a good steward of your finances. Seek advice from a professional financial advisor if need be, but for goodness sake, step up! Handle your finances wisely!

And have a prosperous New Year!

I can only imagine...

If a loved one has gone to be with the Lord, rejoice for they no longer have to imagine, like we do! They're literally having the time of their life! Glory!
Thinking about this Truth sets you free from sorrow and grief. It also causes death to lose its sting over you and your loved one, and denies the grave its victory - rather victory remains ours in Christ Jesus, yeah baby!

How To Find Rest for your soul

This is a testimony to how God's yoke really is easy, and his burden really is light.


My dad passed away a few days ago.


He'd been unwell, and I'd been taking care of him until the day before when he got suddenly even more unwell and I had to take him to hospital via ambulance. He passed onto a better life on the 22nd of November 2011.


I wept on the 22nd but have felt increasingly happy since then.


Reason: I realize more and more each day, that passing on was the best thing for daddy at this time - he'd been suffering from his illness which also caused him a lot of pain on most days you see, so it was a mercy that God cut short his suffering and took him from his earthly body. The real daddy lives on - he was always a spirit anyway - the body was only a temporary vehicle for that spirit.


Knowing this, knowing that daddy is now truly free from pain, sickness, stress and all the rubbish that earthly life can throw at you sometimes, makes me truly happy that he's gone home to Jesus.


What's this got to do with your success?


Everything!


Your focus determines your emotions and your actions.


I have chosen to focus on the good life that daddy led, the fact that my brothers and I were able to spend time with him and keep him as comfortable as humanly possible while he was with us, and the even better life he is leading right now and for eternity, and that pleases me - dude's having a blast presently! This focus has empowered me to move on with life, to be full of joy, praise and thanksgiving to God,  and also to console and comfort others touched by dad's passing.


I also know to choose my words carefully cos they also affect my focus. I refuse to say I've lost my dad - how can you lose someone when you know exactly where they are? Besides, 'loss' conjures sad images and emotions - not my cup of tea. No, I've not lost my dad. I know exactly where he is!


So I refer to his passing as just that. I don't even say he's dead anymore, cos I now realize that no, he's not! His body (earthly vehicle/container) may be, but he was never really his body anyway.


Dear reader, there are some profound revelations in the above paragraphs, if you are willing to see:


- You are not your body: your body is simply a vehicle that transports the real you, around on earth.
- You are a spirit. God made you in His image, and He's a spirit.
- This means that you, the real you, are perfect - no sickness, no weakness, no disease, no sadness or lack, no stress or grief etc; the real you is perfectly whole - abundantly wealthy, abundantly joyful, abundantly complete in every way!


The implication of this truth for you is tremendous:
- Your self esteem, your self image, gets a super turbo boost when this truth dawns on you. This is who you are, dear reader. A spirit made in God's image. This is why your thoughts are powerful, and become things. It's why your words are powerful, and come to pass. You're all of that, baby!


- Your self image determines the level of your performance in life. You can never perform above or beyond the image you have of yourself. Knowing that you've been made in God's image empowers you to know beyond a shadow of doubt that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength, that you are above only, not beneath, the head and not the tail, etc, etc. You rock! You excel!


- Knowing who you really are, and focusing on this regardless of what the outside world looks like, empowers you to bring into physical reality, that which you are focusing on.




I'll let you chew on that for  a while.




For now I'd like you to please think on these things, be thankful for who you are, and start acting like who you really are.




Your life, your success, depends entirely on it.




God bless ya!

Is Jesus Christ part of your 'Social Network'??

Is Jesus Christ in your (Social) Network?

Have you accepted His 'friend request'?

Are you following His 'tweets' (Word)

Are you 'LinkedIn' to Him?

Is He in your space (MySpace)?

Do you 'digg' Him?

Etc.

....He/she who has ears to hear, let them hear.

....Call on the Lord while He may be found, while He's near.
For this is a warning to all mankind, no exception.

....One appointment we all MUST have is the one with death. After that you've gotta face Him. Whether or not you believe this doesn't change the fact that this is what's going to happen.

...He who has ears to hear, let him hear.


..."Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" - Jesus Christ


..."But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" - John the beloved.

He considers you the apple of His eye, but He won't impose His presence and relationship on you...you've gotta make a conscious decision to accept Him. Or to keep rejecting Him.


..."And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; ... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."


..."I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"

What will YOU do with this Person called Jesus Christ?

Your answer, your response to this question - the all important question - seals your true destiny, your destination from here on. Pretty much the same way the way the people of old answered the question 'what will you do with this man called 'Noah' and his crazy message of a coming flood, sealed their destinies...we all know how that story ended.

Folks, these days are just like the days of Noah, only it's not a flood that's coming.

Think about that.  Let him/her with ears hear. Let those that think they stand take heed lest they fall.

God bless you all.

Love,

Nkem

He's already done it!

Dear Reader,

Here is a Truth that will shatter your old paradigms and challenge you to see things differently from now on (if you're open enough...)

God anticipated ALL the needs, challenges and issues you would ever face in from the start to finish of your life, and made provision, provided the solution to EACH and EVERY one, BEFORE you ever showed up on planet earth.

That's why He said 'It Is Finished'
God anticipated every sin you'd ever commit, and provided total forgiveness and salvation from the works of darkness...it's up to you to receive or access it, then walk in it. He won't impose or force it upon you.


God anticipated every sickness you'd ever experience, and provided total healing for every part of your body and soul (mind, will, emotions)...it's up to you to receive or access it, then walk in it. He's not going to force it on you.

God anticipated every need you would ever have in this life, and provided an abundance of supply for it. He's not going to force any of this good stuff on you though. He's done His bit. Your bit is to reach out and receive what's already been provided for you.

...So how do you access all this good stuff?

Mark 11:22-26 reveals exactly how (and several other passages confirm it), and it works for EVERYONE who acts on it, regardless of your religious affiliation (same as the sun shines on everyone at some point, regardless of if they're 'saint' or 'sinner'...). The solution applies to 'whosoever'. EVERYONE is invited and most welcome to take part of the amazing Grace of God. This means YOU, dear reader. :) doesn't matter what you've done, who you are, where you've been, etc.


Folks, this is 'The Secret', and really is the true basis for the entire personal development and personal success industry as well as the 'Laws of Nature' - though many proponents deny the Source of this Truth and attribute it to 'the universe' or some such vague entity.


But once you grasp the Truth, if you will receive it and act on it, your life will never be the same. The way you pray will never be the same: (if you realize that something's already yours, you don't keep asking for it, you rather receive it with a grateful heart, see). Your posture and level of confidence will radically change - you're no longer needy and whiny, you're now 'more than a conqueror through Christ'. The way you respond to news, events, circumstances will be way different, on a much higher plane than what it is right now: when you receive news that others may perceive as 'bad', your attitude is one of 'bring it! cos He that is in me is way Greater than anything you could throw at me, baby!'. You will experience first hand why the psalmist said 'I shall not want...'. Sweet!


And you know that the way you (choose to) respond to an event determines the way you experience it, and in turn your outcome.

In the final analysis, it's YOUR CHOICE: believe what you want, respond how you want...and as a result you will experience the corresponding consequence.

But as for God, He's done His part. It Is Finished.

Scriptures for your healing and health, cont'd

Here are some more healing passages for you to feast on.
Memorize these words, act on them and watch your miracle happen



Psalm 103: 2-5


 ²Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
 ³Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth ALL thy diseases;
 ⁴Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
 ⁵Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.




Psalm 91
²I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
 ³Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
 ⁴He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
⁹Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
 ¹⁰There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
 ¹⁵He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
 ¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.


Psalm 147:3
³He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.


Proverbs 3:7-8
⁷Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
 ⁸It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.


Isaiah 58
⁶Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
 ⁷Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
 ⁸Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and  thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward.


Jeremiah 17
⁷Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
 ⁸For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
¹⁴Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. 



Jeremiah 30:17
¹⁷For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD;


Malachi 4
²But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 



Matthew 4
²³And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

(Sidebar: Jesus Christ is STILL the same yesterday, today, forever!!)



Matthew 8
¹³And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

(Sidebar: So you can apply these healing scriptures on behalf of someone else - the power of intercession!)