THERE IS POWER IN UNITY

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL
January 29th, 2016 (Friday)

[Topic] - THERE IS POWER IN UNITY

[Scripture] - Ephesians 4:9 (KJV). "Two are better than one..."

[Message] - Good morning Beloved. All glory, honour, dominion and power, be to God for the gift of life. Amen.

To further illustrate the disservice we will doing to ourselves if we fly solo or do things on our own only, or are not interested in the condition or situation of others, is that there's power when we unite. Just like our anchor scripture says, two are better than one, in every way, provided that they are both 'good'. If not, then 1 good is better than two bad ones. When the two are good, and can only affect each other positively, then their achievements are endless.

First, they help each other. If one fall, the other will lift him up (Eccl. 4:10). When one begins to lag behind in anything, the other will assist to help him back to his feet. This, we can't do if we're on our own. Remember, iron sharpens iron (Prov. 27:17)

Secondly, when we study the Word on our own, there's a limit that we can go with revelations compared with when we study the Word with others. The Holy Spirit can interpret one portion of scripture to two people in totally different ways and they are both edified. This, is again, another advantage of uniting with others.

Thirdly, when two or more people lift up their voices to God concerning a particular matter. They gain audience quickly. Jesus Himself said, 'where 2 or 3 gather in my name, there I am in their midst' (Matthew 18:20).  This is another reason why Hebrews 10:25 encourages us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. In addition, it's only when we're together that the corporate anointing falls, not when we're on our own.

In conclusion, there is no limit to our achievements when we're united. God Himself said in Genesis 11:6, 'And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do' and 'And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Eccl. 4:12).
#SELAH

PRACTICAL STEP :- Look for about 2 to 3 friends you have who have the same vision as you and form a bond with them to deal with spiritual matters, as well as others.

Further Bible Study :- Ephesians 4:9-12, Gen 11

Bible-in-one-year plan :- Matthew 12:9 - Matthew 13: 43, Job 12:13-25

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THE "ME, MYSELF & I" SYNDROME

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

January 28th, 2016 (Thursday) 

[Topic] - THE "ME, MYSELF & I" SYNDROME 

[Scripture] - Philippians 2:3 (KJV)"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."

[Message] - Good morning Beloved. All glory, honour, dominion and power, be to God for the gift of life. Amen. 

One challenge with some Christians is that they exhibit the "me, myself and I" syndrome. They only think of themselves. In whatever situation they  find themselves, they only look for ways to help themselves and then leave whoever is affected and helpless to him or herself. They appear to be selfish and stingy because of this syndrome. I'm sure you're probably already thinking of someone around you who's an example of this (be sure to look at yourself first). 

When you try to talk to some of them about their attitude, they make reference to the scripture that says, 'love your neighbour as yourself' (Mark 12:31). It's true that we're asked to love our neighbours as ourselves and not more than ourselves. However, there's the place of showing 'selfless' love. Jesus exhibited this. He was good at putting others' needs before His. 

There's also an extreme to this that we must consider. Phil. 2:3(NIV) says that, 'Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves'. This extreme is that there's a thin line between esteeming others above yourself in humility and trying to impress them. The both of them won't get the same reward. 

When we try to impress people, we probably come back to square one, feeling bad and unfulfilled, plus no reward but when we count others more significant than ourselves in humility, heaven recognizes it and the angels nod in agreement to the fact that, Yes!, this is someone like Christ. 

Jesus describes the believer as the 'light of the world' and 'salt of the earth' (Matthew 5:13-16) and both of them emphasize on affecting the lives of others positively, which is what we should do, in all humility. This is one true way to act like Christ. 

PRACTICAL STEP :- Make sure you put a smile on a face, at the very least, beginning from today. 

Further Bible Study :- Philippians 2:3-7

Bible-in-one-year plan :- Matthew 9:27 - Matthew 12:8, Job 12:1-12. 

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BUILDING YOURSELF UP (3)

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

January 27th, 2016 (Wednesday) 

[Topic] - BUILDING YOURSELF UP (3)

[Scripture] - Jude 1:20 (KJV), "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost."

[Message] - Good morning ☺ The lines are fallen unto us in pleasant places (Ps. 16:6). 

As we consider building ourselves up, there's a particular aspect that cannot be neglected, and that's a close personal relationship with the One who owns this dispensation, the Holy Spirit. 

Jude 1:20, our anchor scripture, gives a direct step to building ourselves and that's praying in the Holy Spirit. This particular one, is a challenge for many, and the devil makes sure he does all he can to keep them from taking time out to act on this particular step. This is because when we speak the language of the Spirit, the devil doesn't understand, so he's confused when we pray. The best thing to do, then, is to try and stop them from praying in the Spirit at all. 

Praying in the Spirit has many benefits, some of which are: we pray according to the will of God, the Holy Spirit helps us put our request before God with strong reasons, we give thanks well, personal edification. My personal favourite benefit is that when I speak in the language of the Spirit, I speak mysteries. Awesome! 

The benefits of praying in the Spirit are innumerable. We should cultivate the habit of praying in the Spirit, for quality time. When we do this, particularly at the early hours of the day, we settle the rest of the day before God and there's nothing the devil can do about it. 

The Holy Spirit is our companion, friend, and comforter. We should cultivate the habit of speaking to Him expressly in His own language. By so doing, we build ourselves.  

PRACTICAL STEP :- Beginning from today, even if just for 30 minutes, take time to pray in the Spirit. If you have not been baptised in the Holy Ghost, ask for it. He promised to give to all who ask (Luke 11:13), however, the conditions must be met: Be born again, and ask in faith. 

Further Bible Study :- Romans 8:26, I cor, 14.

Bible-in-one-year plan :- Matthew 7:1 - Matthew 9:26, Job 11:7-20.

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BUILDING YOURSELF UP (2)

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

January 26th, 2016 (Tuesday) 

[Topic] - BUILDING YOURSELF UP 2

[Scripture] - James 1:22 (KJV), "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

[Message] - Good morning ☺. We are loaded today with benefits from God. 

We discussed yesterday that for anyone to grow in whatever field of life we find ourselves in, the Word of God must be taken seriously and diligently. The Holy Spirit, through the Word, is complete and addresses every issue of life where we may need guidance and assistance. We can never be lost or confused (John 8:12).

However, it's not enough to just know what to do to aid our growth. We need to take an extra step of acting and practising it. Our anchor scripture helps us understand this fact. We should not just be hearers but also the doers. The blessing doesn't come from hearing but the doing. Jesus knew that people are tired of hearing and not doing, that was why He made a statement saying that, 'men are dull of hearing' (Matt. 13:15). 

There are a lot of people who can preach sermons, give talks or seminars on how to overcome a particular sin, or succeed in an endeavour, but they themselves, are still slaves of sin, or struggling with growth in that field of life. They have all the knowledge but WISDOM is missing, because wisdom is the right application of knowledge, and the Bible tells us that wisdom is the principal thing (Prov. 4:7). 

It's not enough for us to know that the Word of God is the solution to building ourselves up, we need to act on the Word. It's not enough for us to know that giving to God and the needy is the path to financial success, and then remain stingy. No! We need to begin to act on it. 

" someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith." - James 2:18 (AMP). #SELAH 

PRACTICAL STEP :- Make a list of what the Bible says about that issue you are considering, and be careful too begin to act on them from now on. 

Further Bible Study :- James 2: 14-26, James 1:22-25.

Bible-in-one-year plan :- Matthew 4:23 - Matthew 6:34, Job 10:18 - Job 11:6.

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BUILDING YOURSELF UP

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

January 25th, 2016 (Monday) 

[Topic] - BUILDING YOURSELF UP

[Scripture] - Acts 20:32 (KJV), "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."

[Message] - Good morning ☺ Happy new week. 

Sorry for the temporary absence. It came back with a testimony. 

In this life we live, the importance of growth and development cannot be overemphasised. Attention is drawn to a child who is over a year and still can't walk, or a child of 4 years with the height of a year old child, and so on. Not just physically, but also in other areas, materially, academically, maritally, and even Spiritually. 

I want to believe it was but for emphasis of 'growth', amongst other things, that the last Adam, Jesus, was born of a woman, and grew (Luke 2:52), unlike the first Adam, who came complete and still messed up. No child of God is permitted to remain on the same level. 

We just must grow. We must be better than we were yesterday, and must be better tomorrow than we are today. There's no limit with God. 1 Peter 2:2 talks about desiring the sincere milk of the Word, that we may grow thereby. That's the key to growth - the Word! 

Apostle Paul, speaking in our anchor scripture, commended the people to God and the Word of His grace, which was, and is still, able to build us up. We want to grow financially, materially, physically, academically, maritally, and so on? It's in the Word. If we also want to build up spiritual muscles, it's the Word. 

For anyone who's serious with growth and development in all areas of life, he/she must take the Word serious from now on, to study it and to act it. Through frequent study and acting of the Word, growth is guaranteed. 

#SELAH 

PRACTICAL STEP:- Begin today to study the Word day and night. You can start by taking the 'Bible-in-one-year plan' and following it strictly. 

Further Bible Study :- Joshua 1:8, 1 cor. 3:1-2. 

Bible in one year plan :- Matthew 1:1- Matthew 4:22, Job 10: 6-17. 

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WEEP NOT!

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

January 20th, 2016 (Wednesday) 

[Topic] - WEEP NOT! 

[Scripture] - Luke 7:13 (KJV). "And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not."

[Message] - Good morning ☺. 

When we hear this, many think we shouldn't shed tears at all. (I'm sure you're thinking, 'but Jesus did'). There are actually a lot of reasons why humans may weep, broadly classified into two: joy and sorrow. If the reason for the tears is a good one, then tears of joy; however, if the reason for the tears is not a good one, then they are far from being tears of joy, particularly in the case of loss.

God understands this phenomenon, because He's the one who put the emotions there. In fact, to emphasise the perfection of His creation, even Jesus, who came in flesh, also wept when He lost a good friend (John 11:35). So He understands perfectly well when we shed tears. 

So why then does God tell us not to weep? Why the command, 'weep not!'? It all has to do with what's behind the tears. More often than not, when we weep, we weep because we think there's nothing that can be done about it anymore, we think it's a hopeless situation, we think God has been silent and has intentionally allowed us to feel torture from the devil, and so on. It's these thoughts that God doesn't like, hence, the command, weep not! 

So what do we do when situations like that arise? We should look to God. In 1 Samuel 30, David was faced with this same challenge. He also wept, but if he allowed the thoughts behind the weeping to remain, his people would have been gone forever. Instead, he encouraged himself in the Lord and recovered all. This is what we should do. He has promised that He's with us and will never leave us (Heb. 13:5). Jesus also looked to God the Father.

So it's not bad to shed tears. You are free to express yourself, even in God's presence. Whatever may have happened to cause the tears, God understands and is not just silent. Look to Him (Heb. 12:2), and you will discover the message in that mess, and the testimony out of the test. 

PRACTICAL STEP: Take a list of things/events that have made you weep this year, and go to God in prayers declaring your total dependence on Him. You'd be surprised how things turn out. 

#SELAH 

Further Bible Study :- 1 Samuel 30, John 11. 

Bible in one year plan :- Deuteronomy 25:5 - Deuteronomy 27:26, Job 7:7-21. 

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BEWARE OF WRONG DOCTRINES

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

January 19th, 2016 (Tuesday) 

[Topic] - BEWARE OF WRONG DOCTRINES 

[Scripture] - Ephesians 4:14 (KJV)."That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."

[Message] - Good morning ☺. Today delivers unimaginable favour to you. Amen. 

2 Timothy 4:3-4 tells us that in these last days, people will begin to have itchy ears, and gather teachers for themselves who will satisfy their likings and foster the errors they hold. They will turn away from the truth and begin to follow people who tell them what they want to hear, and do not condemn their errors. 

The bitter truth is that we are already in those last days and they are already happening around us. There are false doctrines all around us, and the unfortunate part of the story is that many are blindly following those who bear these false doctrines. 

This is why we should be careful what kind of doctrines and messages we listen to. It's not everybody we are supposed to listen to. If we do so, we will also listen to people who will lead us away from the truth. This is because there are many false prophets out there, and except with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will never know they are actually wolves in sheep clothing. 

The young prophet in 1 Kings 13 listened to the old prophet was only there to mislead him, and that led to his death. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 warns that there could be prophets who can use dreams, signs or wonders to mislead people, we should be careful. Not every sign or wonder is from God, the devil is still a magician. 

The Holy Spirit is the only one who can help us differentiate between a true and a false prophet. This is one major reason why every believer should have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. 

PRACTICAL STEP :- Take a list of all prophets you listen to. If they speak contrary to the Word, or do not bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit, cancel their names and stop listening to them. 

#SELAH 

Further Bible Study :- Acts 20:28-30, 2 Peter 2:1-3

Bible in one year plan :- Deuteronomy 22:13 - Deuteronomy 25:4, Job 6:24 - Job 7:6.

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HEARTY PRAYERS

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

January 17th, 2016 (Sunday) 

[Topic] - HEARTY PRAYERS

[Scripture] - 1 Samuel 1:9 (KJV)."Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken."

[Message] - Good morning ☺. Happy Sunday.

Many wonder why they pray and they do not get answers. One reason could be that they may not have prayed from their hearts. 

Prayer is a heart-to-heart communication with God. One heart speaking to the other and the other responding. Prayer is man connecting with Divinity through the heart. Prayer should not be vain repetitions which is, sadly, what many do.

When we pray, we should pour our hearts to God and not speak through feelings of emotions. If we channel our prayers through anger, bitterness, sadness, dejection etc, we would pray the wrong prayer points and say the wrong things. This was the case with Elijah and Samson (I kings 19:1-4, Judges 16:27-30). Rather, prayer should be done through the heart, forgetting emotions and truly speaking hearty matters to God. 

In our text, Hannah was in bitterness of soul, yet when she prayed, it was from her heart to God. Jabez, in I Chro. 4:9-10, prayed a prayer directly from the heart. And such prayers, God cannot overlook (Psalm 51:17).

God knows exactly how we feel, He knows our needs, even before we ask for them. As long as all conditions for what you're asking for have been met (faith, soul winning, sacrifice), as soon as we ask, and we ask according to His will, we receive. 

Praying from emotions of fear, sadness, dejection, loss, bitterness and anger will make us raise our voices at God, talk with disrespect and complain.

#SELAH

Further Bible Study :- 1 Samuel 1:9-19, Luke18 : 1-9 

Bible in one year plan :- Deuteronomy 16:18. - Deuteronomy 19:14, Job 5:17 - Job 6:7 

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COME AND SEE

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL
January 15th, 2016 (Friday)

[Topic] - COME. AND SEE

[Scripture] - John 1:46. (AMP) "Nathanael answered him, [Nazareth!] Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip replied, Come and see!"

[Message] - Special greetings to you this morning.

The Great Commission, like we all know it in Mark 16:15, 'And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature', is evangelism. It's our number one assignment as believers and our rate of fruitfulness, as described in John 15:16, is directly proportional to the number of souls we win into the kingdom. Maybe the first question should be, how many souls have you won into the kingdom this year? If none, then, you haven't been fruitful this year?

Still on the topic of evangelism, there are many ways this can be done. The best way to evangelise is to live a godly life and let people see it (Matt 5:16, 1 Thess. 1:5-9). Once people see your good works, the way you live, it will attract them to your God. However, we shouldn't substitute this for the Great Commission, because we are asked to 'go..and preach'. So we must preach. Beyond living the God-kind of life (ZOE), we must also talk about it.

One of the best ways to preach the gospel to the whole world is what we see Philip telling Nathaniel in our anchor scripture, 'Come and see!'. In John 4:5-30, we see this strategy of evangelism used by a woman of Samaria who met with Jesus at the well. Those 3 words brought the whole city to Jesus (Johh 4:29), and that should be how we evangelise too, telling them to 'come and see'.

However, you can't ask anyone to come and see what you have not seen. That's absolutely impossible. You must have seen. Only then, can you call other people to come join you. You must have had an encounter with Christ, you must have seen Him, before you can call others to also come and see Him.

Have you seen Him? Have you experienced genuine salvation? If you have, then go and tell others what you have seen, asking them to also come and see. This is the big secret to evangelism, an important key to fruitfulness in 2016. No stress. No fears. You have a proof of what you're talking about.
COME AND SEE!
#SELAH

Further Bible Study :- Luke 7:22, Matthew 11:4.

Bible in one year plan :- Deuteronomy 12-13, Job 4:7-21

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ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 11)

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 11)

You remember that saying that the baby snake that you think is harmless and refuse to kill today will be the one to grow and bite your child tomorrow, or so is it said. Many times, experiences of elders around us are enough for us to learn, only so that we learn from them and not make the same mistakes or fall in the same portholes they did. We have them around us for a reason, from our biological parents, to spiritual parents, to mentors, to elders generally, in the church and our environment. If only every generation would learn from the mistakes of the preceding generation, this world would surely be a better place.

Unfortunately, that isn't the case. In the ears of youths nowadays, when we are warned about actions we're about to take, we feel like we're hated and are only denied satisfaction or enjoyment and then we blindly walk into the exact mistakes our parents already warned us about. The truth is that, while its good to make mistakes and learn from them so that there isn't a repetition, it's better to learn from the mistake of others and not make them at all. However, there's something still better than learning from the mistakes of others and not repeating them, and that's having the Holy Spirit as our ally. 

For me, even if I didn't listen to Paul and my mom, and I had a relationship with the Holy Spirit back then, my life would have been better off today. I thank God for my faith and the time I gave my life to Christ, but to be honest with myself, I have some regrets. I wish I was born again earlier. I wish I knew the Lord during my teenage years. I wish I had a relationship with the Holy Spirit earlier in my life, I can only imagine where I would be today. However, I have the confidence that in Christ Jesus, I'm recovering all my lost years. If you don't have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, today is the day. Don't make it one day later. He's the best teacher. He knows what will happen tomorrow and can warn you about it today. He's your best bet and will surely never disappoint you. 

Let me conclude my story...

I didn't know where I was. It seemed like I was suspended and gravity lost it's effect on me. Where I was seemed like an empty space and was dirty, not beautiful at all. All of a sudden, a door opened in front of me, and I saw this man in white garment walk out of the door towards me. He was beaming with smile as he walked towards me. The closer he got, the weaker I became that I couldn't stand anymore and eventually fell on my face as he got closer still. When he got to me, I could only see his legs and yeah, that injury was there, the one He received on the cross. He lifted me up, removed the tattered clothes I was putting on and changed my clothes to one that looked like his. Then He hugged me and led me back the way He came. Just as I walked through the door, a bright light shone on my eyes and then I woke up. It was a dream. 

Of course, I woke up on another bed in one of the hospital wards. It was then I remembered that I had fainted and was out for about 4 hours. I woke up with a smile that I surely was now a different person and was already recognised in the kingdom of God, but then I was in tears again because I remembered who I used to be, how much I hated Him, how much I despised Him. Yet I came back to Him and He didn't hesitate to take me back and make me His own. My mom joined in the tears and we prayed. Just after we prayed, it poped up in my head why I fainted in the first instance, Gabriel! 

I was warned about him though. He was the baby snake I refused to kill and was waiting to kill my dad 20 years later. He wasn't who he said he was. His trips were actually missions of robbery and assassination. The judgement was life imprisonment and there was nothing we could do about it. 

Just about 2 hours after that, my dad fully gained consciousness and was ready to be discharged but to be placed on observation for another 2 weeks. The woman and child who were innocent casualties of my old life were also discharged and after settling the bills, I also gave them a cheque of 5,000 dollars, which they appreciated. 

My dear brother and sister, a very good friend of mine said, 'all life and no Christ is no life at all', and it's the absolute truth. John 1:4 says, 'in Him was life and that life was the light of men', and John 8:12, tells us that a life free of confusion can only come with Christ in it. It doesn't matter how long you have gone without Christ, it's not too late to come back to Him. Trust me, He's ever ready to receive and His arms are open wide to welcome you. Please, don't allow the devil deceive you. It may be rosy today but I can bet you, the end is destruction, and you won't like it. The devil will give you 5 naira and ask for 5 million naira in return, in fact, he will not stop until you're bankrupt. 

Never go into anything, be it marriage, relationship, career, investment, or what have you, without the permission of the Holy Spirit. It's dangerous. 

You have my life to learn from now so that you do not make the same mistakes, however, there's one person who can guide you through life effortlessly and joyfully, and He's the Holy Spirit. 

My dad is now perfectly fine, my kids and I go to visit Gabriel in the prison who is now also born again and we're trusting that God would intervene so that he's released. And that reminds me, I got back home to meet my kids waiting for me. They went with the school bus and the hall mistress mistook my kids for someone else's who were taken home by a driver.

Remember, all life and no Christ is no life at all. 

Thank you for listening. God bless you."

When I finished, and made the altar call, I'm sure I wouldn't be exaggerating to say that almost a thousand of them made a decision to follow Christ. I left that meeting fulfilled that God used my story to touch lives. 

                                         ***** THE END***** 

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 10)

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 10) 

Just like the story of the prodigal son in the bible, it doesn't matter how far we have gone, how lost we have been with the world, how deep down with trash we have been buried. The moment we realise that we have been wrong and come back to Him, He's always ready to take us back. His arms are open wide ready to receive us. Isaiah 1:18 tells us, that though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, meaning that there's no sin too much for Him to wash, no iniquity too grave for Him to deal with and permanently take away. Just like with Apostle Paul, the chiefest of sinners can become the chiefest of Apostles. 

I wasn't a saint. I didn't look like it at that point but I was determined that if God saved my dad and those innocent souls who became casualties of my own foolishness, I owed Him my entire life. I made a decision to live my life for God if he would only do me this good. My mom encouraged me and did a lot of talking to me about what my christian faith now entailed, what I needed to do to keep growing and make sure I did not go back on my promises to God. 

In my mind, I already thought that the vision Paul had was going to be fulfilled that day. I thought my dad would be declared dead. The doctor was sweating profusely, but smiling as he addressed us. The woman's husband was now around and I already  explained all happened to him. He was both sad and angry. He threatened to get me arrested for murder if his wife and child didn't make it. I didn't know where the faith came from but I told him that his wife and child would be okay, and God did it. 

'I have both good news and bad news. Which one would you like to hear before the other?', the doctor asked. 

'the bad news', I said.

'Alright, the bad news is that we have removed the bullet from your father's chest and administered some treatments. However, he is in an unconscious state, in coma, and there's no way we can determine if he's responding or not. If you know how to pray, now is the time. Only prayers can bring him back.

And the good news is that I'm happy to announce to you that the woman and her child are okay. Just a few minor bruises. They would be treated and should be discharged in about 2 days.'

My heart jumped for joy because I wasn't going to be sued for murder. All that was left was just paying the bills which would not be a problem. However, they news concerning my dad gave me hope that since the doctor didn't come out to tell me he's dead, probably God was still considering my plight, whether to save him or leave him to die.

I tried Gabriel's number again, it was now switched off. I sent him a text explaining all that had happened that day and told him to give me a call as soon as he got the text. Then it occurred to me that if my dad died in that state, he would go to hell fire. I went on my knees again and prayed that even if he had to die, God should please give him an opportunity to repent of all his sins and be born again. While praying, I felt something inside me tell me to go to the ward where he was laid to pray for him. I told my mom and she said she had the same feeling in her heart. 

We moved towards the nurse who was sitting behind a long desk at the reception and asked if we could go into the ward to see my dad. She placed a call to the doctor and the doctor told her to lead us there. As we walked through wards on the right and left, I saw different cases of people who were sick and admitted, young and old, male and female. It suddenly dawned on me that I had not been admitted for any major illness for the past 25 years and for the first time in a very long time, I heard myself say the words, 'Thank You Jesus'. 

Then we came to the ward where my dad was laid. It was a little different from other wards. It was not too big but I could see tubes and machines everywhere. Then I remembered they called the place Intense Care Unit. My dad had tubes all over his face to his hands and chest. He was almost not breathing at all. I sat on a chair beside his bed, held his hands in mine and began to talk to God on his behalf. We prayed for him for about 30 minutes and just as we were about to conclude the prayer session, he began to cough really seriously. I ran to the nurse to explain what was happening. 

Before I knew it, everyone was running to and fro that room again. I didn't know what was happening because the doctor told us to return to the reception. We returned to the reception and continued the prayers. That was the first time in my life that I would pray for almost 2 hours at a stretch. I poured my heart out to God, making several promises and thanking Him for saving the woman and her child. We were still praying when the nurse turned on the television and it was the local news. The person speaking spoke about the robbery that happened at my dad's office and said that the only casualty was my dad, the Chief Executive Officer, but that the culprits had been apprehended and arrested and they listed their names with pictures.

I was shocked and fainted when I saw that the number one name on the list was Gabriel. 

"ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST" comes to an end with Part 11 following soon. 

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 9)

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 9)

I thought we were going to a hospital until my group took me through another turning along the road and I began to think I was also going to be kidnapped. I was helpless with no one to call or ask for assistance. Gabriel was on one of his trips, I called his number but he didn't  pick up.  

'he must be in one of those executive meetings', I thought.  

Then my mind went to my kids wherever they must be, and then to my dad again. I wasn't even sure if he was still alive anymore. 

'oh, this is too much for me to handle', I whispered into the ears of God, with no assurance if He was even listening at all.

Not long  after that, we pulled over at an uncompleted building and I was taken in. Apparently, the group I went with, saw the car I drove and thought I must be from a wealthy home. So, in addition to footing the medical bills of the woman and child I had hit, I must also give them something. I wasn't thinking clearly. The devil did a good job at bringing the worst of ideas into my head, and because I needed to leave for the hospital as soon as possible, I requested for an account number, made a few calls and transferred the money they wanted. After they confirmed the credit alert, they let me go. 

When I got to Blue Cross Hospital, it was the same hospital the woman and her child were brought to, so everyone: the doctors, nurses, cleaners, In fact, every single soul in that hospital was running here and there trying to do one thing or the other. Anyone who passed by would have gotten the ideaa that they were with more than one emergency. 

'This must be serious. You mean, I am the cause of all these running here and there?', I thought as I walked into the hospital. 

I met my mom at the reception already, sitting in tears but praying to God. 

'Mom! Where is dad? What happened? How did it happen? Will he be okay? What are the doctors saying? Have they been able to provide a solution? Will he survive it?', the questions followed each other as tears began to well up in my eyes also. 

All she said was, 'It is well.' 

Just as she said that, a doctor came out of the theatre and walked in our direction. 

'who is Mr. Johnson please?, the doctor asked a number of us who were waiting at the reception. 

'Here I am', a voice responded from behind me.

When I looked back, it was Paul Johnson, the same Paul who wrote me a letter. I had no idea he was there all along, and he didn't say anything to me. He must have seen my drama and pathetic state at that moment. 

Just as we looked at each other's eyes, I instantly remembered the vision he said he had in the letter he wrote to me about 15 years ago. He said he saw me in the corridors of an hospital in tears because someone related to me was in a critical condition. I remember that he said he heard the doctors say, 'We're sorry, we lost him.' Just as all of that came rushing back at me, I broke down, took my seat and thought, 'my life is officially in shambles'. I was so sure when the doctors come out and ask for us, they would tell us he was dead. 

Paul walked up to meet the doctor beaming with smiles and joyful. Then, I heard the doctor whisper to him, 'Congratulations sir, your wife has put to bed. It's twins. A boy and a girl.' He fell on his face and kept on saying, 'Thank You Jesus', for another 15 minutes. All he was saying looked like drama to me. I think the last time I said the words, 'Thank You Jesus', was about 20 years ago at our very last fellowship before leaving the secondary school. 

My mom quickly grabbed the doctor's laboratory coat and asked him how my dad was doing before he went back to the theatre. He said he was coming from a different theatre, the labour room, but that he was sure the doctors at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were doing their best, and that we should just keep praying. My mom continued the praying. I just sat there in tears, speechless with nothing to say. I couldn't even tell my mom that the young man rolling on the floor in front of us used to be a friend, has had a vision of today in the past, told me, and I know where all of this ends. 

I decided to summon up courage and talk to God. Even if he was going to kill me, that would probably be the worst to happen. I went on my knees and decided I was going to pray. 

'Lord Jesus, I know I'm the last person you want to hear from right now. I'm not even sure you're listening to whatever it is that I want to say. I know I haven't a good child at all. I have played away my life. I have been a pawn on the chessboard of the devil and he has done with me as he pleased. I didn't give you attention at all and I was foolish to think I could live life without you. Here I am, a wretched sinner and not worthy of your mercy but humble enough to come back to you and make a promise that I will serve you, and do all that you ask me to, till the day I close my eyes in death. All I ask is that you save me, make me your child once again and deliver me from all that has happened to me today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen' 

Well, I was not sure if he heard me or not but I was sure the Comfort who went on her kneels was not the Comfort who stood up. Something changed, but I didn't know what it was. Immediately I stood up, my mom hugged me and said, 'congratulations'. Just as she said that, another doctor came out of the theatre and walked in our direction.

'Mrs. Adetayo?',

'Yes? We're here', my mom and I both chorused, and walked up to him. 

What did he say?

"ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST" continues in Part 10

TOO SMALL A THING?

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

January 12th, 2016 (Tuesday) 

[Topic] - TOO SMALL A THING?

[Scripture] - Numbers 16:9 (ESV)."Is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to them"

[Message] - Good morning ☺ 

One thing with people of the world is that they are ungrateful. The little things you do for them, they will never appreciate it. When you stop it, they turn around and attack you and it's as though you never did anything good for them in the first instance. This doesn't just happen with people of the world but also in the church. 

Whatever we receive from God is a total privilege, and not a right. The absolute truth is we deserve nothing from God. For instance, what have you done that will make you think you qualify for life and breath for the next 24hours? What is your qualification before God? How righteous are you that you think there are somethings that should be given to you? 

Whatever we receive from God is as a result of grace and mercy. Truth is that we do not qualify for anything from God, but still, in his infinite mercies, has decided to give us somethings freely. We should never label these things as 'too small', or we present ourselves as proud and ungrateful. 

The breath in your nostrils, the job you have, your position in the church, that money in your pocket, that brain you have, those nice kids He gave you, that beauty He blessed you with, that great C.G.P.A, and whatsoever it is that you are or have comes from God and is totally a product of grace and mercy. Never tag them 'too small' or you begin to lose them one after the other, and come to nothing. 

Nothing from God is too small. Let's be grateful for the 'small' things we receive and hope for the 'big' things. Until we thank Him for the 'small' things, the 'big' things will never come. Shun ingratitude. 

#SELAH 

Further Bible Study :- Numbers 16, Isaiah 49:6.

Bible-in-one-year plan :- Deuteronomy 4:32 - Deuteronomy 6:25, Job 2:7 - Job 3:2. 

Zoescripts.blogspot.com 

BBM Channel : C0013ACBD 

Tellyjelly@yahoo.com 

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST (Part 8)

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 8)

You see, we humans make some big mistakes that ruin a lot in our families, relationships, career, academics, marriages, finances, and our future in general. We are always looking for shortcuts to everything. We want it all very quickly and fast, the way we want it, and then in the process, go to the devil for it. We cast our pearls before swine, and ofcourse, because they absolutely do not understand who we are, or where we come from, they trample on our pearls, and still come for our heads. 

It's in the interest of the devil to destroy your joy. It's his duty to make sure that you're not happy wherever you find yourself, and just when joy is around the corner, he diverts it by showing you a fake in the eye and taking the real deal from you. 

Nothing good comes from the devil. At the very best, a few years, but hey, will you compare a few years with eternity? 

I allowed the devil to lead me to what I thought was 'good life', not knowing it was just a graveyard with a perfect interior decoration. A decorated monkey is still a monkey, it doesn't change that fact. It doesn't matter how beautiful the devil wraps a package, it's still meant to steal, kill and destroy. 

A bomb that's wrapped beautifully well doesn't stop it from detonating after its unwrapped. Let's be wise please...

Back to my story...

"The following week, as I always did, I went to pick my kids from school, only to get there and hear that the driver already came to pick them from school.

'which driver?', I asked hall mistress,

'your driver ma.'

'My Driver? How did you know that? Have I ever sent a driver to come pick my kids from school? Why would you release my children to a complete stranger without my permission? Is that the way things are done here? How many children have been kidnapped from this school since inception?', I angrily returned all the words to the mistress. 

'I'm sorry ma', she quickly apologised, 'He came here with a car just like yours, mentioned your name, the name of your kids and said he works for you and that you sent him to come pick the kids because you were a little indisposed.'

It was sounding funny. I quickly picked my phone, called all the servants at home and questioned them all to find out who came to pick my kids from school without my permission. Their responses were not in the affirmative. None of them came to pick my kids from school. 

I turned back at the hall mistress in anger,

'If I return home and do not meet my kids waiting for me at home, I will not only get you arrested, but also sue this school.', and then I angrily walked out of the school premises. 

Just as I was about to get into my car and zoom off, my phone rang. It was my mom. I thought she was the one who sent someone to come pick my kids from school. I didn't wait for her to say anything before pouring out all the words in my head for her.

'Oh, mom, the Holy Spirit, also asked you to come pick my kids from school without my permission?'

'Your kids? Far from it, my dear, I didn't pick your kids from school', her voice was shaking and she was in tears. I quickly got rid of the anger, apologised, and calmly asked what the cause of the tears was. 

'It's your dad. He was shot in the chest at the office and was just rushed to the hospital, Blue Cross Hospital, about 5 minutes ago. You should hurry dear, it's bad.'

I took about a minutes to process all that was going on. My kids were missing and now my dad was shot. I decided come deal with the school later, and quickly rush down to the hospital. On my way, I hoped that it would all just be a dream and that i'd wake up to realise none of all these was real. The more I thought about it, the more real it all looked. I prayed a short prayer that God would just deliver me from all of these bad events rolling up on each other like a snowball. Then I thought,

'Will He even answer me? I've ignored Him all my life and never paid any attention to Him. If He was flesh and blood, and heard all I just said, wouldn't He shoot me in the head?' I felt worse. It was not just me. My dad in question that I was praying to be saved also didn't give this Jesus any attention at all. I was so sure there was no way He would deliver me from all of these. 

Just as I was doing all the thinking, I was so lost in thought that I didn't know I had gotten to a four-way road and that the traffic light was 'red'. I sped past at a high speed and ran into another car. It was just as my head hit the steering wheel from the accident that I became conscious of the number three tragedy in my life that day, all in one day. 

Before I knew it, a lot of people surrounded me, seized the car keys from me and held me down to make sure I didn't run away. When they checked the car I hit, it was a woman and a baby that wasn't a year old yet. The woman was bleeding from her nose and the side of her head while the baby was laying unconscious on the floor mat of the back seat. The baby didn't look like she was breathing. 

The mob quickly divided themselves into two. One group quickly rushed the woman and her child to the hospital, while the other group was determined to make sure I suffered for what I had just done. All efforts to explain what really happened to them were in vain. I still hoped I would wake up from this dream, and I was too ashamed of myself to ask God for deliverance. 

How did things turn out? 

'ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST' continues in Part 9

WORRY IS TORTURE

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

January 11th, 2016 (Monday) 

[Topic] - WORRY IS TORTURE 

[Scripture] - Matthew 6:27, (KJV) "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?"

[Message] - A beautiful morning to you. 

There are a few reasons why we humans may worry. Humans are programmed to want a lot of things, and may not get them at the specified time. This causes worry. When there's a loss of any kind, or uncertainty about the future, it also causes worry in the heart of a believer. 

Worry is from the devil. It can suck the life out of clear thinking. Once you begin to worry, you don't think clearly anymore. Worrying about tomorrow doesn't help anything, but squeezes the joy out of today. It paralyses the ability to reason positively. 

If you're a child of God, whatever happens to you is either allowed or permitted to happen to you by God. We should learn to trust Him and to believe that He who loves will not do anything to hurt us. So, even when we aren't happy with somethings, it's all working out for our good. A proverb says that, 'it's in severe pain that tribal marks are drawn, but when the whole process is completed, it becomes attractive.' This means that you may not like it now but in the end, you will. 

Jesus told Peter in John 13:7, 'You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand.' With this knowledge, when the devil brings worry, what we should do is go to God in prayers, casting all our cares on Him, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We should be thankful for the things we have and then release our thoughts to Him. 

When we do this, we receive peace, and then realise that nothing is too difficult for God. He is never late. He's working it all out for your good. So, get rid of worry, and leave it all to God. He won't disappoint you. That's for sure.

#SELAH 

Further Bible Study :- Psalm 92:19, Matthew 6:25-34

Bible in one year plan :- Deuteronomy 2:26 - Deuteronomy 4:31, Job 1:20 - Job 2:6.

Zoescripts.blogspot.com 

BBM Channel : C0013ACBD 

Tellyjelly@yahoo.com 

VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION (3)

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

January 10th, 2016 (Saturday) 

[Topic] - VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION (3)

[Scripture] - Ephesians 4:23 (KJV) "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind."

[Message] - Good morning ☺. Happy Sunday. 

The greatest battle of all time takes place in the mind. Jesus understood and that's why we are warned to guard our hearts with all diligence, for our of it are the issues of life(Prov. 4:23), and in our anchor scripture, we are also asked to be renewed in the spirits of our mind. 

The mind is extremely important at this because until the mind is renewed, we will continue to fall for the temptations of the devil. The mind is very fragile, such that to commit a sin or fall for the temptation of the devil, it begins with a thought that the devil drops on our minds. If we dwell on that thought, and do not rebuke or resist the devil, it won't be long before we fall for that temptation. 

One big mistake many youths of nowadays make with thinking and sin is that, they think the more they're conscious of it, the less they're prone to fall for it, when it's actually the other way round. What your mind dwells upon is what it will give room for, whether you want it or not. So the solution is not to think about it at all, but to rather think on things that are pure, good, honest, just, lovely and true (Phil.4:8). 

If you dwell on things outside of these, we risk falling for whatever it is that our minds dwell upon. And that comes down to the type of things we feed our ears and eyes with, particularly the music we listen to, the things we permit ourselves to listen to, the things we permit our eyes to see, and so on. Until these things are controlled, we will continue to fall. 

In conclusion, the Holy Spirit should be our best friend. He helps out when we're weak.

Attaining victory over temptation is very possible for the believer and the answer is JESUS. However, the complete equation is: 

The Word + Faith + Action on the Word + A renewed mind + Holy Spirit = Victory over temptation. 

God bless! #SELAH 

Further Bible Study :- Romans 12:1-2 

Bible in one year plan :- Deuteronomy 1:1 -. Deuteronomy 2:25, Job 1:13-19. 

Zoescripts.blogspot.com 

BBM Channel : C0013ACBD 

Tellyjelly@yahoo.com 

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 7)

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 7)

"My dear, the only thing that matters in a marriage is love. You love me and I love you. Isn't that good enough reason for you to know we were made for each other? Cheer up, we're getting married soon. We should be concerned with the wedding preparations right now and not allow the enemies steal our joy from us."

Gabriel said all of that in a way that I couldn't help but think he was correct, so I decided to shun all voices saying otherwise and pushed on until we were married. 

Preparations for the wedding went as planned and on time. We got the best of everything, from the wedding cake to clothing, to refreshments, venue, and so on. Money, truly, answers all things. I remember that everyone who came for the wedding, went back with an expensive pack. Little did I know that I was signing up for a nightmare. 

Then we moved to our home. It was a mansion, extremely big and beautiful. There was nothing we wanted that we didn't get. The house was peaceful and fun, except for the fact that Gabriel was a more anti-Jesus person than I was. He didn't want to hear the Name at all, let alone move near the church. We never prayed or sang any gospel song in that house. However, anytime I began to worry about such, I would conclude that 'what do we need Jesus for anyway? We already have the things that people are asking Jesus for, so what's the point?'

Then I remembered Paul, shook my head, laughed and thought, 'even Jesus can't take this one from us, we're fulfilled'."

Immediately I made that statement, almost everyone in the hall made an exclamation. 

The marriage continued to blossom for another 10 years. We already had 3 kids, smart and bright, the best in their respective classes and extremely good looking. I remained a housewife, went no where and had no job, except when I went to pick the kids from school and back home. I watched movies from sunrise until sunset, and I had a lot of male and female servants, and 2 teachers for the kids, to help them out with their assignments, but one thing I never allowed was for someone else to go pick my kids from school. I always went to pick them from school myself. 

Gabriel was always away during the weekdays and then would be home for the weekend. He said he was always busy with work, which required that he did a lot of travelling. However, when he got back from those journeys, he always came back with a lot of money. I remember asking him how he makes all the money. He said he received his pay on a weekly basis. 

...and things continued to go on smoothly like that for another 2 years...

...and then it all began...it was the beginning of the end, it was time to harvest all the bad seeds I had sown - seeds of rejecting Jesus, rejecting counsel, rejecting education, rejecting discipline, all the wrong words I had said against Jesus or the Holy Spirit......

...Someone said the devil will give you 5 naira and ask for 5 billion naira in return. I didn't believe it until it all started. The devil came knocking and Jesus was silent. 

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST continues in Part 8

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 6)

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 6)

"The letter came from Paul, Paul Johnson, the same Paul that brought the message of salvation to me and got the beating of a lifetime. I didn't know how he got to know my house address. 

The letter read thus: 

         'Hello,

          How are you doing? This is Paul Johnson. I know I'm about the least person you expect to hear from right now but please read through this letter. Hope you've been good? I came looking for you but thought it better to leave a message with the gateman so that history doesn't repeat itself again. However, the reason why you're seeing this is extremely urgent. 

          I had a vision and it was about you. In that vision, I saw you in the corridors of an hospital with your mother. You weren't there as a patient but you were praying in tears for someone who was rushed to the hospital on an emergency. 

          When the doctor came out of the theatre to give you a feedback, all I heard the doctor say was, 'We're sorry, we lost him'. I have no idea who was involved but the person must be a really close to you with the way I saw you and your mom in tears. 

          The message that came with the vision is that, 'if you need to correct something important, now is the time to, before its too late. And if you have someone around you that needs prayers, now is the time to pray for that person also. 

         On a final note, it's the message of salvation again. Jesus loves you very much and He's calling to you, that if you will surrender your life to Him, He will make you His own, take care of you and answer your prayers. 

          Just in case you need to call me to discuss anything, you can reach me on the phone number behind this letter. God bless you. 

Your colleague, 

Paul.'

After reading the letter, a part of me was angry with this unrepentant man who has decided to destroy my good day, and the other part of me felt something had to be done quickly with all these signs around me. I turned the letter and behind it was the phone number written.

I decided to take my mind off all that just happened by watching one of my favourite programmes on television. Just as I switched on the television, it was a pastor speaking about getting married to the wrong person. I changed the television channel but didn't forget what I heard the pastor say. 

I slept off on the chair where I sat. The ring tone of my phone woke me up. It was Gabriel. He called to tell me that the date for the wedding ceremony had been fixed and it was going to be in two months after that day.

'Gabriel, I have something serious to discuss with you.', I told him after he announced the wedding date.

'what could that be? Hope no problem?'

'No, actually, but I'm bothered.'

'Alright dear, talk to me, I'm all ears', he said. 

'Don't you think all of this happened too fast?', I asked.

All life and no Christ continues in Part 7 

Thanks for reading. 

VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION (Part 2)

WORDS OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

January 9th, 2016 (Saturday) 

[Topic] - VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION (Part 2)

[Scripture] - James 1:22 (KJV) "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

[Message] - Good morning ☺. I celebrate you. 

We have established, from yesterday's message that there's a clear difference between temptation and a test; that a temptation comes from the devil while a test comes from God; the urge to fall into temptation isn't the sin but the yielding to the temptation; and that it's very possible for a child of God to attain victory over temptation. 

However, many believers still find it difficult to attain this level of victory over temptation. They rise today and fall again tomorrow. They ask God for forgiveness in the morning, and in the evening, they are at it again, and then they return back to God for forgiveness.

We have heard from yesterday's teaching that the Word mixed with faith in our hearts is what gives us victory over temptation. However, our anchor scripture shows us something interesting. It says that if we hear and we don't do, we are only deceiving ourselves; and the truth is many of us are deceiving ourselves, we hear but do not do/act on the Word. There are practical steps to be taken. Even the bible says faith without works is dead. There must be works to back up your faith.

One mistake many make is that they confront temptations in the face and think they can win a combat with it, only to fall into that sin, again. The bible says in 1 Thess. 5:22 to FLEE. Once you begin to sense, through the Holy Spirit, that temptation is knocking on the front door, please take the back door, and FLEE! 

Once we act upon the Word we have heard, mixed with faith in our hearts, victory over temptation is ours, even the devil can't resist the Word. As you put the Word with faith into action today, I see you receiving that specia grace for victory over temptation in Jesus name. Amen. 

#SELAH 

Further Bible Study :- I Thess. 5:22. 

Bible in one year plan :- Numbers 34-36, Job 1:6-12.

Zoescripts.blogspot.com 

BBM Channel : C0013ACBD 

Tellyjelly@yahoo.com 

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( part 5)

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST ( Part 5)

"Let me not bore you with the details of his reply. In summary, he said he had also been feeling the same way and then, there and then, we started dating. He didn't ask me out on a date but after we spoke at length introducing each other, we both had that feeling where no one makes it official but you both know there's some chemistry that's hidden, and it's surely beyond platonic friendship. 

We got closer and became better friends. I smiled more often around him and my brain, in cooperation with my mind, did a good job imagining what life would look like after he proposed. I couldn't wait for the day he was going to ask the million dollar question. 

By the time we passed out from youth service, I couldn't wait anymore. I wanted to get married as soon as possible. One evening, while we had dinner at one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, I decided to ask him myself why he was stalling with asking the question.

'I actually intentionally delayed asking the question because I need to put some things in order as regards my work place', he replied. 

It was only then it dawned on me that I didn't even know his occupation. 

He said he was a contractor, he was into importing and exporting, and his job required that he travelled very often. 

I didn't care ofcourse, so I told him not to worry about all of that, and that he should just propose already. 

The following week, he proposed and with the way I was already feeling, you can imagine how the scene played out. Immediately he went on his knees, I was shivering like a hen that was severely beaten by rain, and I didn't wait for him to complete the essay before I screamed,..."

At this point, half of the people in the hall chorused, 'YES'.

"Ofcourse, that was my answer. It was a YES for me. I was so happy I was going to be married soon. 

The following day, we went to see my dad. All my dad asked was, 'do you love him?', Does he love you?', 'Are you satisfied with what you can see?'...My answer was Yes, Yes and Yes, Yes Daddy. 

'Alright, you have my blessings.' 

We were so happy. That was it. 'His parents will surely also give their blessings', I thought to myself. 

While I was still celebrating, my mom came out of the kitchen, served Gabriel (my husband to be) and my dad their meals, and told me to follow her to her room, which I did.

'what's his name?', She asked,

'Gabriel', I answered. 

Then the questions started rolling in,

'Did you pray about this?', 

'What did the Holy Spirit tell you?'

'Did you get a go-ahead?'

'Who was your marriage counsellor?'

'Did anyone lead you through courtship?'

'Have you laid it before God?'

'Did you get enough time to know him?'

'Who is your mentor?'

I just sat there staring at her. When she finished with all the questions, I was ready to let her know exactly how I felt.

'But Mom, why do you hate me so much? You mean you don't want me to be happy? Does this Jesus you speak so much about also want me to be sad? He doesn't want our happiness too? Now I know why dad hasn't been in with you on this church things here and there. I know what's good for me, I have seen it and I'm going with it, with or without the permission of the Holy Spirit'

When I was through, I had raised my voice so loud that dad walked into the room where mom and I was. Mom was on the rug now weeping while I was standing and also in tears. When I got back to the living room where Gabriel was waiting, I quickly wiped my tears and acted like nothing happened. 

The meeting with Gabriel's parents also went well. They gave us their blessings and I thought to myself, 

'with all of these working according to plan, why can't my mom see that Jesus Himself is the one planning all of this? What a mother!'

[A very quick lesson - that everything is going on smoothly for you doesn't mean it's God's will for your life. You can be on an express way to hell, frustration and confusion] 

When I got back home, after the meeting with Gabriel's parents, the gateman told me that someone came looking for me but dropped a letter since hee didn't meet me at home. I collected the letter from him and went in.

Who was it?

What did it say?

ALL LIFE AND NO CHRIST continues in Part 6