Life's Canvas: Brushstrokes of Experience🎨

Jonah mode activated*  When the Holy Spirit prompted me to address this topic, I hesitated, "Me?"  Yet, I've come to realize that often the most effective teachers are those who have faced and conquered similar struggles.  Throughout this series, I'll also offer advice on staying consistent within this context. Prayer embodies diverse interpretations depending on individual convictions. It can serve as a channel for communication with God, fostering a connection with the spirit of God and energizing our spirits. Some view prayer solely as a means of making requests, often treating it like a speed dial for emergencies. We've all been this person "Hey Jesus it's me again..." But what is the significance of prayer to you?  The value of prayer transcends the mere fulfillment of requests; it resides in the profound transformation it brings to our spirits . Luke 18:1 "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, th...

But...  ‭‭Ecclesiastes 10:1 NLT‬ "As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor." Some time ago, I watched a video about what happens when flies land on your food. It left me feeling irritated, and I couldn't bring myself to watch until the end. As little as a fly is and as insignificant as it may seem, it can cause an expensive and exquisite bottle of perfume to stink thus rendering it useless. Similarly the presence of a but. In today's episode the but is CHARACTER. You see many people are good-looking, intelligent, gifted, talented, the list goes on "but" bankrupt of character.  These qualities and abilities are amazing however many people have had all of these and still failed, why? Bankruptcy of character! In the words of Pastor Prince" The hallmark of greatness is humility and simplicity"   Let's learn from the lives of these people, In the book of Esther, the Bib...

  It's March already?  Happy New Month my love. For many individuals, this time of year can become overwhelming, as they come to realize that time is passing and perhaps they haven't accomplished as much as they had hoped, or they haven't even begun yet. It's okay Take a deep breath, please retain and cherish these key points 1. It's a good time to start. If you constantly observe others, you might feel disheartened, as it seems everyone else is thriving while you're still trying to figure things out. You've done enough thinking and calculations, here's the truth: the maths will never add up. Get up and get to work. ‭‭Prov 6:6-11 MSG‬‬"You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap th...

Glory to God!  A penny for your responses on how your year has been?  I  have been unlearning and re-learning a lot.  I know this year a lot escalated however, please try not to complain about the state of things, why? Because it won't change anything and the more you speak of it the more your subconscious registers it as your reality.  Remember that you're not ordinary, If ordinary people can walk through life every day with little or no challenges, why should you experience difficulty?  You are a mirroring image of God. 1 Pet‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭AMP‬‬ "[ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." You have a lot of potential within you; one step, then the next. You've got this You've tried everything, try Jesus. Return to the Word of Go...

I enjoy the festive spirit of Christmas, with its cheerful atmosphere, giveaways, and carol services. Sharing heartfelt messages and delicious food adds to the joy, and the abundance of love makes the season even more special.   This joy stems from the profound meaning of Christmas—the gift of Jesus Christ to all. As we transition to the new year, drafting resolutions and plans is fantastic, but there are key considerations to keep in mind. Thanksgiving No matter what challenges you faced in the past, if you're able to read this, that alone is a reason to express gratitude. Often, our lack of thankfulness arises from greed, entitlement, or comparing ourselves to others. Note that any elevation comes from God, not solely from your skills or abilities. You're not self-made, and if you didn't receive an answer to a prayer despite asking, how about the many other things God has made possible? Remember, if you won't praise God, even stones will do so.  Praise sur...

Wondering why life seems challenging? It's because you insist on living it on your terms and independently.  You will fail!  Rom 4:20 "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;"  This was Abraham,   To grasp the significance of Romans 4. God had to paint a picture, He supplied the faith Abraham had. Gen 15, God speaking to him said fear not, your reward will be great. Abraham said how am I sure that my servant Eliezer will not be the one to inherit my properties,  ‭‭Gen‭15:4‭-‬5‬ ‭NLT‬‬ "Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.”   Then the Lord took Abraham outside and said to him, “ Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”  In   the very next chapter, he staggered and a whole cursed generation emerged, by one instruction...

"And he said, Come... "  Welcome to the last month of year '23.  Long story, here's a background. After healing the sick and feeding 5000 men besides women and children with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes, Jesus then sent His disciples away to go before him and also the multitude. He then goes up into the mountainside to pray alone, till night. Remember that He sent them away earlier so the ship was a considerable distance from the land.  Shortly before dawn, he goes to them casually strolling on water, before he came along, their ship was already experiencing some turbulence being tossed with waves ."When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear."  I'm sure they were confident it was the ghost that was causing them all that trouble, Jesus reassures them it is indeed Him. Peter then goes on to say, Matt 14:28"...Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water...

Cliche! But hear me...  "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all."Eccl 9:11(KJV)  After a recent private discussion, I realized that I used to perceive resilient individuals as unbreakable, assuming they never experienced discouragement.  Hear me, the battle is not to the strong. Sometimes, our life is like a desert...we find ourselves caught between two dunes, with no provision in sight, with a problem that threatens to burn us unless we can find shade.  Occasionally, we observe the world's offerings and question, "Lord, why do I have to endure all of this? Why does the waiting seem so prolonged? You're not solitary; individuals you consider "strong" have navigated through similar phases or are currently doing so. The Bible is replete with...

Delay isn't a denial; imagine recognizing the clouds understanding the effort invested to fill them, and having the luxury to monitor it's progress. Just see how close you are to a breakthrough. However, the Christian life doesn't always align with this perspective. I prefer describing our journey using what I call the catapult mechanism. In this analogy, a catapult utilizes stored energy in flexed materials to launch a projectile. Before the launch, there's a pulling back, akin to setbacks and delays. But can we perceive these as refining and preparation processes? Just like a catapult requires stored-up energy to propel the projectile, our journeys might be building up unseen strength for a significant launch. Ecclesiastes 11:3"If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: " But how do we fill our clouds with rain? How do we store up energy that can propel us? Jude 1:20"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your m...

Apokalupsis is a Greek word that means revelation. It is a material that comprises of articles that are teachings from the word of God. I used to have a difficult time understanding the word of God, even when I did use devotionals a lot still seemed complex to me but not until I started studying the word of God with the Apokalupsis as a guide. I tell you life became easier as well. Here's a testimony from Amb Shallom of AOCMI Nation. "Growing up, I was a sad child! I was bullied, so l grew up believing everyone was better than me and I could never be good enough. This feeling terribly affected my self-esteem and turned me into an extremely timid person to the point whenever l got on stage, it was like I had forgotten how to sing. This was basically my life then, until l began using the Apokalupsis in 2017/2018. Because this devotional is literally the word of God simplified, it helped me study my bible better, it helped me start to see myself the way God sees me, a...

Romans 3:17 "And the way of peace have they not known" When you read the epistles of Paul the Apostle, you'll notice that he frequently refers to God as the God of Peace. He often begins or ends his letters by saying, " Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ." So, in Romans, he was essentially conveying a simpler message: They were unfamiliar with God and His ways. But, my dear friend, you know, and the very spirit of God dwells within you. So, why do you find yourself in distress? Remember the story of Jesus and His disciples in the boat. While a storm raged, Jesus was at peace, sound asleep, while the disciples grew anxious., Mark 4:38-39 "And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still . And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm...

Certainly, it's a common understanding that manufacturers assign predetermined expiration dates to the products we use, often with a safety margin. For example, if your lotion is set to expire in 2025, the expiration date printed on the lotion bottle typically falls a year or two prior to that date. Many individuals go about their lives as if they possess advanced knowledge of their precise expiration date or as if they've been guaranteed a specific number of years on this planet.  Human beings consist of a spirit, possess a soul, and inhabit a physical body. Here's some news, both positive and negative. Our time on Earth is short, even if we were granted a millennium, it would still be brief compared to eternity. Death is just a transition, as there is existence beyond death, regardless of our beliefs. /Ku shin Uma/ translates as Death or Life. How you live here on earth determines where you spend eternity. Here's the good news,  John 5:24 " Verily, ve...

News Flash... The Lord is doing something in this time and a lot of people will miss out just because they are focused on the conditions and circumstances around their lives and the world at large. Tehillah is a Hebrew word that means "praise" or "song of praise." Psalms 150:6 " Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." Good news, If you can read this then you have a reason to praise the Lord. It's a season of praise and while a majority of the world has a valid reason or another to complain, some are doing more praising in this time and doors are opening for them. Dear friend, the faithful practice of true praise puts a person in direct line with all of the power available in heaven and on earth. A life of praise links us to God's eternal purpose and His perfect plan for us. It creates in us a landing pad for the angels of heaven to become our ministering servants. It establishes an environment that is creat...

   How I love this hymn, 🎶 What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. 🎶 God isn't just my Father, He is not there to only provide for me and answer my prayers. He loves hearing from and talking to me.    Philotheos means a lover or friend of God. I learned friendship in its best form from having a relationship with God.    Isaiah 55:8(kjv)" For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD" . God is God and His way of friendship is not the same as ours, but also knowing this has taught me that each one of my friends is unique and I should learn how to be the friend they need and not what or how I want. John 15:14-15, Jesus speaks "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants...

  In Tiv, it is important to know your lineage.  So when Tiv people ask "Who are you and where are you from" they expect to hear a lot! When I was little l disliked the question, because of how lengthy the answer should be, however, I still answered it.  IDENTITY I like the many definitions of identity because as different as they are, it all still makes sense. One of which is, it is the knowledge of who one is. It also means the difference or character that marks off an individual from the rest of the same kind, selfhood. Another definition says it is the sameness some individuals share to make up the same kind.  Gen1:27 " So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them ."  First, you have the image of God then , John 1:12-13 " 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: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of ...

I found myself in tears while taking the exam, hating who I had become. But then, something happened... Dear Friend, We are almost done with '23, most importantly I hope you're smashing those goals you made a few months ago. I have had such a chill year, I went through it all, this year. However, I stayed sane and held Jesus a lot tighter, He almost choked if that was possible only it isn't, there's always space to go harder and I won't stop.  During these chill months, I did a lot of observations, life in general, friendships, family, literally everything. what all of these have done to me and taught me is more than I could ever speak of, I hope this makes sense to you.  Forgiveness! So this year I was in the middle of a life crisis, sort of. And during that period, I had so much in my mind and I did not know how to talk to God about it. People talk about forgiving others but as important as that is, I think forgiving yourself is paramount....