44 THINGS EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD KNOW AND APPLY

Here are 44 things every believe should know and apply;

1. Yes, God is real.

2. Your gift can make room for you.

3. A baby can heal broken hearts.

4. A mother's love is stronger than distance, more powerful than time and can transcend the grave.

5. Take time to smell the roses but be careful of the bees.

6. God will really make your enemy your footstool.

7. A footstool is only needed when you need to get higher. Let your enemy lift you.

8. God will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies so let them watch you eat.

9. Be careful what you say, life and death truly are in your own words.

10. There will be rough nights but joy really does come in the morning.

11. Fear is a spirit that really can stop you from living.

12. God has not given us a spirit of fear.

13. The joy of The Lord really is strength.

14. Being alone doesn't necessarily mean that you're lonely.

15. True love can come more than once.

17. Life is short but heartache is shorter.

18. Don't share your dreams with everyone and don't be angry with non-dreamers.

19. It takes a while to build a dream.

20. The dream will outlive the dreamer so dream big.

21 If you lie to yourself you will lie to God too.

22. Live where you are so God can meet you at your needs.

23. Never wish to be somebody else.

24. The grass may be greener on the other side but the the water bill is higher.

25. Don't let people change who you are just be who you are with someone else.

26. Heartbreak can make you hard! But don't let it make you bitter.

27. Bitterness is as toxic as stage 4 cancer.

28. While the most dangerous person in the world is a person with nothing to lose, the most powerful person in the world is a person with nothing to prove.

29. Don't try to be seen, God may be hiding you on purpose.

30. Your beginning never dictates your destination.

31. The will to live is as strong as the will to love and be loved.

32. You really will reap what you sew.

33. You can learn something from everything and everybody, especially the elderly.

34. Children's' laughter is like medicine to sadness.

35. Prayer really can change things.

36. If it had not been for The Lord on my side I don't know where I would be.

37. Who you are at 20 will not be who you are at 40 and if it is, SOMETHING IS WRONG!

38. You give away your power when you don't forgive.

39. Always aim for right and avoid doing wrong at all costs.

40. Never argue with what is.

41. Teach but never try to change people because sometimes they change back.

42. Share wisdom with those who will receive it.

43. Be aware of the darkness but your focus should always be the light.

44. Nothing is impossible for God.

i hope you apply these! God bless you!

THE GOSPEL: DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED!

The gospel is very great indeed, its message has freed me from my guilt and condemnation, it has freed me from all laws and traditional practices and it is great to know that above all, God loves me unconditionally and nothing can separate me from his love, not even sin. My name is Jude Asuqua, a 200L student of the Dept of micro biology, UNIBEN and this is a story of how I took God for levity because of my misunderstanding of the Gospel, its implication on my life and how I escaped. It was in June 2008 when I first heard the true Gospel; it is a great and wonderful news, I have previously heard the gospel but all I heard was guilt instead of freedom, fearful worship instead of joyful worship, mandatory giving instead of willful “out of love” giving etc. hearing the true gospel was awesome and great, I thought I was in the light, I never knew I was in darkness up until June 2008. I discovered scriptures like romans 8:38-39, Colossians 2:14, 1 Thess 4:17, Colossians 2:9-10 and many more great scripture. I was excited about this and I just worshipped God all the way for I experienced what the scripture says in 1 peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” and Romans 5:20 “The law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly”, I was so happy, this was when my lackluster began. It started in May 2009, I discovered that I don’t even commune with God any more talk less of a serious relationship with him,” Grace has done it all” I would say to myself, in fact, I barely had time for God, I focused all my attention on something else, at times, I wouldn’t even go to church, I felt I knew it all, I felt I have completely known God and this continued until the 6th of January 2010, my family got into financial crisis, I trusted God for a breakthrough because of his word in eph 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” I believed I did not need to talk to God about it, I would say to myself “God knows”, this crisis continued and it tore my family apart, my mother left home because of it and yet, I still didn’t commune to God about it. Things turned out for worse as the year wore on, my father could barely pay my fees, I became frustrated, I began to question God and wondered if he was still alive, my faith in him began to quiver, I was mad at God, my father and myself for having them both, at times, I will just sit and cry and wonder if God truly cares. One morning, 16th of Oct 2010 to be precise, something that changed my whole paradigm happened. I woke up without even regarding God because was bitter. I got up from the bed and went to the kitchen to check if there is going to be breakfast for that morning and to my shock, there was nothing, I was pissed and angry and in my anger, I heard a very still voice and it said “have you spoken to God about it”, I couldn’t believe my ears, I have never heard such calm voice before, was it the Holy Spirit talking to me? I asked myself. I sat down to think about it “have you spoken to God about it”, these words kept echoing in my mind and then I realized God was calling me to order and there was a surety in me that it was the Holy Spirit. It is true, I haven’t spoken to God for a very long time now, I got down on my knee and told God that I was sorry, I told him things about my life and the areas I needed change in, I talked to him about my family and what we were going through, I didn’t realize until after the prayer that I spoke to God for 1hr 30mins, I was happy, I felt peace in my heart, I called all the members of my family and we prayed together, I could feel the atmosphere of change settling In my life, three days after, my mom returned home and my dad’s shipping consignment was released, I went back to my bible to read and I asked the holy spirit for better understanding. I discovered that Grace is to make us even worship God the more and not sideline God, I discovered the scripture in the book of Titus2:11-12 telling us what Grace has done for us and what it will do for us ”For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world” I also discovered that the whole essence of our salvation is for us to be closer to God and have a wonderful relationship with him and not being full of ourselves and eternal life is all about knowing God in John 17:3 “This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ”. I just hope this little story of mine inspires you and I pray it touches you where it supposed to and if you are in this shoe right not, please run back to God, his arms are outstretched waiting for you.

Thanks to Jude Asuqua 400L, Dept of microbiology, UNIBEN, for sharing.

Recovering From The Heartache of Disappointments; Story of My Life

Reaction is key, it is the basis upon which our whole life flows, reaction determines the longevity of an experience and God gave us memory to decide how long an experience last, not the bad experiences but the good and pleasurable ones. The purpose of memory is to help us remember the good experiences.

God’s system is not a system of numbers, God’s system is a system of names, he knows us by ours name even before we were formed in our mothers belly. For two months now, I have been reminiscing about my life as a believer and my ministry, there are some things I have personally learnt since I became a believer and I really want to share this with you. Our life as a believer is totally not a bed of roses, God did not say our life as a believer will be a smooth one but he promised to take good care of us and see us through.

Isaiah 43:1-2 when you pass through the waters I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, it will not sweep over you, when you walk through fire, you will not be burned, the flames will set you ablaze. So sit back and learn from my story so far as a believer.

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• GOD DIDN'T CALL EVERYONE TO DO WHAT HE CALLED YOU TO DO.

• THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICATION (We may understand some truths but applying them to our lives is another thing entirely. This is balance)

• THE WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN IS THE FIRST STEP TO RECOVERY

• PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU TO BE IN  A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU (Else you’ll completely waste your time)

• YOU'RE NEVER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PAIN OF THOSE YOU COUNSEL (Leave out the emotions and just do your job)

• SILENCE CAN NEVER BE MISQUOTED BUT WILL SURELY BE MISUNDERSTOOD (Don’t over think it)

•  DON'T HIRE INCOMPETENT PEOPLE. (That’s clear enough)
• YOU CONFRONT A SUBORDINATE, YOU CONFER WITH AN EQUAL AND YOU COUNSEL AN AUTHORITY. (Know how to deal with people)
• THOSE WITHOUT YOUR MEMORY CANNOT FEEL YOUR FAITH
• THOSE WHO CANNOT FEEL YOUR PAIN CANNOT UNDERSTAND YOUR GOAL
• THOSE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR GOAL WILL DISAGREE WITH YOUR DECISIONS
• THOSE WHO DISAGREE WITH YOUR DECISIONS WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME AN ADVERSARY (Every decision you make will surely activate an adversary)
• SOME PEOPLE ARE THERE TO REFRESH YOU, REACH OUT TO THEM. (They want to deposit in you and not to withdraw, allow them)
• ALWAYS WORSHIP GOD (If you have a prayer language work with it)
• YOU CAN'T ENJOY LIFE IF YOU DON'T ENJOY YOU
• EVERY MAN FALL BUT THE GREAT ONES GET BACK UP (You are great)
• NOTHING IS AS EASY AS IT FIRST APPEARS (Don’t get too excited)

So there you have it, story of my life, please take heed to this and avoid certain pit falls. Until next time friends, keep it righteous!

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of love, and of power and of sound mind