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HANDLING THOUGHTS

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8 NKJV

READ: 2 Corint 10 v 1 - 6

As I kept on watering my farm, I also made a habit of keeping away weeds from the farm as I know they had the inherent capacity to stop the growth of the vegetables. It looked to me like as I weeded, the next morning I would still find weeds again. So I had to take responsibility always to ensure no weeds were hindering the growth of the vegetables. One of those days while on the farm: I understood how similar our thoughts can be likened to these weeds, especially the bad thought that threatens the growth of God's word in us: and if you are like me who also wondered how these weeds/ thoughts came about, seems they just jump into our hearts from nowhere (although there are thoughts that come to us based on things we lust after)

Today's passage focuses on the responsibility of a Christian in dealing with thoughts. Vs 4-5 The weapons of our warfare (fighting thoughts) are not carnal, they are mighty through God, to the pulling down strongholds.....and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

We have a responsibility to bring those thoughts down through God, it's only through Him that our thoughts can be cleansed, Philippians 2:10: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; Even our thoughts bow out at the name of Jesus.

As you go out from today, as those thoughts jump into your heart, can you be responsible enough to take them captive through God; through the name of Jesus?
As much as it's beautiful to set boundaries, and don't go to some places especially so that you don't feed your heart with things that are not healthy for your Christian growth. Even after doing all of these, those thoughts still come in, you must be on guard and take responsibility for your thoughts through God.

Start taking responsibility today, like I do, I had a goal in mind: my vegetables must grow well. We have a responsibility: Our light in Christ must not be put out by strange thoughts.

Prayer Burden:

Lord Jesus please help me to take responsibility today and always for the thoughts that come into my heart through you. I receive grace to dwell on the right thoughts.

Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life.

"WHERE AM I STORING MY GOODS?"
by Gbile Akanni (PEACE HOUSE)

“And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.” Luke 12:13 KJV

Jesus’ response to this man’s simple request remains yet a matter on my heart to keep on chewing. That my Master did not just say to the man, “sorry I cannot interfere in your family conflict; but went ahead to call for caution: “Take Heed and Beware…”, and to illustrate His response with a parable, makes the matter one that I cannot also easily dismissed.
“And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.” Luke 12:16-18 KJV.

“What shall I do? Because I have no room to bestow my fruits.” The rich man’s problem was where to store his goods. He thought and analyzed his difficulty: finally, he came to a conclusion. I wonder what my conclusion would have been. You too, what conclusion would you have reached in your case? It is this quiet conclusion that usually forms the basis of the outward manifestations of our action. This quiet conclusion normally determines our choice, our focus and our direction in life.

The rich man in the Bible said, “This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.” In barns and not in people; not in heaven but in barns. That barn could mean anything. For some, civilization will not allow them to start building barns so they keep their goods in banks. Some would however say, Bank? No, I don’t like banks. Their interest is too small and there could be inflation. I want to put my goods in shares, so that even in ten years’ time, when I would have retired, when the economy would have changed, that is the solid quiet money that would be coming in. I would just relax, sit down and cross my legs and enjoy myself while money comes in. So, the barns could be shares, banks or property development or it could be investing in solid minerals. Some will look for asset that appreciates with years. Some will say, “Let’s invest in a name. Let’s buy that company off the market, so that we can collect their name.” That name could be a barn.

Where am I investing my life? Where am I investing my intelligent and my ability? I need to find out what the pursuit of my life is. Do I quietly desire to possess all that I will need tomorrow, today so that I can secure my future?

Look at what the man said,

“I will say to my soul, Soul…”
When we read it, it appears as if it is not real. Excuse me; don’t you think it is real? Don’t you think these are the kinds of thoughts that have crossed our minds many times? Several things that many of us have done are along this line. That is why you will hear some people say, “…if the government decides to be foolish, I will never be poor again.” The reason is because they believed they have secured their future and so nothing can shake them.

“I will say to my soul: enough of running around. Thou hast much goods laid up for many years,” the man seem to say. Let’s face this fact frankly; how many people are not working in order to have something laid up for many years? What actually is the issue pushing many people up and down? Is it not the desire to have some certain things laid up for many years? As I say this you may be tempted to think that it applies to businessmen only; so you may excuse yourself because you are not a business man. Even you that is a civil servant, what is the reason why you have not resigned despite your complains against how the government is treating workers? What is your thought? Are you not probably saying, quietly in your heart, “Let me just clock thirty years in service so that my gratuity – the reward of working for many years - will increase?”

Why do even Pastors sit tight over their churches, inscribing their names, the names of their wives and their children on the properties- the corporate properties of the church? It is because of the fear of tomorrow. They are quietly thinking, how can I lay my life down in a ministry like this and somebody will just come tomorrow and push me out and my children will have nothing. No! Let’s entrench my name in it. This is the same conclusion, they are but goods laid up for many years.

It is for this reason that Jesus said, “beware of covetousness”. It is capable of killing one. It can make one lose one soul and end up in hell where you never planned. The weight of these instructions is enough to again cause my heart to bow in God’s presence, seeking His divine enablement to escape this hidden pit that may have swallowed many who went ahead of me. None of them ever hoped to end their pilgrim journey where and how they ended but covetousness, who never always come as such, overtook them when they least expected.

Oh dear Lord, please give me light that I may correctly evaluate where I conclude to bestow my fruits. Save me from the deceptiveness of today’s barns. Cause me to know that the fruits coming out of the ground of my life are not really mine but yours, and that I am but a mere steward over all that comes into my hands.

Lives are better place to bestow my fruits than in barns, no matter what such barns may be! This is my conclusion!

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Jesus told him, “I am the Way—yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me. ARE YOU BORN AGAIN???

Beauty That Last. By Sade Akanni (PEACE HOUSE).

“You should not use outward aids to make yourselves beautiful, such as the way you fix your hair, or the jewelry you put on, or the dresses you wear. Instead, your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God’s sight.” (1Pe 3:3-4 GNB)

God’s definition of beauty is completely different from human definition of it. Beauty, men say is in the eyes of the beholder. This focuses essentially on the external appearance. But while men look at the outside, God looks at the heart.

Beauty for a child of God should depend on how God sees it not as how men see it, since our citizenship is no more of the world. “Though we are in the world we are not of the world”. Therefore, our mind must be renewed and reset. Our definitions have to change in accordance with God’s word.

No matter how beautiful you look on the outside, God will not be attracted to you if your inner man (your character) is rotten. A lot of Christians today are more concerned about dressing and maintaining a beautiful appearance. There is nothing wrong in this. However, we must remember that there is a beauty that lasts and there is a beauty that fades. To concentrate attention on beautifying the body at the expense of ‘inner’ beauty is to place priority on things that are temporary and that are eternally inconsequential. Wisdom demands that we put priority on the weightier issues of the kingdom.

We see so much controversy today among God’s people about how a Christian, mostly women, should handle her outward appearance. Worst of all the confusion is spreading even to our young men, who are no longer contented to look like men in appearance. They rather desire to look feminine. This is indeed a very strange development and a confusion at heart.

There are two extremes of outward appearance that are commonly seen among Christian women, and sometimes men. Some appear very shabby and unattractive in a bid to display holiness. Others appear in such a sophisticated way, trying to express Christian liberty so much that it becomes hard to see any difference between them and unbelievers. It has become difficult nowadays to tell whether a woman is a Christian or not, except as she says so. The line of demarcation has become very thin. Many no longer follow the word of God but the inclinations of their own hearts even in their dressing. These things ought not to be so.

The force of ‘legalism’ on one hand and of ‘liberty’ on the other over the issue of dressing has closed the door of ministry to many Christian women. Lack of sensitivity in the spirit and lack of flexibility in God’s hand has also made many unusable to Him in certain environments because of their dressing. Paul said in Philippians 4:12-13,

“I know how to abase and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Unfortunately, many only know how to abound while others only know how to abase. Many have not learned how to adapt and be modest and godly in the face of changing situations, not for selfish reasons, but for the sake of Christ and the gospel.

Early in my Christian life, the Lord started dealing with me about the issue of my outward appearance. While I was not in want of the means to make my hair and dress the way my colleagues did according to the latest fashion around, the hand of the Lord upon my life would not allow me to conform to that standard. The Lord, who knew what future He had for me, kept instructing and restraining me. He was firm on how He wanted my external appearance to be. Again and again, He emphasized that I must concentrate and put priority on beautifying my inner man so as to pleased God and be attracted to Christ my Great Lover who died for me and rose again.

While the issue of beauty is not at all contrary to godliness, it must come from the inner to the outer man, in that order. The inner life is what actually dictates what the external appearance will look like. It is the inner condition that radiates outside. No matter how beautiful a woman appears on the outside, if her character is bad, she will stink even to her lovers; likewise a man.

It therefore becomes necessary to go through the Holy Scriptures in search of the total counsel of God concerning this issue of beauty that last. This will make both you and your way of dressing acceptable and pleasing to God, and harmless to men.

There is a temporary beauty and there is the beauty that lasts. There is a fading beauty and a beauty that is eternal. Physical beauty is pleasant to the eyes but it does not last. The things which are invisible are eternal. There is a kind of beauty that is invisible to the natural eyes. This does not depend on physical appearance. It is not temporal but eternal; such beauty is precious in God’s sight.

Physical beauty is temporal, barren, corrupt and idolatrous. It has a way of introducing idolatry and spiritual barrenness into the lives of those who go for it. Fashion, jewels and clothes could become your idol. It is alright if God made you naturally beautiful. But do not set your mind on it. Do not service it. When you pursue physical beauty, your life will be barren as far as spiritual things are concern. Physical beauty is of the world, not heavenly. Friendship with the world is enmity with God (Jas 4:4). We must set our hearts to fear God and do His will. It is only those who do the will of God that shall abide forever (1Jon. 2:17).

When you make physical beauty your pursuit, it will not follow you ‘home’. It is temporary, it is a fading beauty. It will perish on the way. There is nothing wrong in being naturally beautiful. It is God’s gift. But if you spend your years, money and energy trying to service it rather than developing an inner beauty, you will perish on the way. The desire to pursue external beauty can cut you short and off in the middle of your journey to eternity. That desire must be cut off and uprooted at all cost…

TO WHOM ARE YOU MARRIED?

1 Corin 7 : 32. But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord.

Though everybody knows and sees you to be a youth and even single and Alone but yet you are married.

But you said Iam single and alone, am not married, have been leaving alone and doing things all by my self, am not married, it is not hidden to people around me.

God said you are married, am not seeing you been alone but married for some time now. You have change from been a single, to become double, you are no more alone but occupied with someone, though people don't notice it that you are married but i can see it clearly that you are married.

Check yourself, are you truly free, who or what occupied your life, to whom have u been yoked with, to whom have you submit your loyalty unto? whom have you given consent? And yet u said you are alone and not married.

Don't You know that you have husband/wife. You give attention to your Phone more than me (God) you pay more close attention to your body, to beautify it than beautifying your soul. You care somuch about the world than my words, the words of man sound so good to you than what I have told you and yet u said am unmarried.

You said you are alone but yet , you never walk alone, you choose the company of the people of the world above your fellowship and Communion with me and yet you said am alone.

You choose to pursue your desire carrier above living and fulfilling my purpose for your life, you desire and choose to go your way, to forsake my paths which I have laid down for you to follow.

Luke 10 : 41&42. The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and troubled over so many things, 42 but just one is needed. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her.”

The Lord beckons on you today, will you choose or desire to continue as Martha or turn back to Him and choose to become like Mary.

Divorce that which you have chosen to be your husband or wife above the will of God and turn to your maker and surrender all to His Lordship. Let Him have His way.

Shalom.