Author Archives: Ekundayo

5 Things to Do to Gain Heaven

Posted by Apr 29, 2015 Gospel Evangelism, Holy Word Leave a Comment
5 Things to Do to Gain Heaven

A true life story about heaven made me to meditate some practical things to consistently do to gain heaven, which I would love to share with you. A young pastor traveling on a highway saw an old man by the roadside requesting for a free ride, and he stopped the car for the old man in white garment to come in.

For the first time after ten minutes of silent driving, the old man asked the pastor if he knew what happened in heaven last night, but he gave a negative response. The old man said: “The trumpet was ordered to be blown for the rapture, but Jesus appealed that some people are yet to hear the gospel”. The amazing part of this story is that the old man disappeared from the vehicle after his last statement.

 
The scriptures made us to know that Jesus Christ in heaven is still playing the role of intercession as mentioned in the book of Hebrew chapter 12 verses 24 which says:…”to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” 

With respect to the aggressive evangelism through the internet, Jesus Christ can come any moment from now. What will be your position during the rapture?

5 Major Steps to Take to Gain Heaven

1. Give the Access Key of Your Heart to God

When God created us in HIS image, a strong attribute we have in common is the ‘power of choice‘. Did you ever ask yourself why the omnipresent God could not stop Eve when she plucked the forbidden fruit to eat? The answer is simply because HE respected the power of Eve’s choice who decided to obey the devil.

Do not prefer to do things in your own way without consulting God. God can speak to you when you talk to HIM in your room – I am a living witness of this truth! To gain heaven you must have a constant relationship with the LORD. Give HIM the chance to control your decisions on earth. 

2. Worship God in Heaven and not the world

If you have the ambition to acquire houses, cars and many things of this world then you would find it difficult to respect the power and sovereignty of the Most High GOD. You will be distracted from the holy lifestyle the LORD wants from you. 

Jesus speaks in Matthew chapter 6 verses 24: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon”.

You must worship the LORD daily in spirit and in truth for you to gain heaven. 

3. Study the Road Map to Heaven

The LORD allowed the Bible to be in existence for everyone to understand the roadmap to heaven. It is the Holy Book that will guide you to a righteous life. When you read the Bible and obey the Will of God in the scriptures every day, then you are on the right direction to heaven.

The Holy Spirit speaks through Paul in his letter to Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2Tim3:16)

4. Reject the Worldly Custom

This world is under the great influence of the devil who devices a lot of ungodly customs that can hinder our journey to heaven. 
You have to stay away from the popular customs in our generation which include; provocative dressing, tattoo, homosexuals, cohabiting, body costumes and other customs prohibited by the LORD.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. (Romans 12:2)

5. Love Your Neighbour

Everything about God is love, so you have to adjust your mind to love your friends and your enemies. Love is a significant trait in heaven.

For instance, an American visiting Japan for the first time and who wants to avoid embarrassment must learn the customs related to greetings and so on. The common greeting for men and women is to bow when they greet someone, as opposed to giving a casual handshake or a hug.

Similarly, to gain heaven you must also have the heart of true love to God and to everyone around you. Jesus speaks in John chapter 13 verse 34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

 

It is the plan of the LORD that everyone should gain heaven and that is the reason for the teachings, sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to walk on the path of holiness which is the only way to heaven. This narrow path to heaven involves obedience to the instructions of the LORD daily, discipline, endurance, and agape love. May the LORD help us in Jesus name. 

Atheists; Atheism – A time-bomb!

Posted by Apr 22, 2015 Gospel Evangelism, Holy Word 16 Comments
Atheists; Atheism – A time-bomb!

Atheism had become a famous belief in the developed countries and very soon it will spread like a wild fire to other continents. Atheists do not believe in the powerful existence of God, heaven or hell because they chose to be free thinkers.

 
Available statistics reveal a worldwide population of Atheist to be about 750 million. Research showed that Atheists are predominantly male younger than 35 years old, large populace exist in countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Europe, Canada and Australia. Is that an indication of inadequate evangelical crusade? The youths of this generation must be ready to close the gate of hell through God’s power and grace!

Three causes of Atheism

 
1. SEEKING A LAWLESS LIFE

Atheism had been in existence before the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and since such people still exist till today, it shows that the category of this people does not want to be controlled by any form of law or commandments. They do not want to surrender their power of will to God. Jesus had prophesied the popular occurrence of atheism, which every one of us had to fasten our belt. Mt 24:12 ‘’And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold”. (NKJV)

 
Atheists love to have full control of their decisions and they consider God to be an enemy, therefore, they decided to adopt the belief (empowered by the devil) that there is no God. They love to live a lawless life. You have to dissociate your kids from atheist because you might find it difficult to instill discipline in your kids.

 
2.WRONG USE OF SCIENCE

 
Most Atheists are better educated than some Christians and the wrong conception of science and technology had been an element of atheism.

For instance, a British Physicist Stephen Hawking spoke with El Mundo Newspaper that it was natural to believe God created the universe, but now science offers him more convincing explanation and the discovery of knowledge made him to reject God and pronounce to be an atheist. How I wish he could ask himself the source of his wisdom and knowledge…

 

3. FALSE TEACHING FROM THE PULPIT OF CLOWN

 
Atheism is spreading across the world because a lot of people go through terrible challenges of life which led to confusion and disappointment. It is a pity that some false pastors contributed greatly to this due to their wrong teachings and questionable lifestyles.

For instance, MacBain Teresa stood before the American Atheists convention in March 2012 at Bethesda, Maryland and told the participants who were more than 1,500, “My name is Teresa, I’m a pastor currently serving a Methodist church… at least up to this point… I am an atheist”. Though, the church sacked Teresa but a great havoc had been done to the faith status of a lot of new converts under her ministration. Can you imagine the faithless actions of such ministers in the Christendom?

 
The Holy Spirit blew the trumpet of warning about this in 2Peter 2:1 ”But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction”. (NKJV)

Two major ways to Preach to Atheists

 
1. DON’T SENTENCE ATHEIST TO HELL

 
Since majority of the Atheists are educated, then the bible is not a strange Book. You do not need to quote the Bible to sentence the atheist to death. Their natural rebellious belief detests the commandments of God, so listing the do’s and don’ts in the Bible will only lead to hot argument.

 
You can use the natural environment as awareness to the handiwork of God, which proofs His existence as the Source of all resources including science. Kindly explain to atheists that the events and word of God in the Bible are real as supported by the Archaeological discovery which gives a consistent proof that records in the Bible really occurred.

 
2. LAY MORE EMPHASIS ON DISCIPLINE

 
One of the hottest arguments by atheists is that if God had been a loving God, He would not have created what is called hell. I patiently explained to them that God’s grace and love in their lives is immeasurable, but He does not compromise His Integrity. Hell was not originally created for human, but for the disobedient beings. Atheist love to do whatever they wish (either good or bad), and do not want to be held responsible.
True love does not encourage indiscipline, and that is the reason God led Jesus to come to this world to teach us the right way to live.

 

Our God is real, Jehovah is alive, heaven and hell is real. He had given me the privilege to see Him in visions. I proclaim by the authority of the Lord that He is real and powerful. His presence is awesome; the breath in heaven can be described as peaceful. When compared to our breath on earth, it is like squeezing heavy stones through the nose. It would be painful for all atheists to stand before the judgment throne of God before discovering that God truly exist, heaven and hell is not a joke.

 
I am not comfortable with this trend of atheism. Every Christian should remember that Jesus asked a question in the second part of Luke 18:8… ‘’Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Jesus told us to spread the gospel to the world. Let us stop restricting ourselves to the four walls of the church every Sunday, but to move out to preach the Good News to those that are sick in spirit so that atheism will not spread like a wild fire in our society.

EVERY IDLE WORD: THE POWER OF SPEECH

Posted by Apr 15, 2015 Holy Word, Word of Faith 52 Comments
EVERY IDLE WORD: THE POWER OF SPEECH

Idle words are common conversation in our society and I never had a deep thought about the implication of idle words until a few days ago when I read the book of Matthew chapter 12 verse 36 and 37 where Jesus says: “And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate, then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.”

Today’s message will enlighten you on the significance of idle words and how to avoid your tongue from setting you ablaze.

Idle words can be described as every careless, insincere or exaggerated talk; it is indeed an undisciplined speech. Ephesians 5:4 mentioned some categories of idle word as; obscene stories, foolish talk, jesting and coarse jokes which are not appropriate for children of God.

Most times, some motivational speakers and preachers are involved in idle talk by sharing untrue or exaggerated story in the form of jokes to make the listeners or congregate to laugh. Is idle talk a safer speech to make?

Effects of Idle words in Every Speech

 
1. Idle words can kill
I have experienced a scenario where a talkative exaggerated his careless and unprofitable speech on campus and this lead to a serious chaos in the midst of the students.

Idle words can lead to war and killings of innocent souls and that is the reason King Solomon says: “Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill…’’ (Proverbs 18:21).

Spiritual death is also inevitable for careless talkers.

2. Idle words bring disrespect
Speaking idle words to make people laugh or to stir up trouble will not earn the speaker an iota of respect. No one will trust you whenever they noticed you are a talkative that exaggerates or involves in careless speech.

Such people cannot be a good leader at home or in the society because scriptures refer to them as fools in the book of Proverbs chapter 17 verses 28; “Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent, when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.”

 3. Speaking Idle word opens gates of hell

God never designed our eternity in hell, but those who involve themselves in careless talk or jokes are at a big risk to lose heaven.

Apostle James explained the importance of taming your tongue and to speak productive words only. “and the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” (James chapter 3 verse 6. NLT)

How to Avoid Idle words in Your Speech

 
1. Be quick to listen, but slow to speak
Always think twice to discourage yourself from utterance of idle speech and it will yield positive impact to your wise audience. Reduce your speech frequency because talking too much attracts the intention of exaggeration. It is smart for you to devout your speech for spiritual benefits.

2. Discourage any form of idleness
Practice efficient time management of life to avoid boredom and you won’t become a talkative. Also occupy your mind with fruitful ideas that could help you and your audience. Reading the Bible, meditating the word of God and prayers are powerful steps that overcome idleness which can prevent you from making speech filled with idle words.

3. Submit your power of speech to the Holy Spirit
The character of someone filled with idle words shows that he is too confident in his ability to speak and their failure to accept the choice words from the Lord is the cause of their idle words. Those who speak idle words do not represent God in their speech just like the Pharisee.

To avoid condemnation on the judgment day it is important to train your sense of hearing to hear from the Spirit of the LORD in your heart before you speak.

Scriptures made us to understand that there is no condemnation for those who believe in Christ Jesus, but this declaration is only applicable to Christians who worship God with their whole heart and not with their lips alone.

How to Overcome Boredom

Posted by Apr 9, 2015 Holy Word, Word of Faith 2 Comments
How to Overcome Boredom

The first time I experienced boredom was during the long vacation of my second year in the University. I enjoyed the busy semester and the brilliant performance in the exams, but at the end I felt empty within me. It was after some days I jumped out of it through the power of the Lord, when I discovered that my boredom is an emotional signal telling me to set new goals on what to do and achieve during the vacation.

Boredom has its way with you when there is failure to use your time in a fulfilling way and it seems to be a mental problem; not knowing what to do with one’s life at the moment.

Boredom is like all other emotions; your brain interprets the passive moment you are as a signal sent to you by your subconscious mind to motivate you to do a particular action that will activate the passive mood.

Boredom can lead to feelings such as; emptiness, helplessness, loneliness, depression and even sadness. Can boredom be a permanent loser in your life? Yes! Since boredom originates from the inside, then a change in lifestyle is the powerful solution.

5 Powerful Ways Christians Can Overcome Boredom

1. Set Daily Goals for Your Life

People who sleep and wake to receive what the day has for them are victims of boredom. You will agree with me that God designed our mind to be an engine room for regular production of good output for ourselves and people around us.

One vital way to overcome boredom is to pick a pen and paper, jot the goals you intend to achieve for the day. The more goals you highlight the more resources you will need to meet them and the more you will find these resources around your vicinity and the events of accomplishing your goals will eradicate any feeling of getting bored.

2. Push your Eyes and Ears Forward

I had discovered the pills for healing boredom to be the cultivation of a lifestyle which has to do with reading the powerful word of God in the bible and listening to good gospel music.

I found out that reading and meditating the scriptures is refreshing and uplifts my state of mind a lot, while music which is the food for the soul is relaxing and rejuvenates my mind to improve my dull mood.

Reading Christian books or surfing the internet to read helpful articles just as you are doing now goes a long way to put an end to a boring life as well.

3. Visit a Friend

Boredom can just be a simple signal to tell you that it’s time to visit helpful friends to enjoy healthy exercises or helpful discussions that could uplift your soul in the way of the Lord.

Jesus did not experience a boring time because he used every available period for visitation from one place to another to spread the powerful Good News. You won’t regret the act of evangelism because it’s a win-win deal with the power of the Lord.

4. Change your Routine Work

Some people try to avoid boredom by turning to drugs, illicit sex and alcohol. But all they succeeded in doing is complicating their problems.

A boredom moment signifies that you need to change your present action at the moment, therefore the next step is to think of another powerful and dynamic way of achieving the same goal.

Repeating regular routine which in itself might not be that stimulating can be boring, you can change the sequences if possible.

Boredom is not a life threatening mood but it is a signal to get you busy doing some things useful for the help of your environment.

5. Post on Your Social Media Platforms

You can overcome boredom by sharing the revelation you discovered when you read and meditate on the word of God in the bible. Your online evangelism would bless many souls and your spirit as well will be lifted up for joy.

 

Boredom is not a sin but can be an opportunistic feeling that can lead to unwanted emotions, so you can overcome it by listening to good Christian music, reading the bible and meditating the word of God in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Sharing the gospel either online or offline is a great act that sends a signal of fulfilment to my heart, you can also enjoy the same too.

Is Courtship Necessary Before Marriage?

Posted by Apr 1, 2015 Holy Word, Youths Leave a Comment
Is Courtship Necessary Before Marriage?

Courtship is a kind of relationship between a mature man and woman who have reached marriageable age. The significance of courtship is for both partners to date each other (without sex) for a period, and decide whether they are suitable for marriage. 

The Bible and most cultures across the world support the act of courtship. There is no thumb rule for the period of courtship. But, it should be long enough for both partners to be convinced that they are ripe and compatible for marriage.

“For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts (Mal 2:16).

Courtship involves a great deal of discussion and proper planning between the partners. It is best done together in places with less distraction, but private places that could encourage fornication should be disallowed. 

3 Major Benefits of Courtship

1. Courtship Reveals More Information
A lot of marriages got crashed because there was lack of basic information to execute the success of the relationship.

Courtship will give you the opportunity to retrieve enough vital information you need to know about your prospective spouse. You can get this information through interaction with each other and investigation from close associates.

It is a good thing to know the history of the partner you intend to marry with respect to; the family background, health, finance and belief. If you get this information, then you would be able to decide marrying such person or not.

2. Courtship Builds Strong Friendship
There is more to marriage than the wedding ceremony. So, courtship gives room for intimacy of both partners. And, it is also a period that builds the foundation of a strong friendship.

It will be a difficult task for a marriage that has a firm foundation on friendship to break away. Many marriages break apart because some wives do not have a sense of belonging in their matrimonial home.

3. Courtship Strengthens Marriage
Courtship preserves your body and emotional feelings for the person you intend to marry. Thus, your marriage will be built on a stronger foundation when compared to someone who messed up in premarital sex.

The chances of getting a divorce will be reduced, because both couples understand the ‘price’ they paid for their unity during the courtship through abstinence. Such abstinence goes a long way to build a strong trust in the heart of both couples.

It is obvious that the act of courtship before marriage is unpopular in our generation which is the major cause of high rate of divorce in our midst when compared to the past. I strongly recommend to Christians to do a transparent courtship before marriage.