Angry: How to Control Anger

Posted by Aug 24, 2015 Family, Holy Word, Podcast, Word of Faith 14 Comments
Angry: How to Control Anger

God created anger as one of the emotions in us for positive usage. Unfortunately, a lot of people get angry always, because they could not control their anger. I heard a true life story of a couple in Nigeria few weeks before the March presidential election. The husband supported the ruling party while the wife was a supporter of the major opposition party. After a hot political argument between the couple, the wife was angry and she went to the kitchen for one of her sharp knives. She stabbed her husband to death. The wife committed this murderous act because she allowed anger to control her sense of judgment.
Anger is like a two sided coin. There are two dimensions to anger which I called; holy anger and unholy anger.

Is Holy Anger a Sin?

Holy anger is a harmless emotional expression which is meant to correct wrong situation. For instance, a judge got angry to a thief and sentenced him to six months imprisonment for rehabilitation. The holy anger of the judge is to help the thief to change from his bad lifestyle to a good one.
The expression of your holy anger is acceptable by God when you act against unholy circumstances. Jesus got angry when He discovered that the temple of God had been rented to some business men for trading. Every action He took when he was angry was meant to restore the primary purpose of the temple.

Luke chapter 19 verse 45 to 47 says: “Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” And He was teaching daily in the temple…”
You are not a sinner when you get angry to a wrong situation. But make sure your holy anger contributes to the positive change of the improper circumstances. Holy anger is not a regular character of God, but He gets angry when disobedient people compromise the laid down rules of living a good life.

The book of Judges chapter 2 verses 20 to 22 says: “Then the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice, “I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, “so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.”
Few Pastors preach on the altar with holy anger, because they dislike the choice of people who act against the will of God in the Bible. For instance, I recently watched Pastor John Hagee on the television, and I was impressed with the way he preached with holy anger against homosexual. Same-sex marriage was recently legalized by the supreme court of the United States. Holy anger is always expressed with love, but unholy anger is disastrous!

How Disastrous is Unholy Anger?

Unholy anger is a destructive emotion with unproductive outcomes. Sometimes it emanates from a heart filled with jealousy. Unholy anger is impatient and has no solution to offer…
Unholy anger in our society had caused unpleasant crises such as:
 • Divorce
• Drug abuse
• Domestic violence
• Division in some churches
• Death as a result of racism and non-racism issues.
You have to be careful with the way you react to any unpleasant issue that comes your way. For instance, the first murderer in the Bible, Cain, found himself in the mess because of his unholy anger to Abel whose offering was respected by the Lord. “…And Cain was very angry,…Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him…” (Genesis 4:3-12)
Anger in its broad sense is not a comfortable mood for you, so the following steps will help you control anger:
1. Always forgive the offender
2. Express yourself in Agape love
3. Pray for the initiator of the anger
4. In case of cheat; do not revenge but let God be the Judge
5. Always allow the Holy Spirit in you to control your actions when you are angry.

5 Unique Ways to Hear from God

Posted by Aug 15, 2015 Gospel Evangelism, Holy Word, Podcast, Word of Faith 3 Comments
5 Unique Ways to Hear from God

To hear from God is a critical issue that had always disturbs the heart of a lot of Christians. When Jesus Christ was preached to me as the only One who has the master-key to open all the closed doors of my life, I was eager to meet Him for a serious discussion. I asked myself: “how can I communicate to God and hear His response?”  You might be going through a similar experience, but when you read this article, I’m sure you will hear from God.

1. Hear from God through your Mind

God speaks to our mind, but we don’t hear Him. Simply because our thoughtful desires are more audible than His small still voice. He can speak to your mind anytime and anywhere, but you can only hear from God if your mind had been transformed from the thoughts of worldliness to holiness.

Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and 2 says: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 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.”
If you practice the habit of frequent prayers and awesome worship to the Lord in your mind, then you will hear His response to whatever you ask from Him. God loves to be in a regular communication with genuine Christians.
My Christian life in God had been so awesome through His steady communication to my mind. Whenever I hear from God in my mind, it sounds like a fast typist typing on the keyboard of a computer. His speech to me through my mind has a high-speed. The speed of my brain to plan thoughtful expressions can never be compared to the speed of God’s voice in my mind.

The easiest way to differentiate the voice of God from that of Devil is to test the message with the word of God in the Bible. If there is no misconception of the scriptures, then the voice of Devil will always fail the test.

2. Hear from God through Vision

You do not need any special eyes or ears to hear from God through visions. Vision is a medium of communication which involves display of pictorial images or active conversation in another realm different from the earth. The unique experience in vision is the conscious mode of your body, unlike the dream realm.

God conveys a lot of prophetic messages to me through visions. And none of the visions had failed the Bible test. For instance, I was on my bed on the 8th of May 2003 (am not fast asleep because my mind is conscious of my environment) and in the vision I saw a huge Being sitting on a chair. I had the understanding in the vision that He is my Master. I sat on a chair in front of Him, and He opened the Bible in His Hands to Galatians chapter 6:15&16, He told me to read it, which I did. Then He said: ‘’Preach to the people, only those practicing holiness will I take to heaven’’. When the vision came to an end, I opened my eyes and I was amazed that I heard God speak to me!

The tendency to hear from God through visions involves genuine repentance from sinful lifestyle. When you give your life to Christ, His Spirit will come upon you and it will become possible for you to see visions. The book of Act chapter 2 and verses 17 says: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.”

3. Hear from God through Dream

God uses this medium to communicate to a lot of us who always experience a busy day. You can hear from God through your dreams (unconscious sleeping mode). Some dreams requires interpretations unlike vision which has a direct meaning. Don’t be confused when you hear from God through dreams, He will explain the meaning of the dream to you in your prayers to Him.

When I was in the University, I always pray to God to glorify my hard work and sometimes He responded to my prayers by revealing some course topics to me in the dream. Surprisingly, all He revealed to me in the dream were part of the exam questions. Am sure God will not show such dream to a lazy student who does not pray and read his book…

4. God Speaks through the Word in the Bible

The easiest way I had discovered that God can speak to you without any confusion or wrong interpretation is through His word in the Bible. If you want to hear from God, then read the Bible regularly with a humble mind.

To hear from God, you must be ready to obey all His instructions in the Bible. You will agree with me that only an obedient child can receive the full attention of his father when the need arises. Thus, your obedience to the word of God in the Bible is a sign that you will surely hear from God. Jesus says: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4)

5. Your Neighbor can be God’s Mouth-Piece

I do not argue about the gift of prophesy, but run away from the false prophets who prophesy because of the money/gift they intend to get from you. God made the Israelite to hear from Him through prophet Isaiah, Ezekiel and Jeremiah. So, you can also hear from God through genuine Christians in your neighborhood or on the media.

You don’t need to jump from one pastor to another before you hear from God. The Lord will direct the right person to you, or He can make you stumble on the right solution-providing article on the internet. Every message from the Lord through your neighbor will never contradict the scriptures.
It is essential to hear from God for a cordial relationship with Him. God is not limited to these five major ways of communication, but you cannot be deaf to His voice when you read and obey the word of God in the Bible daily. Your reformed mind and prayerful lifestyle are essential prerequisites of a good chat with the Lord!!

Wine; Is it Wise for Christians to Drink Alcohol?

Posted by Aug 5, 2015 Holy Word, Podcast, Youths , 3 Comments
Wine; Is it Wise for Christians to Drink Alcohol?

Alcohol is mainly derived from the fermentation of grains and fruits. The ancient discovery of alcohol was mainly used for social enjoyment and medical purposes.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually, making it the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
If the accumulative in-take of alcohol is harmful to me, then I need someone to fill my tummy with water!
Noah was the first wine-brewer in the Bible after the flood, but the social enjoyment he derived from the alcohol made him lose his right senses. He threw himself naked and made a wrong judgment by pronouncing curse on Canaan instead of Ham. (Genesis 9:20-25).
It is quite easy for people drinking alcohol to take more than the reasonable quantity, which eventually leads to drunkenness.

King Solomon who had an unpleasant experience related to alcoholism advised in the book of Proverbs chapter 23 and verse 29 to 33: ‘’Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things.’’
It is not a sin to take drugs with alcoholic content for healing purposes, because it is impossible to get drunk with such doses prescribed by the doctor.
There are references in the Old and New Testament to show that alcohol in wine can be used for medicinal purposes. Ziba gave a bottle of wine to King David for the purpose of healing the sick. You’ll discover this in the book of 2Samuel chapter 16 and verses 2 “…So Ziba said, ’’The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.’’

 

Paul advised Timothy to take little wine for his stomach infirmity in 1Timothy chapter 5 and verse 23, ‘’ No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.’’
I always feel sad when some drunkards in the church quote Paul’s statement to Timothy as a justification for their drunkenness. Paul had never advised anyone to take wine for enjoyment.

Paul advised Christians to stay away from drinking alcohol. Ephesians chapter 5, verse 18 and 19 says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.’’

The abuse of alcohol in our generation is heartbreaking! During the days of the Israelite, God did not condemn the intake of alcohol until He noticed the abuse by the people. And He gave an instruction to the priests not to drink alcohol anymore, to prevent them from messing up the altar.

Leviticus chapter 10 and verse 9 says: “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, or your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean.’’
If your heart is the altar of the Lord, then it is wise to avoid alcohol that could separate your soul from God’s presence.

After the miracle that took place in Cana of Galilee, Jesus also noticed that the abuse of alcohol by people will make them lose heaven. He also warned everyone to stay away from drinking alcohol to avoid drunkenness. Luke chapter 21 and verse 34 says, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day (of judgment) come on you unexpectedly.’’

God dislikes the act of drunkenness. Since, there is more than 90% chance of getting drunk at the bar, it is wise for Christians to abstain from drinking alcohol to avoid the sin of drunkenness.
Many years ago, I drink ‘responsibly’, but there were some occasions I got drunk. I don’t feel bad, because I thought am not a regular drunkard. If rapture had occurred, or I got struck by a car accident to the point of death, my last action on earth at that moment would have been recorded in heaven as drunkenness. I repent from drinking alcohol when I noticed the spiritual separation it caused between me and God.

The effects of drinking alcohol to our physical and mental status are enormous. Alcohol is a depressant drug, which slows down the functions of the brain. Some other side-effects of drinking alcohol include:

• Memory problems,
• Slurred speech,
• Violent character,
• Suicide,
• Breathing difficulties
• And various forms of accidents such as auto crash.

It’s wise for Christians to stay away from alcohol than to take the risk which leads to spiritual and mental problems attributed to drunkenness.

5 Ways to Save your Marriage from Crashing

Posted by Jul 26, 2015 Family, Holy Word, Podcast 1 Comment
5 Ways to Save your Marriage from Crashing

God designed marriage as a perfect plan to overcome the burden of loneliness in man. Genesis chapter 2 verse 24 says, ‘’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.’’
It’s no more news that there has been a high rate of marriage crashing in our generation. God is not pleased with this trend, because He hates divorce. Malachi chapter 2 verses 16 says, ‘’ For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously’’.
Marriage involves the use of some spiritual skills to prevent it from crashing;

1. Maintain the Family Prayer Time

Do not allow the rush of the morning, or the tiredness of the night to snatch the family prayer time from you. I had tried this method and it has been a good medium of solving marital conflicts. When I had misunderstanding with my wife, I always find it difficult to sleep over it, because the two of us respect the family prayer time before going to bed. Thus, we humbly solve our differences before the Lord so that our prayers will be answered.

In the book of Matthew chapter 5 verse 23 and 24, Jesus says: ‘’ Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.’’

Prayers with your spouse in the morning and at night release an unbreakable supernatural bond to your marriage.

2. Sharing the Word of God

I asked a couple who were so hot to crash their marriage if they read the Bible together every day. I was shocked to discover that none of the couple reads Bible except on Sunday service.
If the government is taking away Bible from the public places, then it is disastrous for couples to hide theirs in the private home. The word of God is powerful and highly significant to the unity of a marriage. When you have a contrary opinion to a decision your spouse intend to take, do not organize a hot debate center in your living room. The best action is to argue with respect to God’s word, pick your Bible and read through related passages. If your spouse’s decision is on God’s side, then give your consent.
Otherwise, tell your spouse with a respectful voice that such decision is against God’s will. Sharing the word of God together with your spouse gives a greater chance of common reasoning which will reduce hot argument drastically.

3. Doing Things Together

A Christian marriage understands that both the husband and wife is helper to each other. Doing domestic work together such as; laundry, painting, cooking and cleaning are all filled with fun.

Doing things together establishes a mutual understanding between you and your spouse, and it discourages conflicts. A lot of couples carelessly find it easy to crash their marriage, because they do things alone. But in a condition where both couples do things together, to break-up will be a hard nut to crack.

4. Learn to Say ‘Sorry’

Some marriages stand the risk of crashing when the spouse at fault in a particular matter could not say ‘sorry my love’. Apologizing for doing something wrong rekindles the light of love in the marriage.

5. Don’t Make Jest of your Spouse

Some spouse thought it is all about fun when they expose their spouse’s error in the public. It does more harm than good. For instance, a woman at a wedding party yelled at her husband to button his sleeve, everyone around him laughed at his improper dressing but deep in his heart it was a public embarrassment.

It is the responsibility of both the husband and wife to give their hearts to God. Every marriage controlled by God cannot crash. So, keep your marriage intact by drawing close to God…

Tattoo: God’s View to Tattoo on Your Body

Posted by Jul 16, 2015 Family, Holy Word, Podcast, Word of Faith, Youths , , 1 Comment
Tattoo: God’s View to Tattoo on Your Body

The oldest discovery of tattoo on human skin was found on the upper lip of a Chinchorro culture mummy from South America, dating to about 6,000BC, while the oldest direct evidence of tattoo in Europe is the body of Otzi the iceman, dating from the late 4,000BC.

Tattoo had been an ancient practice for different purposes across the world. For instance, the Greeks and Romans used tattoo as punishment and identification of slaves and criminals. While in some part of the world, tattoo is an idolatry practice to show solidarity to idols.

Presently, tattoo is referred to as fashion in the western civilization. One in every five adult in the United States has at least one tattoo on their skin, and women have the highest figure according to the results of The Harris Poll. It is unfortunate that most of the film artists, musicians and sport men are promoting tattoo through the media.

 

Is Tattoo Acceptable for Christians?

Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and 2 says: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 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.’’ This passage always struck my heart when I ponder on controversial topics such as this.

As a child of God, your body is designed for God, and not to the fashions of the world. The teachings of God were different from the culture of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites who lived on the promise land, so He warned the Israelites to destroy them and never to follow their customs. Deuteronomy chapter 7 says: “…and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them’’.

Piercing, cutting and tattoo on the skin were popular practices in the midst of the heathen to worship their idols and to pacify the infernal deities they dreamt of, and to make them propitious to their deceased friends. God gave the strong warning, because He does not want the Israelite to receive the image and superscription of the dunghill deities.

Four reasons for Christians to Stay Away From Tattoo

1. God is the sole creator of your body, so any tattoo that could change the natural appearance of your skin is not acceptable by Him. God does not want you to idolize your skin, because He is a jealous God. Deuteronomy chapter 4 verses 24 say: “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God’’.
2. Bleeding of the skin: The tattoo artist uses a machine with the attachment of needles piercing the skin repeatedly. Every puncture of the needles inserts tiny ink droplets and this process causes bleeding and pains to the body.
3. There is the high risk of viral infections such as HIV and hepatitis through the use of the needles.
4. There is no scriptural reference that supports the practice of tattoo.
Tattoo might look like an attractive fashion, but not all what looks good is beneficial to the body. Christians must be careful not to be carried away by the lustful desire of tattoo which has no spiritual benefit. Paul knew what your body can push you to do, but He warned in Romans chapter 6 verses 12, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts’’.
I belief tattoo was not mentioned in the New Testament, because it was not a threat to the faith of the early Christians. I discovered the view of God on tattoo when He was teaching the Israelite how to live an acceptable life. Leviticus chapter 19 verses 28 say, “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD’’.
Tattoo is becoming popular, and you must not be deceived by the false preachers who support the wrong fashion. God cares for your skin so much. I consider the use of tattoo as an abuse to the body created by God.
The inks of tattoo change the natural appearance of the skin created by God. If we surrender our body to God as a genuine Christian, then you will agree with me that tattoo is completely unnecessary in the Christendom.