Can God Give me a Second Chance?

Can God Give me a Second Chance?

God always designs an opportunity for every human being to enjoy restoration, which is referred to as a second chance. I remembered the story of a Christian woman who lost her virginity three months to her wedding day. She committed fornication with the man she intend to marry.

After two months of the regrettable act, she got pregnant. Since, the marriage counseling committee of the church must not discover the atrocity, she aborted the innocent baby.

She committed the murder to escape the sanction of the church’s disciplinary committee. On her wedding day, everyone around her were happy and they rejoice with her, but she was bitter in the deepest part of heart.

She was depressed for many years, because she felt God was greatly disappointed by her ungodly actions. The Christian woman backslides from God’s presence and thought she cannot get a second chance.

Devil had made a lot of Christians who found themselves in a mess to believe that God cannot give them a second chance. People suffering from depression or suicide attempt can only be healed if they believe in the power and grace of the second chance from God.

Isaiah chapter 1 verses 18 says: “Come now, and let us reason together, “ Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”

The Lord revealed Himself to me in my sleep on the 5th of August 2003 and He said: “Preach to the people! I will forgive the sin(s) of anyone who is ready to do my perfect will”. This message from the Lord shows that He will give you a second chance, if you repent genuinely from your sins.

When you invite God into your life, and you give your ‘sense of decision-making’ to Him, then your second chance shall be sustained. John chapter 14 and verse 23 says: “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

Requirements for the Grant of a Second Chance

1. Forgive yourself!
I had come across some Christians who find it difficult to forgive themselves after committing sins. You cannot enjoy the second chance of God if you don’t forgive yourself for any wrong you must have committed. Do not lose hope!

Christian race on earth is rough and tough, only the tough can win the race. The book of Matthew chapter 7 verses 14 says: “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
If you find it difficult to forgive yourself, then you won’t know when God has forgiven your sins for a second chance of restoration.

2. Make a list
Identify all the causes that made you find yourself in such a mess, and be determined not to repeat the same process when God gives you the second chance.

3. Live in the Spirit
You must be ready to allow God control every action of your life. Your ability is not enough to make you free from committing sins, but you need the divine power of God to enjoy your second chance. Paul advised in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 16; “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

How to Know the Availability of a Second Chance

When you self-realized your sins and your heart is sober for repentance, then pray to God for forgiveness and a second chance. The Lord will test your heart to confirm your sincerity, and your second chance shall be made available once you pass His test.

King David was one of the great men in the Bible who passed the test and he enjoyed the second chance from the Lord. Psalm 17 verse 3 says: “You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.”

The physical proof to show the availability of your second chance is the presence of life in your body. A dead person has no second chance to enjoy anymore.

Is God’s Second Chance a Surplus?

It is a dangerous risk to take the second chance from God for granted with the intention to ask for more opportunities. Our God is a loving Father, but He is not a wasteful Being. No one can fool Him!

Romans chapter 6 verse 1 and 2 says: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!…”

If you allow the Holy Spirit to control your lifestyle, then you won’t cry to God every day for a second chance. You cannot continue to delight in sinful actions, and expect God to give you a basket-full of second chances.

Listen to what Jesus told a sick man who was given a second chance: “…See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you…” (John 5:7-14) Jesus gave us the understanding that a second chance is the grace from God for a consistent relationship with Him.

The 3 major ways to sustain God’s second chance

1. Acknowledge His grace, and surrender your power of choice to the Holy Spirit.

2. Adopt regular prayerful lifestyle, and obey the word of God in the Bible with all your heart.

3. Love God more than anyone or anything in this world, and your second chance will not lead to second failure.

Angry: How to Control Anger

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

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!!

Tattoo: God’s View to Tattoo on Your Body

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.

How your power of Choice Can Restrain God’s Power!

How your power of Choice Can Restrain God’s Power!

The power of God is so great and no one can quantify the size. When God created us in His own image, He gave us the power of choice.
The first assignment of Adam was naming the animals created by God through the use of his power of choice, as stated in Genesis chapter 1 verse 19 and 20, “Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field…” (NKJV)

 

Have you ever asked yourself why the omnipresent God did not stop Eve from eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden? The simple answer is that God respected the power of choice made by Eve. Genesis chapter 3 verses 6 says, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate…”

 

God gave us the power of choice so that we can have the liberty to take helpful decisions in life. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve abused the power of choice through disobedience to God’s instruction, but thanks to Jesus who devoted His power of choice to save us from eternal condemnation.
He says in the book of John chapter 10 verses 18, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

 

I discovered that God respects my choice so much, and He cannot compel me to obey His instructions in the Bible. The glorious life I enjoy today starts from the moment I turned away from worldliness, and I devoted my power of choice to obey the word of God in the Bible every day.

The power of God cannot stop you from taking any decision in life, but the reason for the instructions in the Bible is to prevent you from abusing the power of choice.
God made it clear that we must live a sinless life for us to gain heaven. Paul says, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”  (Romans 14:17). So the atheists have to think twice…

 

God gave us the power to make good choice, but people chose various categories of religion such as; Christianity, Judaism, Muslim, Satanism, Buddhism, Atheism, and so on.
The only way to heaven is through Lord Jesus. He says in the book of John chapter 14 verses 6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

 

It is impossible for the power of God to take a sinner who chose to live a sinful life to heaven.
Your power of choice is significant for your success in life.

Three Benefits of God’s Power

• The Power of God had brought salvation and grace to the world, but it is the power of your choice that will determine the acceptance of the Good News into your life.
• The Power of God had created the beautiful and peaceful mansions in heaven for all the interested human beings who devote their power and strength to obey God’s commandment. Jesus says: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
• The Power of God is available to defeat Satan and to solve any problem in this world, but you cannot enjoy this Power of God’s salvation if your power of choice is devoted to worldliness.
God will never abuse His mighty Power, so you must take the wise step which involves devoting your power of choice to obey God’s word in the Bible daily. If your power of choice is aligned with God’s Power, then you will be victorious on earth and enjoy eternity in heaven.