Category Archives: Word of Faith

How to be Free from Sin

Posted by May 22, 2015 Holy Word, Podcast, Word of Faith 2 Comments
How to be Free from Sin

To be free from sin goes beyond putting on a tag with an inscription “I am a Christian”. It involves a strong focus into the cleansing power of our Lord Jesus Christ. I remembered the story of Jane, who put on a beautiful white cloth to a birthday party. A few minutes after his arrival, he noticed some stains at the two arms of his shirt.

So, he rushed home to wear another clean white cloth. When everyone stood up for the opening prayer, Jerry his friend behind him whispered: ’Jane your cloth at the back view is badly stained’. He rushed home to change the stained cloth again, and he was wondering if it was impossible to wear a white cloth to a birthday party. At the third time, the old man sitting beside his chair warned him that if he decides not to clean the dusty chair, then he cannot be free from stains…

As long as people choose not to clean their mind with the word of God, wrongful thoughts will stain the right sense of thinking and action, thus, finding it difficult to be free from sin.
Sin is any wrong action against God’s desire for our lives, and the love of God for us made Him to send Jesus Christ to redeem us from the bondage of sin. Hebrew chapter 9 verse 28 says, “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation”. (NKJV)
A woman with a hopeless look came to me and asked: ’Why do I find it difficult to be free from sin?’ I looked straight into her eyes and said: ‘’ Millions of people are asking the same question, but the answers are not far fetching…’’

1. Readiness to Surrender your Trinity

Your trinity comprises of the body, soul and spirit. The power to make you free from sin is available in our Lord Jesus Christ, but you won’t live a sinless life if you surrender 99% of your trinity to Jesus.

The Pharisees should have been a good follower of Jesus, but they prefer to give only their body to God and appear as saints. Their spirits and souls are mainly controlled by things of the world. Jesus made a comment about the Pharisees in the book of Matthew chapter 23, verse 25 and 26, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. “Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. (NKJV)

If you invite Jesus to come, then give Him the complete access to control all the aspect of your life. For instance, you cannot take part in spiritual gathering for prayers in the church and later join the physical gathering of the drunkards at the bar.
For you to enjoy the freedom from sin, you must draw a red line between your godly lifestyle and worldliness.

Please do not be deceived by false preachers who claim that the salvation of Jesus gives you freedom to do anything in the world. Second Peter chapter 2 and verse 1 says, “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”.

2. Readiness to Obey God’s Word

I felt uneasy with the misconception of (Paul’s statement by people who are not ready to obey God’s word) Galatians chapter 2 and verse 16 which says, “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified..”

When Paul said we are no more under the law, he was making references to ceremonial and sacrificial laws of the Old Testament which Jesus had come to fulfill. Paul had never taught anyone to disobey the Word of God.

In fact, if you carefully study the book of Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7, you will discover that the instructions of Jesus are filled with higher expectation from us than the laws of Old Testament. When you give your life to Jesus, your behavior and lifestyle must be the same with His instructions recorded in the New Testament of the Bible. Romans chapter 8 and verse 2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death”.

To be free from sin, you must be ready to do what is right. And the only source of righteousness is Jesus. As soon as you practice the word of God, the Lord Jesus will fill you with divine strength, because you cannot be free from sin by your own power. The book of 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”.

The availability of God’s grace does not give us the license to disobey God’s word. As a matter of fact, to be free from sin involves living a lifestyle that is controlled by the righteous Word of God. Romans chapter 12, verses 1 & 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”. (NKJV)

3. Upload Every Temptation to the Database of Holy Spirit

The permanent solution for you to be free from sin is to avoid taking actions without the consent of the Holy Spirit. Sin is as a result of given ones consent to temptation. Christians can be free from sin, but can never be free from temptation. If our holy Lord Jesus Christ can be tempted by Satan, then we should not be afraid to defeat temptation.

Paul says in first Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it”.

Temptation comes in an attractive way to our mind in the form of brilliant thoughts or it may seem to be a good counsel from a close friend. Jesus Christ was free from sin by responding to the temptations of the devil with the word of God embedded in His mind by the Spirit of God.
So, when you hear from the Holy Spirit through the word of God before reacting to any issue (or taking any action) in life, you will be free from sin. Romans chapter 6 and verse 22 cap it up this way, “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life”. (NKJV)

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.

5 Ways to Overcome Unholy Fear

Posted by Mar 25, 2015 Holy Word, Podcast, Word of Faith Leave a Comment
5 Ways to Overcome Unholy Fear

To overcome unholy fear related to the enemies or unwanted circumstances is a major concern for every Christian. Unholy fear becomes an affliction to us after the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.

Paul stated that God has not given us the spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline. (Second Timothy chapter 1 and verse 7)

Unholy fear comes from the devil and you get afflicted when the evil voice speaks discouraging words to your mind . Today’s message would reveal some powerful steps that would help you overcome unholy fear.

5 Bold Steps to Overcome Unholy Fear

1. Have the Consciousness that God is Beside You

Unholy fear makes you feel that the distance between you and the LORD is so wide such that the surrounding fear might capture you before His arrival. Don’t worry! The powerful LORD is Omnipresent, He is present everywhere at the same time.

So, set your mind to be conscious of GOD’s presence and you will surely receive the boldness and peace that overcome unholy fear. Always call the name of Jesus Christ because He is the Prince of Peace.

King David in one of his confession said: “Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me’’. (Psalm 23:4)

2. Praise the Lord Always

You can overcome unholy fear if you always praise the LORD from the deepest part of your heart. Many years ago I don’t open my mouth to sing praises to the LORD except during the Sunday services, and I was always tormented by unholy fear.

Love for inspirational gospel music was a turning point in my life. My songs of praises and worship to the LORD become a powerful weapon that defeats all forms of terrible fear!

King Jehoshaphat also used the power of praises to defeat the fear and war initiated by the armies of the Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chronicles chapter 20).
3. Address Intense Prayers

Pray with a faithful heart to the LORD and you would overcome unholy fear. The zeal to pray might be difficult when your heart is filled with worry and fear, but prayer is confirmed as one of the powerful weapon of deliverance.

King David went through a tough experience including threat from his enemies, but most of his prayers recorded in the book of Psalms shows that he was able to overcome unholy fear through intense prayers to the LORD.

When fear stares at you, don’t be scared about the shame it brings, but open your heart and pray to the LORD to change the unwanted circumstance to a favourable one.

For instance, the LORD melt the unholy fear of the three faithful Hebrews who were thrown into the furnace of fire because He went ahead of them into the fire and changed the hot furnace to an air-conditioned room for their comfort (Daniel chapter 3).
4. Be Patient to Listen to God’s Response

When the Lord listens to your prayers, you must be calm to listen to His response. The LORD says: “But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.’’ (Proverbs 1:33)

Reading the scriptures when unholy fear knocks at the door of your heart will not only bolt the door stronger, but also chase the spirit of fear away from you.

The promises of the Lord for you in the Bible as a child of God are enough to be proclaimed for overcoming unholy fear in your life.

5. Exhibit Perfect Love

Loving God with all your heart and strength is a vital lifestyle to overcome unholy fear.

To love God means;

a. Doing His Will everyday by living a life of holiness.

b. Trust His power of salvation and

c. Respect the grace that comes through Jesus Christ.

If you guide your heart with the love of God, the spirit of fear will not be able to torment you. I got the understanding of the scriptures that God is love, and all who live in love live in God. Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear.

If you obey these 5 steps I am sure you would have a great testimony to share.