Category Archives: Youths

Worry: 5 Ways to Control Anxiety

Posted by Feb 8, 2016 Family, Holy Word, Word of Faith, Youths , Leave a Comment
Worry: 5 Ways to Control Anxiety

Worry signifies a troubled mind which leads to mental uneasiness called anxiety. Worry might be harmless when you have the power to solve the situation. But, it becomes harmful when the condition is not under your control.

 

Researchers at the University of Queensland conducted surveys across 91 countries in the world. More than 480,000 people were involved and the outcome showed that globally, 1 in 13 suffers from anxiety. Worry hooks you through your thinking faculty, when you encounter issues of life that has no instant solutions.

 

I subjected myself to worries some years ago, but I was shocked that all my days of worry could not provide solutions to my hard times. Thus, worry has no power to solve issues of life, it could only add to the troubles.

 

What Can Worry Do?

Worry pretends to be important but serves no useful purpose. Worry can cause:

Mental disorder

Physical health problems

Family crisis

Emotional imbalance

Loss of concentration

Unattractive look

Addictions such as; drunkenness, overeating, smoking, gambling and drugs.

Worry was not a strange topic to Jesus, so He took His time to explain anxiety in Matthew chapter 6 verse 25 to 34. Verse 27 says: “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?”

How to Stop the Pressure of Worry

Thus, if you are engulfed into worries, the steps below are your escape route to freedom.

1. Push your Worry into the Word of God

Fix your mind to the Word of God when you have any difficult issues bothering your mind. For instance, if you are going through hard times of insufficient funds, then meditate on the Word of God. 

Matthew chapter 6 verse 28 to 30: “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

Have faith in the Word of God, and He will help you solve the difficult problems in your life.

2. Soak your Worries into Prayers

It is a deadly act to fold yourself on a sofa, thinking and giving yourself to anxiety. Jesus encountered a lot of circumstances on earth, but He never sat down to worry. He went to private places to pray every night. Luke chapter 6 and verse 12 says: “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”

 

Issues of life beyond your control can only be resolved by divine intervention of God. So, have faith in God, and the power of your prayers to God will melt your worry. Philippians chapter 4 verse 6 and 7 say: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

 

3. Live Your Life to Each Day

The Lord promised to give us long life. But, a good way to overcome worry is to take each day for its own attention. A lot of us worry about the future which we are not sure of its existence. Jesus said that no amount of worry about your future can increase your days (Matthew 6:27). Most of the things you worry about never happen!

 

Thus, take life so simple. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too much wishes of life. Always appreciate your hardworking but don’t forget that only God can do all things. The advice of Jesus in Matthew chapter 6 verse 34 shows that you should not bring tomorrow’s challenges to today’s troubles, else you won’t be able to cope with issues of life.

Worry does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, but it only steals today’s peace. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34)

4. Count Your Blessings

It is mysterious to know that no one on earth goes through the toughest problem. For instance, your own main worry (with a sleepless night) might be the smallest part of another person’s worries. Stop worrying about what can go wrong in the next minute and get excited about what can go right by faith.

 

Thus, don’t allow worry to depress your life. Always give thanks to God for the good things in your life. And your heart of appreciation to God will encourage Him to solve other pressing issues of your life. Did you know that singing songs of praise in the midst of trouble was the action that liberated King David (the Psalmist) in the Bible?

5. Expose Every Endless Worry

Worry steals your joy and waste your precious time and resources. When you’ve done all the best to stop the endless worry in your life, then share your worry with a faithful servant of God. He will be in the best position to dissect your worries through the wisdom of God.  The counsel of genuine man of God will also ease your heart from anxiety. It worked for me!

 

I pray the Good LORD would heal your heart and all your worries would fly away in Jesus name. Let your faith in Jesus Christ be firm in the midst of your challenges and the LORD would surely make a way for you. Stay Calm in Christ. 

How good is Abortion for Christians?

Posted by Jan 24, 2016 Holy Word, Family, Podcast, Youths , 1 Comment
How good is Abortion for Christians?

Induced abortion is a deliberate termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus resulting to death. 

I was interested in this topic when I stumbled on the statistical figures below:
In 2014, Planned Parenthood wasted the lives of 327,653 babies in the United States. And most women that engaged in the abortion claimed to be Christians. Protestant and catholic women got 42% and 27%. About 18% of all induced evacuation of fetus in the United States each year are performed on teenagers.

According to World Health Organization, every year in the world there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions. This corresponds to approximately 125,000 abortions per day.

 

Why is Induced Evacuation Becoming Popular?

• Some couples chose abortion when the birth control technique fails them.
• The unmarried woman will not want her parents and Pastor to know that she’s no more a virgin.
• Women engage in abortion because giving birth to the baby will interfere with their job, school or other responsibilities.
• Some women embrace induced evacuation of fetus with the excuse of poverty.
• Some Doctors encourage women suffering from health complication to opt for the act.

Abortion had been legalized in many countries and a lot of people are pleased with this man-made law.

God’s View on Abortion

When God created Adam and Eve, He proclaimed an automation of mass reproduction to their sperms and eggs respectively. When the sperm fuses the egg, fertilization takes place and new person is formed.

Genesis chapter 1 verses 27 and 28 say: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…”

God formulated sex for married couples only. So, He did not expect any unmarried woman to solve any problem through abortion.
Don’t allow some medical experts to deceive you that an 8 weeks fetus is not a living being. All medical scientists knew that once fertilization takes place, a living being is formed. If you abort any pregnancy, then it implies murdering the innocent life in your womb.

God does not support the act of induced abortion. Revelation chapter 21 verses 8 says: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death”.

 

How to avoid UNWANTED PREGNANCY

There is no verse in the Bible that supports induced abortion. Thus, Christians seeking the kingdom of God must not obey the man-made law that supports such.
1. Married couples tired of child birth should avoid mating that could lead to fertilization.
2. Single women to stay away from fornication.
3. Women that give priority to other things at the cost of child bearing should ‘zip-up’.

Evacuation could only take place if the fetus lost his/her life in the womb due to the poor health of the womb or the mother.

Induced abortion in the early weeks of pregnancy is regarded as a harmless practice by some doctors. But God did not approve the deliberate act of evacuating the unborn.
Anyone that says abortion is right should imagine him/herself aborted!!

Love of God and its Counterfeit

Posted by Nov 15, 2015 Holy Word, Church, Gospel Evangelism, Youths Leave a Comment
Love of God and its Counterfeit

Love of God is the basis for our salvation from eternal punishment. But it is painful that some preachers monetised the Gospel to present a counterfeit love of God to people. You don’t have to pay a single cent to enjoy the love of God….

 
The love of God is available for sinners to repent from their evil lifestyles. And it is also available for the believers to sustain their fellowship in Jesus Christ. God is love and it is dangerous to take the love of God for granted?

 
My concern is that the love of God suffers abuse by a lot of ‘lazy Christians’ who find it stressful to study their Bibles. Their careless lifestyles confuse many new converts that join the church.

Beware of preachers who tells you that anything goes in the presence of God’s love. How could genuine Pastors preach to you that the love of God permits you to do ‘anything’ you like?

 
For instance, one of the top five most influential Pastors in America preached a “Brand New” sermon series in February this year. Andy says that it doesn’t matter what the congregation believe as long as they love.

 

He claimed not to water down the love of God, but his explanation does not guide the listeners to holy lifestyle in Jesus Christ. Andy gave the listeners the impression to do any worldly action as long as they love their neighbours. This is one of the reasons the love for God is growing cold in the Christendom.

 
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.”

 
Charles Stanley is a Pastor with a great influence in America and beyond. You have to be very careful with his counterfeit preaching on the love of God. Charles says: “The Bible clearly teaches that God’s love for His people is of such magnitude that even those who walk away from faith have not the slightest chance of slipping from His hand. Even if a believer for all practical purposes becomes an unbeliever, his salvation is not in jeopardy”.

 
This strange teaching on love of God from Charles encourages the listeners to engage in sin with the assurance of not missing heaven. Unfortunately, this ‘new teaching’ was embraced by a lot of preachers in America and other continents.

 
This ‘new teaching’ of the love of God contradicts the Bible, but it is unfortunate that large crowd is embracing it. You can’t disobey God’s rules in the Bible and have any guarantee to enter heaven.

 
The book of Hebrew buttress this in chapter 6 verse 4 to 6: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

 
This false teaching about the love of God is synonymous to someone telling you that the President of your country loves you. So, when you break the law of the land, the police will not put you into prison. But, you shall be given a wonderful reward for the crime you committed. Where is it done on earth?

 

Realities of the Love of God

 

• Love of God Saves You from Dying in Sinful Lifestyle

John chapter 3 verse 16 says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Thus, believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Bible and you would be saved.

 

• Love of God will Discipline You

God does not want you to live your life carelessly. So, He wants you to obey the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Bible. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 says: “Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action).” (AMP)

 

• Love of God in Your Life will Save You from Eternal Suffering

Your suffering (endurance) on earth due to persecution of the gospel, poverty, sickness, etc. does not underestimate the love of God for your life. Jesus says in John chapter 16 verses 33: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

 

• Love of God is Not Partial
God loves both the believers and unbelievers. His love to the unbelievers is not to continue sinning. Love of God to the unbelievers is to make sure that they hear the true Gospel and repent from their sinful lifestyles.

There is impartial judgment in the love of God. He will separate the obedient children from the disobedient ones. Read details in the book of Matthew chapter 25 verse 31 to 46 “…All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats…”

 
The love of God is available for your righteous stand in godliness. Thus, don’t be deceived by false teachings that encourage you to live your life anyhow you want it. Enjoy the love of God through the biblical rules, and not by the worldly (sinful) rules that surrounds you.

Forgiveness: How to Forgive and Forget

Posted by Nov 8, 2015 Holy Word, Church, Family, Podcast, Youths Leave a Comment
Forgiveness: How to Forgive and Forget

Forgiveness is the ability to heal a wounded heart. To forgive and forget an offense involves an emotional process, and it is not an instant event.

Doctor Saima Noreen and his team at the University of St Andrews carried out a related research and their outcome suggests that forgiveness facilitates forgetting. The research found that individuals are more effective at suppressing items of information associated with memories for offenses they have already forgiven.

Fred Luskin, a psychologist reported that in careful scientific studies, forgiveness training has been shown to reduce depression, increase hopefulness, decrease anger, improve spiritual connection and increase emotional self-confidence.

Research also shows that people who are more forgiving report fewer health and mental problems, and fewer physical symptoms of stress.

There are various offenses such as cheat in the marriage/office, fraud, lies and so on. These offenses might not have the same hurtful size, but God wants you to forgive every offender.

Everyone had once offended the Lord, but He forgives us and forgot our past sins. The forgiveness of the Lord made us Christians today! So, the Lord made forgiveness a mandatory trend for every one of us.

Matthew chapter 6 verses 14 & 15 says: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

3 Rules of Forgiveness for Reconciliation

Forgiveness is not an action you do in haste or under pressure. You must find out the details of the offense, and the intention of the offender.

Jesus gave the rule of forgiveness in the book of Luke chapter 17 verse 3 & 4 says: “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

1. Criticize your Offender
It’s sinful to keep malice with your offender. Ephesians chapter 4 verses 31 say: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice”.

So, the first step towards forgiveness is to call the offender, and criticize the offense through the word of God. Read the Bible passage that condemns such offense to the offender.
You might be going through a serious pain, but you must be strong to explain the scriptural implication of the offense to the offender.

2. Confirm Offender’s Repentance
The offender that deserves forgiveness and reconciliation must feel bad for committing such offense.

For instance, a rude son offended his dad by joining bad boys to steal on the street. The action of this boy brought a public shame to his father. Having rebuked the boy, the confirmation of his repentance was to renounce his bad gangs, and join the group of God-fearing boys.

3. Forgive your Offender
Forgiveness might not be easy in some heart-breaking offenses, but it is safer for you to forgive the (repented) offender.
Matthew chapter 18 verses 15 says: “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.”

Forgiveness that deserves reconciliation is a two-way process which involves; repentance on the side of the offender and to forgive on the side of the offended person.

There are some occasions where the offender will not be remorseful for the offense committed. It would be impossible to reconcile with such offender. Don’t allow the bitterness to stay in your heart forever. The best options are forgiveness and prayers for the stubborn offender (who might be your enemy).

How to Handle Forgiveness without Reconciliation

Jesus explained the scenario in Mathew chapter 18 verses 16 &17:

• “But if he (offender) will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established’.

• And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector”.

Benefits of Forgiveness

• It restores hope for the offender.

• Forgiveness relieves the heart of the offended person.

• To forgive and forget offenses will give you a healthy heart that is free from bitterness, anger, stress and hypertension.

• The more you forgive, the lesser your risk of losing heaven…

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.