ESSENCE OF LIFE

Saul of Tarsus also known as Apostle Paul was a man of little or no reference for God who derived joy in persecuting Christians before his conversion (Acts 9:1-2). One fateful day, on his way to Damascus to do the usual, he encountered Christ (Acts 9:3-5), then straightway after his conversion he preached Christ in the synagogue, that He is the Son of God. 

People were astonished and amazed at the total turn around in his life and found it hard to believe the massive change in a man that once persecuted Christians, regardless Apostle Paul grew more in strength and virtue proving that this is the very Christ. He so love the Lord that he was willing to lay down his life for Him. So the question is, what happened to Paul? Well, the answer is quite simple, he found essence and a greater reason to live.

A life that is meaningful is a life that is lived expanding God's Kingdom, we weren't saved to sit on our salvation and watch others perish. Salvation is not an end it's a means to an end, we were saved to save others. I once heard an adage that says "you don't have a right to hear the gospel twice when someone else haven't heard it once". It's selfishness to sit in church and be endowed with so much knowledge and not give back to the society. We need to transpose from self-centeredness to Christ- centeredness, the first demand for discipleship is "deny yourself".

What sustains what you receive is giving it out, the purpose of life is to multiply life, the essence of life is to impact others. The reason we were saved from all forms of atrocities and diabolical acts is not just for us to stay chaste and never go back to it again but to also reach out to those who are going through the same thing so they can be redeemed.

There are a lot of people that won't be saved unless we reach out to them, we need to let our light shine so we can overcome the gross darkness in our world today (Mathew 5:16). Just like a woman is a helpmeet for a man we are redeemed to be helpmeet for Christ.

You are not rich because of how much you have at your disposal but because of how many people you have enriched. Genuine wealth is not how much you acquired but how many you empowered. If your salvation cannot affect others then it is useless. If you live your life for your sake you have lived a meaningless life. The real essence of life is not coming to take from life but coming  to add to life. An invested life is a life worth living.

TIDINGS OF JOY

There's a cool breeze in the atmosphere that refreshes the soul. A new wave of peace and excitement. A time of sharing and giving. A time of uncommon blessing and favour. A time of greatness and abundance. Hurray! We're in that season again, the season of Christ's birth.

The birth of Christ is a clear evidence of God's love for mankind (John 3:16). Can you imagine what havoc and chaos we would have experienced if Christ had not been born it would have been terrible for us all. The birth of Christ is a conviction of the hope we have for a better tomorrow. This season brings great joy and togetherness that is beyond the realm of man's understanding.

Christ the saviour was born to redeem us from sin, guilt and bondages that has held us bound for years. He came to spread the divine overwhelming love of God, to simplify our miserable lives and give us a sense of significance. Christ has brought us great joy and I am assured that He that started this great work in us is more than able to complete it until the day of His second coming.

Christ is the reason for the season. He is the way, truth and life (John 14:7) in Him we live, move and have our being, we can't outlive Him and we can't live without Him. Without Jesus there won't be any Christianity, no hope, no faith and certainty no love. We rejoice in our redeemer, saviour, friend and King. It's amazing how One Man can be everything to us. Spread the euphoria for it is the reason of our saviour's birth. We sing Hosanna to our king who reigns forever amen. Merry Christmas in advance friends.

FATHERHOOD

The problems young people face is quite alarming. As youths we're expected to be vibrant, energetic, focused, responsible, creative, smart and purpose driven but sadly the reverse is the case, only few get it right in life. There are many factors responsible for the tarnished dreams and rightful living of young people nowadays, I've been privileged to have a one on one conversation with youths regarding issues of life and their problems is usually centered on one major factor....Fathers. Sometimes you will hear youths say "I don't know my Dad is" or "my Dad doesn't love me I'm a failure". It's really frustrating to have an unsupportive father.

A father's role in the family is a vital one. He is called upon to be a leader and protector for the family and to give an example of Christ's love (Gen.18:19). Fathers are children's pillars, they are needed in every phase of a child's life. Research shows that children are 20% more likely to end up in jail if their father's are absent or passive. A lot of young people are carrying heavy burdens in their hearts because they are either trying to prove themselves to their fathers or living a miserable life with an absent minded father. Mothers are important but they can't take the role of a Dad. A child's relationship with his/her father is a pivotal one. It's far more important than we've ever realized. To become morally sound, strong and confident, children need their father's love, attention, wisdom, encouragement and protection.

Dear Fathers, if you don't take up your role and pay keen attention to your child's wellbeing the society will do that for you and I can assure you that it won't turn out right. The child needs someone to guide and guard, to criticise(when necessary) and applaud, to instruct and direct on the right path to follow. We need our fathers to stand out and be the men that God has ordained, to walk in the ways and fear of the Lord, the destiny of the children depends on it(Psalm 128:3-4). If you're a family man I plead with you today, go home and love your family. The world would be a better place with active fathers.

SINGLENESS

Society has taught that being single is almost like an epidemic that needs to be cured. People in the environment and in the church makes you feel miserable when you're unmarried. When a person get to his/her late 20s or early 30s, the question usually is "when are you getting married?" The pressure you experience makes you feel inadequate or unwanted, most people feel incomplete outside marriage. Marriage should not qualify, dignify, or complete you, it should be an amplifier of the virtue and value you've inculcated as a single. Marriage is a choice not a requirement.

Do not confuse singleness for loneliness, the most important relationship in life is not interpersonal but intrapersonal. Singleness is a gift from God, its a time to build capacity physically, morally, emotionally, and spiritually. It's a period to build a strong and lasting relationship with God knowing that there is nothing else demanding your attention (Eccl.12:1). No one can ever have a fulfilled life without God, singleness gives you the opportunity to fast, pray, study, and discover your purpose in life. Being single allows you to develop inbuilt skills and  talents, to harness the greatness within you and make the world a better place.

Being single gives you time to acquire knowledge. Self knowledge is the key to a successful career, relationship and marriage. Take out time to read and enlighten yourself about certain issues of life. Confusing marriage with maturity has always been wrong, age does not qualify you to get married knowledge does. The most important time in your life is your unmarried time. Loneliness is a state while singleness is a disposition. Your marriage is only as good as your singleness, you bring to the marriage what you are as a single. A successful marriage can only be determined by a successful single life.

Your value shouldn't reduce because of someone else's inability to see your worth. Self love is the most important form of love on earth, no one will love you beyond the way you love yourself. Never look down on your self image, enjoy and make the most of your singleness, build and develop yourself in all ramifications. Singleness is not loneliness but wholeness and uniqueness.

GENUINE LOVE

Could this really be love or just infatuation. If what I feel is love, then why do I still feel empty.
Muna a young beautiful, smart, but naive girl born into a family of nine had that notion in her mind. Muna happened to be the last child of her parents. Being the last child she had so much expectations from her parents and older siblings. She expected so much love and care from her family, that they would be willing to do anything to make her happy at all times. Just like the common adage which says "if wishes were horses beggars would ride" day by day her wishes were just mere fantasies and her expectations were never met. Her parents were passive and her siblings didn't really have her time.

Some days Muna wakes and goes to bed without having a chance to say a word to her parents. Muna's dad travels for weeks and comes home without even caring or wanting to know how she had been. This young child needed love, affection, care and attention but sadly she never got any of it. This I must say is not good for a child's upbringing.

Would I say fortunately or unfortunately, Muna's older brother got a well paid job in an oil company. He had a comfortable life so he decided to take Muna in and make her his responsibility. She thought to herself 'this is going to be the best episode of my life, better days  are here again. Oh! How she was mistaken if only she had known that it was going to be nothing different, but rather will expose her to a phase she was not ready for. Muna had to accept the fact that things will never change and learn to live on and take each day as it comes. She lived this way all through her secondary school days until in her S S 3.

Moses was cute, fair and brainy. He was a sly, he knew how desperate Muna was for love and  how naive she was about the whole concept of love so he decided to take advantage of it. He painted this picture of a genuine guy who wanted the best for Muna, he would check on her morning, noon, and night but deep down he had ulterior motives. For Muna those were the best days of her life, the morning sun was different, the fresh breeze was so cool and the sensations that came from the way he spoke to her swept her off her feet. "Could this really be love"?, "is this really happening"? If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up. Those were her words. She would wake up everyday with a nice good morning text to bless her day, and will go to bed smiling from lovely words from him. Moses, the guy that completes me was her slogan at that time.

Overtime emotions aroused that they became intimate, the first time he pecked and kissed her she lost control of herself, the whole day was filled with thoughts of Moses. Then, from a harmless peck they graduated to foreplay. If only Muna could see the deceit in Moses eyes. Muna found herself in a mess she couldn't get out of as she was gradually getting addicted to the sweet sensations she gets from Moses touch. In her mind, she thought this is pure love little did she realize that it was pure lust. She continued that way for two years.

When she finished with senior secondary and needed to move out of the state to further her studies. The relationship came to an end leaving her wondering what to do with her life. Getting to the university, Muna joined a living campus fellowship and then gave her life to Christ. The love she experienced this time was indescribable, kind, forgiving, selfless, compassionate and overwhelming. What she felt then for Moses was like a child's play to what she feels now with God. She had inner peace and the void was filled. Back then Moses would sheepishly tell her that he was willing to die for her(but you and I know that it's a fat lie) but Jesus loves her so much that He gave His life for her that she may be free from the bondage of lust.

It was a new dawn for Muna as her life took a better shape. She found purpose and a reason to live. Muna is now happy and fulfilled in Christ and she wouldn't trade it for any mundane thing of the world. Muna's words changed to "love is patient, caring, kind, love is felt most when it's genuine". This is because she had a test of real love. Real love is in Christ and we can only experience it when we genuinely give Him our life.

CHARACTER FORMATION

With the intellectual, financial, and spiritual power we acquire, most times what separates us amongst men is our character. Your knowledge, hard work, and handiwork can make you successful but character is one of the factors for maintaining success. Never be of the misconception that character has little or no role to play in your all-round development. Your attitude can speak a thousand words even in your silence.

Character refers to all the qualities and features that make a person, groups of people, and places different from others. Developing a good character takes self discipline. There are many factors that will affect our character negatively or positively it's just left for us to decide which way to tilt to. Charisma may be useful in getting short-term attention, but it is largely useless when it comes to achieving a long-term impact on people. For this, we need character.

So the question is, how do we cultivate good character? Character is shaped by certain forces, if we want to develop our character we need to pay attention to them.
#The information we consume: you need a sound and informed mind to be able to function. The mind is a place where information is absorbed and processed before execution by the body (our character). Computer literates will usually say "garbage in, garbage out". The same is true with our personal lives. Watching endless hours on mindless television, viewing violence or pornography erodes our character. We must be attentive to the input we consume, it affects us in deep and profound ways. It is the bedrock on which our character is built or developed. According to 2Corinthians. 10:4-5, the major demonic strongholds against us are not physical assaults, they are in the mind; thoughts and arguments etc. You need to free your mind from the bondage of the enemy by subjecting it to the power of God's word through study, meditation and prayer.
*Our cycle of friends: Jim Rohn taught that " you are the average of the five people you spend most time with". If this is true-- we have to be more intentional about the people we choose to associate with. If you want good character traits, associate with people who have healthy ones. Dissociate from people who reinforce your worst traits ( see 1corinthians 15:33). Flee from relationships that pull you down.

Character develops over time and it is often triggered by the things we see, the books we read, and also the association we keep. We have to make a deliberate effort to stay clear from things that do not add value to our lives. Work on your inside and let it reflect on the outside. True change comes from within and expresses itself without.

Character formation has often been neglected based on the ignorance of its significance but it's too important to be ignored. Throughout time, many have acknowledged the importance of character for a flourishing life and a virtuous, stable, noble and upright society. For us not to be hooligans in our society we need to consciously work on our character. We have to deeply cultivate internalised pattern of values, attitudes and actions.

A good character is more precious than worldly possessions,(Eccl7: 1)and the work of forming is the noblest in which men can engage  (Testimonies for the church 1881)

Do not be of the assumption that worldly possessions will elevate you, do not be tossed by the wave of ignorance but rather pay adequate  attention to virtues and values. To attain perfection of character is not an easy matter but it's also not impossible. A noble character is earned by individual effort through the merits and grace of Christ. Don't let your public image to be better developed than your personal character. If your character is left unchecked it can destroy your legacy. In the end, it us our character that makes or breaks us.

PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE

What is life without purpose? Isn't it terrifying to live a life without knowing the cause of your existence. Life has a way of balancing itself once you discover yourself. Life is not fair indeed but mostly to those living a life void of purpose.

Self discovery is a tool for individual, societal and national development. Our imperfect life is proportional to our ignorance. Regardless of the  whining on our present circumstances in life, if we don't know the how, we can't do the what, that will make us stand out. The importance of self discovery cannot be over emphasized; it gives you an edge over certain mistakes. You may never reach your full potential if you are ignorant of your  inner strengths and abilities. Lack of vision exposes one to the pursuit of many irrelevant things. I strongly believe that there is greatness embedded in every human. You only need to look deeper within and let your true potential flow out of you.

Purpose is the reason why something is done or the aim or the intention of doing a thing. Take a little time and ask yourself "what's the reason for my existence"? If you can confidently answer that question  life will be less gloomy. People wander about like lost sheep  making decisions that would ruin their lives because they haven't discovered purpose. The question of purpose have faded into oblivion thereby onrushing complacency in the lives of men.

People tend to be comfortable with little or no achievement because they've not gotten a glimpse of greatness that lies ahead. We have writers, poets, accountants, bankers, artists, preachers inside of us waiting to break forth, but sadly the container is clueless of its contents within. Discovering purpose guarantees personal, academic, relationship, marital, and moral success. If you have difficulty discovering your essence, simply ask the One who made you. God Almighty is forever ready and able to assist us whenever we need assistance(1peter 5:7).

It is time to say goodbye to "just getting by" and rediscover the purpose for your existence. Never forget! A purpose driven life is a life worth living.

WHAT IS THE BEST OUTFIT?

Fashion has substantiated a major shift in recent years. There is a massive improvement in the fashion industry. Designs have progressed from the puffed hand blouses, to beaded peplum blouses. Fashion designers have stepped up their game in creating new attractive attires and I must confess that its top notch.

Looking good is great no doubt. We sometimes want to wear what is trending. Nobody wants to feel out of place. Unknown to some, they basically thwart to comparison mode, wanting to feel among. Regardless of the drain in the pocket.
     So then, what is the best outfit to soothe our style, belief, value, culture and tradition? Could it be a silk gown, plain trouser, crop top, or ankara? Hmm, I would say none(you probably might be wondering. What's with this lady). Beyond the fashion invoke, we shouldn't  throw our values and ethics in the towel. The way you dress will always be the way way you'll be addressed. Appearance is seen before character. Don't let others see you less of who you are because of the way you dress. When a person is indecently dressed, it tells bad about that person and also gives people a bad notion about you. Don't be moved by what is trending but rather, be moved by the ethics and values.
Dear friends, you can wear your ankara, gown, trouser etc without arousing negative emotions. You can look elegant without causing confusion in people's mind. You can look adorable and command respect from people.
Now, to the question of the day.
#WHAT IS THE BEST OUTFIT?#
Based on research and findings. I have come to the understanding and conclusion that the best outfit is DECENCY.
Let all things be done decently and moderately. Look good not at the expense of your body. You worth more than that. God has placed a high value on you. Don't downgrade your value in order to fit into the worldly patterns. You are adorable and unique, live by principles, don't live a life of mediocrity.
Never forget! 
DECENCY IS THE BEST OUTFIT

OPTIMISM

Why should anyone be positive with all the negativity around us? The world is decaying speedily with no glimpse of hope for a better way of life. Things are falling apart, iniquity is multiplying and our very society is a shadow of itself. Values and virtues we uphold has gone down the drain. People cannot rise above their own selfish interest, bribery and corruption has crept into the hearts of men and diabolical acts is at its peak. Children are the streets hawking, our people are getting involved in activities contrary to the law of the nation and our old ones are giving up and also lost the willpower to act because the so called "leaders of tomorrow" are wiling away on infatuation island.

Based on recent happenings in our society, it seems as though being pessimistic is the right attitude, but that shouldn't be the case. When you are down and there is nothing within or around you to hold on to, don't be dismayed but rather look up and find that joy, peace, hope and satisfaction that only God can give(psalms 121:1-2). Learn to see beyond the obvious, there is more that our natural eyes may not be able to view(2Corinthians 4:18).

There should be growing optimism that the problems in our society can be rectified. Let us be optimistic about the future of our nation. I am rest assured that things are gradually falling into place, although we may not see it now but all things work together for good for they that put their trust in God(Psalms 125:1-2). A time will come when our leaders will rise above selfishness, when our children will be given good and quality education, when our young people will choose to live right and be responsible, when there will be much innovations and infrastructural improvement, when other nations will come to our very nation to learn the ways of righteousness. I believe in my country Nigeria and the promises she holds. You should too.

HOPE

Life can beat us down with trials, sorrows and challenges. Things don't always go the way we plan. Disappointment and delay may be the order of our lives but when all seems hopeless, God's word is all we need to get ourselves back on track. (Psalms 34:19).
    Hope is being highly expectant or optimistic that something good will happen. Imagine a person who always want good things to happen (graduation, wedding, scholarship) and so on,most people go as far as fixing dates for these events but unfortunately, at the end none actually happens due to one ordeal or the other. When we find ourselves in such situation we become helpless and hopeless.
      The bible records how much God cares for us and how he wants to help us through and out of our ordeals( 1 peter 5:7). God is interested in our everyday affairs and want to see us happy and fulfilled in life. So my dear friends if you are at life's cross road and don't know the next step to take, Just hold on and be hopeful, God will show up right in time for you. Fret not for our eternal hope is in God Almighty. He is more than able to handle all your cares, just let him handle them.
     He has been our help in ages past and he will be our hope for years to come, trust in the Lord today and see him work wonders in your life.
#Keep hope alive#

CELIBACY

What would make anyone choose to do it? It's archaic, absurd, impossible, some may say that it's bizarre and of no significant value, but I tell you that it is one of the best choices anyone can make in this present day of decadence, debauchery and profligacy. We are in a time where decency has lost its hold on us, modesty thrown in the towel and morals gone beyond our grip. It's sometimes believed that only a feeling of palsy can make celibacy possible.
    Celibacy is the act of willingly abstaining from sexual activities for a particular period. Practising celibacy removes sexual addictive indulgence from your life for a greater purpose. Its advantage can never be overemphasized, it gives a clearer picture of what ought to be, and also makes your mind sound and fit for productive use. Staying chaste has its  advantages, for instance, you get to make good and wise decisions that would change the cause of your life for the best, because there is nothing (sexual) clouding your judgment. It gives you a good sense of value, which in turn boost your self confidence and above all, it makes you fit for God's use( Eph5:3, 1Corinth6:20).

Some people may find the idea of celibacy less important, but I tell you that it is too important to be ignored. I do believe that 70% of our societal issues would be resolved if we can just decide to abstain from sexual activities. Science has taught us how to use contraceptives to prevent STDs( Sexually Transmitted Diseases) but celibacy can help prevent the other STDs( Sexually Transmitted Demons). I am certain beyond every reasonable doubt that, sex is more spiritual than physical. So if you truly want to be spiritually and physically sound, I urge you today to become a CELIBATE.
Here are some steps or guidelines that can help you stay celibate until when the time is right;
1. Have a close relationship with God.
2. Be careful what you expose your mind to.
3. Set boundaries for yourself.
4 . Keep good company.
5 . Don't get into a sexual relationship until marriage.