Tag: destiny

  • Pursue your destiny (XXVI)

    HELLO Nigerians, I am most delighted to be with you again today and I welcome you all to school on Sunday. In the last few weeks, I’ve been discussing negative elements rooted in our human nature which could suppress our spirituality and disconnect us from our connectivity with God. So far, I’ve discussed Anger , which deprived Moses his divine entitlement-entering into the Promised Land. Pride, which fell Satan and Envy, which turned Cain into a murderer and eventually destroyed him. Today, I’ll be discussing Fear.

    “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. …” 2 Timothy 1:7

    Fear is clearly an anti-God spirit. It is the opposite of faith which is what endears us to God. God’s plans for us are beautiful, great, blissful and not catastrophic, disastrous or agonising. In other words, fear could be regarded as believing in the capability of the devil to scuttle God’s wonderful plans for us and impose his horrible plans on us.

    Fear is defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Fear is nothing more than anticipated pain. In other words, fear is a self-imposed imagination of pain you believe you will experience. Fear can be real or imaginary, and you experience it because of your misperception or misjudgment of a situation. When you unexpectedly fail a major examination or one of your parents suddenly dies, or they get separated and want to be with someone else, your entire world seems to collapse and it is normal for you to entertain fear because you don’t know what’s going to happen next, and you cannot control upcoming events.

    Fear is a negative emotion which cripples the strength of your inner man. It dims the illumination ignited by your faith in God and eventually kills it. It also has the power to paralyse every other positive emotion as it brings about needless anxieties, nervousness, concern, restlessness and then sadness. You are not able to think sensibly or logically. It strengthens the devil who cashes in on it and places a heavy weight upon your heart which causes depression which is an energy vamp and which eventually renders you useless. Fear imposes limitations upon your potential and ability, and in the process ruins your chances of making a gold-mine out of your adversity. Or you don’t think you can achieve that?

    The funny thing is the devil respects fearless people and eventually lets them be when he sees they refuse to be overcome by fear no matter how hard he afflicts them. He gets easily worn out by a display of unusual faith in times of great difficulty and tribulation. Now, can you imagine how precious you will be to God when you love Him still and believe absolutely in Him refusing to see the dark side of your predicament but instead choose to dwell on His promises and the fact that He just would never leave you to suffer shame? He simply grows in your spirit more and more. He finds your life habitable and what follows? Miracles of course!

    Also, if fear is allowed to grow and not nipped in the bud, it consumes your mind and then the Law of Attraction comes to play. That horrible situation you fear then comes knocking on the door, stares you in the face and takes over your life. Just as faith is being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.  In fact, some adversities are self-imposed brought about by our fears. Also, a lot of heart-wrenching challenges we have to face in life would never have been as bad as it were if we did not allow fear. It is natural for anything and anyone you fear to become your master and rule your life. The devil uses it to manipulate your thoughts and actions and if you allow him a grip over your soul, you may have to fight a really hard fight to have it back. You must be very careful not to empower fear so that it adversely influences your soul and determines your actions and decisions. It is the unfounded fear that is within you that is undermining your confidence and faith in God, determining who you are, suppressing your spiritual growth and jeopardising all your real hopes of overcoming your trials and seeing God’s beautiful plans for you.

    One of the surest guarantees in life is that you will face adversity and the only way to get out of it and make anything good out of it is to have the right mind set backed up by your spirituality which must be strongly incubated in the Holy Spirit, otherwise one could go from trouble to trouble, doom to doom. When faced with it, two paths pop out for us to follow- the path of faith and the path of fear. They are two opposites and it is left for you to decipher which is which and how to get on the right path, stay on it and walk your way out of the wilderness. You must note that imagination is powerful and once it is incubated in the Holy Spirit, you have conquered the devil, the troubler of our existence!

    There are legitimate fears as there are unfounded fears. Whatever they are, legitimate or otherwise, if you summon your courage and confront them directly, they simply wither away and eventually die.

  • Pursue your destiny (XXIV)

    WONDERFUL Nigerians, I am happy to be in touch with you again today. No matter what you are passing through “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’  Deuteronomy 33:26-27 (NIV)

    In this new week, God will ride across your spirit and destroy every clog in the wheel of your progress and help you destroy all the negative elements in your spirit that have created a distance between your spirit and His. AMEN! I welcome you all to school on Sunday. We are still on a sub-topic- Rebranding Your Spirit – which has been addressing how we can identify and rid our spirits of what could dim our spiritual illumination and cast a dark veil on our souls which would in turn affect our spiritual connectivity with God. Today, I’ll be discussing Envy/Jealousy. I welcome you all to school on Sunday.

    “But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”  James 3:14-15 (NIV)

    The King James Version for the word “demonic” in the scripture above is “devilish.” So, if you’ve been harbouring envy or jealousy, you’ve been housing the devil in your spirit and slowly killing yourself because, in the first instance, he’s come to kill, steal and destroy every good thing God has planned for you. My goodness…what a waste of time? What’s the point in letting the pain and bitterness you feel about what someone has shield the eyes of your soul from seeing the greater possessions and opportunities far better than what you are envying which God has prepared for you but which the devil is using every ploy to stop you from seeing? Na you know o! Sadly, too many Christians are so carnal, lazy and distracted by inanities they just don’t know that they could possess just about anything they want in life.

    Envy is “sadness on account of the goods possessed by another which are regarded as harmful to oneself since they diminish one’s own excellence or renown.” Envy breeds hatred, gossip, detraction and resentment against one’s neighbour. Not only does an envious person resent another person’s goods, be they talents, looks, possessions, works or popularity, he also takes joy in and even relishes in the setbacks or adversity that a person faces. Envy is a vicious sin because it creeps into the best of relationships, even between spouses who love each other. And you will agree with me that it is a spirit. And that is why I always encourage parents to let their kids study the bible and memorise verses right from their impressionable years so that once their souls are illuminated and filled with the word, which is the Spirit of God, it would be difficult for any foul spirit to penetrate as long as they make it a life style. But how many born-again Christians today even have time for the scriptures, least of all ensure their kids get acquainted with it? A mother or father who has an envious spirit automatically transfers it to his/her offspring. Now, how do you think a girl who is less-privileged would feel amongst those who have the best things in life? Not only would she be full of bitterness and strife, but because her imagination is so vivid, she ends up seeing life like it was created for just a special set of people. She may suffer from depression and inferiority complex and you would agree with me that whatever we are exposed to in our impressionable years and adolescence forms an imprint on our souls which further lays a solid foundation for our lives.

    My darling sisters, if you find yourself being envious or jealous of anyone, you are only dulling yourself and reducing your value before God. Who says you cannot later in future employ the richest kid in your school today even when your parents can’t afford to buy you a new uniform and you keep patching and patching? And who says you can’t buy yourself an aircraft before you are age 40 even when you have to hawk bananas to pay your school fees today? Hmm…if a lot of you knew the sort of virtues you carry, you would never wish to be like anyone. Your virtues owe you the world and that is why Girls Club encourages you to stay chaste even if you don’t have food to eat. God has a plan for every single person He created and we all have distinctive stars and roles to play on earth. Now, why concentrate on what someone has when you should be pursuing your destiny and let your eyes be fixed on God? Hmm…Sigh!

    “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

     I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)

    Assignment-Before you sleep tonight, say this prayer aggressively and let it resonate in your spirit till you fall asleep: “Oh God, my father, show me who I am destined to be, in the name of Jesus.”

  • Pursue your destiny (XXII)

    Dear Temilolu,

    Congratulations to you for keeping faith with the call of God. In just one year, you have impacted and imparted lives you may never even meet here on earth. You are God’s response to a need in the world. You are the answer to a question that God knew would be asked in your generation. Every Sunday, your write-ups cause celebrations and joy in heaven. The lord will increase and strengthen you in Jesus name. You will not fail in Jesus name. Amen.

    Pastor Muyiwa

     

    Dear Temi,

    I could hardly believe your write-up on your ministry. You must be pro-life. I pray God’s spirit will continue to abide in you. May God bless you and keep you for the salvation of souls. Amen.

    S Pat-Natson (Kaduna)

     

    Dear Aunty Temilolu,

    I am a 300 level student of the University of Ibadan. I am writing to encourage you ma. I am thrilled at how much you love God and reverence Him in your articles without caring whose ox is gored. You are a role model to me as I see myself running a ministry similar to yours. Please I want you to be my mentor.

    Folakemi J.

     

    Wonderful Nigerians,

    I am happy to be with you again today. And I welcome you all to school on Sunday. A few weeks back just before I published Fatima’s story I began a topic titled   REBRAND YOUR SPIRIT and explained that just as the spirit of God wishes to dwell in us, illuminate our inner man and give us the best things in life so also the devil competes to have our mind and soul so he can make a mess of God’s wonderful plans for us. One of his ways of gaining entry is through certain negative elements in us which we could also call bad spirits. So far I have discussed one of these bad spirits which is Anger and also gave tips on how to get rid of it before it rids us of what rightfully belongs to us. Today, I’ll be discussing Pride.

    Pride is a satanic spirit. I call it satanic because it was what fell Lucifer. God said, “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee” Ezekiel 28:15. This beautiful, powerful, intelligent, and gifted cherub fell from his perfect estate when his heart was lifted up because of his own beauty and brightness (v. 17). No longer was he willing to be subservient to his Creator-God. No wonder the saying goes “pride goes before a fall.”

    Pride is a sin and clearly an anti-God spirit which defiles the soul and one’s entire existence.

    “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”  Mark 7:21-23

    We all fall prey to it because of the natural respect we have for ourselves as individuals. No wonder Solomon advises us in Proverbs 4:23 to guard our heart as out of it flows the course of our life.

    When Solomon refers to guarding the heart, he really means the inner core of a person, the thoughts, feelings, desires, will, and choices that make that person who he/she is. The Bible tells us that our thoughts often dictate who we become (Proverbs 23:7; 27:19). The mind of a man reflects who he really is, not simply his actions or words. That is why God examines the heart of a man, not simply his outward appearance and what he appears to be (1 Samuel 16:7).

    “   The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” Proverbs 8:13 (KJV)

    “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”  Proverbs 16:5 (KJV)

    God hates it when we are proud. Now, how can God dwell in such a heart? It casts a dark shadow and evil weight over our souls.

    A proud man thinks of himself as higher than someone else. Are you one of those who would rather mingle with the rich even in your church than the poor? Are you one of those who give the lowly in your church a wide berth and a haughty look? Are you one of those who make them wish they were never born? Funny thing is that this so-called wealthy people get the attention of the leadership of the church more than the poor and lowly even when they are obviously thieves. Is your car too clean to give a fellow church member a ride? Have you ever considered the fact that you could be very poor? But by God’s grace you have what you have. Is your attitude to the common promoting the kingdom of God or giving God’s children pain? What’s the use of being proud anyway? It only reduces God’s presence in your life and allows the devil in. Period!

    Every Christian is locked in a constant, intense war with demonic forces. Many of us become so intent on fighting the external spiritual war that we forget that much of our battle is not with external forces, but with our own mind and thoughts.

    Pride is a device that can be so easily woven into anyone’s life.  It is an abomination to God and it must be kept in check.

  • Pursue your destiny (XXI)

    Pursue your destiny (XXI)

    The God of Abra’am praise

    Who reigns enthroned above:

    Ancient of everlasting days,

    And God of love:

    Jehovah, Great I AM,

    By earth and heaven confess’d

    I bow and bless the sacred name

    For ever bless’d.

    The whole triumphant host

    Give thanks to God on high;

    Hail father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

    They ever cry.

    Hail Abra’am’s God and mine,

    I join the heavenly lays:

    All might and majesty are Thine,

    And endless praise.

    –  J. Stainer

     

    Dear Sisters and every fan of this column,

    What shall we say unto the Lord, all we have to say is thank you Lord!

    Our column, God’s column – The Girls Club – is a year old today. I hear you say “really?” How time flies! It’s been an awesome 52 weeks of sharing with you all what God breathes upon me and while I’m grateful that so many lives of both males and females, young and old have been positively touched, I am most grateful to God because it has also been a learning process for me as well. Your constant text messages have encouraged me immensely and I pray for you with all my heart that God will make you a greater weapon, bless the work of your hands and make your children very great. And for my sisters all over the world, I can only wish them the very best in life and a quick manifestation of their beautiful dreams. Indeed, with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. A life without the spirit of God is a life in total darkness and a devil’s play ground. It’s a waste of time on earth. We are all entitled to more than we can ever imagine. All we need do is to concentrate on Him at a young age so He can direct us on the way to go. Unfortunately, a lot of parents, especially mothers, have for one reason or the other ignored their responsibilities in bringing up their daughters while others practically push their daughters towards the wrong direction just to satisfy their financial needs. This brought about the Chastity Campaign in the markets where mothers are enlightened on the importance of encouraging their daughters to stay chaste and protect the virtues God has given them to be productive and enjoy their divine entitlements.

    It is a well-known fact that this generation has lost its senses to ungodly sex and the devil has cashed in on that to truncate uncountable destinies the world over. Millions of stars which were created to be weapons in the hands of God have been shut down such that a lot of females never discover their purpose in life till they die.

    The Girls Club is geared towards raising girls who would thirst for righteousness even under severe hardship and practice holiness within and without. It is set to assist girls in discovering their stars and thereby become global icons/leaders while enjoying all God has promised in the bible. It is also set to raise girls to become giants in the supernatural by encouraging them to constantly rub minds with God by reading the bible day and night and by fasting and praying without ceasing. It is poised to push girls all over the world into having dominion over their lives by engaging in spiritual warfare.

    We thank God for this divine mandate and pray that His mighty power continues to be with us till eternity.

    Our School on Sunday continues next week. May God bless The Nation news paper and make it very great. AMEN!

  • Pursue your destiny (XX)

    Pursue your destiny (XX)

    DEAR Sisters and every fan of this column, I am happy to announce to you “The sun will no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness will the moon shine on you by night  for the LORD will be your everlasting light and your God will be your glory.

    Last week, I shared the story of Fatima who was put in the family way by her lover only for him to refuse the pregnancy though quite frankly there was no agreement between them to have a baby. Fatima whose world came crashing at her lover’s unprecedented cold shoulder didn’t have the heart to terminate the pregnancy even when she lacked all the love and support she needed from her family. Her father who refused to re-marry for the period of the 20 years he had to single-handedly raise Fatima has disowned her and she’s been living in severe hardship and at a time she had to put garri and water in her baby’s feeding bottle to save her from starving to death.

    Here’s the concluding part of her story.

    One day, my friend told me to start looking for somewhere else to stay with my child that she could no longer afford to pay the rent and that she had decided to move into her boy friend’s apartment. My heart almost jumped into my mouth because I had nowhere to go. My folks do not want to have anything to do with me again and I was homeless. I started roaming the street with no particular destination. A former neighbour saw me and took us in. He prayed with me and asked me to give my life to Christ, which I did. But I wish I had found Christ earlier. If I did, I am sure I wouldn’t have ended up this way and now I am struggling to coast through life with my child in one hand and my dreams in the other.

    When I read your article of November 23 where you discussed evil family pattern, I felt somewhere, somehow, someone knows me. You said something about mothers who couldn’t stay married and have children for different men. We are three from my mother but all from different fathers. You also said something about pre-destination. I am not one of those people who believe in such even though on my maternal side, the first-borns hardly stay married to one man but I have found Christ and with him the bible says old things shall pass away and all things shall become new.

    My Darling Fatima,

    In spite of your travails, I am so proud of you and your courage and can’t help but marvel at what God has in plans for you. What a good girl! God is about to turn your shame and pain to great fame and gain. Your father who did his best to raise you has every reason to be mad at you and shouldn’t be blamed but please expect that glorious day that he will come looking for you and will carry you on his head because

    “Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”   Isaiah 49:23 RSV

    God is not going to let you suffer after deciding not to take the life of an innocent unborn baby. Perhaps that would be your ticket to a super-glorification. Who knows what your beautiful child is destined to be in this world? Perhaps she’s one of God’s weapons to transform her generation and save them from ruin. You just never can tell. God will surely reward you and provide everything you both need. Now, at this time of your life, you MUST really sit tight with God and ignore every form of distraction. Your life must be God-centred and scripture-controlled because the devil has succeeded in pushing you on your mother’s path. Having three children for three different men is not uncommon but it is CERTAINLY not God’s plan for us and whatever isn’t God’s plan for us is full of trouble and strife which ends one in pain and disappointment. I pray for every sister who is reading that this or any evil family pattern will not be your portion in the name of Jesus. We have just one life to live and have to be very careful not to miss the best things in life out of sheer ignorance of God.

    Fatima, please make an effort to grow spiritually each day as you constantly study the word of God and invariably rub minds with Him. And you have to be EXTREMELY patient with Him. Do you know you can wake up one day with so much joy and gratitude in your heart for all this pain and regret you are dealing with right now? Hmm…my God will daze you. Patience, patience, patience and a life of holiness soaked in prayers is all you need to turn your situation to a gold mine.

    “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him,” God has revealed to us through the Spirit.” 1 Cor. 2:9-10

    Please meditate on this and ask for the fullness of the spirit of God so you can pursue your destiny and in the course of this year God will catapult you to greatness. God loves you!

  • The call, the passion, the destiny

    Too many people hold on to the past and allow the negative experiences of the past define their present and future. This should not be. Where you are coming from should not in any way determine where you going.

    In his book THE CALL; THE PASSION; THE DESTINY, Abiodun Mabadeje helps you understand that the success you desire to attain is predicated on how you move from your present state into the future you desire, irrespective of the circumstances of your past. If you desire to move forward, you cannot keep looking back into your ‘unfortunate past’.

    Life is full of challenges. The road is never smooth for anyone and running away from challenges will not solve them. Many dwell only on what they have gone through in life, unable to look beyond their past or present circumstances. To succeed, you have to confront and overcome your circumstances. You must not allow fear and pessimism hold you back.

    One very fundamental point the book explains in the detail, which many people are ignorant of, is the Law of Attraction. To succeed, you have to align yourself with the reality of the Law of Attraction. This Law states that “I attract into my life whatever I give my attention, energy and focus to, whether positive or negative.”

    This raises questions which you must answer: What do you give your attention to? What do you focus on? What do you expend our energy on? When you fill your mind with negative thoughts, the Law of Attraction states that you will simply get more of the same. It is time for you to think deeply so as to determine whether the challenges you currently face are self-afflicted as a result of attraction or by reason of your thoughts.

    In Chapter Two, the author raises another critical question: Who are you? This is a question of identity. It is one you must answer, because if you do not know who you are, you will not know what you are about or why you are here.

    If you cannot answer this question, you will have the problem of misplaced identity. Many people are trying to be who they are not – they talk, walk and even dress like someone else. Knowing who you are helps you function as you should; living your own life and not someone else’s.

    You must note that to truly identify who you are you must go back to your source, the One who created you – God Almighty – because you were created not by accident but to fulfill destiny. He has the blueprint of your life.

    As the author clearly states, you MUST have a vision: a comprehensive sense of who you are and where you are going. Anyone without a vision does not have a future. Your vision might seem gigantic and your challenges insurmountable. However, keep the Law of Attraction in mind, envisage the future you want, forget the past and project into the future.

    Everyone is called to do something or be something. What are YOU called to do or be? It is time to step out and be bold, bearing in mind the Law of Cause and Effect; that actions determine reactions and input determines output.

    Get out of the “Good Old Days” mentality. To live in the future you dream of, consider the words of Isaac Newton, “Everything (or object, or life) remains in a state of constant rest until an external force is applied”, and do what you need to do right away.

     

     

  • Pursue your  destiny (XVII)

    Pursue your destiny (XVII)

    Dear Nigerians,

    I am most delighted to be with you again today and trust that all’s well with you. No matter the adverse combination of circumstances you have to deal with, you have the natural tendency to have things your way and so shall it be in Jesus name. I welcome you all to school on Sunday. Today, I’ll be discussing what I title “REBRAND YOUR SPIRIT.” We often hear of companies rebranding. Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, or combination thereof is created with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investors, and competitors. Often, this involves radical changes to a brand’s logo, name, image, etc. Such changes typically aim to reposition the brand/company, occasionally to distance itself from negative connotations of the previous branding, or to move the brand upmarket. Once a brand has negative connotations associated with it, it can only lead to decreased profitability and possibly complete corporate failure. The same way certain negative elements in our spirit could cut short our wonderful divine entitlements. And just like a company’s rebranding invites more clientele and opportunities, so would a rebranded spirit attract goodness.

    We must note that just as the spirit of God wishes to dwell in us, so also the devil fights to get hold of our spirit and scuttle God’s beautiful plans for us. As human beings, we all have the tendency to harbour negative elements in our spirits which could serve as a demonic doorway for the devil to have a grip on our lives and if care is not taken, these negative elements could hinder our spirits from seeing the wonderful plans God has for us. Today, I would start with anger.

    Anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. Anger is a bad spirit and can arise at its will, in any situation, and at the oddest times. Haven’t you ever been angry about something and looked back on the situation and thought, “Why did I get so upset over that?”

    Such spirits love to make life miserable by rising up in situations, functioning, and then drawing back, leaving the individual to deal with the aftermath.

    Quite frankly, it may be difficult to avoid getting annoyed but if you constantly work on growing in the spirit of God, you can avoid it. It’s an emotion you cannot bury and forget except you work on it. The good thing is the more you grow spiritually, the less you feel offended by anyone because you are soaked in the supernatural. It’s not sinful to get angry, and God expects that we will; however anger is fear, frustration, and hurt feelings coming together. Anger becomes sinful if we hang on to or nurse it while engaging in a vengeful behaviour toward those with whom we are angry.

    “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath” – Ephesians 4:26

    There are progressive steps that will ruin your relationship especially with friends and people who are closely related to you if you hang on to anger. First, you will withdraw from them; then you will escalate and inflame your dispute with them; then belittling and criticism begin and, finally, negative beliefs set in and poison you toward them. Anger not only can be hurtful to another person but it can be especially harmful to the one who is angry. Anger affects you spiritually. Staying angry extinguishes the light of God in your life and you will walk in darkness.

    “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”  1 John 2: 9-11

    When you start thinking and living in the dark, there is no spiritual insight. Anger is like a rheostat and it takes the light out of your life. When you forgive and release the other person to God, the light comes back and illuminates your path to your place of destiny. I pity a lot of sisters who bear grudges against any man who jilted them and continue to live in bitterness cursing him and refusing to forgive him and let go. I tell you, it’s a sheer waste of time and energy which beclouds their souls and affects their vision of the better plans God has for them. If you are still harbouring such feelings, I advise you let it go so that God can appear and compensate you with a better version of your dream man. What a good God!

    Anger affects you emotionally – Anger grows into hatred, rage and bitterness. Anger can also bring addictive habits like drugs, alcohol, over-eating, and ungodly sex. Anger affects logic and reasoning. Your mind gets confused and you can’t figure things out. Anger is a very destructive spirit which may not only deprive you of all you truly deserve but get you into serious trouble you may have to cope with as long as you live. That will not be our portion in Jesus name. AMEN!

  • Pursue your destiny (XVI)

    Hello Miss Temilolu,

    Well done! Repeatedly, I offer a silent fervent prayer in my heart that God gives this young, educated and beautiful lady the grace to live according to the content of her articles whenever I read your write-ups in the Girls Club of the Nation newspaper. Remain strong always and be richly blessed.

    Pastor Ayuk (Ikom, Ikom L.G.A.)

    Dear Temilolu,

    In your “Pursue your destiny (XV),” which though you haven’t concluded, I am forced to ask why God’s will on Adam led him to failure. I am saying this because a reader wrote to you to be neutral and I can see you can’t do without referring to the bible. How about pre-bible marriages that went well? I hope the will of God wouldn’t end on visions and dreams. Thanks my dear.

    U. Atine

    Dear Nigerians,

    I am most delighted to be with you again today, the beginning of the best days of your life. I thank my brothers for their messages and thoughts about my articles. We are all going somewhere great and we shall be richly blessed in Jesus name. Quite frankly, a lot of people have made choices without waiting for God and made a success out of their marriages and other endeavors. However, it is very risky for a glorious destiny to handle issues of life that way. This is because such a life is constantly bombarded by attacks from our common enemy- the devil who wants to ensure he/she makes choices that could cause accidents on the highway of life and divert such a destiny from what God originally planned it to be. We all have choices to make in this life and should also be ready to bear the consequences. However, you will agree with me that no one can have “good success” outside God who reveals Himself through the scriptures. He created us and specially designed us in a unique manner, so He knows what best suits us and who/what will assist us to manifest our original glory. He won’t come down to fix things for us but inspires us through His word.

    “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

    Joshua 1:8

    I must also mention that God gives the RIGHT spouse but not a PERFECT marriage. God would not give you the wrong spouse if you ask Him for the choice to make and patiently wait for Him. Now, when He gives the right partner, it is left for both of them to WORK OUT a good/perfect/successful marriage by daily obeying God’s counsels for marriage. The scriptures clearly state rules for living and as long as neither of the spouses deviates from them, they would surely make a huge, “good success” in spite of challenges which we are told to expect but have been conquered for us.

    You’d recall at the beginning of this series- “Pursue your destiny,” I mentioned that one of the major reasons why ladies make the wrong choice of spouse is because they haven’t even discovered themselves let alone adequately prepared for marriage emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. So, we may not be able to discuss the issues on making the right choice of spouse as raised last week till we are done with re-building our spirits and having an awakened and rejuvenated soul. You will agree with me that once that’s in place, we can’t be confused about making the right choice. In fact, I dare say, the right choice will locate us with speed as the heavy presence of God we carry would attract God’s choice when God is ready to get us married. Abi? How nice!

    I welcome you all to school on Sunday. In the last few weeks, we’ve been discussing Spiritual Intelligence however; I noticed that so many who are deep spiritually, even prophets have one negative element or the other in their spirit which could not only weigh them down spiritually and slow them down physically but could also stop them from manifesting the wonderful things God has been showing them about their lives. Girls, if you want to manifest your original destiny and maintain a glorious life, you have to be ready to deal with a lot that could get in your way and the best time is now when you are still impressionable. Once you recognize these and deal with what should be dealt with, your move on the highway of life will be smooth and you will be so unstoppable. May God visit you tonight and show you your original.

  • PURSUE YOUR DESTINY (XV)

    Madam,

    I like your articles on “Pursue your destiny,” they are very thought-provoking and inspiring. May God give you more wisdom. Keep it up.

    Anonymous

     

    Dear Temilolu,

    I read your article – “Pursue your destiny (XIV) and I find it very insightful and interesting. A major problem the female folk face today is “marriage.” Please discuss the issue – where to get a good partner, how to dress, how to talk in public and the type of friends to move with. But please don’t narrow your message to the Bible. Be neutral. May God’s mercies shine upon you. Thanks.

    Nureni Obaagun

    My great Nigerian sisters and every wonderful fan of this page-God’s page,

    I can assure you it is your turn to shine and you will arise and shine in Jesus name. In the last few weeks, we’ve been discussing Spiritual Intelligence which is the only vehicle that can transport us to our place of destiny. Any other vehicle will either crash or take us on a path completely different from the one designed by God for each one of us and would eventually wreak havoc. You can gather from the articles in the last few weeks on developing spiritual intelligence that it is not an easy task and it is one which requires a lot of commitment. Unfortunately, at a time when technology advances from age to age when this type of intelligence should also advance, it is on the decline amongst the youth and even the adults. Because of this, too many are behind God’s wonderful plans for their lives. Now, if your eyes are not open in the spirit to know God’s divine plan for your life, how can you chart the right course? It is most tragic to leave our lives to time and chance. We must note that every man’s destiny is tied to a time frame and if we don’t fulfil it at the appointed time, we may never fulfil it. I appreciate my brothers for their messages and agree with Mr. Nureni that marriage which was designed by God to make our lives beautiful is practically marring the lives of both males and females and diverting the course of their glorious destinies.

    A lot of ladies get married for the wrong reasons or better still fail to realise what they are getting into. Some get married because they are so much in love and can’t wait to spend the rest of their lives with the love of their life, some because their parents can’t wait to get them out of the house especially when they want to be relieved of their financial burden while some just want to have children before it’s too late and some others because of societal pressure. Hmm…Sigh. It is so nice to be married but marrying the wrong person could be likened to “hell on earth.”

    Most ladies are more particular about marrying a guy that’s handsome, caring, has a good job, bright prospects, “loaded,” etc. than the will of God for their destinies. We all have an idea of the sort of man we want to end up with and there’s nothing wrong with that but we must not forget the importance of God’s choice. Some ladies see their beauty as a commodity and go for the highest bidder who the devil might have arranged in one way or the other to truncate their destinies. A lot of women are unhappy in marriage today because of their wrong analysis. A man would do anything to win the heart of a lady he wants and most ladies get carried away by kind acts, love, attention and gifts and just conclude that he is the right person. This is a very fatal way to handle suitors. Only God knows the heart of every man and I mean both gender.

    “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” I the Lord search the heart……” Jeremiah 17:9-10

    My brother wants me to be neutral and not narrow the issue of marriage down to the scriptures but I tell you that’s impossible. This is because as soon as God created man, He reckoned it was not good for him to be alone and created a help meet.

    “And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Genesis 2:18

    I checked different versions of the Bible and we have “helper suitable for him,” “helper just right for him,” “helper fit for him,” “helper as his complement,” “helper who is like him,” etc. Now, how do we know our right partner without having recourse to God? Unfortunately, a lot of women who thought they had the right spiritual channels which could help them make the right choice had their fingers burnt. All human beings have limited revelatory knowledge to start with and no one is infallible – even the greatest prophets. And also you never can tell the power behind that prophet you think can never go wrong. There’s so much to discuss on this issue and I promise to write on the points raised above. Are you married to the wrong person and wish you could turn back the hands of time? Let God take over your entire life and you will be pleasantly amazed at how you will experience “heaven on earth.”

  • PURSUE YOUR DESTINY (XIV)

    “The God who created the ancient hills, unto Him I give all my praise

    Who deserves all my praise than my heavenly father? Who on earth

    Can truly take all my praise? The God who created the ancient hills,

    Unto Him I give all my praise.”

    AS you join in singing the above song loud and clear to the hearing of the heavens, so shall your success reverberate all over the world in Jesus name. Today, the first day of a new month marks the beginning of the best days of your life. I welcome you to school on Sunday.

     Developing Spiritual Intelligence (Contd.)

      4. Live a quiet life (contd.)

    “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel …in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:” Isaiah 30:15

    Confidence here means your faith in God. Faith is a firm persuasion and expectation, that God will perform all He has promised us in Christ. It proves to the mind, the reality of things that cannot be seen by the physical eyes. That is, just as you see physical things with your eyes, faith sees what your soul sees in the spiritual realm. It is what conditions your heart and soul to receive all what God has in store for you. God told us in the scriptures that He knew us before we were formed in our mother’s womb and has ordained us as prophets to nations.Jeremaiah 1:5 Wow, get ready!

     5. Abstain from lust of the flesh

    “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”

    1 Peter 2:11

    We have to deny our flesh for the things of the spirit. Lust is a strong sexual desire. It makes you do things that go against God. Take it or leave it, if you want your original destiny to shine and be free from oppression, you will never have anything to do with ungodly sex. By that I mean any sex outside marriage. Also, it is also important to let you know this includes masturbation and any form of sexual satisfaction. Our manual for living clearly states it wars against our soul which is what connects us to God. Now if we allow our flesh conflict with the spirit of God which is the force behind our journey in life, can we make any good out of life? The point is if you want to grow in the spirit of God, you can’t have a boyfriend because he will not only steal the time, concentration and energy you ought to spend with God, he will make you do things that will make you succumb to your flesh. Now, I am not talking about 2 people who have presented themselves to God for marriage and are doing things His way. However, if your spouse-to-be is getting in your way with God or disturbing your spirituality in one form or the other, you should check again with God and be sure he is the right partner.

    Girls, we all have choices to make in life. It may sound strange that you are being advised against having boyfriends and instead encouraged to grow in the spiritual. All I know is that being in charge of your destiny and having spiritual dominion is what guarantees the best things in life including peace, joy, good health, good education, great wealth that you can never exhaust till you die, all the love in the world and the best husband in the world. It is what enables your star shine, makes you famous in the world and heavenly-celebrated. So, you have a choice to follow whichever path suits you.

     6. Be a member of a praying church

    Unfortunately, a lot of churches today are so distracted by all sorts such that they are no better than a worldly social gathering. It must be noted that a church is as alive as its prayer power and the spirit of prayer in the church is the means of its innermost yearning for fellowship with God. The raw demonstration of the power of God as a result of  intense prayers increase your faith and makes your spirit man hunger for the super-natural.Your prayer fire quickens you in the super-natural and makes you move with speed such that the devil will find it hard to put obstacles in your way or confuse you. Don’t forget iron sharpens iron and corporate anointing usually brings down the power of God. And once the power of God constantly settles on your life as you live a holy life, you not only flow easily in the things of the spirit, you also become a power generator. By being a member of a praying church, you easily become a prayer warrior and I tell you, a prayer warrior is the master of all prophets. This is because if you can see things in the spiritual realm and prophesy and you can’t pray them to manifest, then you just saw them and they may never come to pass. So, please acquaint yourself with a praying church.

    7. Listen to divinely inspired music

    Saturate your mind with worship songs and hymns that will lift up your spirit and invoke the presence of God upon your life and not music that will fuel lust in you or make you gaga going crazy!