HAPPY EASTER

He was beaten, spitted on, dragged 
naked, pierced and hung on the cross 
like a thief for you and me

He had the power to resist the Romans 
from torturing Him but because he loved 
us, He suffered and died just for
you and me

we have been liberated from destruction
we have free access to the holy of holies
we are now called His own, how sweet 
and wonderful, for me and you

Death couldn’t hold Him, Christ is risen, 
the earth trembles the Lord rains in me 
and you

Behold how beautiful and pleasant it is 
for brethren to gather together as one, 
for Christ died for you and me

Greater and mightier things than he did 
has he given us power to do, because 
we are called his, yea me and you

Wallowed away in sin, we were set free
and free indeed hallelujah to the Lord 
God of host, without Christ there

Will be no me and you

GOOD FRIDAY?

“Good Friday” instead of “Bad Friday” or something similar? Some Christian traditions do take this approach: in German, for example, the day is called Karfreitag or “Sorrowful In English, in fact, the origin of the term “Good” is debated, some believe it developed from an older name, “God’s Friday.” Regardless of the origin, the name Good Friday is entirely appropriate because the suffering and death of Jesus, as terrible as it was, marked the dramatic culmination of God’s plan to save his people from their sins.

In order for the good news of the gospel to have meaning for us, we first have to understand the bad news of our condition as sinful people under condemnation. The good news of deliverance only makes sense once we see how we are enslaved. Another way of saying this is that it is important to understand and distinguish between law and gospel in Scripture. We need the law first to show us how hopeless our condition is; then the gospel of Jesus’ grace comes and brings us relief and salvation

In the same way, Good Friday is “good” because as terrible as that day was, it had to happen for us to receive the joy of Easter. The wrath of God against sin had to be poured out on Jesus, the perfect sacrificial substitute, in order for forgiveness and salvation to be poured out to the nations. Without that awful day of suffering, sorrow, and shed blood at the cross, God could not be both “just and the justifier” of those who trust in Jesus (Romans 3:26) Paradoxically, the day that seemed to be the greatest triumph of evil was actually the deathblow in God’s gloriously good plan to redeem the world from bondage.

The cross is where we see the convergence of great suffering and God’s forgiveness. Psalms 85:10 sings of a day when “righteousness and peace” will “kiss each other.” The cross of Jesus is where that occurred, where God’s demands, his righteousness, coincided with his mercy. We receive divine forgiveness, mercy, and peace because Jesus willingly took our divine punishment, the result of God’s righteousness against sin. “For the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus endured the cross on Good Friday, knowing it led to his resurrection, our salvation, and the beginning of God’s reign of righteousness and peace. We now have access to the holy of holies. The priest can now stand on the alter and preach because the curtains separating us from God was torn. Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. As dark as it was; it was really a good day!

OVERCOMING TEMPTATION

Understanding how temptation works is in itself helpful, but there are specific steps you need to take to overcome it. The first step is refusing to be intimidated. Many Christians are frightened and demoralized by tempting thoughts, feeling guilty that they aren’t beyond temptation. They feel ashamed just for being tempted. This is a misunderstanding of maturity. You will never outgrow temptation. In one sense you can consider temptation a compliment. Satan does not have to tempt those that are already doing his evil will; they are already his. Temptation is a sign that Satan hates you, not a sign of weakness or worldliness. It is also a normal part of being human and living in a fallen world. Don’t be surprised or shocked or discouraged by it. Be realistic about the inevitability of temptation; you will never be able to avoid it completely. The Bible says, when you are tempted, not if. Paul advises, remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. It is not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted, yet he never sinned. Temptation only becomes a sin when you give in to it. Martin Luther said, you cannot keep birds from flying over your head but not can keep them from building a nest in your hair. You can’t keep the devil from suggesting thoughts, but you can choose not to dwell or act on them. For example, many people don’t know the difference between physical attraction or sexual arousal, and lust. They are not the same. God made every one of us a sexual being, and that is good. Attraction and arousal are the natural, spontaneous, God-given responses to physical beauty, while lust is a deliberate act of the will. Lust is a choice to commit in your mind what you’d like to do with your body. You can be attracted or even aroused without choosing to sin by lusting. Many people, especially Christian men, feel guilty that their God-given hormones are working. When they automatically notice an attractive woman, they assume it is lust and feel ashamed and condemned. But attraction is not lust until you begin to dwell on it. Actually the closer you grow to God, the more Satan will try to tempt you. The moment you became God’s child, Satan, like a mobster hit man, put out a contract on you, you are his enemy, and he’s plotting your downfall. Sometimes while you are praying, Satan will suggest a bizarre or evil thought just to distract you and shame you. Don’t be alarmed or ashamed by this, but realize that Satan fears your prayers and will try anything to stop them. Instead of condemning yourself with, how could I think of such a thought? Treat it as a distraction from Satan and immediately refocus on God.

            Recognize your pattern of temptation and be prepared for it. There are certain situations that make you more vulnerable to temptation than others. Some circumstances will cause you to stumble almost immediately, while others don’t bother you much. These situations are unique to your weakness, and you need to identify them because Satan surely knows them! He knows exactly what trips you up, and he is constantly working to get you into those circumstances. Peter warns, stay alert. The devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Ask yourself, when am I most tempted? What day of week? What time of day? Ask, where am I most tempted? At work? At home? At a neighbour’s house? At a sport bar? In an airport or motel out of town? Ask, who is with me when I am most tempted? Friends? Co-workers? A crowd of strangers? When am alone? Also ask, how do I usually feel when I am most tempted? It may be when you are tired or lonely or bored or depressed or under stress. It may be when you’ve been hurt or angry or worried, or after a big success or spiritual high. You should identify your typical pattern of temptation and then prepare to avoid those situations as much as possible. The Bible tells us repeatedly to anticipate and be ready to face temptations. Paul said, don’t give the devil a chance. Wise planning reduces temptation. Follow the advices of proverbs: plan carefully what you do. Avoid evil and walk straight ahead. Don’t go one step off the right way. God’s people avoid evil ways, and they protect themselves by watching where they go.

            Request God’s help. Heaven has a twenty four hour emergency hot line. God wants you to ask Him for assistance in overcoming temptations. He says; call on me in times of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honour me. I call this a microwave prayer because it is quick and to the point. Help! SOS! Mayday! When temptations strike, you don’t have time for a long conversation with God; you simply cry out. David, Daniel, Peter, Paul, and millions of others have prayed this kind of instant prayer for help in time of trouble. The Bible guarantees that our cry for help will be heard because Jesus is sympathetic to our struggle. He faced the same temptations we do. He understands our weakness, for He faced all of the same temptations we do, yet He did not sin. If God is waiting to help us defeat temptation, why don’t we turn to him more often? Honestly, sometimes we don’t want to be helped! We want to give in to temptation even though we know it’s wrong. At that moment we think we know what’s best for us more than God. At other times we are embarrassed to ask God for help because we keep giving in to the same temptation over and over. But God never get’s irritated, bored, or impatient when we keep coming back to Him. The Bible says, let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it. God’s love is everlasting, and his patience endures forever. If you have to cry out for God’s help two hundred times a day to defeat a particular temptation, he will still be eager to give mercy and grace, so come boldly. Ask Him for power to do the right thing and then expect Him to provide it. Temptations keep us dependent upon God. Just as the roots grow stronger when the wind blows against a tree, so every time you stand up to a temptation you become more like Jesus. When you stumble- which you will- it is not fatal. Instead of giving in or giving up, look up to God, expect him to help you, and remember the reward that is waiting for you: when people are tempted and still continue strong, they should be happy. After they have proved their faith, God will reward them with life forever.

                                                                                                           

DOER OF THE WORD

Receiving, reading, researching, remembering, and reflecting on the word are all useless if we fail to put them into practice. We must become doers of the word. This is the hardest step of all, because Satan fights it so intensely. He doesn’t mind you going to bible studies as long as you don’t do anything with what you learn. We fool ourselves when we assume that just because we have heard or read or studied a truth, we have internalized it. Actually , you can be so busy going to the next class or seminar or bible conference that you have no time to implement what you’ve learned. You forget it on the way to your next study. Without implementation, all our bible studies are worthless. Jesus said: everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Jesus also pointed out that God’s blessing comes from obeying the truth, not just knowing it. He said, now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. Another reason we avoid personal application is that it can be difficult or even painful. The truth will set you free, but first it may make you miserable! God’s word exposes our motives, points out our faults, rebukes our sin, and expects us to change. Its human nature to resist change, so applying God’s word is hard work. This is why it is so important to discuss your personal applications with other people. It is very important to be part of a small bible study discussion group. We always learn from others truths we would never learn on our own. Other people will help you see insight you would miss and help you apply God’s truth in a practical way. The best way to become a doer of the word is to always write out an action step as a result of your reading or studying or reflecting on God’s word. Develop the habit of writing down exactly what you intend to do. This action step should be personal, practical, and provable. Every application will involve either your relationship to God, your relationship to others, or your personal character. The question you should ask yourself is: what has God already told you to do in his word that you haven’t started doing yet? Then write down a few action statements that will help you act on what you know. You might tell a friend to hold you accountable. Moody said: the bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.

SIMLINDA

The NYSC scheme brings people of different ethnic backgrounds and religions for same course; which is the main objective of the scheme. On the 4^th of February scheduled for our January clearance, as i stood with other corp members to listen to the Zonal Inspector’s address, a good looking lady was standing next to me. You can imagine seeing a beautiful lady showered with natural endowments. I wouldn’t want to say much about her beauty, but she really looked good. I have decided not to get involved with any too good looking lady because they get too much attention from guys, and they tend to take themselves high. You might want to see it as low self esteem, but I tell you it’s far from that; it is a personal decision I have taken. Well back to the good looking lady, I didn’t say a word to her thou it was obvious there was a connection that just needed a switch on. I finished my clearance and as free spirited that I am left. On the 4^th of March which was another clearance date, we all gathered again, and as the local government inspector was addressing us, I was at the back not too interested in what he had to say, because he was talking about skill acquisition as it will help many corpers to get something doing after their service year; am serving in a place that i hardly have time for myself. Well back to the beautiful girl, as I stood at the back to exchange greetings with friends, the beautiful girl just appeared and was exchanging greetings with the lady I was talking to, it appeared they were friends. As a sharp guy I took advantage of the situation and started a conversation with her, I wouldn’t want to go into details of our conversation, but the truth is; the beautiful girl I was thinking would be full of herself and all that, is down to earth and a very simple person. Because of her nature, we easily became friends and not just friends; i can tell you we are mutual friends. Am still taking time to know her better before i can make conclusion on other things, which i guess is already in the minds of many readers. Sometimes we just see people and conclude by just their facial looks, but I have learnt to see people by their hearts, and not just by mere facial expressions. As i write the only thing that keeps coming to my mind is the thoughts of Simlinda and her small white oily eyes. I will drop my pen here, but be sure you will get to hear more about Simlinda and the good friendship that has just started.

WORLD BOOK DAY

Finishing a book is sometimes very hard. Some books might be quite interesting but voluminous; leaving most readers stopping halfway. Today is world book day, and all that comes to my mind is the old good and rich content of the books that we read in our primary and secondary school years. I wish I can put up some pictures to bring back the memories of many, but laziness won’t let me; but here to mention the likes of Chike and the River by Chinua Achebe, The joy of motherhood by Buchi Emecheta, Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe, brighter grammar, Without a silver spoon by Eddie Iroh and many more, am sure some people are already catching memories and listing more books and authors. To make this day more interesting, kindly drop the name of other good books you can remember and let the trend continue on here and on all social networks, let’s make this day a memorable one. Reading books keeps us at a pace higher than others; imbibe the culture of reading even if it’s just one book a month, you will notice tremendous changes in your grammar and communication skills. As it is said, readers are leaders. Make a wise decision this day and experience a future that will beat your imagination. Happy world book day!