Created To Last Forever 2

When someone dies, we sometime think it’s unnatural and unfair even though we know that everyone will eventually die; that is because God has wired our brains that way and planted eternity in our hearts. God didn’t create us to come and die in one day; He made us in His own image to live forever. Our lives here on earth is a preparation for eternity, everything here is temporal; that’s why Paul said: I once thought all this things are so important, but I now consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. To make the most of eternity, is to consider everything here worthless and start preparing for it. Your earthly body is just a temporary residence of your spirit; when you die it’s not the end of you, but a transition to eternity. The bible says: eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, neither has it entered the heart of anyone what God has planned for those who love Him. When you live in light of eternity, your values change. You will start putting little attention to wealth, achievement, trend, fashion and fun, investing more of your time in building relationship and character as this life is a preparation for the next. God has a purpose for your life on earth, but it doesn’t end here. His plans involves far more than the few decades you will spend on this planet. It’s more than the opportunity of a lifetime; God offers you an opportunity beyond your lifetime. The bible says God’s plans endure forever; His purposes last eternally. Just as the nine months you spent in your mothers womb was a preparation for this life, so is this life a preparation for eternity. If you have a relationship with God through Jesus, you don’t have to fear death. It is the door to eternity. It will be the last hour of your time on earth, but it won’t be the last of you. Rather a birthday into eternal life. This world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven. A slogan once said we should live each day of our lives as if it is the first day, but it would be wiser to live each day as if it were the last day of our lives. Here is a question: since I am made to last forever, what is that one thing I should stop doing and that one thing I should start doing?

CHARACTER FUELS THE RELATIONSHIP

Over time we get to know people better and discover who they really are. Giving it time says a lot of things and spares us mistakes we might have made if we rushed into a relationship. Recently I met a lady and it was all on me that she was the one and all that. You get to know the true colour of people when you relate over a period of time. Some say Love is blind but for me it’s not so at all. Love can be blind only when you rush into the relationship and later discover the incompatibility of the both of you. Meeting people for the first time can be all rosy until you later discover the character of the person, I used to say I will get married to a tall beautiful light skinned lady, but I have come to discover it is not about the height, skin colour or beauty; character sustains you in the relationship. A beautiful lady with no character will only lead you to regrets, no matter how beautiful she might look. I once heard a preacher say; if you have been praying to God for a blessing/miracle and it’s not forthcoming, check yourself you have PRIDE. I have also seen a write up by a scholar saying; a woman that begins to feel like the man of the house will one day find herself in a house without a man. Pride makes one not to be submissive to the other partner and men are naturally the figure heads and won’t give in to any woman’s ego. So many ladies say they can’t be obedient to men they are yet to marry and end up not getting married, because the Love of some men like me has eyes to see, brain to reason, ears to hear, legs to run if need be. A lot of things would attract you to a lady, and it also takes a lot of things to keep you attracted or running from that lady. Character and I repeat consistent good character drives a relationship. In as much as you want to tolerate people, be sure it’s to the level you can endure even inside the relationship, if not give it time and be sure to make a wise decision. I have learnt my lessons, and I am sharing with you just so you won’t make same mistakes. Not all that glitters is gold says an adage; Love has eyes, ears, nose, brain, and legs use them if need be.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Time management is very important. Time is a very important resource; more valuable than money. What have you been doing with your time all this while? A philosopher by the name Galileo once said; you cannot teach someone anything, if that person doesn’t have an idea of what you want to teach him. Time can be point back to the cradle of civilization 300 BC. Everyone has a time either on their phone, silver, rubber or a gold platted wristwatch. We virtually use time everyday of our lives; tho poorly managed. I would share some hints that would help us manage our time better.

Most people are into government jobs where they resume work at 8, do nothing throughout the working hours and close by 4. The 804 syndrome has not only slowed the economy but we as individuals and employees. The system in Nigeria especially is not working, but you as an individual what are you doing in your bit to not only make things better, but to better yourself. I would advice someone reading this write-up to get something doing if he/she is in a government organisation that they resume work by 8, do nothing and close by 4 and still collect their salaries LOL. Try building your portfolio in those wasted work hours. Take up online courses, read books, take an hour everyday to thinks of ideas to better the organisational system and yourself. Some say they don’t have time. Many Nigerians holding reasonable positions don’t even turn on the news or read papers. You can imagine asking your representative about an ongoing issue in the country and he would tell you he doesn’t know because he is too busy working or so. Great men like Mark Zuckerberg the owner of facebook said in his New Year resolution that, he would be committed to reading two books monthly and meeting new people every day. If busy people like him can still spare time, why not you? It only takes a deliberate decision. GF Kennedy once said we must visit the moon. Years later this happened through commitment and time dedication; this is to tell you how important time is. If you declare and work, there is nothing impossible. If you can read and you don’t read, you are worst than an illiterate.

Why do you need to manage time? Well it’s simply to do more than you are doing already. Planning and organisation; when you plan for 1 minute, you have saved 9 minutes of implementing. Principle of trivial many and vital few by Fred Pareto; solving the most challenging task first, before solving the less important/challenging task. Some people want to solve easy task first and end up not being able to solve the hard ones. There are also behavioral requirements in time management. Delegation of authority and listening to people before you speak saves a lot of time of bad decision making that would take time to amend. Everyone’s idea is important; Polaroide was discovered from an 8 year old question. Always appreciate and encourage people, it helps them to do better. Your health also needs over time management, nutrition is key; eat both sweet and bitter fruits, not for the taste but for the nutritional value. Good family life is also very important. Have time for your family, don’t get too busy now and regret lots of time trying to mend things; observe your family leisure and get pleasure. In conclusion I would like to share a schematic method of time management by D. Eisenhover

	Due soon	Not due
important	1	2
Not important	3	4

MY TAKE ON RELIGION

There is a popular saying that, HIV NO DEY SHOW FOR FACE; well so is religion. You can’t just see people and conclude on their faith based on their looks, dressing, tribe or accents. I go to a lot of places and I keep getting that comment that “you look like a Muslim” or I thought you were a Muslim because of how you dress. This has kept reoccurring and I felt I should write something on it.

            The faith one belongs to cannot be shown on a dress except for priests because they have a particular dressing code. People see me on kaftan, the normal Hausa man attire and run into conclusion that I am a Muslim, because they have held unto the notion that northerners are all Muslims. Dressing can be attached to ones cultural background and not faith. When you came into the world, your first identity is the home you were born into, this gives you a native and a religion because you were still a baby, but as you grow you can change to other religions but you cannot change your tribe. The next time you see someone dressed in cultural attire, don’t run into conclusions of faith, because it has nothing to do with natives. The same way one can decide to dress in any other cultural attire and you can’t conclude that he is from that particular ethnic group. Religion is not in looks, rather a man’s heart.  

            The most pressing one is the attribution of beards to Islam. Well Islam might have something to do with beards but that doesn’t mean that anyone that keeps long beards is a Muslim. I love beards so much that I don’t care what people say about how long my beards are; sometimes it feels like belonging to a beard gang is there is anything like that LOL. People keep beards because they look finer with beards or because they want to look older than their age, and a lot of other reasons best known to them.

            After my first conversation with some people in my native language Hausa; I keep getting that I thought you were a Muslim from the way your Hausa is fluent. Sorry not all Hausa people are Muslims; there are a lot of Hausa Christians, same way there are lots of Muslims in the South and east. Ones belonging to a particular faith is choice, as every single Nigerian has right to freedom of faith. You tribe doesn’t not define your religion; you grow to know your fundamental human right and attach yourself to a faith that best befit you.  Accents might point out your roots but not your fruits.

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.