Don’t Quit!

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Hebrews 12:1-11

Deuteronomy 14–16;  Mark 12:28-44

In 1952 Florence Chadwick attempted to swim 26 miles from the coast of California to Catalina Island. After 15 hours, a heavy fog began to block her view, she became disoriented, and she gave up. To her chagrin, Chadwick learned that she had quit just 1 mile short of her destination.

Two months later Chadwick tried a second time to swim to Catalina Island from the coast. Again a thick fog settled in, but this time she reached her destination, becoming the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel. Chadwick said she kept an image of the shoreline in her mind even when she couldn’t see it.

When the problems of life cloud our vision, we have an opportunity to learn to see our goal with the eyes of faith. The New Testament letter to the Hebrews urges us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (12:1-2). When we feel like quitting, this is our signal to remember not only what Jesus suffered for us but what He now helps us to endure—until the day we see Him face to face.

Dear Father, sometimes the challenges of life seem insurmountable. Help me to fix my eyes on You and trust You. I’m thankful You are bringing about Your good purposes in me.

We can finish strong when we focus on Christ.

Four Spiritual Principles you need to know!!!

Interactive Gospel

Hello!
How are you please?

There is something that is very dear to my heart. I would like to share that with you in few minutes.
Have you heard of the 4 steps to God?

Let me quickly share them with you.

Step 1- God Loves You!
The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”

The problem is that…

Step 2- All of us have done, said or thought things that are wrong.  This is called sin, and our sins
have separated us from God.
The Bible says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God forever. The Bible says “The
wages of sin is death.”

The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,

Step 3- God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins
Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. “God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”

Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life — of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.
Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except by Me.”

Step 4- If you want to accept Christ as your Savior and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:

“Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.
Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of
eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be
my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always.”

If you have prayed this prayer sincerely, you have become a child of God. All your sins have been forgiven.
The Holy Spirit now lives in you.

I would like to encourage you to join a Bible believing church near you where Christ is honoured and His word is preached.

Send your questions to joelikan@gmail.com

Serving God effectively and still doing well in academics as students

*Someone once asked a question, How can we serve God more effectively and still do well in academics*

I've also found myself in such situation before in fact, even now but God is helping me.

Going through the scripture, not all Christ's disciples were full time disciples in the sense that not all needed to drop their profession to serve God. (Capacity varies)

The major things to consider here are
1. *what is God saying?* Ministry differs though they all have some things in common. Paul's ministry was quite different from Stephen's or Philip's. *1 Cor 12:4,6-28*

Many at times, we could be more zealous than God himself.😂

2. *Understand your purpose! It is key*, know what God has for you and comprehend the fact that your fellowship with Him is most important.

3. Your coming to school and going through school might be the *necessary building process you need to function* to the end.
Check the lives of the notable men of God we have today, even in our country Nigeria.  *_Ecc10:10 ...wisdom is profitable to direct._*

4. Be sensitive to God's voice and be ready to take up challenges.

5. Lastly, *Ecclesiastes  9:10*  _Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, *do it with thy might*;_

Try as much as possible not to allow any of them (academics&Ministry) suffer, you need both!

*May God help us all.* 🙏🏻🙏🏻
It is well. Amen

*©Joel_Ayomide.*

Depression: an enemy you must run from!!

Over the years, I've met with students like myself especially 100L students(Freshmen), all thanks to God for Student Life Movement.

One of the most rampant struggle students deal with is depression!

Let me make this known, I've been through this also, since my secondary school days; gotta walk some distance to school and back, school fees weren't paid on time, little finance to cater for what I wanted and the likes.  But thank God for my Mum, who always gave me the assurance and hope that  tomorrow would be better.

I've been there too, enrolling in a federal school though fees weren't that much but then, general upkeep become an issue to deal with; when money wasn't coming from home, school results weren't smiling, no one to truly open up to, it's like the whole world is on you.

At a point I got to understand that no one is free from this topic, I remember discussing with my senior brother and our conclusion that day was that whenever you begin to feel your problem or challenge is the toughest or most difficult then, you need an urgent help, else you'll commit suicide soonest.

In order to help myself and others, I've decided, intentionally to make my own problems secondary and others, primary...

*To be continued...*

Insight into the much awaited series titled LOVING THE UNLOVABLE

Haven gone through the old testaments, it was observed that the law that was in operation, known amidst the people, given by the Almighty God through his servant Moses  was the law of "a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye."
This simply means, you're in the right position to repay what ever is done to you and for you.

But then comes the saviour in the new testament, Jesus Christ of Nazareth who brings a new doctrine, and says forgive so that you can also be forgiven. He says; "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you"(Matthew  5:44).

A similar instruction was painted in Luke's account: Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.(Luke  6:28)

These verses of the scripture left me just wondering what our Master, Jesus was expecting from us. Then He proceeded to the reason for the instructions;  "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?" (Matthew  5:46)

We all know that it's easy for us all to love those who love us. sometimes, we give people money, materials and the likes hoping to get the same in return.

But here the Lord Jesus is telling us to LOVE even those who don't deserve it.

Paul also spoke extensively about this in 1 Corinthians  13:1-end

Prayer: Father, according to your instruction that I should love the unlovable, help me to fully appropriate the provisions you've made available, that I might show the love you desire from me to my neighbors

Further reading: Leviticus 24:13-23, Exodus 21:1-36, Matthew 5:37-48

I hope this inspires your heart today and everyday of your life to pursue peace will all men irrespective of their color, sex, religion, attitude, culture and race.

God bless you
#Joel_Ayomide

INTRODUCTION

It has been observed that in our days, a lot of people are bitter, some even find it difficult to forgive because of one experience or the other. Some have reached the conclusion that men are bad, ladies can't be trusted, family members are wicked, no true friendship anywhere and the likes all because of the attitude that we have seen people display over time.

I partially agree with this school of thought but on the other side, what does the scripture say concerning this? What can we infer or deduce from the life of Jesus and other heroes of Faith.?

A study of the lives of these heroes of faith would make us see what God had called us into.

If we decide to stick to the law of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." Definitely, most people, if not all would be blind by now. This wouldn't help anyone but rather aggravate the problems that are in existence today.

Watch out for the first series as we explore God's heart desire for us inline with the topic.

Thank you and God bless you.
#Joel_Ayomide

ANTICIPATE! ANTICIPATE!! ANTICIPATE!!!

Our first series would be dropping soon and it's tagged LOVING THE UNLOVABLE.

We trust it's gonna be exciting, refreshing and educating, where we would learn a lot that has to do with our vertical and horizontal relationship

The vertical relationship represents our relationship with God through two sources;

The first being how we speak to Him and the second, how He speaks to us.

Whereas our horizontal relationship has to do with how we relate with our friends, colleagues, room mates, (neighbors) just as described in (Matthew 22:34-40) both those that seem to love us and those who seem not to.

Samples would be drawn from the Scriptures as we look deep into both old and new testament figures.

Stay tuned and Remain blessed

#Shalom