“I read from the Bible every day, and I read my Daily Word, I read something great yesterday. It said, ‘Don’t aspire to make a living. Aspire to make a difference.'”
Monday, March 30, 2015
Denzel Washington:”I Read From The Bible Every Day..”
Denzel Washington opened up about his Christian values in an interview. He says he makes sure to read his Bible every day.
“I read from the Bible every day, and I read my Daily Word, I read something great yesterday. It said, ‘Don’t aspire to make a living. Aspire to make a difference.'”
The Christian actor also revealed his experience with feeling the Holy Spirit during a service at the West Angeles Church of God in Christ.
“I read from the Bible every day, and I read my Daily Word, I read something great yesterday. It said, ‘Don’t aspire to make a living. Aspire to make a difference.'”
Benny Hinn Official Statement About Illness
The 63-year-old Israeli-born pastor was said to have suffered shortness of breath and uncomfortable physical symptoms upon his return from Brazil.
The official statement from Benny Hinn ministries through the spokesperson, Ronn Torossian, read:
We can confirm that
Pastor Benny Hinn was admitted to a California hospital Friday evening
where he was treated for temporarily reduced oxygen levels stemming from
atrial fibrillation, a condition he has experienced intermittently for
over 20 years.
His physicians expect he will be released from
the hospital very soon, as his condition has been addressed.
Thankfully, his doctors report no damage to his heart and expect a full
and complete recovery.
Within a very short time Pastor Benny fully expects to be back on his feet ministering around the world.
Due to the growth and global expansion of his
Ministry, Pastor Benny Hinn has been traveling extensively. He expects
to continue with his schedule within a very short time.
Pastor Benny Hinn and his family ask for the public to pray for his health, and a full and speedy recovery.”
Source:Elev8
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Exclusive Motivation - Les Brown
You have the power to live a bigger life.
Challenge yourself. Take the risk! Become daring.
There are things in your life that are no longer
you and you know it in your heart. There is no
law that says you have to carry the whole world
on your shoulders. And the emptiness and lack of
fulfillment inside is becoming too much to bear.
It’s time to take care of you. Live your dream.
Take off the cape. Do what you know and not
what you feel. You deserve to live too! You have
needs too! Give yourself a mental break and take
time to get centered, grounded and reconnected
with your spirit.
Allowing your time to be wasted
with people who are not serious is not fruitful and
it’s stressful. Staying in a job where you are not
appreciated or valued or validated is draining and
toxic. Hanging on to a relationship that has been
dead a long time ago takes a toll. Take a deep
breath and tap into the courage to make the
tough decision. Things might be difficult for a
while, but don’t underestimate yourself.
You will survive. You always have! Life is on your
side.
You’re more powerful and stronger than you
give yourself credit for being. No guts, no glory.
You have one life to live, live the life you love and
love the life you live. Family and friends may
attempt to discourage you. Tell them thank you, I
got that, and move on. At the end of the day, it’s
your life. You deserve to be happy. You deserve
to make your life a daring adventure and to
manifest your GREATNESS. Keep in mind, it’s
lonely at the top, but you eat better!
Les Brown
Challenge yourself. Take the risk! Become daring.
There are things in your life that are no longer
you and you know it in your heart. There is no
law that says you have to carry the whole world
on your shoulders. And the emptiness and lack of
fulfillment inside is becoming too much to bear.
It’s time to take care of you. Live your dream.
Take off the cape. Do what you know and not
what you feel. You deserve to live too! You have
needs too! Give yourself a mental break and take
time to get centered, grounded and reconnected
with your spirit.
Allowing your time to be wasted
with people who are not serious is not fruitful and
it’s stressful. Staying in a job where you are not
appreciated or valued or validated is draining and
toxic. Hanging on to a relationship that has been
dead a long time ago takes a toll. Take a deep
breath and tap into the courage to make the
tough decision. Things might be difficult for a
while, but don’t underestimate yourself.
You will survive. You always have! Life is on your
side.
You’re more powerful and stronger than you
give yourself credit for being. No guts, no glory.
You have one life to live, live the life you love and
love the life you live. Family and friends may
attempt to discourage you. Tell them thank you, I
got that, and move on. At the end of the day, it’s
your life. You deserve to be happy. You deserve
to make your life a daring adventure and to
manifest your GREATNESS. Keep in mind, it’s
lonely at the top, but you eat better!
Les Brown
Thursday, March 26, 2015
THE HOLY SPIRIT (Contd)
THE WORD FOR TODAY
'...He will give you another...Counsellor.' John 14:16 AMP
In the Bible, Solomon lists 28 different seasons in life. Here they are: ‘A
time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to
harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a
time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve
and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather
stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a
time to stop searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time
to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A
time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:2–8 NLT)
God determines each of your life’s seasons. The Psalmist said, ‘My times are in Your hands…’ (Psalm 31:15 AMP) So what should you do when you enter a new season of life? Reach for the Holy Spirit’s help because He’s a ‘Counsellor’. Jesus told His disciples, ‘I will ask the Father, and He will give you another…Counsellor…to be with you forever.’ (John 14:16 AMP) When you need an advisor because you’re not sure what to do or which way to go, the Holy Spirit is available to guide you. That means you must be sensitive when He highlights a particular Scripture you’re reading, or plants a persistent thought or idea in your mind that won’t go away, or speaks to you through a friend. You’re not alone, unless you want to be. Just consult the ‘Counsellor’ within you.
'...He will give you another...Counsellor.' John 14:16 AMP
In the Bible, Solomon lists 28 different seasons in life. Here they are: ‘A
time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to
harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a
time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve
and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather
stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a
time to stop searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time
to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A
time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:2–8 NLT)God determines each of your life’s seasons. The Psalmist said, ‘My times are in Your hands…’ (Psalm 31:15 AMP) So what should you do when you enter a new season of life? Reach for the Holy Spirit’s help because He’s a ‘Counsellor’. Jesus told His disciples, ‘I will ask the Father, and He will give you another…Counsellor…to be with you forever.’ (John 14:16 AMP) When you need an advisor because you’re not sure what to do or which way to go, the Holy Spirit is available to guide you. That means you must be sensitive when He highlights a particular Scripture you’re reading, or plants a persistent thought or idea in your mind that won’t go away, or speaks to you through a friend. You’re not alone, unless you want to be. Just consult the ‘Counsellor’ within you.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Radio Announcer and Music Historian ROBERT MAROVICH Pens A CITY CALLED HEAVEN: Chicago and The Birth of Gospel Music
Gospel
radio announcer and music historian Robert Marovich has penned an
incredible new book A CITY CALLED HEAVEN that shines a light on the
humble origins of a majestic genre of music and its indispensable bond
to the city where it found its voice: Chicago.
Marovich
follows gospel music from early hymns and camp meetings through the
Great Migration that brought it to Chicago. In time, the music grew into
the sanctified soundtrack of the city’s mainline black Protestant
churches. In addition to drawing on print media and ephemera, Marovich
mines hours of interviews with nearly fifty artists, ministers, and
historians—as well as discussions with relatives and friends of past
gospel pioneers—to recover many forgotten singers, musicians,
songwriters, and industry leaders. He also examines how a lack of
economic opportunity bred an entrepreneurial spirit that fueled gospel
music’s rise to popularity and opened a gate to social mobility for a
number of its practitioners. As Marovich shows, gospel music expressed a
yearning for freedom from earthly pains, racial prejudice, and life’s
hardships. In the end, it proved to be a sound too mighty and too joyous
for even church walls to hold. Gospel music gave a voice to people and
lifted a nation.
"The
challenge in writing A CITY CALLED HEAVEN was to tell as much of the
Chicago story as possible, give it the scholarly treatment it deserves,
and at the same time make it a pleasure to read,” Marovich shares. “I
also hope the book stimulates readers to learn more about the topics and
people I've covered, and inspires other cities to examine their own
rich African American sacred music traditions."
Robert
M. Marovich hosts “Gospel Memories” on Chicago’s WLUW 88.7 FM and is
founder and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Gospel Music, http://www.
THE HOLY SPIRIT...
'I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind...' John 14:27 NLT
Life comes with surprises. Some of them you welcome, and some of them you don’t. One summer you take a trip to the beach, next summer the beach is covered with oil. One month your stocks are soaring and your investments are growing, then suddenly it all comes crashing down. And the ‘brains’ you thought were running the system sit at session of parliament and say, ‘We just never anticipated this.’ And in those rare seasons when you think the world has settled down, watch out! A malignant cell shows up in a colon, or a cyclone rips through a neighbourhood flattening a house. So what are you going to do?
When
Jesus told His disciples He was leaving them, they were in panic mode,
so He said to them, ‘…When the Father sends the Advocate as my
representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and
will remind you of everything I have told you. I’m leaving you with a
gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world
cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.’ (John 14:26–27 NLT)You need to recognise the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives within you, and build a relationship with Him. He’s not an ‘it’ or a ‘thing’ or an ethereal spirit that’s beyond your reach. He is Christ’s ‘representative’. He’s willing to teach you what you don’t know, and to remind you of the things you so easily forget. And best of all, He will give you ‘peace of mind and heart’, regardless of what life throws at you.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Entertainment One Music Hosts Billboard #1 Gospel Hits Album Celebration in Washington DC
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Some of Nigeria's Best Gospel Artistes...
Gospel music is a kind of African, motivational Christian music that has become a major part of Nigerian music. In the 1960s the Evangelical Church of West Africa Choir was popular, and in the early 1970s Bola Aare, Sola Rotimi, Good women Choir, Ebenezer Obey and later, Panam Percy Paul, Onyeka Onwenu, Lanre Teriba (ATORISE), Tope Alabi, Asu Ekiye, Keffi, and Sammie Okposo were notable. Also, in the early 1970s & 80s Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa‘s choir, The Christian Redeemed Voices were known for their gospel sound. He the late Bishop, would purchase instruments for the choir and each one of them would be mastered by skillful musicians. The Bishop would challenge his student pastors and young adult church members to pick up instruments and play them. Play them…they did, no training only the gift of God deposited and called out by the Bishop. There was a lady by the name of Minister Dorothy James (Evangel Temple, USA) and Rev. David Mporampora(Uganda)they transformed gospel music in West Africa. Nigeria in particular. I would say without a doubt, they laid the foundation of the sound we now hear. Many students were from other West African nations and they took that sound and passion for Gospel music back with them. Jackson Tugbeh (Liberia), now (Lagos) Rev. Lesley Tex (Ghana) were students and a part of the influence.
The Arts, the worship dance saw its start in Africa in the Church of God Mission. Thanks to Arch Bishop Idahosa who was open to all God had for his people, the gospel sound would never be the same. The fusion in music and the gospel he bought to Africa is still amazing.
A number of gospel artistes have released albums that are quite commendable such as Ty Bello, AMAA (Abimbola Awolumate’s Everlasting Arms), Foluke Umosen, Soji Israel, Segun Obe, Samsong among others. Artistes like Rooftop MCs, The Bossman, BOUQUI, Frank Edwards[1] and Segun Ogundeko(The Lord’s trumpeter) are also very well known for their gospel hip hop styles. They have released singles and albums that have won several awards.
Besides the above mentioned gospels artistes, we have some others who have made national and international impact. They include: Kunle Ajayi, Buchi, Sinachi, Yetunde Are among others. There are also some notable church choirs that have distinguished themselves especially with contemporary music. Worthy of mentioning is Oyo Province 4 Mass choir of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Jesus Embassy, Christ Embassy, Oke Bola – Ibadan, Nigeria.
Also, there are many Nigerian gospel artists based in other parts of the world whose music has a strong influence on Nigerians, home and abroad. Such artists include Jide Arowolo (UK), Dayo Bello (UK), David Ojo (USA), Funmi Williams (UK), [1] Oluwakemi (UK), Gbenga Wise (USA), Martin Adu (Netherland) Peter Onu De-Nice (Germany), Osene Odia-Ighodaro (USA) and el Mafrex (UK) who recently got nominated for the 2012 MOBO Awards.[2]
Best Nigerian Gospel Artists
Now Christian rock artistes like Frank Edwards, Joe Praise and Eben are joining the forum of Good gospel artistes. Frank Edwards which is the hottest of them all and can be called the best gospel artiste in Nigeria for now is making waves with his music as he brings people to another dimension of rock and worship with his songs. Nigeria’s Gospel music is still rising fast with the emergence of gospel artistes like Psalm Ebube, Tb one, to mention a few.
Coming up hot in the industry is the family oriented team known as Grateful Family, featuring Architects Chidi and Erica Nwanyanwu. Based in the North American City of Toronto, the Economic nerve center of Canada, these two God loving entrepreneurs with an enormous time schedule have mastered the art of balancing Business and society life, with Christian ministry. Their twelve track record album billed for release in early January of 2014 promises to be a bombshell and will take the Nigerian gospel music industry by storm. Here is a sample of their song on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geUEiPqOMq8
Their venture into the gospel music industry is for two reasons, one, to be able to tell the story of their salvation and their life journey. Two, is to raise funds and awareness to support their project “COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER” to be built in several locations in Nigeria Africa.This is a project initiated under their Canada based (Government registered) non-for-profit organisation, “MY ROOTS FOUNDATION” -Source: Wikipedia
Listed here or not, Who is your favourite?
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Bishop Pul S. Morton Leads An Unforgettable Live Recording This Summer For Final Album
Esteemed worship leader, author and recording artist Bishop Paul S. Morton has an inspiring musical extravaganza in store when he hosts a live recording this summer, to create his final full record. Performing live with the Greater Change Mass Choir, the award-winning artist will also welcome a host of guest stars to the stage, as they come together on this special concert celebration that caps his prolific career in ministry and over 30 years as a gospel recording artist. Taking place on Monday, July 13, 2015 in New Orleans at the Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church, tickets for Bishop Morton’s live recording are available for purchase now online, ranging from $10 - $30, and will also be available on-site.
As
he prepares to retire from an historic career in international ministry
as the founder of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship
International (FGBCFI), the outgoing presiding bishop’s global influence
on gospel will be recognized with several milestones this year,
including Bishop Morton being honored as the 2015 recipient of the James
Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming 30th Annual
Stellar Gospel Music Awards on March 28th, and as an honoree by the Gospel Music Association’s upcoming GMA Honors 2015 on May 5th.
Produced
by Trent Phillips, known for his award-winning work with Bishop Morton
and Donnie McClurkin, special guest artists who will join Bishop
Morton’s live recording include PJ Morton, gospel legends Pastor Shirley
Caesar and Rance Allen, Zacardi Cortez, Tasha Cobbs, and Le’Andria
Johnson, with producer/songwriter Ay’Ron Lewis as Musical Director.
Filling
the evening with invigorating ministry and powerful music, Bishop
Morton’s live recording will be backed by the incredible sound of the
Greater Change Mass Choir – a 100 person choir bringing together the
acclaimed Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church Choir and the
Changing A Generation Full Gospel Baptist Church Choir – for a
culmination of the faith-infused vital ministry and musical talents that
have fueled the Grammy®, Stellar and Dove nominated/winning artist’s
ongoing growth and success. Bishop Morton’s live recording will kick off
a full week of celebration of Bishop Morton’s career, including a
special white tie gala honoring Bishop Morton presented by the FGBCFI,
and this year’s Full Gospel Conference 2015.
Since
its inception by Bishop Paul S. Morton, the FGBCFI has grown nationally
and internationally, celebrating over 20 years of change and impactful
ministry in 2014, with thousands of locations. In addition to his roles
as a bishop, recording artist, and author, Bishop Morton also created
the record label Tehillah Music Group, helming the label as CEO.
For information and tickets about Bishop Paul S. Morton’s live recording, visit:
Live Recording Tickets: http://www.
Live Recording Tickets: http://www.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
From Me To You - Emuze G. O
Today is his birthday. A wonderful friend and co-labourer in God's vineyard. He has this to say to the world;
TO FRIENDS ALL AROUND THE WORLD
Especially YOU
If you are reading this, it can only mean one thing. You are right here, in my world. I may not have met you before now, and I may never be privileged to meet you ever, yet I will always be here thinking of you.
I know we are different people going different paths, making different choices, having different passions, and using different faces but I can bet we are still the same specie. We are what they call friends, whether near or far, close or distant.
To some I am loved, and to some I am truly cute. To a few I am rare, and to yet a few I am very strange. You might not quite enjoy my style. You might not really like my guts. But I am sure you do mind what I say and how I feel. That alone, is more than I could ever ask for, especially from you.
Before earth happened, I never happened. And before I knew right from wrong, you never happened either in my life. If you did, I know I would not remember since I must have been too busy knowing myself, much less making a lifelong friend as a toddler. Yet it is as if you and I have always been together from day one on earth.
I would not ask for more of anything but I will always ask for love. I would not promise everything but I will truly promise you love. You have been here and there all my life. Most times I was not looking, few times I was not caring, but your eyes always catch my status, and your heart seldom captures my updates.
You are the reason Facebook signed me up. I tweet once a while because I know you are following me all the time, and listening to my voice. I joined Skype because I wanted to really see your face, and meet your gaze finally. When I am not on Google searching for you, I am on Quora asking about you. Sometimes I Ping or do Whatsapp because I hoped that no matter how busy you get, even a little beep or pop will surely remind you of me. I am better, happier, and truer because you cared!.
Where we met, how we met, and why we met would never matter more than what we shared, what we loved, and what we really became because we met. You are my link to the rest of the world. You are my friend someplace beautiful in the earth. You are always here and I do cherish you.
In thanking God for MY BIRTHDAY TODAY, I know it is not all about me, it is also about you. For you are God's way of showing me how vast and precious His thoughts towards me are. So, I celebrate your part in my making and today is SPECIALLY DEDICATED TO YOU. Thank you for giving to my life. The deed for this world is done and being done already. I pray in the next world, we will still meet as friends on the ecstatic and glorious side of eternity.
GRACIAS AMIGO...
Your Friend,
Emuze G.O.
Happy Birthday!
Friday, March 13, 2015
"WHO SHALL WE SEND AND WHO SHALL GO FOR US?"
An incapability on the sphere of the earth, an inadequacy in the
realm of the cosmic... The inability of the intent, essence, mandate and
purpose of the divine to be executed on the earth...
The intuition and initiative of the sons have been diverted to the
mundane and thus they lost the essence of the divine... A situation of
the sight for the seen predominating and overwhelming the sight of the
unseen... A disqualification of sight therefore... For the sight of the
seen is no sight in the realm of the unseen... A terrible state of
blindness thus results ... A world of blind that lead the blind...
Thus the seat of intelligence of the throne, the heavenly Sanhedrin, are
helpless to rescue the helpless cosmic that have been left to only
suffer from its own predicaments and limitations ( Rom 8: 20)...
A world of "lights"cut off from the true light that lightens the world...
An emergence of a significant separation of the divine from the mundane... of the celestial from the terrestrial...
Thus the concepts and conceptions of the throne in resolving the
predicament of the mundane is totally out of sight let alone executed...
The ideology and ordinance of deity is strange on the earth...
The "sensory" of sons has overwhelmed the "discerning"... Thus sons are
better accustomed to the patterns and paths of the dark... The seemingly
incorruptible but swallowed and lost in the corruptible...
Yet this is the third day... The testamental phase that precedes the
ingathering... The final labour of warriors characterized not by
non-corruptibility but incorruptibility... Warriors of the last day...
Swift and focused... Defined only by the intelligence of the throne ...
Tested and trusted without a tendency or capability to compromise...
Bold and bent on the will of the divine... Thus able to execute the
wisdom of the divine... The third day characterized mature sons in the
bravery of the divine and not the slavery of the mundane... Bent and
persuaded... faithful and loyal...
But alas... the
incapability is huge... among sons... For the soul of sons has been
nurtured and nourished in the mundane thus equipped for the earth and
not the throne...
The equipping of the divine is
unbearable for the sons thus they forfeit the mandate of the divine...
The bridge of the divine influence on the mundane is broken..
What is thus left is the cry of the throne... "WHO SHALL WE SEND AND WHO SHALL GO FOR US"
....Selah
Thursday, March 12, 2015
SHORT STORY; Think about it: without faith
same doctor. Every time they met in the
doctor's waiting room, they would argue
and end up insulting each other.
"You really believe that you are
going to be saved on Judgment Day and
go up to heaven. Do you really believe
everything you read in the Bible, and
everything they told you in church?"
said the atheist.
"I'm not certain of anything," the
believer replied. "Like you I have
doubts. But I still have hope."
"But I don't have doubts," the
atheist cried. "I have only
certainties. For example, I can assure
you that God has nothing to do with the
ache in your knee, and that He doesn't
care in the least how you feel."
"You don't know what you're talking
about. And do you know something? You
are a believer too. I can prove it to
you."
"Really? That I'd like to see!"
"Will you be straightforward and
answer my questions honestly?"
"Of course. I'm an honest atheist."
of the doctor is who you came to see?"
"Well no, he's not here. And I can't
pronounce the replacement's name."
"Well, when you leave his office,
will you check the prescription he
gives you for mistakes, like you would
a lottery ticket?"
"No, of course not. The doctor knows
what he's doing."
"Are you a close friend of the
pharmacist who is going to fill the
prescription?"
"No, I go to a big pharmacy, and I
rarely get served by the same person."
"Do you know what medication the
doctor is going to give you, and what
its side effects are?"
"No."
"And yet you are going to take it,
aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Well, dear friend, I am happy to
announce that you too are a man of
faith!"
___________
Many of us behave like the atheist:
we don't understand how believers can
have blind faith in their God, and we
often find their fervor ridiculous.
And yet, we also have well
established beliefs, and not only when
we go to see the doctor!
Think about it: without faith,
without any certainties, life would be
impossible. We sometimes have to have
blind faith to survive.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
LOVE MATTERS; When He came for me...
Jonah couldn’t do it. Nor could Moses nor David nor Paul. They
couldn’t escape God’s call. Jonah literally jumped ship and still wound
up in the will of God in Nineveh. Moses protested when God called him to
deliver His people from slavery yet became one of the greatest leaders
in Israel’s history. David was initially overlooked by everyone to be
the next king, everyone but the Lord. And Paul killed and convicted the
ones he eventually became like after an encounter with God on a road.
I couldn’t run, couldn’t run from His presence
I couldn’t run, couldn’t run from His arms
These biblical stories point to one truth: when God pursues us, there is nothing we can do to escape Him. The gospel of Matthew explains why this is in the parable of the lost sheep. “If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?... So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Matt. 18:12-14). God does not want us to perish, not a one of us.
Jesus, He loves me, He loves me, He is for me
Jesus, how can it be, He loves me, He is for me
And because of Jesus, we won’t perish. His sacrifice made the way for us.
We aren’t made to run forever. The farther we go, the deeper into the dark we get and the harder it is to decipher the voices in the forest. Are they God’s? Are they our own? We can feel hopeless, like we have lost the way.
I stepped out of the dark
And into the light
When He called my name
But belonging to God means we are a chosen people. I Peter says, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). God’s voice illuminates the darkness; Jesus’ sacrifice lights the path back home. You can never be in too deep. The world can never be too dark. For it is in the dark that He meets us.
My heart was a stone
I was covered in shame
When He came for me
Paul promises in Romans that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus came to heal the sick, not the healthy. He wants you in your mess, not after you’re out of it. That’s the twist. We think we have to clean up for Christ when actually, he came to cleanse us because we can’t do it ourselves. When we come to see him this way, for the truth of who he is, we realize that Jesus really is our only hope. He really is our everything.
I couldn’t run, couldn’t run from His presence
I couldn’t run, couldn’t run from His arms
These biblical stories point to one truth: when God pursues us, there is nothing we can do to escape Him. The gospel of Matthew explains why this is in the parable of the lost sheep. “If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?... So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Matt. 18:12-14). God does not want us to perish, not a one of us.
Jesus, He loves me, He loves me, He is for me
Jesus, how can it be, He loves me, He is for me
And because of Jesus, we won’t perish. His sacrifice made the way for us.
We aren’t made to run forever. The farther we go, the deeper into the dark we get and the harder it is to decipher the voices in the forest. Are they God’s? Are they our own? We can feel hopeless, like we have lost the way.
I stepped out of the dark
And into the light
When He called my name
But belonging to God means we are a chosen people. I Peter says, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). God’s voice illuminates the darkness; Jesus’ sacrifice lights the path back home. You can never be in too deep. The world can never be too dark. For it is in the dark that He meets us.
I was covered in shame
When He came for me
Paul promises in Romans that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus came to heal the sick, not the healthy. He wants you in your mess, not after you’re out of it. That’s the twist. We think we have to clean up for Christ when actually, he came to cleanse us because we can’t do it ourselves. When we come to see him this way, for the truth of who he is, we realize that Jesus really is our only hope. He really is our everything.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Nathaniel Bassey Shares Candid Opinion about Money, Music & Ministry
Lagos, NIGERIA —
(Heart to heart talk)
Please before you comment, criticize or
suggest, make sure you read this to the end. I hope to make this very
balanced and objective. Touching both ends of the spectrum. However,
what I WILL NOT tolerate is insults, and name calling. That is not the
idea of this article.
I won’t be too formal in my writing. My
aim is to make this as clear and real as possible. As though I was
speaking. So, please forgive my writing style.
This is a very a touchy and tense area
of discuss. Money is very important in ministry. Make no mistake about
it. Anyone that says it’s not, is only a pretender and not speaking the
truth. We need it to make the albums, to feed, have shelter, pay fees,
care for our children, our lives and others. As well as having some
other pleasures of life. So don’t be sorry about the need for money. It
is very important.
However, what is worrisome, and
something that has taken a dangerous trend is the degree to which WE
music ministers have allowed money drive us. Now, I won’t even begin the
argument of whether to charge or not. I believe everyone has got their
own revelation and understanding, and we have no right to judge those
who charge, and even those who do not.
My issue this morning is the amount and
conditions we demand before ministering. You know the truth? MINISTRY IS
STIILL MINISTRY o! IT IS NOT BUSINESS ! A business is a venture set up
solely for making profit and for financial gains and interest.
But if you have to charge, make it
moderate, and remember that that church or ministry is also your
co-labourer in the vineyard. By the time we begin to demand some
millions of naira to minister to God and his people, and insist on
getting them before we do, what do we say, indirectly, to JESUS? Can we
pay for his blood? The air? Salvation? Love? Protection? Even the gift
we have and now charging outrageous fees for? I mean, a local church
invites you, a small assembly, they don’t deal in oil and gas, or import
and export, and we make some ludicrous demands. Haba! Money is not
everything o.
And please note, I’m not saying this
because I have it all together, indeed I’m a work in progress. And also
have lots of financial needs. Infact, I have been POORLY treated a
number of times, and still treated so sometimes. But I understand that
some ministries lack the culture of honour, and in some cases sincerely
do not have to give, or have no understanding. But this is ALSO what
ministry is about. Sacrifice. I don’t want to look like a success here
on earth, and then appear someday before Jesus, and hear him say,
“depart from me, you “business man” and hustler”
On the other side of the coin, Paul the
Apostle emphasizes the need for ministers of the gospel to be taken care
of. Please read 1 Corinthians 9. We mustn’t muzzle the ox that threads
the corn. When someone comes in and ministers to you, it is good, sound
and scriptural practice to bless them according to your capacity and
ability as a ministry. In fact, I know that a number of music ministers
have reacted and acted based on the treatment meted on them by some
ministries. I have encountered them too.
Some ministries just lack, I MEAN LACK, a
culture of honor. They would spend huge sums on other projects and
activities, but when it comes to honoring a music minister, especially
those who have not made demands, they part with some stipend that can
barely transport the team back.
This is what I do, when I accept an
invitation to minister, and I sense genuine love, care and honour from
my hosts, even if they don’t have enough to give, we accept whatever we
are given with so much joy, because you can see their heart. And would
do more if they had more. So when next I’m invited, I GO because I’ve
come to understand that money isn’t everything. Relationship is more
important. And in fact, I’ve had people do things for me that money
cannot pay for.
But if I go somewhere, and sense that we
have been deliberately dishonored and exploited due to our simplicity, I
NEVER return there again. Except of course GOD says so.
We’ve also been to places where we were
given very good offerings, but the people were just mean and unfriendly,
perhaps feeling they have done us a favour or “PAID” us some huge sum.
And never returned again
You see, Jesus did not try to make his
people receive him o. They didn’t honour and believe Him; the man left
and did his miracles elsewhere. The bible says he did LITTLE miracles in
his own home town. When I smell a people of dishonour, and by this I
don’t necessarily mean MONEY. In some cases I’ve been to some ministries
and fellowship, and after so much love shown to us, we handed them back
their offering, as seed from us. But when I perceive a people of
dishonour, I don’t go near them.
I tell my people in church, NO BODY SHOULD COME MINISTER TO US, AND
LEAVE WITHOUT BEING BLESSED, financially or at the very least with a
gift. Even if the person ministering is a billionaire in dollars, and
may not need our money. Remember, it is not the money, but the principle
and culture of honour. It is almost like a crime not to honour people
where I worship.
A number of times, my colleagues try to justify this by comparing
themselves with their secular Artistes, or foreign music counterparts.
As well as by some points I’ve mentioned above. I always ask them, ARE
YOU A SECULAR MUSICIAN? ARE YOU IN THEIR KINGDOM? And when they use the
foreign music ministers, I ask them, DID SO AND SO SAVE YOU? DID THEY
DIE FOR YOU? So why pattern your life according to them. I also ask the
question, “what has God said to you about this matter?”
God gave me clear instructions about my ministry. And this guides me. It’s important that we all have same.
So I appeal to the music ministers,
please be moderate in your demands. Find a holy and scriptural balance.
And to the ministries, imbibe a genuine culture of honor. We are not
saying worship them. This is quite simple. There are some ministries I
don’t even joke with. When I get a call from them, I immediately look
forward to going, except God says otherwise. Because they honour us. In
fact a particular ministry here in Lagos, honor us so much, whenever any
of their branches call, they almost get automatic ticket, but still
subject to a leading.
Don’t expect music ministers to return to a place where they were deliberately disrespected and dishonored.
And finally, to music ministers, I have
discovered that my dreams are too big for only church honorariums and cd
sales to cater for. God has blessed me more from people and places I
didn’t even expect. And I believe He will do same and much more for you,
in Jesus’ name. Amen.
1 COR 9:11” 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?”
Culled from Nathaniel Bassey’s Facebook page
Monday, March 9, 2015
HOTR ABK HOSTS FELA DUROTOYE AND NATHANIEL BASSEY!
It was indeed a
splendid service at the House On The Rock, Abeokuta chapter on Sunday, 8th
March, 2015. The church, located at Mama Cass Multi Purpose hall, Ibara
Roundabout (by the new bridge) Oke ilewo, Abeokuta hosted two awesome ministers
of God as the church celebrated 5 years of its establishment in the Rock city.
Pastor Rotimi Bolaji,
the Pastor of the church led the congregation in a spirit-filled prayer and
Sunday, March 8, 2015
The Bumble bee Story
"A person can grow only as much as his horizon allows." -John Powell
Have you heard about the bumble bee, it's an interesting specie of bee. According to scientists, the bumble bee's body is too heavy, has a wrong shape and its wing span too small. According to the law of aerodynamics, the bumblebee cannot fly. But the bumblebee doesn't know that and it keeps flying. It flies for two reason; firstly, it did not listen to a professor/someone talking about its limitations, it didn't listen to the toxic words that will hinder it from achieving its ambition to fly, and secondly, it flew because it believed it could.
The bumble bee story always amazes me, it also teaches us not to concern our self about people's toxic words, but about what God says about me; God is saying "I created you for a great purpose", "I created you to fly". The limitations a person has are those that are self-imposed. If you believe you can fly, then don't let anyone stop you, especially yourself. Good morning and Happy New Week
Have you heard about the bumble bee, it's an interesting specie of bee. According to scientists, the bumble bee's body is too heavy, has a wrong shape and its wing span too small. According to the law of aerodynamics, the bumblebee cannot fly. But the bumblebee doesn't know that and it keeps flying. It flies for two reason; firstly, it did not listen to a professor/someone talking about its limitations, it didn't listen to the toxic words that will hinder it from achieving its ambition to fly, and secondly, it flew because it believed it could.
The bumble bee story always amazes me, it also teaches us not to concern our self about people's toxic words, but about what God says about me; God is saying "I created you for a great purpose", "I created you to fly". The limitations a person has are those that are self-imposed. If you believe you can fly, then don't let anyone stop you, especially yourself. Good morning and Happy New Week
Thursday, March 5, 2015
DROP THE DEAD WEIGHT!
There comes a point in our life where we really have
to consider our lifestyle. How we eat, how we dress, but most
importantly, who we hang out with.
I know how it feels to have to kind of cut your self
of from friends. But sometimes if you hang around immature losers, you
will find yourself in a sticky situation. So please drop the dead
weight
One day, I got suspended from school saying something
inappropriate. (b*** job). I almost passed out because when I said it,
the whole class became quiet. Now what do you think that made me look
like. An immature loser of course! I got my self in trouble repeating
what another friend said. Guess what, he didn't get in trouble I did.
This was very uncomfortable to talk about with my
mom. I think this is because I am trying to become a better Christian,
and when you do so, you don't get away with the stuff you used to, but
thats another story.
After this incident, I woke up one morning and said
"what was I thinkin' ." I began to investigate would led me to have
such a fowl mouth. Then it clicked like a lightbulb . . . Its because
of the people I hang around.
These guys I hang with are very negative. You can
barely say anything to them without them thinking negative. For example
if I say something refering to a test and i say " that was very hard",
I think ya'll can read between the lines. Immature losery like, isn't
it.
When I returned to school, I have to admit, I began
to hang around those same guys. Then I caught myself and I didn't
completely ignore them, but I did distance myself. Doing so has changed
my lifestyle. I don't laugh at everything, I can be quiet in class,
and I have gained respect and dignity for myself and others and have
been able to think straighter and pray more effectively. I really thank
God for that. People who do not even know about the incident have
given me compliments saying you are really turning out to be a real
gentleman.
Once again I say, stay away from immature losers so
you can stop being one or don't become one. Yes those guys are popular,
but since I was one of those guys, I know better. You may feel left
out, but after while, feeling better about yourself is much more
important, and you get a head start on the maturity us yungins need
when we get older. God will be very pleased with you as well.
Yes, I know that I know that I know that I know it is
very hard, but drop the deadweight. God loves you and he really wants
to bless you and oh he is very real. Yes there are some hard trials,
some situations where you might want to question God, but its for the
better.
The only reasons God can’t bless you is because of
your fear, ignorance, or things that you put in your life that won't
let God reach you.
Once again I say please DROP THE DEAD WEIGHT!
-Anoynmous
-AnoynmousLife Quotes
"Do what you can with what you've got wherever you are."
Theodore Roosevelt
"To dream of the person you wish to be is to waste the person you are."
Author Unknown
"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try"
Beverly Sills
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
Albert Einstein
"Our greatest glory is not failing, but in rising every time we fail."
Confucius
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
John Wooden
"Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are."
Henry Van Dyke
"Love is the best thing in the world, and the thing that lives the longest."
Henry Van Dyke
Dr. Samuel Johnson
"I'd rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are; because a could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star. I'd rather be a has-been than a might-have-been by far; for a might-have-been has never been, but a has-been was once an are."
Milton Berle
"Worry is as useless as a handle on a snowball."
Mitzi Chandler
"Any ordinary favor we do for someone or any compassionate reaching out may seem to be going nowhere at first, but may be planting a seed we can't see right now. Sometimes we need to just do the best we can and then trust in an unfolding we can't design or ordain."
Sharon Salzberg
"The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It;s the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the wind and rains and the scorching sun."
Napoleon Hill
" It's not the load that breaks you down; it's the way you carry it."
Lena Horne
"Keep you face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow."
Helen Keller
"The best thing about the future is that is comes one day at a time."
Abraham Lincoln
"If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step foward your always in the same place."
Nora Roberts
"A good hand and a good heart are always a formidable combination."
Nelson Mandela
"There are two ways of exerting ones strength; one is pushing down, the other is pulling up."
Booker T. Washington
"Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it."
John Maxwell
Mother Teresa
"A person that values it's privileges above its principles soon loses both."
Dwight Eisenhower
" The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month."
Henry Van Dyke
"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."
Robert H. Goddard
"Never deprive someone of hope; it may be all they have."
H. Jackson Brown Jr.
"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give"
Sir Winston Churchill
"It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret"
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
"We all have a few failures under our belt. It's what makes us ready for the successes."
Randy K. Milholland
"Don’t count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count."
Anonymous
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
The Dalai Lama
"Count your age by friends, not years
Count your life by smiles, not tears"
Unknown
"A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose - a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve."
John Maxwell
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."
Albert Einstein
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
I HAVE LEARNED...
that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back.
I’ve learned-
that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I’ve learned-
that it’s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.
I’ve learned-
that you should never ruin an apology with an excuse.
I’ve learned-
that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something.
I’ve learned-
that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do.
I’ve learned-
that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I’ve learned-
that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I’ve learned-
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I’ve learned-
that you can keep going long after you can’t.
I’ve learned-
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I’ve learned-
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I’ve learned-
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.
I’ve learned-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I’ve learned-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I’ve learned-
that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I’ve learned-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I’ve learned-
that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.
I’ve learned-
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I’ve learned-
that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.
I’ve learned-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.
I’ve learned-
that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.
I’ve learned-
that your family won’t always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren’t related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren’t biological.
I’ve learned-
that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.
I’ve learned-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I’ve learned-
that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
I’ve learned-
that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.
I’ve learned-
that we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I’ve learned-
that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I’ve learned-
that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I’ve learned-
that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.
I’ve learned-
that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I’ve learned-
that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I’ve learned-
that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
I’ve learned-
that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings, and standing up for what you believe.
I’ve learned-
that people will forget what you said, and people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
By Omer B. Washington
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