THE POWER OF GRACE

THE POWER OF GRACE

G- God's
R- Riches
A-At
C-Christ's
E-Expense

Grace is what God offered to Manvat the cost of His Son. However the condition to receive grace is Salvation i.e acknowldege that Jesus Christ is Lord and accept him to govern your life. Grace is released automatically upon salvation.

FIVE FACTS OF GRACE

1. Grace is the fuel for power. we receive supernatural power on the platform of grace. we se this in Acts 4: 33
" with great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and much grace was upon them all. Therefore before a believer seeks power, he must receive Grace. so guard your salvation jealously in order to receive grace for supernatural power. To be empowered is to be engraced. it is not possible to carry grace and to be powerless.

2. Grace is visible. Acts 11:23

'When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts'.
Grace can be seen because it produces visible results. Galatians 2:9

'James, Peter and John, those who reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right handmof fellowship when they recognised the grace given to me. they agreed that we should go to tthe Gentiles and they, to the Jews'.

3. Grace can be a continous flow and it also can be discontinued i.e it can cease. Acts 13:43

'When the Congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them urged them to continue in the Grace of God.'
whatever you did to receive grace, you must continue to do to sustain/ continue it.

4. Grace can be administeredor distributed by carriers/ distributors of grace. 2 Corinthians 8:19

' What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.'
 Every carrier of Grace has been apponited as a servant for Grace to his/her
 generation.

1 peter 4:10
'Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.'

5. Grace is in Levels. Grace grows and this can been seen in 2 Peter 3:18
'But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.'

OUTCOMES OF GRACE.

1. Grace is the guaranty of exemption from generational disaster. Grace sets you apart and make syou outstsanding.

2. Grace is the guaranty of supernatural favour i.e unmerited and unsolicited favor. Genesis 39:4
'Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.'

Grace puts you in a position you are not qualified for. It make syou a mystery to yourself and to eceryone around you. Grace makes you God's favourite. It takes  a messenger and turns him into a manager. It is important to note that people who carry grace are in some cases hated and envied.

Grace is the guaranty of access to the ways of God. Grace is the secret of the depth in God. Job 29:2-4

 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
3 when his lamp shone on my head and by his light I walked through darkness!
4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house"

If you want your life to be wonderful, then you must pres for grace.

Depth in god eqautes depth in life. If you need a towering life then you need depth in God. It takes depth to sustain height. Isaiah 37:31
"Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above".

Grace is the guaranty of Divine Presence. Carriers of Grace carry divine presence.

Exodus 33:16

" How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”


Everybody needs grace. You need salvation to be saved. God loves everybody. if you know that you do not have any relationship with God, it simply means you are not saved. He is eagerly waiting for you to relate with Him and all you have to do is to accept Jesus Christ His son as your Lord and Savior. ask Him to forgive all your sins and ask Him to come into you life.

YOU ARE SAVED BY HIS GRACE.

10 TRAITS OF A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

TRAITS THAT MAKES A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

Being in a good relationship is very fulfilling. This was the sole reason God himself created the woman because he knew that the only thing He created that was not good was the fact that Man was alone. Basically, relationships are good. However, there are some traits that make relationships not just good but great and this is the whole purpose for this article. I have come up with ten essential ingredients that make up great relationships.

1

 Love: I had this deluding belief that love is supposed to be effortless and magical. This resulted in several failed relationships until i read books that led me to the liberating discovery that love actually requires effort. Love is not uploading pictures and video on instagram or other social media but it is a commitment and devotion to treat someone right. Love is sacrifice. For instance, letting him have the last piece of oreo or giving her your jacket during a cold winter night.

  RESPECT:  Respect is something everyone deserves. Aside from the general sense of the word, it is important to find out what the term “RESPECT” means to your partner and then implement this in your relationship. From experience, I have come to understand that the idea of respect is subjective. For instance, I was in a relationship with a guy from the western part of the world who felt it was insulting to serve him food. For reasons he never disclosed, he preferred to serve himself. While to another guy from my country, it was insulting to ask him to serve himself because traditionally it is the woman’s duty to serve a man. Remember that you have to give respect to get it. Some may even argue that respect is even more crucial than love in a relationship because the presence of respect creates an atmosphere of trust, value and support.

3

TRUST: Trust is not only an important trait, it also serves as an anchor to which love is hooked on.  Trust provides a sense of freedom and security to experience the full potential of intimacy.

4

 COMMUNICATION: In every relationship, there is bound to be misunderstanding. Words and sometimes even silence by one party could be misinterpreted or misunderstood by the other party hence the need for effective communication which forms the basis of every interpersonal relationship.  Relationship experts always emphasize that communication is an integral factor for a great relationship. Lack of effective communication forms the bedrock of most relationship problems. It is therefore important to use your words to express your feelings at every given time.

5

  PATIENCE: You should understand the fact that every mature relationship requires a lot of patience. Nobody is perfect as each person has his/her own set of flaws but that is what makes them special and different from everyone else. Rather than creating a big fuss about every single annoying detail, it is better to give the person some time and make him/her understand his/her follies. There are a million little things which could result in differences for you and your partner. For instance, where there is an age gap of more than 10 years, then both the partners might find it difficult to understand each other. The importance lies not in being perfectly compatible but being able to understand the needs of each other.

6.

FORGIVENESS: It is important to be tender hearted, soft, merciful and accommodating towards your partner. The number one rule of forgiveness is to never go to bed with a grudge. Speak out your grievances and then move past it. . It understandably takes a lot out of you to forgive every single mistake and annoying attribute but every good thing in life comes with a price. However the act of forgiveness is easier when love is present.

7

    SERVICE: Commit to serving each other on a daily basis. If you want a great relationship then you must ensure that personal agendas and individual viewpoints take a backseat. Do not overlook the little things. Chores should be shared between you two. Payment of bills ought not to be one sided. Do what you can to make life easier for your partner.

8

   COMPANIONSHIP: One of the most important traits in a relationship is companionship. You must be friends with your partner and you must like each other. Treat each other as you would a best friend, be kind, compassionate, understanding and willing to be flexible instead of right.

9.  

    FUN: There is a level that a relationship gets to that everything becomes automated. The “Wake-up, eat, make love, sleep” routine creeps up on you like a thief in the night, stealing the fun, killing your joy and eventually destroying your relationship.  If you ever find yourself slipping into a routine, quickly shake things up with some fun activities. They don’t have to be overly extravagant. Have date nights, play some board games, watch some movies together, go out of your comfort zone and spice up that relationship with non-routine activities. Even Celebrity couples like Beyonce and Jayz, Kim and Kanye are often spotted doing fun activities every now and then.

1

     LOYALTY: Being loyal has been defined as “Being faithful to one's oath, engagements or obligations”. You want to be faithful to him or her in every way possible. Loyalty includes being honest about your thoughts and feelings and staying committed to your partner. The kind of loyalty Arsenal fans have for their club is the kind you should give to your partner.

No relationship is perfect all the time. But in a healthy relationship, both people feel good about the relationship most of the time. A great relationship takes more than attraction; it takes more than being featured on bellanaija,  rather it takes hard work and  you have to be willing to put in the effort. The good news is that these traits don’t need to come naturally, they can be learned. But in the long run, it is totally worth because the most beautiful thing is to see a person you love happy. And even more beautiful is knowing that you are the reason behind it.

Trust in God's goodness

'The Lord is good.' Nahum 1:7 NIV

The Bible says, ‘When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come… down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us… gods who can lead us.”’ (Exodus 32:1 NLT) Why did Israel make a golden calf? Because they wanted a god you can see. It’s harder to relate to an invisible God, and Moses, His representative, stayed on Mount Sinai so long they felt helpless and abandoned. So they did what we do when we’re scared—resort to the comfort of the familiar. Mark D. Roberts writes: ‘How often do we find ourselves in a situation like the Israelites? We hear God’s call to something new, and boldly step out in faith. But when we don’t sense His presence and our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling, we feel abandoned, scared, and helpless. We grasp for the familiar.’

The Bible says, ‘The Lord is good… He cares for those who trust in Him.’ Nancy Ortberg says: ‘The difficult parts of change are most often where God lives… All the things I glibly say, in change I have to live out… Most of us go kicking and screaming instead of moving into it with an assuredness that not only is God on the other side, but new facets of Him that we haven’t heretofore understood are also there. Whether it’s the death of a loved one, a job loss, a move across the country, becoming an empty nester—if we allow ourselves to push through the difficult parts we’ll discover God is there… and He’s entirely, wonderfully, amazingly, good.’ When God closes one door, He opens another—but you must be willing to walk through it.

SoulFood: Ezek 37:1-40:9, Matt 18:1-9, Ps 73:17-28, Prov 15:22-24

One Truth: JESUS IS LORD: BE CAREFUL OF DREAMS

One Truth: JESUS IS LORD: BE CAREFUL OF DREAMS: I have always been a dreamer. (my friends call me 'Josephine the dreamer'). this is because 90% percent of my dreams become a re...

BE CAREFUL OF DREAMS

I have always been a dreamer. (my friends call me 'Josephine the dreamer'). this is because 90% percent of my dreams become a reality. But i recently found out that some people especially Africans allow their dreams affect their reality so much that they have become a guide as to actions and thoughts.

 For instance, if an African woman have a dream about a certain person doing something negative, that person automatically turns into an enemy. this use to happen to me growing up. we stopped greeting and talking to some people because someone had a bad dream about them and subsequently spread witchcraft stories.

Children become terrified of some elderly people (mostly elderly women) due to farce stories of witchcraft they were told or overheard which had their origin rooted in a dream of one overly spiritual relative/friend. some relationships even marriages have been destroyed due to false dreams of a husband dreaming that his wife was seated in the midst of older women with blood dripping from their mouths (automatic witchcraft certification) or a wife dreaming of her death with the husband by her side laughing wickedly ( automatic 'ritualist' certification) or a boyfriend dreaming that his girlfriend would make him a wretched man.... the list is endless.

It is important to be careful of the devices of the devil because he seeks out ways to instill fear in people. and how can we tell that these dreams are not from God? The answer is found in 2 Timothy 1:7

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a strong mind."

Just as God sends His angels to us via dreams to convey messages to His children, the devil uses this method to trick God's children to cause fear and disunity in families and relationships. When i was about 12 years old, i had a dream of my close friend leading me to a large expanse of water, we entered a boat and were headed to an unknown sea destination. I told my family the dream and the automatic interpretation was that the girl belonged to the marine kingdom and was trying to initiate me. I was forbidden to see her again consequently i avoided her till our relationship deteriorated. She eventually got the message and stopped visiting. This subconsciously affected my life as i became very paranoid which resulted in a life of isolation and fear till I met the 'TRUTH' (JESUS!!)

Therefore it is important to test every dream before interpretation. If the feeling was an overwhelming fear, then it was not from God. Even if God sends a warning via dream, He would not leave you hanging without any solution. Matthew 2:13, God told Joseph to flee from Egypt.. He revealed Herod's plan and provided a solution of escape for them.

It doesn't always have to be a negative dream. The devil can also come in a sheep-clothing kind of dream. For instance, he could sweetly guide you via dream into making a wrong career, marital or financial decision. So before you conclude on a dream, PRAY.
Matthew 7:7- ASK,SEEK AND KNOCK and there is a guarantee that you will get and answer to your prayer. God is not a man the He should lie. He has said it, He will do it!

SHALOM!

HOW TO GET RID OF BAD BREATH

HOW TO GET RID OF BAD BREATH

Imagine talking to someone, and they offer you a gum or mint. Or people maintain a distance while talking to you. To avoid such embarrassing situations it is very important to know some ways to fix bad breath. Bad breath can be caused by a host of problems e.g inflammation of your gum, infections in your mouth, foods with strong odors, gastritis (GERD), or poor brushing with left over food particles.
Simple ways to combating bad breath are highlighted below;

1. Brush and Floss Your Teeth Regularly
Usually, plaque collected on teeth is responsible for bad breath. Many bacteria and food debris get stuck to this sticky buildup and lead to the foul smelling breath. Brush your teeth regularly to avoid these. It is recommended to brush them at least twice a day and to floss at least once daily.

2. Use a Mouth Wash
Rinsing your mouth with a mouthwash can help to kill the bad bacteria which cause foul smelling breath. Make sure to select antibacterial mouth wash. Another good option is to rinse your mouth with water after every meal. Take a mouthful of water and swish it around to wash away food debris and you will feel fresh afterwards.
If mouth wash is not available, you can substitute with baking soda or lemon juice. Just add a teaspoon of baking soda or lemon juice in a cup of water and your mouth wash is ready. You can also brush your teeth with baking soda.

3. Keep Your Tongue Clean
A very good way on how to fix bad breath is to keep the tongue clean. A thick coating on tongue (usually made up of food particles, dead cells and bacteria) can harbor bacteria and lead to bad breath. To solve this problem, clean your tongue with a tongue scrapper or you can just use your tooth brush.

4. Drink Plenty Water
The simplest way to fix bad breath is to drink plenty of water. When you don’t drink enough water your mouth can get dry. This dryness favours bacteria growth since there is less moisture and saliva to wash them off. There are some medical conditions and drugs that cause dryness of the mouth. Whatever the reason is, drinking enough water and keeping yourself well hydrated can be very helpful to fix bad breath.

5. Chew Sugar Free Gum
If you need an instant fix for mouth odor, chew some sugar free gum. Chewing will increase the production of saliva and the bad smell producing bacteria will get washed away. Food articles stuck in teeth also get stuck to the gum and you can get rid of them easily. Many gums have pleasant flavors like mint and these can mask the smell of bad breath. Though it is not a substitute for proper brushing, which is recommended in this case, it can provide a readily available and fast alternative.

6. Eat the Right Food
Certain foods can make your breath stink. A very effective way for how to fix bad breath is to avoid these foods. To keep bad breath at bay, avoid foods with high acid or fructose content. Eat healthy foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables (especially green leafy type) and nuts.

7. See the Dentist
 If your problem is severe and is not getting better it is a good idea to seek professional help. Do visit your dentist if your breath smells foul despite maintaining good oral hygiene.
Also see your dentist if your mouth gets dry frequently despite drinking plenty of water.

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR A GREAT MARRIAGE

Ten Commandments for a Great Marriage

'Honour... marriage.' Hebrews 13:4 NLT

Here are Ten Commandments for building a great marriage: 

(1) God said, ‘Honour…marriage,’ so remain faithful to one another. Forsaking all others, put your mate before your mother, your father, your son and your daughter. Your mate is your lifelong companion. 

(2) Remember, ‘You…are the temple of God and…the Spirit of God lives in you.’ (1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT) Don’t abuse your health with excessive food, tobacco, drugs and alcohol, and hopefully you’ll enjoy a long, healthy life around the people you love. 

(3) Never permit your business or hobby to make you a stranger to your own family. ‘Children are a gift from the Lord…a reward from Him’ (Psalm 127:3 NLT), and the most precious gift you can give them is your time. 

(4) Don’t forget that cleanliness is a virtue. 

(5) Willingly share all your worldly goods, and don’t make your mate a beggar. ‘…love… just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.’ (Ephesians 5:25 NIV) 

(6) Don’t forget to say, ‘I love you.’ Even though your love may be constant, your mate never gets tired of hearing those words. 

(7) Remember that the approval of your spouse is worth more than the admiring glances of a hundred strangers. 

(8) Keep your home peaceful and in good repair, for out of it comes the joys of old age. 

(9) Always forgive with grace, for who among us doesn’t need to be forgiven? ‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ (Ephesians 4:32 NIV) 

(10) Honour God, and your children are much more likely to grow up and honour you. (See Proverbs 22:6)

SoulFood: Dan 11-12, Luke 4:31-44, Ps 89:38-52, Prov 3:1-2