Oluwafemi .The Word of God is a light to my Path.

  The Triple Three Approach to Battling Life’s Challenges Scripture: Micah 7:8, ESV “ Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. ” (Micah 7:8, ESV) How comforting these words are when we sit in the darkness of circumstances that threaten to overpower us. Jesus Christ, the light of the world, shows us the way to life and immortality. The Psalmist also discovered where to look when difficulty came: “ Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. ” (Psalm 112:4, NLT) We have what I call the TRIPLE THREE APPROACH, outlined in 2 Thessalonians, the third chapter. First, he promises to strengthen and protect us: “ But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. ” (2 Thessalonians 3:3, NLT) Second, he directs us to focus on Christ, not on the problem. Focusing on the problem drains life from us, whereas Christ gives us power and peace: “ ...

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17, NIV Always Love Them In tough times when a family member or a friend messes up and really needs you, it’s easy to criticize them and stir up more of the negative. But they don’t need your judgment or harsh, critical words, such as, “You should have known better. You deserve what you’re getting. Are you ever going to get it together?” No, they don’t need more guilt, more condemnation. They already know what they did was wrong. They have enough people finding fault and gossiping about them. They need someone who will show mercy, someone who will love them back into wholeness. God is counting on you to be that person, to cover a mistake, to not hold their faults and shortcomings and what happened in the past against them. If you’re not there for them, if you don’t do it, who’s going to do it? Be a healer, be a restorer, be a lifter. When you quiet the gossip and condemnation, when you show honor, e...

  Understanding God’s Will Scripture: Ephesians 5:17, NIV “ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ” (Ephesians 5:17, NIV) We need to know what the will of God is in order to make sure we’re living in harmony with his plan. We know the time is short. The stakes are high, with eternity staring us in the face. Are we working to convert the perishable elements of our lives into the imperishable values of the kingdom of God? God needs us to be clean vessels so he can live and work through us: “ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality. ” (1 Thessalonians 4:3, ESV) “ Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. ” (2 Timothy 2:21, ESV) Next, we need to cultivate our relationship with him: “ Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. ” (...

  Mephibosheth bowed to David again and said, “You are being very kind to me, your servant! And I am no better than a dead dog!” 2 Samuel 9:8, NCV Loss Does Not Lessen Your Value Mephibosheth was born into royalty, the grandson of King Saul, but he had to flee for his life, was crippled, and ended up living in exile in the slums of Lo-Debar. None of that lessened his value as royalty. But years later, when David came to restore Mephibosheth to the palace and to all that belonged to his family, notice that he saw himself as a dead dog. He allowed what happened to him to make him feel unworthy, damaged, disadvantaged, not deserving of the king’s kindness. But God brought him out of Lo-Debar and back into his destiny. No person who did you wrong, no bad break, and no mistake you make can lessen your value. You are still a child of the Most High. You still have a purpose to fulfill. You may be in Lo-Debar, but don’t let Lo-Debar get in you. That’s where you are; it’s not who you are. D...

  Welcome to Heaven! Scripture: 2 Peter 1:11, ESV “ For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ” (2 Peter 1:11, ESV) Oh! How I love the Word of God! Yes, it is full of warnings, particularly for those who pay no attention to him. This is also true of believers who decide to take a “holiday” from living for Christ, who died for them. In fact, the warnings are stark and have eternal consequences. However, for believers who are aggressive in wanting to grow, God’s promises are an irresistible magnet, creating an ever-increasing desire to know him more. God motivates us incentives for obeying him. He has not given us a spirit of fear, “ …but of power and love and self-control. ” (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV) Can it get any better than the promise of having a “richly provided entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ”? I don’t think so! Based on the authority of God’s Word, Peter gives believers...

  Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church…But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Acts 8:3–4, NLT Fresh Winds In the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit came like a rushing mighty wind and filled the disciples with power. They went throughout Jerusalem praying for people, seeing the sick healed, the lame walk, and thousands become believers. But then a great wave of persecution arose, and the disciples fled for their lives to Samaria and Judea and shared their faith. Had they not left Jerusalem, Christianity wouldn’t have spread. They would have just kept it for the Jewish people. God had to push them out of their nest. They were satisfied in Jerusalem, but what God had in mind was much bigger. Because of the opposition, the good news of salvation spread all over the world. We often don’t know what God is up to. In real time, all we see is an adversity we didn’t choose—persecution pushed us out, a friend walked away, the contrac...

  Follow the Footsteps Scripture: Luke 19:13, NIV “So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ ” Some say we should redeem time, because time is short. The secular world often says that “time is money,” so be busy making money with the time you have. In the above passage the servants are told to put the master’s money to work until he returns. The master was saying he would return and would want a report or an accounting of what was done with his money. Jesus Christ said a lot about work when he was in this world. He was in the world for a purpose: “ ‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’ ”  (John 4:34, NIV) “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38, NIV) “And He said to them, ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business.’ ”  (Luke 2:49, NKJV) “I must work the w...