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How Can I Experience Joy In My Christian Life?

Emmanuel Oganla
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How Can I Experience Joy In My Christian Life?

A Scottish philosopher named David Hume had a theory called hedonism. The belief that all pleasure is intrinsically valuable. Whilst Hume’s theory registers all pleasures as valuable, ‘Christian Hedonism’ places the greatest value on the pleasure that is derived from God alone and beckons Christians to be not so easily pleased by lower pleasures. John Piper coined the phrase ‘Christian hedonism’, which is the idea that the goal of Christianity is to maximise pleasure in God for the purpose of God’s glory. One of Piper’s most famous quotes within the context of Christin hedonism is ‘God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him’. This article is a biblical introduction towards that Ideology.

The Path To True Joy

‘We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink, sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased’ -C S LEWIS

Hume’s theory claims that anything goes. If it brings you pleasure, it is good. But we know this is contrary to what the bible teaches. Peter admonishes the church to ‘…beware of fleshly pleasures which wage war against the soul’ (1 peter2:11). It’s important to distinguish between low destructive pleasure and high life-giving ones, which the bible helps us to do.

‘You make known to me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy and at your right-hand pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11). The psalmist asserts that joy in its fullness (depth) and enduring pleasures (length) are in the presence of God. He connects this to knowing the path of life. We can conclude that the true path of life is experiencing the depths of joy and the lengths of pleasures that are in God. But how does it affect God’s glory?

God’s Glory In Our Pleasure And Satisfaction

God had two qualms with his people as fleshed out in the book of Jeremiah: “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:11). As human beings we can relate to the pleasure and satisfaction water gives when we thirst. We also know that it keeps us alive. God’s presence is to our soul what water is to our body. Essentially, God is saying they forsook, the one who pleasures and satisfies with life for things that cannot. God saw the ‘forsaking’ and ‘hewing’ as two sins and we understand that to sin is to fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well in John’s gospel illustrates this further.

In John 4 we are introduced to a Samaritan woman who was fetching water at Jacob’s well. Jesus told her that if she drinks from that well she will thirst again (the equivalence of a broken cistern that holds no water). He also said in the 14th verse that his water will cause her to thirst no more and be a spring that wells up to eternal life.

The encounter with Christ caused her to see Him For who he is. In the 28th verse we are told that she left her waterpot, the instrument she would use to fetch the water. She had no need for the broken cistern because she encountered the flowing river of life. She went on to share Jesus because Christ fills to the point of overflow: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38). She glorified him by testifying about Him. Christ pleasures us and empowers us to praise and make him known.

Like the woman at the well we too have ‘worldly waters’. Things that fall short at their promise to satisfy and in turn cause us to fall short in glorifying God. Seeking the depths of joy and lengths of pleasure in the presence of God is the true path of life for the believer and our empowerment to glorify Him.

Jesus told the woman that he thirsts, but we know he didn’t really require water. His thirst was greater. When his disciples returned and urged him to eat, he said “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). The will of God is that Christ will be our pleasure and satisfaction. Christ had his food and drink when he met the need of the woman at the well. It’s the same when he meets our need.

Building An Appetite For God

Jesus and the Holy Spirit are often likened to food and water in the bible. We as human being can relate to having an appetite for food and water as previously established. Hence why we are encouraged to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’ (Psalm 34:8). The key here is that our experience of God shapes our perception of Him. Like we experience a well-cooked meal, and we enjoy its goodness, we can experience God and enjoy His goodness as well.  One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to reveal Christ and make Him real to us so that we can experience Him. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  (John 16:13). This makes fellowship with the Holy Spirit crucial; it is Him our experience and enjoyment of God hinges on.

How Do We Fellowship With The Spirit?

We actively fellowship with the Spirit through prayer, worship and the book he authored, The Bible. We know the writers were moved by Him when they wrote it. We also know that He is the breath of God that inspired it (2 timothy 3:17-17). This understanding is vital because it stops Bible reading and prayer from being a mundane activity we do because we know we should as believers. It helps us to understand the power our spiritual discipline carries. No longer should we only see them as spiritual disciplines but also privileges. It’s either a burden or a privilege depending on your perspective. With this understanding, we see that we give ourselves to prayer and study of the word because it allows us to fellowship with the Holy Spirt who empowers us to experience and enjoy God’s goodness. We also experience and enjoy Jesus through fellowshipping with saints as He said, ‘where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am with them’ (Matthew 18:20)

The Holy Spirit is the presence of God with us on the earth, and His fruit is joy (Galatians 5:22), therefore joy is a hallmark of our fellowship with Him. A tree bears fruit after its own kind. Apple trees produce apples, The Holy Spirit produces joy. Therefore, true fellowship with Him should produce joy. The Holy Spirit is the deepest joy and lasting pleasure we receive from Christ to the point of overflow.

The Pleasure In Giving Yourself For Others

Sharing Jesus as well as our resources also has an hedonistic motivation. Paul, in admonishing the church to work hard to help those in need or ‘the weak’ echoed Jesus’ words in saying ‘it is more blessed to give that to receive’ (Acts 20:35). The root word of ‘blessed’ in this verse connotes happiness. Think on a time you bought a gift that meant a lot to a loved one and how good giving made you feel. Christian hedonism teaches that the believer derives great joy by giving himself for the needs of others, which is the essence of love which is what our entire faith is centred upon. Love for God and our neighbour.

Praise Is The Consummation Of Joy

We previously saw how the woman at the well, praised and glorified Jesus after her encounter with him. This is because ‘authentic joy in God will overflow with praise’ -John Piper.

We praise the restaurants, pieces of art and literature we enjoy and share it with people because of the genuineness of our enjoyment of it. In the same way our willingness to share Jesus can be an indication of the genuineness of our joy in him.

In conclusion, We must seek to experience and enjoy God, which we do by fellowship with the Holy Spirit and giving ourselves for the needs of people. We fellowship with the Holy Spirit through the bible, prayer, worship and believers. This fellowship should produce in us deep joy and lasting pleasure. This in turn should lead us to praise, share and glorify God. This is the pursuit of the Christian Hedonist.

Restore Your Joy in the Resurrection

Oluwaseyi Sobogun
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Restore Your Joy in the Resurrection

Easter is a very important day to mark in the life of a Christian. More than a bank holiday weekend or an easter egg hunt for the children, we celebrate Easter as Christians to mark the death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. And these are remarkable moments to behold. Here we will look at the two of the key days that make up the Easter holiday and how significant they are to our faith as Christians  – Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

Why is the day Jesus died called good?

On Good Friday we commemorate the day of the crucifixion when Jesus went up to the cross and died, taking on the sins of all mankind (1 John 2:2). This was a demonstration of God’s love for us, for while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Roman s 5:8). Good Friday is the day that the death of Jesus which was meant to be a sad thing turned out to be the greatest moment for us.

Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever

1 Thessalonians 5:10

Through His death, we are saved from the consequences of our sin, which is death, (Romans 6:23) and reconciled with God through faith. When Jesus said “it is finished”, it was not the end but the conclusion of our separation from God. This is the victory we declare, of our salvation, that we are reconciled to God through the death and we are born to new life through the resurrection.

A cross on a hill during a sunrise

What does it mean to rise again?

Three days after Jesus declared this word in John 19:30 and breathed his last, He rose from the burial tomb, showing Himself to many witnesses and fulfilling the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:4). Resurrection Sunday is all about how Christ rose from the dead and defeated the power of death (Romans 6:9). How we are free from sin, how it has no dominion over us, and how we are living freely under grace. The resurrection of Christ is principal to Christianity.

If Christ is not raised, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins

1 Corinthians 15:17

Mere man cannot rise from the dead. We are unable with our own willpower to resurrect ourselves from the dead but Christ, being fully God and man, has the power. The power that raised Christ from the dead dwells inside of us through faith (Romans 8:11). It takes faith to accept the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Yet if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9).

What happens next Sunday?

While we may enjoy the break from our daily routines and the lovely weather this week, may we remember the foundation of our faith. That Christ died and was resurrected. During this beautiful week, we quieten our hearts and sit with sombre thoughts but ultimately we rejoice because death is defeated and our King is alive. He has risen!

We celebrate this Easter but every day in our life is a celebration of the finished works of Jesus Christ on the cross. Easter should be a reminder to bring us back to remembrance of Him and mark the momentous moment that changed our present and future but it shouldn’t be different from every other Sunday/ Easter. Each Sunday we can remember what was done on the cross and our freedom in Christ.

Why Are You Running? 3 Lessons on Disobedience

Oluwaseyi Sobogun
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Why Are You Running? 3 Lessons on Disobedience

Running or choosing not to act upon a command, which we believe is from God, is disobedience. So is our unwillingness to submit to the authority of God by surrendering our wants to His will. And this has consequences. Look at Jonah. When we know God is asking us to do something why do we run? Why does our fear cause us to be disobedient to God? Here are three lessons on disobedience we can learn from what happened with Jonah.

Lesson 1: We can’t run from God

Jonah tried to run away in disobedience. In his attempt to escape the consequences, he boarded a ship to Tarshish to flee from the presence of God (Jonah 1:3). But he didn’t make it very far, instead, he was caught in a storm (v.4). The response to our disobedient behaviour is to flee in denial or shame. We choose to avoid communion with God as we know what we have done. We should know this is futile, as the Psalmist writes:

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold You are there

Psalm 139:7-8

There is truly nowhere we can run or hide that God will not find us, even in our disobedience. We may distance ourselves from His presence but God is still there, overseeing everything. Jonah learnt this the hard way when the captain and crew of the ship discovered the storm was from God. We can learn from his choices.

Lesson 2: Disobedience costs, Grace restores

The immediate price Jonah paid was to be thrown from his escape ship into the sea. Eventually, he ended up in the belly of a whale for three days (Jonah 1:10-17). When we run, where does our disobedience lead us? Most times we end up in situations we shouldn’t be in, doing things we shouldn’t be doing which leaves us with regrets about our poor choices. Thankfully, we are graced with a merciful and kind God who offers us forgiveness for our wrongdoings just as He did for the people of Ninevah.

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Jonah 3:10

One may question where the grace would be in this situation for Jonah? Well, although Jonah was stuck in a whale, he wasn’t digested by the whale but thrown out after a few days unto dry land as God instructed (Jonah. 2:10). Despite our disobedience, as with Jonah, God still finds a way to show mercy and deliver us from our mistakes.

Lesson 3: God knows best

In this case, Jonah’s disobedience would have led to the perishing of the people of Nineveh. Jonah had assessed the situation and decided they were not worthy for him to do as God commanded. But how much did Jonah really know about God’s plan? We too can make harsh and quick conclusions about the task God has asked us to complete. The challenge seems too big, the risk seems too much thus we decide it is not worth it and choose to do the opposite of what God wanted from us. We are disobedient.

Yet God has given us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). If God needs us to go talk to that stranger on the street, give money, travel on a mission trip, quit our jobs or anything that may seem out of the norm – our response should be yes, “not my will but Yours be done”. Just as Jesus did when He went unto the cross and died for our sins. We only have to trust.

Whatever God is asking of us today, instead of running in disobedience, turn to him and ask for strength. There are times when it’s just our fear or feelings of inadequacy stopping us from fulfilling God’s request. So instead of running away, run to the source who will surely supply what we need (Phil 4:19).

Dear Burned-Out University Student

Shumi Mararike
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Dear Burned-Out University Student

The time has come once again. You’re halfway through semester two at university. The assignments are rolling in. Before you know it,  your modules will be finished, deadlines met and exams knocking at the door. Your coffee intake increasing, panic is building and you’ve become far too familiar with all-nighters. In your mind, all this is necessary otherwise you risk becoming a failure. The fear of failure can be paralysing, causing you to dread the future. The panic is likely to run you to the ground. Sooner or later you will burn out. However, when consumed by worry, you need to re-calibrate your thoughts and your habits. A good starting point is to dispel a couple of myths. Firstly, failing to achieve your goals does not make you a failure. Secondly, your grades do not decide who you are. Your identity is centred on Christ, not your academic achievements.

Thinking About our Academic Success

Academic success does not determine who you are. I know that may be hard to believe in such a result-oriented world. Everything around you may be screaming otherwise. Your next stage after university may hinge on your exam final results. For example, whether you secure a graduate job may depend on the degree classification you achieve. Alternatively, you may fear disappointing others by failing to attain a certain grade, viewing studies as a waste of time and money.

These are real and understandable concerns. I struggle with these thoughts, and several other worries; I’m fairly certain you do too. Our academic performance is important. We must strive to score as highly as possible in every single piece of work. But we cannot be tempted to believe that if we fail to meet our objectives then we ourselves are failures. Our academic performance, good or bad, does not define who we are. It is not the metric by which God values us. Our value and identity is grounded in who we are in Christ.

As a Christian, your value lies in the person and work of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, you became a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), and now you belong to Him (1 Corinthians 3:23; Galatians 3:29). Through Him, you are forgiven (Colossians 1:14; 1 John 2:12). You are righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:5; Romans 5:19). You are God’s child’s (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:1), loved with a greater love than any human father can give (Matthew 7:9-11; Luke 11:11-13). As a child of God, you are a co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17) and an heir of God’s infinite fortunes. God has an imperishable inheritance reserved for you in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). Whether you pass or fail, God is loyal in His love toward you and your status in Christ is unchanged. All of the above remains true of you. God loves you now and will never cease to love you in spite of your academic performance.

Practical tips as you study

In light of this comforting truth, we can change the way we think and approach our work. Here are some practical tips to help us in our studies as exams and assignments approach.

1. Get enough sleep

It is no secret that we do our best work when we get enough sleep. Experts suggest that adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep a night. All-nighters and a lack of sleep are unsustainable in the long run. Eventually, they will hinder the completion of our daily tasks and final exam performance. Sleep is imperative if we are to make the best use of the time God gives us in the day. Let’s make sure we get plenty of it.

2. Progressive overload

Progressive overload is a principle of training. Put simply, this states that to train effectively, you must gradually increase the workload. The same can be said for our revision and exam preparation. By progressively increasing the work we do, we begin to adjust to the amount. This allows us to steadily increase how much work we do overtime whilst avoiding the disappointment of constantly failing to complete our tasks. This encourages manageable and productive work.

3. Address anxious thoughts through prayer

Anxious thoughts are inevitable. Doubts will creep in. When we find ourselves entertaining them, we need to combat these lies with the truth of Scripture. Acknowledge your need and depend on God. Exercise your privileges as a child of God and bring your worries to Him in prayer and His peace will rule over your anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7).

4. Work to the glory of God

Because our academic performance does not affect our standing before God, we have a new motivation: to bring glory to Him in everything we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). Work in a manner that pleases God. Complete every piece of work to the best possible standard, fitting for the King of Kings. Be fuelled by a desire to please God, and in turn impress your examiners (Colossians 3:23). The motivation is not fear, but a grateful response to His love and kindness expressed in the opportunity He has given us in our studies.

As our work intensifies and the pressure increases, let’s decide to think differently. We should constantly remind ourselves that our academic success does not give us our worth before God: Christ does. Our value comes from Him. We are loved and approved through Jesus, and that is unchanging. Let this give you peace as you complete your studies with excellence by the grace of God.

The Solution To A Boring Christian Life

Chude Obuaya
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The Solution To A Boring Christian Life

Think back to when you first became a Christian. The glee on your face, the fire in your burns, the warmth in your heart. As we journey along with Christ and His people, the Christian life can have seasons of mundanity. Some seasons of mundanity last longer than others and this can leave us disillusioned with whether the joy promised in Scripture can be ours. A boring Christian life could make us long for the days of unrighteousness that seemed littered with fun. But to paraphrase John Piper, what is fun about something that will leave us eternally damned? There must be a better way.

New Tastebuds

On the way to the cross, Jesus stops in the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He takes his three closest disciples with Him to pray. Upon returning to them, He finds them asleep. In response, He says “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). The disciples chose sleep when they were meant to pray. We can often choose sin when righteousness is the better way. When we are regenerated, we are given a new spirit with new affections (Ezekiel 36:26 c.f. 2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ, we have new tastebuds. This doesn’t mean that all the things we did as unbelievers were sins, but it does mean that we had no desire to please Christ (Isaiah 53:6 c.f. Romans 3:10-12). Now that we are in Christ those tastebuds that have been renewed can often yearn for things that just be distasteful to us. Like someone trying to be consistent with their diet, it can just get boring eating the same thing. A little nibble from the cake of this world won’t hurt, will it?

Sin Has An Appetite

Unlike, incorporating snacks into your diet, sin cannot be digested in controlled amounts. Paul is clear if you live according to the flesh you will die (Romans 8:13). When the Christian life gets boring, it can be tempting to look at the rearview mirror of life and see how fun things used to be. Walking in obedience, fighting sin, and loving your neighbour can be tiresome. It doesn’t always immediately produce fruit and it can cause you to think “what’s the point of persevering?”. The answer we are given when our spiritual walk plateaus is to just fight the stagnation. But what if there is a better way? What if Jesus doesn’t want us to try harder but to deepen our joy? God doesn’t want us to limp our way to glory, forcing ourselves to like Jesus. Instead, God wants us to know this love that caused His Son to die for sinners, receive this love, delight in this love and tell others about this love. Perhaps the reason we have boring periods in our Christian life is that we simply don’t delight in God enough. Maybe we have adopted a Christianity that seeks God for what He can do rather than who He is. If we want a Christian life that is filled with the joy that can engulf the temptations of life, then we need our eyes fixed our eyes on Jesus who walked the road we travel on (Hebrews 12:2). When we do, we will be able to say with the psalmist “… my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation” (Psalm 35:8).

How to Tackle The Grey Areas in Our Faith?

Oluwaseyi Sobogun
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How to Tackle The Grey Areas in Our Faith?

There are issues we face where we can find clear guidance on how to respond in the bible, the black and white. But there also exist those in-between areas which are less clear, the grey areas. Those are more difficult to tackle. For example, the latest Netflix show has just been released. It seems everyone is talking about it – discussions on Twitter, blog posts, and even your colleagues at work are interested in this new show. Naturally, we want to find out more in case we are missing out. However, a trusted friend has advised us to avoid watching the show as they see the content as sinful. What do we do?

Although this example used a TV show, we can encounter similar dilemmas in relationships, socialising and other personal decisions.  How do we tackle those areas in our faith?

Why do we want to engage?

So, the bible has not explicitly written about this particular issue nor does it instruct us not to watch this TV show or movie. However, it does state that we should think about whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, pure, lovely and so forth in Philippians 4:8. We must consider how that aligns with whatever activity we wish to engage in. A great way to do this, using the example of the TV show, is to read the synopsis. They are helpful, and easily accessible to explain the details of the show. Is watching or participating in this activity going to build us up in our faith or lead us down the path to sin?

All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things builds up.

1 Corinthains 10:23

Although we are free to engage in all activities, within reason, there are those more damaging to our faith. It can be a task to identify what falls under lawful but not helpful or lawful but not edifying. Thankfully, to assist, we have the Holy Spirit, our Helper (John 15:16). We can make more informed choices on the grey areas, as we encounter them, with wisdom and discernment from the Spirit. “If we walk by the Spirit, we will not satisfy the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). When we are in alignment with the Spirit, the things of the flesh will become less appealing.

Additionally, we can seek godly counsel from people with a similar mindset of pursuing holiness and godliness, to discuss and ask further questions. An outside perspective is useful for challenging our worldview. We should also take time to discover the motives behind the choice we are making.

Do we have the right mindset?

For a few, tackling the grey areas in our faith may come with a logical strategy. Whereas some of us struggle to make distinctions on what is categorised as a grey area. That is perfectly normal for the Christian. We are working out our salvation while God is working in us (Phil 2:12). In their best interest, advice can be given which may seem appropriate and could be well-intentioned but how do we ensure it is right for us? Generally, if we think it is wrong, we should avoid it. Until the time we are confident as to our resolve whether in favour or against it. Paul echos this sentiment when he writes to the church in Romans:

But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin

Romans 14:23

If there is even an inkling of doubt that this could be wrong but we proceed anyway, it is sin. We can decide for ourselves with careful guidance through the Word and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Overall, we should be more open to interrogating our choices and understand that the conviction will come from within. We should never pass judgement on another if they do not have the same convictions as us. We are not the standard, Christ is. 

At the end of the day, we are seeking His Kingdom above all else. Whatever we do, [whether we choose to watch the show, drink the alcohol or attend the event], we must decide if we are doing it for the glory of God or self.

How Do You Support Your Suffering Neighbour?

Chinedu Agwu
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How Do You Support Your Suffering Neighbour?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God – 2 Corinthian 1:3-5

In this life, we can go through different seasons. Whilst one individual is in the summer season, another individual could be going through the bleak mid-winter. Sometimes we know when an individual is suffering or in pain maybe because they told or it was announced by someone else, whilst a lot of the time we may not even know someone is suffering at all. So the question is, how can we better support our suffering neighbour?

Who is your neighbour?

First, who is our neighbour? Our neighbour is anyone who is not you, your family, your friends or those in close proximity to you. This article leans towards the theme of collective responsibility where as the body of Christ we carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). In the passage in Romans 12:15, Paul highlights the importance of us sharing in one another’s emotions and seasons rather than living an “isolated life”, which sadly is what this world promotes.

Why do suffering neighbours go unseen?

Now we may know who our neighbours are and that we should look out for other people, but what if we don’t know they are suffering? We live in a culture where when you ask, “how are you?” people often say, “I’m fine”, which may be genuine, but it can also just be a rehearsed response when we don’t want to open up. Unless people are visibly bleeding, we may not think they are in need of support. Some people to keep an eye on in our church and community in general include but are not limited to:

  • The sick
  • The poor
  • Widows
  • Single parents
  • Orphans
  • People in other countries experiencing war, pandemic or poverty  

These individuals may be highlighted to you through family, the church, or friends but for some of these individuals, it will take observation and discernment to identify them.

There are many things we can do to support our neighbours who are suffering, and with prayer and an obedient heart, God will reveal how you can best support them in a way that is unique to you and them.

Action points

  • Pray for other people (in-person or in private)
  • Volunteering schemes e.g., care homes, the homeless, safe families charity, Samaritans, youth clubs etc
  • Check-in on people
  • Offer your service: car lifts, cooking, mowing the garden
  • Fundraise for someone in financially difficulty (with their permission)
  • Donating money/resources
  • Opening your house to refugees

This life on earth can be challenging and lonely at times. As the body of Christ let us be salt and light (Matt 5:13, Matt 5:16), let our presence be felt by all. We never know when we too will need support, so let us learn to comfort others with the comfort we receive ourselves from God.

Even When All Seems Still, God Is Working

Chude Obuaya
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Even When All Seems Still, God Is Working

Waiting on God can be difficult. In a world where desires can be attained almost instantly, the idea of waiting can appear archaic. Yet, in the scriptures, the command to wait on the Lord can be seen repeatedly. Coupled with the command to wait on God is the implicit command to also trust in Him. The difficulty to wait arises when the situation that you are in doesn’t appear to be getting better, in fact, it gets worse. How do you respond? Do you attempt to take hold of the situation, or do you believe that God is at work even when all seems still?

Oh, Ye Of Little Faith


Imagine going to the GP several times with an illness. Each time you go you mention the various symptoms that you display. Your doctor receives this information and instead of delivering a diagnosis that considers all the symptoms, they only focus on one. Would you expect to recover? This is how we can often approach the sin of impatience. When we decide that waiting on God is no longer worth it, we try to co-opt God’s plan and implement our own. This plan ultimately fails, and we are back to square one. If we have enough self-awareness, we realise that the reason we struggle to wait on God is that we are impatient. But is that a diagnosis that considers all the symptoms? What if our ultimate problem isn’t impatience, but unbelief? What if the reason why we don’t wait on God’s timing is that we don’t believe that God will come through on His promises (Numbers 23:19). And perhaps we don’t believe that God will come through on His promises because we don’t believe what the bible says about God’s character (Isaiah 25:1, 2 Timothy 2:13, Lamentations 3:23, Exodus 34:6-7). You see, impatience isn’t our biggest problem. It’s a symptom of a larger issue, we simply don’t believe God.

Help My Unbelief


If unbelief is the root of our impatience then the antidote is remembrance. When unbelief seeks to rear its ugly head in the form of impatience, we need to remember God’s past faithfulness. Remembering God’s past faithfulness will be the anchor to your boat when the storms of your situation seek to derail. In Psalm 103, this hymn of praise begins like this “My soul, bless the LORD,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name. My soul, bless the LORD, and do not forget all his benefits”. This psalm then speaks to the ways in which God keeps his people both individually and communally. The Israelites often forgot about God’s faithfulness during the wilderness, and this psalm is a reminder of how God dealt with them – with lovingkindness and mercy (Psalm 103:8). We can sometimes feel like the Israelites. Did God bring us out of bondage with signs and wonders, just to abandon us in the wilderness? Look back over your life, has God ever let you down? When God seems as silent as the gap between Malachi and Matthew, we can often forget God’s track record. But remember, silence doesn’t mean inactivity. God makes all things beautiful in His time, not yours (Ecclesiastes 3:11). When your faith is low, you can cry out like the father of the son with an unclean spirit “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:23). God will respond with stand still and see how I save you (Exodus 14-13-14).

The Remedy For Anxiety

Tobi Oludipe
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The Remedy For Anxiety
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Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, also believe in me. – John 14:1

The problem of anxiety

The topic of anxiety has unfortunately become such a huge issue in our generation. Many find themselves the victims of anxiety to varying degrees. God in his infinite wisdom knew that there is no human that is immune to some sort of anxiety, in fact, the words anxious/ anxiety are mentioned numerous times in the Bible (Phil 4:6, Isaiah 41:10, John 14:1, Matt 6:25-34). 

I used to be a very anxious person so much, and I didn’t even like going to church. I would have to remind myself that I was there for God to get myself out of the door and rush home once the Pastor had uttered his last word. I have found the Word of God to be such a beautiful remedy when things are overwhelming. God doesn’t want us to feel anxious. Anxiety is not from Him and He constantly tells us to cast this burden on Him. 

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

Timothy 1:7

In this article, I want to share the remedy for anxiety from a spiritual lens. It is also useful to add that, anxiety is not always spiritual, sometimes it is what we are eating, a hormonal imbalance, too much time on social media etc.

Rest

Our fear of what life will bring can lead us into a state of anxiety. Healthline defines anxiety as “a feeling of fear or apprehension about what’s to come.” We worry about success, marriage, family and so much more but in the midst of hustle culture I put forward the idea of rest.  One of my favourite analogies for life is that the Holy Spirit is like a GPS so whenever you take a wrong turn, the Holy Spirit will re-route you to your destination (God’s will for your life). Terms and conditions apply though, you can’t turn off the phone and still expect to get to the right destination, the same way you can not turn away from the voice of the Holy Spirit and still hope to make it to God’s will. You are God’s child and His beloved child at that, access the free gift of rest God has made available to you. 

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. 

Luke 12:7

Rest in God, don’t feel like you have to control everything instead surrender your life to God and let Him have His way. So if God has clothed the meadow with hay, which is here for such a short time and then dried up and burned, won’t he provide for you the clothes you need—you of little faith? (Matt 6:28-31) 

If you are going to pray don’t worry, if you are going to worry don’t pray. Learn how to rest in God. 

Worship

In the words of Pastor Mike Todd – Worship is our weapon. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4) Sometimes we have to let the mountain of anxiety know exactly who our God is. When it comes to anxiety it is time to fix your eyes on Jesus and let worship be our weapon. Taking your eyes off your problems and putting them on God allows you to acknowledge that you are not strong enough to handle your problems by yourself. You have someone so much stronger behind you to hold you up! Lean into that!

“What you seek is what you find” – HB Charles. Seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things will be added on to you (Matthew 6:33) and that includes peace of mind. H.B Charles eloquently said, “Don’t let legitimate concern, turn to sinful anxiety which then turns to you neglecting God.” Seek God ultimately and practically, let Him take His rightful place as God and the idol of fear and worry will fade away.

To conclude, I put forward two antidotes. Rest and Worship. Let God be God and Let God Be First.

Five Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Give Up on God

Emmanuel Oganla
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Five Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Give Up on God
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Life with God comes with challenges or ‘fiery trials.’ The biblical authors don’t just tell us about these challenges, they also admonish us to not let them surprise us (1 Peter 4:12). Even with admonitions like this, it feels strange when we go through them. When life grapples us, the temptation to submit to the challenges and give up on God seems very appealing. My prayer is that as you read this article, you’ll find reasons to hold on and not give up on God.

1. God has already provided the solution to your suffering

The universal reason for man’s suffering is sin. Man’s fall begot human suffering; however, man’s fall did not surprise God. He provided the solution before man could fall as John tells us, “All who dwell on the earth will worship Him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8) This verse indicates that the Lamb (Jesus) was slain before the world began and we know that Christ’s sacrifice is the solution for man’s sin. The Cross is God’s victory over sin, it also preceded it. God is not confined to time therefore He has solutions prepared for the challenges we are yet to go through. This perspective helps you to be more focused on how the trial is serving to make rather than break you. We will explore this through the rest of the article.

2. God is sovereign to work the challenges out for your good

You must ask yourself two questions, do I love God? And am I called according to His purpose? If both answers are yes, then Paul encourages you, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). God disarmed powers and authorities and put them to an open shame by His triumphing over them through the Cross (Colossians 2:15), Paul also infers that the powers wouldn’t have crucified him if they knew any better (1 Corinthians 2:8). God used Jesus’ challenges to fulfil His purpose and He will do the same for you. Trust Him.

3. God is using your challenges to refine your character

James urges believers to see trials as something to be joyful about because they are our pathway to maturity and completion in character. He says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2). This shift in mindset is a gamechanger because rather than seeing challenges as opportunities to quit, you see them as opportunities to grow in maturity and be complete.

4. Giving up on God is giving up on the true essence of life

To give on God is to give up on the essence of your being. Paul states, “In Him, we live, we breathe and have our being” (Acts 17:28). In John 6:53 prior to Jesus’ death and resurrection, crowds would often follow Him because of the miracles He performed. On this occasion, they were hungry and He multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed them. He knew their impure motives for following Him and He used the sign to teach them the true essence of communion by stating, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.’” Jesus is essentially saying there is no life apart from communion with Him. This was hard for many in the crowd to hear and so they began to depart from Him. Peter understanding Jesus’ words responded, “…Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). This was in response to Jesus asking if the twelve disciples would also depart. Peter knew departing from Jesus is departing from the source of life.

5. Lives are connected to your endurance

We look at Job, Abraham, David, the Apostles and ultimately Jesus as reasons why God isn’t worth giving up on. There are people who will find strength for their endurance by looking at yours. You can probably think of family members and friends who have been emblems of faith and endurance in God through difficulty. By not giving up you can be the same emblem of hope for others.

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