Testimony Time

Testimony Time:-You must know if indeed you are a true child of God. Those who fall into temptation and transgressions allow the dark shadows of life to trickle into their path. Significantly too, they still perceive themselves as a true child of God. However, when they fail to give unto God what is God's; their level of unrighteousness simply turn into floods that run severely unchecked. Apostle Paul wrote in Titus 1:15 that "to the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted." Hence, the faint in spirit cannot get anything significant from God and so in life. Whilst they dither on what their next move will be in serving the Lord, the Angels sent to fulfil their dreams may consider them to have given up in their search to receive answers to their challenges. Quite frankly, this could be at a point when they must be so close in attaining their blessings. Although, "they claimed to know God, but by their actions have denied Him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good". Titus 1:16 Therefore "brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8 And "whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Amen (Philippians 4:9) Just Checking into His Presence... 

Testimony Time

Testimony Time:-Within your Christian life, what sermon have you received which hammered so much on the truth? Have come across any message truthfully dissecting the word and commandments of God? Tell me if you have really sat down to consider the reasons why you cannot maintain those standards? If what is keeping you away from God is money; what happens if the market fail and the frequency at which the money is received drop and fail altogether? Can it be work? Suppose a health issue suddenly occur: do you really believe this can limit proficiencies at work? Is your beauty taking a centre stage? What happens when the beauty fade? Apart from considering plastic surgery, what would you have in return? Therefore, what do you have in this world that is greater than God? Also note, prophecies will come and go as much as the work that keeps you away from God. Pride will expire: it will go with time and beauty will always fade. If in doubt, you only need to consider how you were many years ago and what you have been able to achieve with time now. If you don't know; God is in all of these virtues and there is a big challenge if He is missing in any of them. "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning." "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:20-23 We have known the way of righteousness Father: we want You to keep and guide us because we have no help except from Thee. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

Testimony Time

Testimony Time:-The world indeed is becoming smaller day by day and time is responsible. Now we can see time itself seemingly moving faster than the original; trying so hard to work out the conundrum surrounding what is happening in the Christian world today. Let us be reminded that it is not far from what the Bible foretold some 2000 years ago. Quite simply, it is about how Christians will begin to lose the grip on the overall essence of why Christ surrendered Himself to be crucified: so that our former position with God can be resuscitated. Within the same time we enjoy today; it is not impossible to see many claiming to be with Christ. As well, it is also not unlikely for many to be working without Him. If we continue by using this method; we are likely to die without any evidence of Christ in us. Consequently too, we have to pay for our sins having lost the insurance cover which we have received through the blood of Jesus. In Revelation 20:11-15, we read about "a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Therefore today, I encourage you to "sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you."- Amen (Hosea 10:12) Just Checking into His Presence...

Testimony Time

Testimony Time:-It is natural for those who fell below the benchmark of righteousness to always blame the devil. Believe you me: this system operates in the ideal world and some of its foundation and natural growth can be traced back to churches too. Systematically we have seen trust breached, positions abused and out of routine; people have now started using God's name as an excuse. Intrinsically, it has become a general norm used deliberately by the culprits and those who perpetrate such erroneous acts. Their mission is to see themselves become immediately acceptable by their victims. This is in an open attempt for them to regain back their position of trust with the possibility of committing such act again. How then can you claim to know God? Do you understand the fundamentals of the precepts of God? Have you in anyway tried to discover yourself first? Maybe you don't know that one needs to study and understand oneself before one can be able to invite the presence of God into his/her life. Let us look at what David wrote in Psalm 119: 98-106-"Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies is my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word." "I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I understand: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments". Before you claim any immunity whatsoever by using the name of God: when God speaks; do you know? How well can you understand God's constant nudges when you are prone to defiling the obvious? God's commandments are obvious in the bible and He expects nothing more! However, it is not untrue that Christians live their lives away from God and they offer constant excuses to justify every unrighteousness. Quite ironically the devils names do play a part in some of these excuses even though we already know what the bible says about him in 2 Corinthians 11:3. "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." Interestingly too, some excuses have also come under superfluous attachment to spirituality. Today, how sweet is God’s word to your taste? Could it be sweeter than the devil in your mouth? Do you understand through God's precept so you can hate every falsehood? Thy word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path: so we have sworn; give us the understanding and the will to perform them so we can keep Your righteous judgments". Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

Testimony Time

Testimony Time:-God is not who the whole world thinks He is. Those who claim to know Him may simply have nothing to do with God because He is bigger than what people made Him to be and will never go back on His covenant. Without exaggeration, when you move closer to God, you must experience His power and the hidden secrets surrounding the essence of His glory in a new dimension. Therefore, those who are called Christians should understand the precepts of God and how they work. Besides, they must have the ability to demonstrate genuine love in the area of seeking God and keeping to His Commandments. Characteristically, it is possible to define God's privileges to those who are obedient to His word. Among them are to be able to subdue challenges posed by our arch enemy- Satan and his cohorts without drawing any sword. When you look for God and operate with His truthfulness: be rest assured that His cups of glory will be your portion; only you must live your life 'hating uncleanliness' in the face of living according to the riches and glory of God. Hence, let the Christ in you speak to someone today. If you have been half way with offering genuine love of Christ, I suggest you allow the world to know of your genuine home coming to Christ in all you do. Move away from the mere affirmation occasioned in words to God's principle. Allow your light to shine so much to show you as a true disciple of Christ. Hebrews 4:15-16 says- "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. "I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron" wrote in Isaiah 45:24. “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6) Amen Just Checking into His Presence... 

Testimony Time

Testimony Time:-Do you know that the pride we parade today will not always make it to the hit list of tomorrow? Have you considered must be overridden with time: and age must play a significant part. Generally, beauty will fade away, bodies will wane and wrinkles will take hold of where once our pride stood. That notwithstanding, we can either choose the process whereby we can age gracefully as a result of the labours of our hands or surfer some disrepute at old age because we have been so unkind to the true works of faith and the way we have led our lives. What excuse have you got that is not allowing you to give your life to Christ? Is it marital problems, unemployment, disappointment, hatred, unfruitfulness, homelessness or the value of being poor? Would you believe that similar issues occurred during the time of Jesus? Do you know that despite it all: Christ was able to lead and teach His own on how to be a child of God in those circumstances? Indeed, if Jesus Christ were to focus on those challenges and any other negative news emanating from their direct result, He would have been faced with so much distraction and undoubtedly, these will have taken Him away from the purpose of saving mankind. However, Christ was much focused and remained faithful to His words. There was never at one time did Christ forget God's plan for Salvation. "God's original plan is to test and redeem His children from the effects of sin and Satan's influence. Those who believe in Him must begin to experience the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ which was designed by God to bring about man's immortality and eternal life. As well, the plan of Redemption or Salvation by God ensured Jesus Christ became the only begotten Son of our Heavenly Father who was sent to Earth as the Saviour even though at that time too, the Roman Empire were seen to be perpetrating evil against God's original plan. So "much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. “Romans 5:9 And "if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 Let the blood of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of our Lord God Almighty cleanse us from all sin in Jesus name. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

Testimony Time

Testimony Time:-Today's story is a replica of God's love being passed from generation to generations; and what every true Christian fail to understand is God can only give up on the value of His secret to those who simply love Him enough. Christianity however offers everyone the opportunity to give God true passion in worship and in obedience. In return, we can expect His love which will be on offer till eternity. Understandably, life will always bring flashes of the wrongs we have committed whilst in this world. We must be aware that the wisdom of choosing to live rightly with the commandments of God ultimately ushers in the prosperity of God. Don't you forget that this opportunity can only be transferred to those who are enthusiastic enough; in keeping to God demands. Therefore, "what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it." "The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer." Deuteronomy 10:12-16 Circumcise the foreskin of our hearts oh God and soften our stony hearts so that we are not stiff-necked any longer. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

Testimony Time

When men desert you under any guise, be rest assured that God will not leave you. If you are truly in Christ, it is not a taboo that friends will disappoint; your genuine calls can be intentionally diverted into voicemail; while your network service provider can create unnecessary problems with your line. In addition, your mobile phone batteries may choose to be flat intermittently. In all these, God's love will ever be constant because He sees and knows everything. The Bible confirms God does not sleep or slumber.-("Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep")-(Psalm 121:4) so; if your life were to be played as music, will your tune appeal to anyone to dance to? Which song are you dancing to? One that pleases the demons or that of the angels? Maybe you don't know: some ways of life pleases the demons instead of the angels. Therefore, I will encourage you to stop the process of camouflage in your life today: replay it and then see what happens. Does it put you in the right mode of worship with Christ? Job 1:8 says- "Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Can this assessment be true description of your life story? Stop and ponder for a while if you are still in the race of faith proclaiming to be Christ Ambassador. Don't forget, it is not impractical to see some people in the church but still they can be out of the church. They will bear no link with their positions, costumes, prophesies and other attributes they may be using to cajole unsuspecting culprits. Today, I encourage you to rise from your slumber and stop being clothed in your former glory. Though you are in the presence of God, you may be overwritten with bondages; the sad thing is if you don't know of this dilemma. If indeed you do know, what have you done about it? Now listen to this-"O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbour nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honours those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved." Psalm 15 Father; do not allow the affairs of this world to cripple the covenant of peace You have apportioned for us. Amen Just Checking into His Presence... 

Testimony Time

Now listen to the definition of love: It is when you stop at nothing so you can become someone's everything. Is that the case in the world today? It is so easy to claim we love but events around us has proven there are some unspoken truths about the love we claim to share and it carries the tendency to kill. Truth may be unspoken at any level; does that erode on its potency? No! so children of God, it does not matter how you look at it- truth works and quite often with speed. Let me assure you that oftentimes truth sometimes acts very slowly; however let us remain assured that truth will always work. So, what truth do you hold that remains unspoken? How many people have you killed because you have refused to say the truth? Have you lied your way into your position? Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:25 lead the admonition to be truthful in spite of all the odds. It says "therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another. However, “today not only in philosophy but in politics, government, and individual morality, our generation sees solutions in terms of synthesis and not absolutes. When this happens, truth, as people have always thought of truth, has died.” ~ Francis Schaeffer ~ J. C. Ryle also suggests we should "never let us be guilty of sacrificing any portion of truth on the altar of peace" Thomas Aquinas chips in-“As a matter of honour, one man owes it to another to manifest the truth.” ~ and “Let us rejoice in the truth, wherever we find its lamp burning.” (~ Albert Schweitzer) and because “I believe that in the end the truth will conquer.” ~ John Wycliffe "Therefore look! A messenger is coming over the mountains with good news! He is bringing a message of peace. Celebrate your festivals, O people of Judah, and fulfil all your vows, for your wicked enemies will never invade your land again. They will be completely destroyed!" Amen (Nahum 1:15) Just Checking into His Presence... 

Testimony Time

Testimony Time:-What gives us strength as Christians to overcome the travails and intricacies of life depend so much on the value of the quality time we spend in the presence of the Lord. Don't forget that the Lord takes into account the experience we share and gain through fellowship if only the purpose is to recruit disciples for His Kingdom in heaven. In that “where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them." (Matthew 18:20) It should therefore not be strange to anyone that those who maintain this link with God can always find the greatest treasure in His Presence even without actually searching for it. Isaiah 55:6-7 says "Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon." The Lords instruction is very poignant to all Christians in Jeremiah 29:13. It says "you will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." The same promise echoes in Proverbs 8:17: that the "Lord loves those who loves Him; and those who diligently seek Him will find Him." It goes without saying that if you don't understand the true purpose of your calling; abuse is inevitable! But you are those "who have come out of the great tribulation; washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence". Revelation 7:14-15 so, where are you with Christ? Thou who sits on the throne of Grace we beseech You to shelter us with Your Presence. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...  

Testimony Time:-

What sounds so peculiar about the true nature of every day is that they will all run out of fashion. The same day we planned so much about will pass away and soon become our yesterday. Undoubtedly; everyone will come to that bus stop: believe it or not, we will end in the same path as of yesterday. It does not matter what we have on record as success stories and or quite glaringly what we may be considering as underachievement. Irrespective of this position, the success value of each day goes with the day. Somehow people must work hard to protect such position; but as sure as the sun will sidle away, all positions too will become faint for the moonlight to take over and such will be the case on day of reckoning. Human beings can then begin to enjoy the same quest; either good or bad. And there would be no alternative to improve on what counts as achievement or failures in our spiritual life. At any rate, let the success stories of our lives be measured against the precepts of God so that whether we live or die we do through Christ account. This is because it "is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."-Ephesians 4:20-24 Empower us Father to be made new in the attitude of our minds; let us be able to put on the new self and create us to be like You in true righteousness and holiness. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

Testimony Time

Most assuredly, if a man does not know where he is from or where he is going and or what he is capable of achieving under the guidance of the Holy Spirit: it is certain that Satan would have upper hand in the way such person leads his/her life. In every situation however, Satan has the power to give perfect answer to everything life has on offer and more to those whose hearts are filled with uncertainty when it comes to issues concerning God. "Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true." The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Ecclesiastes 12:9-12 Therefore, "let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water"- Amen (Hebrews 10:22) Just Checking into His Presence…

Testimony Time Teasers Today

A message worth sharing by Pastor Yinka Oyelusi: If God was a traffic Police officer: How many times would you have been fined for parking your life wrongly, over loading it with lusts of the flesh or pleasures of the world?, Not carrying the fire extinguisher always (bible)? over speeding (ahead of God's plan) ? driving your body without a license (holy spirit)? not observing traffic lights (commandments)? and forgetting to put on your safety belt (prayer) ? #think about it......."Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth".John 4:23-24 Jesus Loves Us Anyway!!! Just Checking into His Presence...

25th March

Testimony Time:-Have you been given the opportunity to live in His presence again? Then think about this; definitely you have been put in charge to unravel the mystery surrounding various persecutions thrown like darts by the Devil to all Christians. As well, the Devil prowls day and night armed with tribulations and these are powerful enough to test our faith. It is also the plan of Satan to throw many into undue captivity. This trend within the Christendom can be unwanted; even at that the Bible enjoins us to "be faithful until death, so that God can give us crown of life" (Revelation 2:10) Who then can be classified as being faithful in His word? Psalm 24:4-5 describes the person as "He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully". He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Can you categorically say you have a clean hands and a pure heart? Is it in your habit to swear deceitfully? Do you follow fashions and customs of this world to begin to live in spiritual darkness? Definitely, these are ploy which Satan has taken into captivity. So also Christ has given "to each one of us grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” (Ephesians 4:7-8) Surprisingly, there are some gifts earned through worship which preach love, perseverance, humility, tolerance, forgiveness, service etc.; and without them we will remain captive to the traits of Satan. May God remove every deposit of spiritual darkness which may have taken us into captivity in Jesus name. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

24th March

Testimony Time:-Life should not be about a competition; it must not be viewed in terms of those who are successful or down trodden and have suffered some ill fortune along the way. Quite simply; we cannot describe life in terms of wealth, beauty, feelings and costumes. Oftentimes, we may have heard life summed up in two sentences- (No one has it all and one man's food is another man's poison). If you are rich or wealthy therefore, it is on own terms. If you consider yourself to be beautiful; have you heard about a saying which goes-"beauty is in the eye of the beholder". You may be rich, your name and riches may be recorded on a poor list in some quarters. What many perceive to be beautiful may bring some displeasure to many in other areas. Above all, life should not be measured in terms of riches, achievements or successes, beauty or otherwise. Life simply should be seen in terms of what you can contribute to make a difference. A message from Barrister Dipo Bada's Facebook post brings some suggestions regarding what he sees as the law of life. Please read:- LAW OF LIFE ⚓ "When a newspaper reporter interviewed a farmer who grew award-winning corn each year he entered his corn in the state fair, it was revealed that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. Perplexed, the reporter asked, “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering their corn in competition with yours each year?” The farmer smiled knowingly and explained, “The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.” So it is with our lives. Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others. For the value of a life, is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. Call it power of collectively. Call it a principle of success. Call it a law of life. The fact remains, “None of us truly wins, until we all win.” In life, when you help the people around you to be good, you surely become the best. Always bear in mind that "Real happiness is helping others. live and let's live." Above all, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, and then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:32-46) Father in heaven, we beseech You to give us the power to honour You in this world so we can be empowered to reign with you in Your eternal kingdom. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

23rd March

Testimony Time:-I received a message from a brother of over 40 years today. The theme gave me the impetus to use the write up as my main message. The message itself is potent enough and can serve as a sequence to my message of yesterday. Please read along; I am sure you will pick something out of it. "Just finished work on a film set in Reading location; though tiring but I was not tired instead energized seeing another dimension to life. How people come and go, I meant how people were born and die (ultimate price). The struggles, the business of life, the neglects and the neglected etc. The location of the set speaks volume of its self; it’s a place where all manner of people looking for help converge daily, some go home smiling maybe with new babies, and some go home crying for whatever reason not palatable to them. At a point during the shoot my hands were shaking I felt a cold shrill moving down my spine. I tried to comport myself so as not to mess the whole shoot-up but then my mind was fast racing decoding different thoughts about life e.g. what is the purpose of man’s life? Is life all about dining and wining? Is life all about struggle? Or being rich/wealthy makes you an acceptable person in the society. People want peace instead they get wars….. What beats my imagination really is how elusive these goodies of life have become to those who actually crave them irrespective of how much they tried. Some got these goodies for a brief moment and disappeared. Some do not actually crave for them but they come and stick/stayed while the recipients lack good health and peace of mind thus rejecting them. What is the benefit of a man that gains the goodies of life and then loses soul or sanity? The environment I found myself today answered some of these questions that I have been pondering about for ages. That life is nothing but vanity upon vanity!" Summarily, everyone wants to go to heaven but no one is prepared to die. We all claim to work for Christ but there is absolutely no one who is prepared to have their faith tested. We flinch in times of trouble; we groan, complain and see ourselves beyond every hitch. Matthew 16:25 says "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." If we are to go on living in our body, would that mean fruitful labor for us? What you shall choose I do not know! (Philippians 1:22) "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) May the peace and good health of God that surpasses human understanding rest upon us all. Amen (Partly authored by Apostle Shola Bankole) Just Checking into His Presence...

22nd March

Testimony Time:-Apostles Paul in 1st Corinthians 12:3 gave the impression that "no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit". The Holy Spirit in every Christians should therefore demonstrate the willingness to accept Gods reign as eternal. Christians should always find a way to develop a lasting relationship with Christ with the hope of having an everlasting life. It is not uncommon for the result of lusts borne out of the courage of the human flesh to make it hard for Christians to excel in having a perfect relationship with Christ. Naturally, this tends to impede the process that brings to fulfillment the purpose of God in their lives. As a child of God, do you limit God with nonchalance to His rule? Is God everything to you? Why are Christians not so pleased to come to His Presence blameless, without doubts and or reservations? Do you also know that those who are called by the name of Christ must be aware that it is the Holy Spirit which can give empowerment? Besides, the Spirit can also intercede on behalf of every dithering Christian, but first the onus is on them to believe in Him who bore the guilt of our sins. "Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand." (Isaiah 53:20) Mark 16:16 says "anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned". If we then believe the Bible to be true; we must allow the truth in it to set us free. Brethren "if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land"(2nd Chronicles 7:14). I therefore pray to God to empower us to seek His face always so that we can receive healing in all spheres of our life. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

21st March

Testimony Time:-I just read this prayer from one of my daughters. I found it is really convicting and thought I'd share: Lord, help me to be a good wife. I fully realize that I don’t have what it takes to be one without Your help. Take my selfishness, impatience, and irritability and turn them into kindness, long-suffering, and the willingness to bear all things. Take my old emotional habits, mind-sets, automatic reactions, rude assumptions, and self-protective stance, and make me patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. Take the hardness of my heart and break down the walls with Your battering ram of revelation. Give me a new heart and work in me with Your love, peace, and joy (Galatians 5:22-23). I am not able to rise above who I am at this moment. Only You can transform me. Show me where there is sin in my heart, especially with regard to my husband. I confess the times I’ve been unloving, critical, angry, resentful, disrespectful, or unforgiving toward him. Help me to put aside any hurt, anger, or disappointment I feel and forgive him the way You do—totally and completely, no looking back. Make me a tool of reconciliation, peace, and healing in this marriage. Enable us to communicate well and rescue us from the threshold of separation where the realities of divorce begin. Make me my husband’s helpmate, companion, champion, friend, and support. Help me to create a peaceful, restful, safe place for him to come home to. Teach me how to take care of myself and stay attractive to him. Grow me into a creative and confident woman who is rich in mind, soul, and spirit. Make me the kind of woman he can be proud to say is his wife. I lay all my expectations at Your cross. I release my husband from the burden of fulfilling me in areas where I should be looking to You. Help me to accept him the way he is and not try to change him. I realize that in some ways he may never change, but at the same time, I release him to change in ways I never thought he could. I leave any changing that needs to be done in Your hands, fully accepting that neither of us is perfect and never will be. Only You, Lord, are perfect, and I look to You to perfect us. Teach me how to pray for my husband and make my prayers a true language of love. Where love has died, create new love between us. Show me what unconditional love really is and how to communicate it in a way he can clearly perceive. Bring unity between us so that we can be in agreement about everything (Amos 3:3). May the God of patience and comfort grant us to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5). Make us a team, not pursuing separate, competitive, or independent lives, but working together, overlooking each other’s faults and weaknesses for the greater good of the marriage. Help us to pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another (Romans 14:19). May we be “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). I pray that our commitment to You and to one another will grow stronger and more passionate every day. Enable him to be the head of the home as You made him to be, and show me how to support and respect him as he rises to that place of leadership. Help me to understand his dreams and see things from his perspective. Reveal to me what he wants and needs and show me potential problems before they arise. Breathe Your life into this marriage. Make me a new person, Lord. Give me a fresh perspective, a positive outlook, and a renewed relationship with the man You’ve given me. Help me see him with new eyes, new appreciation, new love, new compassion, and new acceptance. Give my husband a new wife, and let it be me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

20th March

Testimony Time:-Nowadays, the most widely traded slogan has to do with one religion or the other. It is so popular to the extent that those who perpetrate evil use the name of God or Allah to reinforce their actions and beliefs. As a result, many have successfully used these phenomenon to deceive, exploit, cajole, and swear and or trade, thereby parading themselves as God sent; to the detriment of those who are weak in faith and in their religion. If we then claim God is behind every action of ours including oaths taken wilfully or when under duress; can we safely say all actions in the name of God have been inspired under His directions or Authority? So to say; many believers have been trapped in the darkness of their beliefs; thereby usurping the duties of God. They very wholeheartedly lack the wisdom from God and so often they work without His spirit. As they struggle to cope with the demands of His ministry; they appear bare in His presence; this cannot give them the grace and the humility which can guarantee any inspiration from God. Above that, there is a popular mantra which suggests "whatever a man sows so he shall reap". This brings to light the story of Solomon in 2 Chronicles 1:6-7. "Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the LORD in the tent of meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." Therefore, when it comes to God said! God said! And God said! Which of the utterances did actually come from God and which of them have been divinely inspired? Matthew 7:16-20 says "You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “Of what fruits are you? Does your work before the Lord brings fruitlessness or hopelessness? Which of them is sour and how many can be classified as sweet in His presence. Solomon brought a thousand offering before the Lord; it yielded rewards in great abundance. What rewards are you expecting? Or perhaps you might know of what returns you will get for your atrocities right from the start. Either way; "Don't be misled--you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant." (Galatians 6:7). God must input His divine Grace in us so we can achieve where Satan fail. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

19th March

Testimony Time:-You may act as if you don't know; but the deeper you go in Christianity should help to empower you to shed more ungodly things in your ways of life. It then follows that wherever we worship should not serve as a means to dip our hands further into any ungodliness. If that happens to anyone in any gathering of Christ, such person has not found a rightful church! In every perspective, sins give and also represent some outside forces working against our faith in God. Indirectly, sins can coagulate into powerful forces of darkness, which gives the body false energy of some sort. Ultimately, this new energy can sip through a heart made of rock; acting to confuse the view an ordinary Christian may have or keep on issues relating to righteousness. It is possible for all the years we have served as Christians, we may have been acting as if we like what the Lord wants and we may not actually love His requirements. In order words, if we cannot link any success and good memories to the ways we lead our lives as a Child of God, we cannot make any rightful claim to His Kingdom. As well, it will not be strange to have limited access to the grace of God wherever we portray ourselves as Christians within any Christian gathering. Finally, it will be a disaster if the reality of our claim is not potent/cogent enough to deliver salvation into our domain. 1 Peter 2:1-2 says- "So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like new born babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment," Father, of all the time we claim to know You, let our love for the things You love be genuine in our hearts so they can be drawn towards You in Jesus name. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

18th March

Testimony Time:-A little bit more of sin or a little bit more of grace? You must understand that our lives revolve round these two hypotheses. The good thing is while we have the grace to explore these two scenarios, the aftermath for one of the choices made can be ruined by regrets and the other by the declaration of His might which we were promised by God in Proverbs 8:17-"I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." However, let us be mindful of seeking God only when we are in need. In that God's mercy is constantly renewed every day, He knows our end from the beginning and He honors His name above all other names. For as long as we hope to see a new day, there is no guarantee that tomorrow will always come. Let us therefore form the habit to celebrate honor and walk within the duties of His holiness; according to the prescription of Christ. Which says: "nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches." (1 Corinthians 7:17) How then do you want to apply God's rule today? A little sin more that bring heaps of more condemnation or an exercise in the path of God that will yield a little more grace? If anyone goes by the former "that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:7-8) You can go to church every day: in fact you can live in the church for as long as possible. You can preach, write, sing and declare His holiness at whims; if you are far away from His precepts the chances of enjoying a little more of His grace is limited. In that in Luke 11:28 "Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice." Psalm 32:8 says "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." Therefore we beseech You Father to lead and guide us to where we can always enjoy the privileges of Your grace in Jesus name. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

17th March

Testimony Time:-As a child of God, are you in anyway affected by the slogan of double life/standards? How can you describe your Christian life in and away from the Church you represent? A monster in disguise in the church and or a torment in other Christian’s gatherings? Just what can people say about you? Has it ever occurred to you that the way people perceive you might just be the same impression God has about you? What sort of life do you lead away from the church and or your family? Let me assure you that every secret sin would eventually haunt you down and this can be before the so called judgement day which many don't even think about. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10) So brethren in Christ, you can deceive man for as long as you possibly can, without any doubt time will always catch up with you to reveal all atrocities committed whilst still living in this world. Judgement may be delayed, as result you may be saved all the trouble and embarrassment in this world; very surely in the world to come there will be no hiding place. "He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly". (Job 20:15) I will encourage you to continue to be different person in the Church/home and an epitome of disaster outside this premise; just have it in mind that there is no indemnity for any secret sins. Father unto Your feet we cast the burden of sins; shape our eyes and let them begins to see through You. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

16th March

Testimony Time:-Consistency is the word for every package we may encounter in life! To continue to achieve greatness in life requires absolute consistency with the attributes that put you in the path of stardom in the first place. It does not matter how you look at it, to maintain such position of glamour brings in some essence of continuity in the pursuit of the desires that strengthened us individually and then make us to stay in the spot light. To a very large extent; consistency determines your relationship with everything in life. At home, school, work, community and in the House of God too; being consistent describes your character which can either make or unmake you as a person. The ability to be consistent stems from the word love in the first place; you must stand on love and stay focused with love in order to have intimate and intrinsic drive which ultimately will give you room for genuine relationship in achieving goals every individual may have set for themselves. By every standard, the same ploy will be used to describe your character; to be considered inconsistent at work, relationships, and home and in the presence of God will always have ugly repercussions. There is a popular saying that "a dead clock is so consistent in timing that it shows correct time twice in a day". It is therefore necessary to "take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" (Ephesians 6:13-14) Success in life comes from the determination to consistently maintain and be driven by what is good. It does not matter which company you may find yourself; people will always measure you more by what they see and hear from you, not only about paper qualifications, beauty, recommendations, positions, home, wealth and gifts of the spirit. I am a child God! Yes, I go to church! Are you standing out by your commitments in the House of God? I am in a relationship and I have a home; how genuine is your level of consistency in a place you called a home? If your thoughts are far from being consistent with what you originally professed; there will be always be regrets somewhere somehow. Matthew 5:16 says "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Whatever you leave intentionally for Satan, he will loot and plunder. "Devil cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have [it] abundantly." (John 10:10) Lead us Heavenly Father, lead us! We rely on You because we cannot face the Devil without your help. Renew our strength, thoughts and vision. Let them be knitted to Yours. Amen. Just Checking into His Presence...

15th March

Testimony Time:-Today is another meeting with God. To appreciate the level of His grace we have to treat the welcome gift with surprise. God's promises are very sure; even at that He does not give us the guarantee to live forever. Today should not be seen as an entitlement which is a constant method employed by all to denounce how lucky we are to be in it. It is also the cause that many are regarded as Christians only by name but in utterances, deeds and appearances they are eternity away from the commandments of God. Many have successfully usurped the power and the ability to know what will happen tomorrow, a ploy that has incapacitated every knowledge in them to treat each day as a surprise gift from God. Acting and believing in the power to know what will happen tomorrow sets us up on the same level with God. No wonder the world can boast of lots of Christian but genuinely the world also lack true converts. Are you a true converts? Have you jettisoned every uncharitable conduct in your wardrobe? Do you sometimes go back to the same vomit and flagrantly dishonor the true Christian ethics? The ideal thing is to stop acting as if you know what the next seconds can bring, let alone the audacity to see tomorrow. Therefore today "if we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth." (1 John 1: 6) and "behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. (Revelation 22:7) Please also read Revelation 22: 9-14 give us the wisdom to honor You Oh Lord not by mouth but from the belly of our hearts; it is the only way to have true worship with You; so help us God. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

14th March

Testimony Time Teasers Today:- ARE YOU JESUS? This write up touched my heart. I am sure it will touch yours too. Shared from Barrister Dipo Bada's Facebook post. A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago... They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding... ALL BUT ONE!!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did. The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one stopping and no one to care for her plight. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly." As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?" He stopped in mid-stride .... and he wondered. He gently went back and said, "No, I am nothing like Jesus - He is good, kind, caring, loving, and would never have bumped into your display in the first place. "The girl gently nodded: "I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather the apples. He sent you to help me, so you are like Him - only He knows who will do His will. Thank you for hearing His call, Mister." Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?" Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace. If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day. You are the apple of His eye even though you, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked up you and me on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit. Please share this, {IF you feel led to do so}. No condition attached just that it could bless someone. Thanks Just Checking into His Presence…

13th March

Testimony Time Teasers Today: - A story shared by my brother Mr Opeoluwa Sokoya and fit enough as the main message for today. Please read- A man before leaving for work left a letter on the dining table for his wife. Chores around the house kept the woman from seeing the letter until about 12 noon. When she finally chanced on the letter she was so excited to see that her husband had taken time to write her a letter. She kissed the paper when she saw “my beautiful wife” at the top, hugged it when she saw “I love you with all my heart” at the bottom, and sniffed it when she realized it smelled of her husband’s perfume. Out of excitement, and without even bothering to read the content of the letter, she made up her mind to cook him his favourite meal for dinner that night. She quickly rushed to the kitchen and got to work. After cooking and setting the table, she went to the wash room and took a shower, put on her most attractive night gown and dressed the bed. Just as she was about to finish laying the bed her husband walked into the house. When she heard him come in she went out to welcome him. To her surprise, her husband was very furious when he saw her. She became very confused and asked why he wouldn’t even let her welcome him with a hug but instead have that angry look on his face. The husband asked, “Did you read the letter I left you on the table?” The woman responded, “Oh yes I saw it. That’s why I went through all the trouble to prepare your favourite meal for you. Thank you so much honey, it was sweet of you.” She leaned in to give him a kiss but he pushed her away to her surprise. The husband went on, “If you did, then why haven’t you done any of the things I instructed you to do?” The man went inside and came out again quickly with an already packed suit case. He headed straight for the door and said to his wife, “See you in 7 days.” The woman stood there confused but before she could utter a word, the door had slammed behind him. She went back to the dining table to take a second look at the letter. It reads…… My beautiful wife, My Company has asked 4 colleges and myself to go on a seven day trip to Dubai for a training program. They said that we can bring along our wives and I thought this will be the best opportunity for us to have the honeymoon we never did after we got married. I have already packed a suit case for myself, so please pack yours. Our flight leaves at exactly 7pm so I will be home at 6 o’clock for us to go to the airport. No need to cook dinner since there will be food on the plane. Just be prepared to go as soon as I get back. Please be ready before I get back so we don't miss the flight. I Love you with all my heart. I bet you thought this woman was unwise when you realized her mistake as you read this piece. Well unfortunately this is the state of many Christians in the Body of Christ today. We have accepted Jesus as our Lord, and are excited about being children of God and the fact that He will come back again for us one day. But we have not taken into account what He expects us to do before His return. This is because our Bibles are closed. We have read a few scriptures in the Word and are excited about promises but have completely ignored most of his instructions. You do not know a man if you do not know His Word. How then do we profess to be married to a groom whose word we have relegated to the background in the pursuit of signs and wonders? Unfortunately what many don’t know is that the Word is the power for signs and wonders, so if we go for the word these things we are chasing will chase us. Let us pay attention to His letter, which is the Word of God. It will draw us close to His desire for us and enable us to walk in victory over this world and its challenges. Amen Adapted Maranatha - Jesus is coming soon! Just Checking into His Presence...

12th March

Testimony Time:-Everyday matter but does each day matter anymore? Let us look back to when God began to create the world, He did it with style, precision, enthusiasm and purpose until His accomplishment became a true revelation. There was a pattern which was subsidiary to none in His approach. Indirectly, God seemingly opened up a story book for man to evolve and then dominate His good work. If God knows everything and can achieve all things; then nothing should have stood in obscurity before Him, He must have known beforehand what will happen to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. "For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps." (Job 34:21) Needless to say that God had the option to stop His creation just before the reign of men was introduced. God did not do that because His sole aim of creation is for men and women to honour and praise Him. It does not matter how, when and where they have committed sin; so long they can they can be reconciled back to Him with the hope they will not be found in the path of sinners again. There is therefore an abundance of grace in the story of every day. Such grace empowers you to choose rightly according to the demands of God; but don't forget that the grace also reduces the power of God to the position of an Onlooker when we wilfully and clandestinely choose to dive and swim into the pool of sin-very much like how the Lord looked on as Adam and Eve fell grossly into sin. (Genesis 3) Your mercies are forever new every day, we also know you can do and achieve all things; therefore let Your power brings us to You daily so we can be called Your Own in Jesus name. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

11th March

Testimony Time:-Welcome to another day in the third month of the year 2017. This is a very special grace given to us and only made possible by the Everlasting Arms of the Lord's Favor upon His creation. Today, I would like to intimate you with a statement I found on my daughter's wall which caught my attention-'Our acts can be no wiser than our thoughts. Our thinking can be no wiser than our understanding'. It made me ponder and ask if indeed our acts can be wiser than our thoughts and or our thinking wiser than our understanding. I came to the conclusion that if only we can decipher meaningful answers to this question, we will also enjoy the daily eruption of God's Grace upon our endeavors according to Lamentation 3:19-23 Make today count therefore in your Kingdom race. Let your thoughts take control of your actions by allowing your understanding to reign over your thoughts and not the other way round. It is the only way we can be able to build a wall of righteousness around us. And so shall it be. Amen Just checking in into His Presence...

10th March

Testimony Time:-A very good day to you all and welcome to checking into His Presence on another wonderful day. No matter what, it does not matter how, when and where you receive the message of Christ, but how well you are in tune with the message of the Holy One is what that really matter. I also want you to believe that anyone can wear the cross as necklace mainly to signify their true religion. It can be in silver, gold or diamond. But does that mean you can carry His cross also? The answer to me is no except you are prepared to offer as sacrifice unto God your sinful nature. That is the only method that can testify to the way you wear your Christ and not through any emblem of Christ. O Lord our Redeemer, we pray for Your Kindness upon us. Let what we do before you are linked to Your Holiness in Jesus name. Amen Just checking in into His Presence... Just checking into His Presence...

9th March

Testimony Time:-Good morning friends in very high place of God. You are all welcome to another history in the palace of the Most High God. As we match within His daily Grace, I encourage you to see each day as a living library. Only in this case, I am not talking about a building where you have access to a collection of books, films and periodicals. But a day where we all have access to a collection of the Lord’s Grace which is richly reserved for only those whose ethos matches that of His Righteousness according to Deuteronomy 4:4 And so, today is another library opened for the dispensation of His Grace. What you earn as a result depends very largely upon how well you can hold unto God in this perilous time. (1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 3:1 and Jude 1:18) Now that the Library is opened, what do you intend to search for? Unlimited Grace or the mundane things of this world which can be classified as vanity? (Ecclesiastes 1:14, 17) Our Father Who art in Heaven, give us this day with all its benefits. Also make it an inheritance for us in Your Kingdom in Jesus name. Amen Just checking into His Presence...

March 8

Testimony Time:-Still on the general reflections to the true essence of the Passion Week. If all Christians can take the trouble to observe the whole Lenten Season at all; indirectly they are renouncing Satan's bid to recruit members away from worshiping God. Each participants would have considered the thin line which separates God from the Devil before taken the trouble to fast and observe all religious rites for the Passion Week. You Most certainly, there are laws guiding these simple practices as with other things in life. Keeping those laws would in the first instance determine if truly you are taking part in the religious acts that surrounds the Passion Week. Laws on the other hand gives birth to bondages; although those who finds themselves within the myth of any bondages often finds it hard to agree that they are the architect of their own misfortune. That singular act alone gives birth to some kind of mysteries and leads to how Christians now find themselves falling into different types of temptation. Also, Satan becomes empowered to seats at the forefront; and the willingness to gullibly fall for his tactics clearly confers his emblem of discipleship upon such individual. In Luke 4:8, Jesus showed His passion to honour His Father in heaven despite the Devil's temptation. "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Just how many times have genuine Christians finds themselves faced with diverse temptations? You can always live according to your own imaginations; really you don't need to observe and keep any laws. In fact and for all I care, you can hide behind some backgrounds and continue to misbehave in His presence; what you give birth to will always come from the flesh leading to severe bondages which you may not admit. Have you considered Galatians 4:19-27? "Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. 20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you. 21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise. 24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!” Teach us Your Word Father and give us the wisdom to live away from every sinful acts so we can enjoy Your freedom according to Your riches and glory. Amen Http://testimony-times.blogspot.co.uk Just Checking into His Presence...

March 7

Testimony Time:-A little bit more of sin or a little bit more of grace? You must understand that our lives revolve round these two hypotheses. The good thing is while we have the grace to explore these two scenarios, the aftermath for one of the choices made can be ruined by regrets and the other by the declaration of His might which we were promised by God in Proverbs 8:17-"I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." However, let us be mindful of seeking God only when we are in need. In that God's mercy are constantly renewed everyday, He knows our end from the beginning and He honors His name above all other names. For as long as we hope to see a new day, there is no guarantee that tomorrow will always come. Let us therefore form the habit to celebrate, honor and walk within the duties of His holiness; according to the prescription of Christ. Which says: "nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches." (1 Corinthians 7:17) How then do you want to apply God's rule today? A little sin more that bring heaps of more condemnation or an exercise in the path of God that will yield a little more grace? If anyone goes by the former "that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:7-8) You can go to church everyday: in fact you can live in the church for as long as possible. You can preach, write, sing and declare His holiness at whims; if you are far away from from His precepts the chances of enjoying a little more of His grace is limited. In that in Luke 11:28 "Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice." Psalm 32:8 says "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;I will guide you with My eye." Therefore we beseech You Father to lead and guide us to where we can always enjoy the privileges of Your grace in Jesus name. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

March 6

Testimony Time:-As a child of God, are you in anyway affected by the slogan of double life/standards? How can you describe your Christian life in and away from the Church you represent? A monster in disguise in the church and or a torment in other Christians gatherings? Just what can people say about you? Has it ever occurred to you that the way people perceive you might just be the same impression God has about you? What sort of life do you lead away from the church and or your family? Let me assure you that every secret sin would eventually haunt you down and this can be before the so called judgement day which many don't even think about. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." ( 2 Corinthians 5:10) So brethren in Christ, you can deceive man for as long as you possibly can, without any doubt time will always catch up with you to reveal all atrocities committed whilst still living in this world. Judgement may be delayed, as result you may be saved all the trouble and embarrassment in this world; very surely in the world to come there will be no hiding place. "He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly". (Job 20:15) I will encourage you to continue to be different person in the Church/home and an epitome of disaster outside these premise; just have it in mind that there is no indemnity for any secret sins. Father unto Your feet we cast the burden of sins; shape our eyes and let them begin to see through You. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

March 5

Testimony Time:-Consistency is the word for every package we may encounter in life! To continue to achieve greatness in life requires absolute consistency with the attributes that put you in the path of stardom in the first place. It does not matter how you look at it, to maintain such position of glamour brings in some essence of continuity in the pursuit of the desires that strengthened us individually and then make us to stay in the spot light. To a very large extent; consistency determines your relationship with everything in life. At home, school, work, community and in the House of God too; being consistent describes your character which can either make or unmake you as a person. The ability to be consistent stems from the word love in the first place; you must stand on love and stay focused with love in order to have intimate and intrinsic drive which ultimately will give you room for genuine relationship in achieving goals every individual may have set for themselves. By every standard, the same ploy will be used to describe your character; to be considered inconsistent at work, relationships, home and in the presence of God will always have ugly repercussions. There is a popular saying that "a dead clock is so consistent in timing that it shows correct time twice in a day". It is therefore necessary to "take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" (Ephesians 6:13-14) Success in life comes from the determination to consistently maintain and be driven by what is good. It does not matter which company you may find yourself; people will always measure you more by what they see and hear from you, not only about paper qualifications, beauty, recommendations, positions, home, wealth and gifts of the spirit. I am a child God! Yes, I go to church! Are you standing out by your commitments in the House of God? I am in a relationship and I have a home; how genuine is your level of consistency in a place you called a home? If your thoughts are far from being consistent with what you originally professed; there will be always be regrets somewhere somehow. Matthew 5:16 says "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Whatever you leave intentionally for Satan, he will loot and plunder. "Devil cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have [it] abundantly." (John 10:10) Lead us Heavenly Father, lead us! We rely on You because we cannot face the Devil without your help. Renew our strength, thoughts and vision. Let them be knitted to Yours. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

March 4

Testimony Time:-Today is another meeting with God. To appreciate the level of His grace we have to treat the welcome gift with surprise. God's promises are very sure; even at that He does not give us the guarantee to live forever. Today should not be seen as an entitlement which is a constant method employed by all to denounce how lucky we are to be in it. It is also the cause that many are regarded as Christians only by name but in utterances, deeds and appearances they are eternity away from the commandments of God. Many have successfully usurped the power and the ability to know what will happen tomorrow, a ploy that has incapacitated every knowledge in them to treat each day as a surprise gift from God. Acting and believing in the power to know what will happen tomorrow sets us up on the same level with God. No wonder the world can boast of lots of Christian but genuinely the world also lack true converts. Are you a true converts? Have you jettisoned every uncharitable conduct in your wardrobe? Do you sometimes go back to the same vomit and flagrantly dishonor the true Christian ethics? The ideal thing is to stop acting as if you know what the next seconds can bring, let alone the audacity to see tomorrow. Therefore today "if we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth." (1 John 1: 6) and "behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. (Revelation 22:7) Please also read Revelation 22: 9-14 Give us the wisdom to honor You Oh Lord not by mouth but from the belly of our hearts; it is the only way to have true worship with You; so help us God. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

March 3

Testimony Time Teasers Today:- ARE YOU JESUS? This write up touched my heart. I am sure it will touch yours too. Shared from Barrister Dipo Bada's Facebook post. A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago .. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding... ALL BUT ONE!!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did. The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one stopping and no one to care for her plight. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?"She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly." As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?" He stopped in mid-stride .... and he wondered. He gently went back and said, "No, I am nothing like Jesus - He is good, kind, caring, loving, and would never have bumped into your display in the first place. "The girl gently nodded: "I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather the apples. He sent you to help me, so you are like Him - only He knows who will do His will. Thank you for hearing His call, Mister." Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?" Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace. If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day. You are the apple of His eye even though you, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked up you and me on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit. Please share this, {IF you feel led to do so}. No condition attached just that it could bless someone. Thanks Just Checking into His Presence...

March 2

Testimony Time Teasers Today:- A story shared by my brother Mr Opeoluwa Sokoya and fit enough as the main message for today. Please read- A man before leaving for work, left a letter on the dining table for his wife. Chores around the house kept the woman from seeing the letter until about 12 noon. When she finally chanced on the letter she was so excited to see that her husband had taken time to write her a letter. She kissed the paper when she saw “my beautiful wife” at the top, hugged it when she saw “I love you with all my heart” at the bottom, and sniffed it when she realized it smelled of her husband’s perfume. Out of excitement, and without even bothering to read the content of the letter, she made up her mind to cook him his favorite meal for dinner that night. She quickly rushed to the kitchen and got to work. After cooking and setting the table, she went to the wash room and took a shower, put on her most attractive night gown and dressed the bed. Just as she was about to finish laying the bed her husband walked into the house. When she heard him come in she went out to welcome him. To her surprise, her husband was very furious when he saw her. She became very confused and asked why he wouldn’t even let her welcome him with a hug but instead have that angry look on his face. The husband asked, “Did you read the letter I left you on the table?” The woman responded, “Oh yes I saw it. That’s why I went through all the trouble to prepare your favorite meal for you. Thank you so much honey, it was sweet of you.” She leaned in to give him a kiss but he pushed her away to her surprise. The husband went on, “If you did, then why haven’t you done any of the things I instructed you to do?” The man went inside and came out again quickly with an already packed suit case. He headed straight for the door and said to his wife, “See you in 7 days.” The woman stood there confused but before she could utter a word, the door had slammed behind him. She went back to the dining table to take a second look at the letter. It reads…… My beautiful wife, My company has asked 4 colleges and myself to go on a seven day trip to Dubai for a training program. They said that we can bring along our wives and I thought this will be the best opportunity for us to have the honeymoon we never did after we got married. I have already packed a suit case for myself, so please pack yours. Our flight leaves at exactly 7pm so I will be home at 6 o’clock for us to go to the airport. No need to cook dinner since there will be food on the plane. Just be prepare to go as soon as I get back. Please be ready before I get back so we don't miss the flight. I Love you with all my heart. I bet you thought this woman was unwise when you realized her mistake as you read this piece. Well unfortunately this is the state of many Christians in the Body of Christ today. We have accepted Jesus as our Lord, and are excited about being children of God and the fact that He will come back again for us one day. But we have not taken into account what He expects us to do before His return. This is because our Bibles are closed. We have read a few scriptures in the Word and are excited about promises but have completely ignored most of his instructions. You do not know a man if you do not know His Word. How then do we profess to be married to a groom whose word we have relegated to the background in the pursuit of signs and wonders? Unfortunately what many don’t know is that the Word is the power for signs and wonders, so if we go for the word these things we are chasing will chase us. Let us pay attention to His letter, which is the Word of God. It will draw us close to His desire for us and enable us to walk in victory over this world and it's challenges. Amen Adapted Maranatha - Jesus is coming soon! Http://testimony-times.blogspot.co.uk Just Checking into His Presence...

March 1

Testimony Time:-Everyday matter but does each day matter any more? Let us look back to when God began to create the world, He did it with style, precision, enthusiasm and purpose until His accomplishment became a true revelation. There was a pattern which was subsidiary to none in His approach. Indirectly, God seemingly opened up a story book for man to evolve and then dominate His good work. If God knows everything and can achieve all things; then nothing should have stood in obscurity before Him, He must have known beforehand what will happen to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. "For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps." (Job 34:21) Needless to say that God had the option to stop His creation just before the reign of men was introduced. God did not do that because His sole aim of creation is for men and women to honor and praise Him. It does not matter how, when and where they have committed sin; so long they can they can be reconciled back to Him with the hope they will not be found in the path of sinners again. There is therefore an abundance of grace in the story of everyday. Such grace empowers you to choose rightly according to the demands of God; but don't forget that the grace also reduces the power of God to the position of an Onlooker when we willfully and clandestinely choose to dive and swim into the pool of sin-very much like how the Lord looked on as Adam and Eve fell grossly into sin. (Genesis 3) Your mercies are forever new everyday, we also know you can do and achieve all things; therefore let Your power brings us to You daily so we can be called Your Own in Jesus name. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

February 29

Testimony Time:-It is so pleasing to see many attending churches and called by the name of Christ; however if only those who attends and worships the Lord under any guise can do so according to His commandments the world will be a better place because "As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." (2 John 1:6). Aside, responsible service in the presence of God can also be rewarded with greater authority in the realm of the spirit. In that, as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9) However, the desire to love God and His commandments requires also some responsibility which must not be taken lightly. Evidently, there are some risks involved and the decision to love cannot be traded with because it is unlike an emotion. To love therefore starts with the power and ability to choose love over any other form of hatred in accordance to the teachings of Christ. "Therefore brethren, there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (1 John 4:18-20) Finally, to love is an obedience through faith and must be without fear. It involves risk, choices, decisions and should not be handled with emotions. Such Abraham practiced only for him to be blessed with a Covenanted Child in the name of Isaac. (Genesis 16:19) Father without Your empowerment we cannot love rightly, choose to endow us with Your loving kindness so that the desire to love You will be paramount in every decision we make in Jesus name. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

February 28

Testimony Time Teasers Today:- I woke up this morning asking for the guidance of the Spirit to lead in what to write today. As I pondered over some nudges I stumbled into this write up by Sister Taiwo Shokoya-Ayanbeku and then a silent voice proclaimed this is good enough for the special message for the day. Please read- WE CAN CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE PAST And it goes- "The past is over and done, we cannot change that now, yet we can change our thought about the past, How foolish for us to punish ourselves in the present moment because someone hurt us in the long ago past. I often say to people who have deep resentment patterns, ''Please begin to dissolve the resentment now, when it is relatively easy, Don't wait until you are under the treat of surgeon knife or on your death bed, when you may have to deal with panic, too'' When we are in a state of panic, it is difficult to focus our minds on the healing work, We have to take time out to dissolve the fears first. If we choose to believe we are helpless victims and that its all hopeless, then the Universe will support us in the belief, and we will just go down the drain, It is vital that we release these foolish, out-moded, negative ideas and beliefs that do not support us and nourish us, Even our concept of God needs to be one that is for us, not against us. We need to choose to release the past and forgive everyone, ourselves included. We may not know how to forgive, and we may not want to forgive, but the fact that we say we are willing to forgive begins the healing process. It is imperative for own healing that ''we'' release the past and forgive everyone. I forgive you for not being the way I wanted you to be. I forgive you and set you free'' This affirmation set us Free, Good morning my loves, have a bright beautiful day, muah....." To conclude, let us know that even in our limitations God can still perform wonders depending on our perceptions. If in your heart you say it is over, then it is over! Challenges oftentimes are meant to set us free; not to kill, maim, discourage and or suppressed. Whilst there is breathe in us we can still get to where God wants us to be if we regard the temporary setback as a message from God that perhaps that was not His intention for us in the first place. Your testimony is closer to you than your thoughts if only we know and believe that God is merciful and truthful to His word. "For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does." (Psalm 33:4) His thoughts for us is of peace; not of evil and His mercies are forever new everyday. (Jeremiah 29:11 and Lamentation 3:19-23). Would you then care to share and claim from these advantage? God sets a table before us daily to eat from; it is up to you to choose wisely and eat from His table or that of Satan. You can also choose to become a glutton and eat from the two tables; the choice and the rewards become yours very sincerely. God on this day, work in our hearts and remove all pollutants of the Devil for your Spirit to take possession and make us free to enjoy Your truthful Presence. Amen Http://testimony-times.blogspot.co.uk Just Checking into His Presence...

February 27

Testimony Time:-We may be giving glory to God for His steadfast love and care; as well let us check ourselves to see if really we are having a proper relationship with Christ. In that, relationship with Christ must be such that challenged everyone to be upright in their Christian duties. It has a lot to do with our responses to Christ teachings, examples, His laws and the type of love we have towards our neighbors. These attributes alone bear testimony to whether we are dead or alive with/in Christ and under no circumstances can they be misconstrued as- 1. The display of ornamental crosses worn on different necks. 2. The amount of religious visits to so many churches. 3. Monetary contributions to various projects in any Christian Assemblies. 4. Lucrative positions or otherwise we may have been appointed to or may have usurped under different agendas. 5. Coined or faked spiritual endowment and or endorsement. 6. How big your ministry is 7. Not the size of personal pockets and or church pockets. 8. It is not how well you can speak, write and sing to the Lord's praises. 9. The sort of name we bear or who we are connected with or to. "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." Romans 6:12-14 "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Roman 6:11) Lord give us your spirit so we can be alive in you. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

February 26

Testimony Time:- ‘For the LORD does not see as man sees.’ (1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV). Copied from Evangelist Bowale Ogunmekan's Facebook page. The message touched me in many ways; in that many Christians have been endowed with lifetime changing opportunities which may have been rebuffed under so many guises. Let us read, we can only be blessed if we choose to- "Look again at that situation you don’t understand. Try to imagine Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus. She is about to give birth to the Son of God who will one day redeem the world. She needs a place to stay for the night. Someone has the opportunity of a lifetime! Sadly, the record reads, ‘There was no lodging available for them’ (Luke 2:7 NLT). Opportunity knocks; but the innkeepers were too busy to open the door and seize it! Look again at that seemingly hopeless situation. Imagine a boy in the crowd following Jesus. Can you see him in the corner? Look again. His lunch basket contains five loaves and two fishes - just enough to feed one person. Andrew asks Jesus, ‘What good is that with this huge crowd?’ (John 6:9 NLT). Yet when the Lord blessed it, it was more than enough to feed five thousand people. Like the song says: ‘Little is much when God is in it’’. Look again at that enemy who seems unchangeable. Saul of Tarsus is attacking you. Why? Because he hasn’t yet had his life-changing encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road. God hasn’t revealed to him what He’s revealed to you, so he is passionate about the wrong things. Don’t counter-attack, and don’t give up on him. God’s about to do great things for him - and through him. Rarely are people as they first appear. Nobody has to stay the same as they are today. When God begins to work in their life, anybody you know can experience a 180-degree turnaround - sometimes within twenty-four hours." Have you been blessed? It is pertinent that you divorce your marriage with anger, pride, low self esteem and being locked with the past. It is a must to shun lies, rumour mongering, adultery, fornication, lasciviousness and all other vices so we can be married to Christ. Don't just be a church goer, be Christ lover and obliterate all forms of uncharitable conducts in our lives in favour of His Righteousness. Time is going, are you going to continue to live like Lot who did not value so much the presence and position of God in His life? Would you care to know that Lot compromised everything possible by living in Sodom where he should not have been seen or lived because the nation were considered ungodly by God? Noah on the other hand was a righteous man to the core and his relationship with God was very different; he lived in the Spirit, worked/walked in the Spirit, moved in/with the Spirit and lived within the Lord's victory. Now which side do you belong? Lord on this new day, give us the right spirit to work with You, the right attitude to claim from You and enough wisdom to know we cannot live without You in our lives and that You will continue to exist even when we cease to exist in Jesus name. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...

February 25 (Testimony Time Teasers Today)

Testimony Time Teasers Today:- A story shared as received because it blessed me. God is Faithful! In the country of Armenia, in 1988, Samuel and Danielle sent their young son, Armand, off to school. Samuel squatted before his son and looked him in the eye. "Have a good day at school, and remember, no matter what, I’ll always be there for you." They hugged and the boy ran off to school. Hours later, a powerful earthquake rocked the area. In the midst of the pandemonium, Samuel and Danielle tried to discover what happened to their son but they couldn’t get any information. The radio announced that there were thousands of casualties. Samuel then grabbed his coat and headed for the schoolyard. When he reached the area, what he saw brought tears to his eyes. Armand’s school was a pile of debris. Other parents were standing around crying. Samuel found the place where Armand’s classroom used to be and began pulling a broken beam off the pile of rubble. He then grabbed a rock and put it to the side, and then grabbed another one. One of the parents looking on asked, "What are you doing?" "Digging for my son," Samuel answered. The man then said, "You’re just going to make things worse! The building is unstable," and tried to pull Samuel away from his work. Samuel just kept working. As time wore on, one by one, the other parents left. Then a worker tried to pull Samuel away from the rubble. Samuel looked at him and said, "Won’t you help me?" The worker left and Samuel kept digging. All through the night and into the next day, Samuel continued digging. Parents placed flowers and pictures of their children on the ruins. But, Samuel just kept working. He picked up a beam and pushed it out of the way when he heard a faint cry. "Help! Help!" Samuel listened but didn’t hear anything again. Then he heard a muffled voice, "Papa?" Samuel began to dig furiously. Finally he could see his son. "Come on out, son!" he said with relief. "No," Armand said. "Let the other kids come out first because I know you’ll get me." Child after child emerged until, finally, little Armand appeared. Samuel took him in his arms and Armand said, "I told the other kids not to worry because you told me that you’d always be there for me!" Fourteen children were saved that day because one father was faithful. How much more faithful is our heavenly Father! Whether trapped by fallen debris or ensnared by life’s hardships and struggles, we are never cut off from God’s faithfulness. He is true to His character. He is reliable and trustworthy and can always be counted on. Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations…" 1 Corinthians 1:9 - God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. Psalm 37:28, "For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever" in Jesus name. Amen Http://testimony-times.blogspot.co.uk Just Checking into His Presence...

February 24

Testimony Time:-It does not matter how much beauty you think you possess; if such beauty can not be translated into the true reflections owing to the righteousness of God, then there is a problem. Can I then ask what sort of experience you are giving those who come into contact with you? We must always remember that in life, we all must live within certain boundaries where we profess the name of God. To cross these boundaries is to transgress only to cope with what can be described as the "sins of the enlightened". This is because such people have come into contact with the revelation of Christ which shows the transgressors to be automatically accessible with the revelation Christ. Presumably with what they must have learnt in the name of Christ, therefore they should know what they are doing. It is therefore not a misjudgment for Christians to be defined by their actions. What they say and do plays major part in any relationship, nothing more! The Bible already professed "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of"-Luke 6:45. Hence, most problems people claim to face cannot be attributed to the church and immediate family per se; but to the sins of their hearts. Clearly, there had been numerous opportunities to get to hear the word of God at the altar of God EVERY service day. There are popular saying that "if we build again the things which we have destroyed, we make ourselves transgressors" (Galatians 2:18). What have you disowned in the name of Christ that clandestinely you have linked up with a bridge? Consider the anger you probably have jettisoned and now it is worn through the look of your eyelids. What of lying in God's name? Take us, make us, build us and cleanse us; make us Your own. Amen Just checking into His Presence...

February 23

Testimony Time:-Oftentimes, genuine Christians can be plagued with some sort of hindrances which can limit, kill and or obstruct their growth to stardom and or any position of influence. Those hindrances can be linked to hereditary, unfriendly friends and foes which can also be found in the House of God; they can be men and women of God seated on plum seats in every Church arenas. Many impediments also occur due to ugly perceptions, unhealthy rivalry, anger, impatience, hatred and some other vices which we may have grown accustomed to and are not mentioned here. Let us also remember that some of these hindrances can come purposely to text our faith through trials and temptation. James 1:2-3 states "consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. In looking at Job's story however, it was reported that God allowed Satan to text his faith-"The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. Although Job's destiny may have been impeded by Satan, his love affair with God was very consistent and God ensured he was adequately rewarded for all his misfortune-his latter wealth became greater than the former one. "The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys" (Job 42:12). From the above, we can infer that we cannot get to where we want to be without first of all going through a refinery process. The story of Prophet Isaiah also offers a compelling evidence. Before he can can get to the position of prominence King Uzziah had to die so that he can see the glory of God. The Book of Isaiah 6:1 confirms this assertion. "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple". As in the case of Joseph, he was marked out from the beginning as a very special child with a garment of many colours. His success story did not end there because for him to be linked with his great destiny the first thing that went was this garment of many colours (Genesis 37). David too had to run away from Saul, that means his apprenticeship was completed in the wilderness as a fugitive before he can rise to stardom (1 Samuel 21-23). Apostle John in the Book of James 1 teaches us that tests have a purpose so also are trials and tribulations. They were described as the process by which the genuineness of our faith are determined and that through these processes the quality of our steadfast character may also be developed! As a child of God, are you developing according to the taste of the Holy One? What have you done with those messages of hope, advice, instructions, prophesies and counselling? Are you repulsive and unwilling to let the past go? Many hindrances Satan have successfully planted into the path of genuine Christians, the ironies are that they may not know unless they are equally endowed with the Spirit of God. May every hindrance, impedance and impediment on our ways be taken away by the IRRESISTIBLE HAND OF GOD in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen Just Checking into His Presence...