AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN?

YOU CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN?

By Daniel Yohanna

You're not a Christian because you answer the name Mathew or Michael or Christiana. It's not in the name. That's why you can find someone called Angelina who behaves more like a 'Devilina.'
Neither are you one because you go to Church. That you live inside a Campus doesn't make you a student. Sleeping in a garage doesn't make you a car. You can have blocks inside a building that are not part of the building. So, that you have your name in a Church register, and even contribute financially, does not make you a Christian. The story was told of a Pastor's wife who left her handbag on her seat after a particular church service and was exchanging pleasantries with people. She turned back to make a call only to discover her cell phone was missing. She used somebody's phone to call her line only for her to hear this to her utter disbelief and consternation: "Mama, please try and get another phone. I‘ve been believing God for this kind of handset." Shocking!
You may be baptized, confirmed (and confused, like a preacher used to add), that doesn't change anything. You went under the water a dry sinner and came up a wet sinner.
Your parents could be Christians, ok, that doesn't make you one. They may even be Pastors or Elders or Deacons. You might have been born inside a Church sanctuary. That still doesn't make you a Christian.
If your parents were Medical Doctors, that doesn't turn you into a Medical Practitioner.
That you even dress like a Christian (wondering if there is a Christian dress, as all the dresses we wear are made on earth), and talk like one, using common cliches, don't turn you into a Christian.
Just wearing a Military outfit doesn't make you a soldier. That you can speak English doesn't make you a Brit.
How then does one become a Christian? Let’s take a look at some Scriptures.

2Corinthians 5:17
When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same any more. A new life has begun!

You become a Christian by giving your life to Jesus. You must acknowledge yourself as a sinner who cannot save himself/herself, believe that Jesus died in your place on the Cross of Calvary, and confess Him as Lord over your life. Then you become saved. Your sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus that was shed on the Cross, and you become a child of God. You can then call yourself a Christian.

Romans 10:9,10
9 For of you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and believe in your own heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is by believing in His heart that a man becomes right with God; and with his mouth he tells others of his faith, confirming his salvation.

Take note of the fact that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship between a loving Father, God, and His children. It is the manifestation of the life and love or God.
Religion is man's way of seeking God (that's why you have so many religions). The sad thing is that religion only leads you to bondage and it has no answer for sin. Those that have practised Christianity as a religion have done some of the greatest havoc known to mankind, all in God's name. Ready examples are the Inquisition and the Crusades of the mediaeval era. Today, there are many religious adherents but very few godly men and women.
In Christianity, it is God who came in the person of Jesus Christ, to seek and to save lost and fallen humanity through His sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary.

Your good works cannot save you because all your righteousnesses are as filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6).
It is when you give your life to Jesus that the Spirit of God comes into you, transforming you into a new species of being. All your sins of the past are washed away and you begin to walk with God. Everything on the outside may still look the same, but there is a change on the inside that will begin to reflect on the outside.

Therefore, in the real essence of it, you cannot be converted into Christianity. You have to be born into it. No wonder Jesus said, “Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). It is accepting Jesus into your heart, believing that He died for you and rose again to justify you. You then become a child of God. Every sin you’ve committed in the past is totally washed away by the blood of Jesus. You become a new person, a new creature; a brand new species of being that never existed before.

Now, it is necessary that when this change occurs on the inside, it ought to reflect on the outside. The life you've received from God ought to affect your own life and lifestyle.
It's sad to find people who profess propriety but practice profanity today. That's why Mahatma Gandhi was quoted to have once said, "I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
Do you even realize it wasn't God who called believers in Christ Christians? It was people who noticed the similarities in lifestyle between the early disciples and Christ that gave them the appellation,

"Christians." They were Christ-like in all their dealings.

Acts 11:26 NKJV
And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

It's not enough to call yourself a Christian. Is there anything in your life that shows you are one? Jesus said " By their fruits you will know them." (Matt. 7:20). God is love. If you are His child, love should be seen manifesting in your life.

John 13:35 NKJV
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Rick Godwin cautiously noted two ironic reasons why people do not become Christians: (1) They've never met one, and (2) They've met one. Ouch!

You may not, in fact you will not, get there overnight. Just like it is in the natural, it takes time for people to grow to maturity. You will still makes mistakes even after you’re born again. But as you grow to maturity through feeding and studying the Word of God, praying daily and fellowshipping with other believers, it will be evident to all that change has occurred in your life.

The Lord bless you.

Follow me on Twitter (@DanielYohanna).

BIBLE STUDY II: DEAL WITH YOUR ISSUES by Daniel Yohanna

 Mark 5:25-34 (AMP)

25 And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years,

26 And who had endured much suffering under [the hands of] many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse.

27 She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment,

28 For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health.

29 And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment.

30 And Jesus, recognizing in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around immediately in the crowd and said, Who touched My clothes?

31 And the disciples kept saying to Him, You see the crowd pressing hard around You from all sides, and You ask, Who touched Me?

32 Still He kept looking around to see her who had done it.

33 But the woman, knowing what had been done for her, though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

34 And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in(into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease.

    

Mark 5:25

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years (KJV)

FACTS

  1)      Everyone has got an issue. Some have issues with money, some with women, some with men, some with one affliction or another, but the bottom-line is that everyone has his/her own issues. Going to another person won’t help, because they’re also dealing with their own issues

  2)      People only see your issue, but don’t really know you.  You might have done what they said you did, but you’re not who they say you are.

  3)      Issues, if not dealt with, will end up ostracizing you; This “woman with the issue” was not supposed to mingle with the crowd, all because she had an issue to deal with.

  4)      Issues, if not dealt with, will end up giving you an identity that is not your own – “woman with the issue...” She didn’t have a name.  She was identified by her issue. That was how Elizabeth was identified – with her barrenness: “This is the 6^th month with her that was called barren.” Luke 1:36.

  5)      Issues, if not dealt with, will end up depleting you – depleting your purse, your strength, your resources. This woman spent all she had until she was bankrupt (v26).

When you bring you issues to the Lord, they will be terminated.

How do you deal with your issue?

  1)      Acknowledge the presence of an issue. Faith is not pretending there is no problem. Faith is not denying the existence of an issue. The sinner must acknowledge he is a sinner and needs help before he can be saved.

  2)      Since your solution is coming from God, you have to hear what He is saying, and not what men are saying about your issue. Only the Lord will tell you the truth. What others have can only be facts. There’s a difference between facts and truth. While a fact is the description of the state of a thing, the truth is the reality of a thing. Facts are changeable but the truth is constant. Only God knows the truth about you. Others are guessing.

She had heard about Jesus…

Whatever God says about you is the truth. If He says I am blessed, then I don’t need any other definition: I am blessed. If He says I am healed, I don’t require a Doctor’s confirmation; I am healed. If he says I am rich, I don’t need to see my account statement to validate that.

Psalm 85:8

I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

  3)      Say what the Lord says about you. Confession brings possession (Mk.11:23). Confession brings manifestation (Gen.1:3,4). You can never rise above the level of your confession. Confession in this instance means “to say the same (thing) as…” You are saying (with your mouth) what God has said (concerning you, in His Word).

Hebrews 13:5-6

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

The woman with the issue kept saying …v28 (AMP). If you keep saying what God has been saying in His Word, you will soon start seeing it in your world.

  4)      Take action. It’s not enough to say it, act it. The woman came and touched Jesus.

Jesus always challenged people to take action:  Rise, take up your bed, and walk (Jn. 5:8). Stretch forth your hand (Lk. 6:10). Go and wash in the pool (Jn. 9:7). Go your way, your son lives (Jn. 4:50). Go show yourselves to the Priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were cleansed (Lk.17:14)

It’s not enough to say u’ll get to the top. Make your way to the top. Take initiative. Begin to move in the direction of your dreams. “Yard by yard, life is hard; but inch by inch, it’s a cinch.” Roberts Schuller

You’ll handle millions, but what are you doing with the hundreds that come? How faithful are you to your tithe and your giving?

  5)      Acknowledge the impact. Appreciate the change, no matter how little. Change begins when you touch the Master.

…her flow of blood was dried up at the source…v29

When Jesus cursed the fig tree, it withered from the roots (Mk.11:14-24). God always deals with the issue from the root, from the source. “He overturns the mountains by the roots.” (Job 28:9)

The woman came and told him the whole truth. Make testimony your lifestyle. Celebrate the workings of God in your life.

Psalm 66:16

Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

Psalm 34:2

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

Appreciate what God has done. Learn to testify. Your testimony brings glory to God and not to man. Your testimony is your ticket to victory (Rev.12:11). It is your key to restoration. It is your ladder for elevation. Jesus pronounced her whole after her testimony.

If you’ve been blessed by this article, share it with others. Shalom!

Misconceptions Concerning Sickness By Daniel Yohanna

Due to lack of proper and accurate biblical understanding, some people justify the presence of sickness in the lives of believers as a norm. When God brought out the children of Israel out of Egypt, He pledged Himself to be their Healer.

Exodus 15:26

And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

He was faithful to His promise, as it was recorded in Psa. 105:37. Out of over 2 million people who came out, for  40-year period, no one of them was sick.

Psalm 105:37

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

If they had such experience in the Old Covenant, how much more should we, under a New Covenant, which is a better covenant, established upon better promises (Heb. 8:6), expect such a blessing!

Here are a few misconceptions people have concerning sickness.

1)            Sickness is the will of God

                There is no way sickness can ever be the will of God. If it was His will, why would He lay our diseases on Jesus? If sickness was the will of God, why did Jesus heal all that were sick? Jesus said He came to do the will of the One that sent Him (Jn. 6:38). Part of what He did was healing the sick. That must have been the will of God.

2)            God made some people sick (Jn 9:1-4)

People hold this notion because they don't understand scripture. They read the account of the man born blind in John 9, and they run off with some half-baked truth. Let's see it together.

JOHN 9:1-4

1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.

2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

4 "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

This is one of the areas that amaze me why the disciples would ask a question that sounds so stupid. “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind? A man that was born blind, when could he have sinned? In his mother's tummy?

Then the difficulty in understanding this scripture comes from the punctuation in verse 3, making it look like he was born blind so the works of God should be manifested in him.

You need to understand that the original manuscript of the Bible was not written in Chapter and verses like we have it today, neither was it punctuated.

Stephen Langton, an Archbishop of Canterbury, is believed to be the first person to divide the Bible into defined chapters.

Robert Estienne, also known as Robert Stephens, was a 16^th century printer in Paris. He divided the N.T. into verses, and was the first to print the Bible divided into standard numbered verses is 1555.

This helps us in referring to portions of Scripture with ease. But you'll find that Moffat's translation does not always adhere to this chapterization.
Benny Hinn said this Scripture should read this way, and I agree with him:

[3] Jesus answered, Neither this man nor his parents sinned. But that the works of God should be revealed in him, [4] I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

In all of scripture, God's work has been that of healing people and not making them sick. Out of their disobedience they could open themselves up for the enemy to afflict them, but the sickness never comes from God.

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)

3)            God is glorified through sickness

Again, people misunderstand scriptural truths when they think sickness glorifies God. Look at one of their sources of misunderstanding.

JOHN 11:1-4, 40

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."

4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"

Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God…” Yes, the final outcome would not be death but God would be glorified. Wasn't that what happened? The 40th verse of that chapter talked of Martha seeing the glory of God by believing. What glory? The glory of resurrection! The glory of healing! That was where the glory was, in the healing and resurrection and not the sickness or death. He had to be healed, because if he wasn't, after being raised back to life, the disease would kill him again. You say, “But Peter's death glorified God!” Yes, because he offered himself as a martyr (Jn. 21:18-19).

4)            Paul's thorn was sickness

People try justifying sickness by referring to Paul's thorn as sickness. I wonder why you would defend your right to being sick as if it's a good thing. Let's look at scripture again.

2CORINTHIANS 12:7

 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

It is clearly written here: the thorn in the flesh was a messenger (Gk: Aggelos = Angel) of satan. He was to buffet Paul so he would remain humble. This messenger was a satanic agent always causing trouble in Paul's Ministry. That would force him to depend absolutely on God's grace, no wonder God's reply to him:

9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2Cor. 12:9-10).

In Numbers 33:55, God used a similar expression when he warned his children against fraternizing with the Canaanites, as they would become “irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.”

5)            God puts sickness on people to teach them a lesson

How ironic could people be? Is it not more of an oxymoron for people to claim God is trying to teach them a lesson through their sickness, and yet are undergoing medical treatment? If you believe God is trying to teach you something, why don't you pray for a greater lesson? Why do you consult Medical Practitioners? Are you trying to unlearn what God, as you may claim, is trying to teach you?

While it's true you may learn something through your experience, yet it is not God teaching you through this means. You have the Word; you have the Holy Spirit to teach you.

6)            The age of Miracles is Past

Some would aver that signs and wonders ceased after the days of the Apostles. Has God changed? Didn't the Bible say that “These signs shall follow those that believe?” (Mk. 16:17). Some would warn you that the Bible says in the last days, many fake miracle workers would arise. That is true. But do you realize that the reason you have a fake thing is because the genuine exists. You have fake Pastors because there are genuine Pastors. You have fake churches because genuine ones exist. You can never find a fake 80 Naira note because the genuine does not exist. But that there are fake Naira notes does not mean you won' collect your salary at the end of the month for fear of fake currency? No. You would look carefully before you accept. In the same vein, try the spirits to see whether they are of God (1Jn. 4:1).

7)            Sickness is the Cross you Have to Carry

I've heard someone say, “Well, this sickness may be the cross I have to bear.” When the Bible said you should deny yourself, take up your cross, it wasn't referring to some sickness. God was saying you have to live a crucified life. You have to die to self. It's not talking about you suffering sickness or hunger and lack.  Yes, a Christian would suffer persecution on account of their faith. We're not told to carry sickness as a cross. Jesus Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses (Mt. 8:17). We have nothing to carry in this sense.

8)            Sickness is used by God to keep us Humble

                Just like the one that says God is trying to teach them lessons through sickness, can you sincerely pray and ask God to intensify the sickness so you can be more humble? If you believe God is trying to keep you humble, then it's a sign of having a proud and an arrogant disposition by praying for a relief of your pain or seeking medical assistance.                                                                                                                                                                      

9)            Something Must Kill you

Some people cannot accept the fact that you are supposed to leave this world peacefully and well prepared. As far as they are concerned, it's an exception and not the rule. They believe if you do not die by accident, you should die by sickness, or some other calamity or natural disaster. I will simply answer such people by making reference to the Patriarchs - the Fathers of Faith - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, etc. How did they die? They called their children, blessed them in advance, and in some cases, they even said 'goodbye' and took off. None of the Fathers died through sickness, and neither should you. Remember, we are called to live supernaturally; so natural disasters don't have to have a place in our lives.

10)          I am a modern  day Job

                Someone once told me this. She said she was the modern  day Job because of her afflictions and pain. “After all,” she reasoned, “the Bible told us in James 5:11 to follow after their example of patience.” But what you fail to realize is that if you are a modern-day Job, you should expect to be healed, because Job did not die sick. He trusted God for his healing (Job 19:25-27). The Lord turned his captivity  (Job 42:10).

11)          Sickness is Part of Life

                Some erroneously believe that sickness should be our normal experience while we are on this side of life. They feel that when we get to heaven, then we have “victory at last!” But Scripture teaches us that we have victory now (1 Cor. 15:57; 2 Cor. 2:14). Sickness cannot be part of life. Health is part of life. How can something that carries death in it be part of life? Is it possible for darkness be part of light? We that are born again have the life of God  eternal life  in us. In the Greek it is called Zoë, pronounced zowe. It frees us from the forces of death.

[Excerpts from the book, “RECEIVE YOUR MIRACLE,” by Daniel Yohanna (Verity Books, 2008)]

MARRIAGE WITHOUT TEARS (IV) WHY MARRY? By Daniel Yohanna

WHY PEOPLE MARRY

By Pastor Daniel Yohanna 

We’re continuing our discourse on marriage. But let’s back off a little and find out why people marry. Our motive is very fundamental to whether we will succeed in a venture or not. Two people can engage in the same business, under the same business environment. You could find one succeeding very well while the other is exasperated and is always grumbling and complaining. If you do the right thing with a wrong motive, it automatically becomes the wrong thing.

Life is all about relationships. It’s a connection of different people relating on with another. Like a chain, we are somehow interconnected. We are meant to connect with people at different levels and in different ways. That’s why you do get lonely, because you are not meant to live on your own and for yourself and by yourself. That’s why you find people who have been let down and they still reach out to people, taking another risk to trust, knowing that they could still be hurt. It’s all because your heart is made to long for, reach out to and connect with somebody else.

People who have been through a divorce still miss the marital relationship. That’s why they still attempt to re-establish one. And when they don’t, they sometimes are very lonely. While it is not compulsory or mandatory for everyone to be married, yet the beauty of life is in being able to share it with someone else.

The highest and most intimate level of relationship in life is the marital relationship. Two people become one flesh. Living together without being married (co-habiting) is not proper. It is like executing a contract without signing anything. No one then is liable to anything. Co-habiting is trying to enjoy the benefit of an institution without enrolling. It is the result of a lack of commitment to the partner.

Living together with the opposite sex and engaging in sexual relationship is also wrong. There is no religion that approves of such lifestyle. It is regarded as immorality. I believe HIV/AIDS developed as a result of such promiscuous living in which people keep sleeping around with each other. Sexual chastity is not just a religious dogma but an honourable way to live.

It is necessary to state here that marriage is defined as a matrimonial relationship between a man and a woman. Same-sex ‘marriage’ is an anomaly, an abnormality and absurdity. In the beginning, God made them Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve or Amanda and Eve.

But back to our discourse, why do people marry? The foundation of any building is also the destiny of such a building. Your reason for marrying will determine the kind of foundation you’re willing to lay for such a holy estate, and that in a way also determines the outlook or future of your marriage.

So, why do people marry? Let’s see a number of reasons, dealing with what I believe to be right reasons and purpose for marriage before considering the wrong reasons people marry.

There are right reasons to marry.

The Purpose For Marriage.God created marriage. He created marriage for the following reasons:
1. Companionship and compatibility. The Creation story reveals that the first man Adam was alone, though not lonely (You couldn't be lonely except you have first experienced intimacy). Read Gen. 2:18, Eccle. 4:9, Deut. 32:20.
2. So the couple can help each other fulfil the purpose for their existence. Read Gen. 2:18, Matt. 18:19, Luke 10:1, Gen. 6:19
3. For the couple to experience pleasure. See Prov. 5:15-19, 1Tim. 6:17b, Psalm 16:11

4. For procreation. The couple can raise a godly seed. That’s why homosexuality is an aberration. They can’t fulfil this purpose for marriage. See Mal. 2:14-17; Gen. 1:28, 7:2-3; Psalm 112:2.
5. To avoid sexual immorality and promiscuity. See 1Cor. 7:1-2; Prov. 5:15-19; 1 Thess. 4:3-4; Heb. 13:4.
6. For God’s pleasure. See Rev. 4:11; Col. 1:16.
These are the fundamental reasons for marriage. If your marriage would work and please God, it must be centered on these, built on God's word and driven by divine Love.

Wrong Reasons People Marry

1. Loneliness. People have an illusion concerning marriage. They think marriage cures loneliness, however some of the loneliest people I've met are married people. You find married people that are frustrated and seeking attention and affection in all the wrong places. Just getting married doesn't cure all the ills in your life. If u're unfulfilled as a Single, you'll most likely remain unfulfilled, though married.
2. Peer pressure. That all your class mates or age mates are married is no reason to marry. If all your course mates die, will that be enough reason for you to die?
3. Parental pressure. Sometimes parents cause a lot of problems on their children. You hear statements like, “I want to carry my grandchildren.”
4. The love of money. Just because someone has money is not enough reason to marry them. Ladies have married rich men only to discover that money doesn't make anybody happy. I heard of a lady who broke up with her fiance - a relationship of some years - and followed someone who had a Daewoo Racer (then, that was the car!) - and now, after many years of marriage, that's they only car they still have.
5. To curb one's sexual appetite. Some think being married automatically satisfies your sexual urges. Well, while you have a partner to satisfy your sexual desires, being married does not automatically mean the partner will not be tempted to look outside. Marriage does not automatically bring discipline to your life.
6. Satisfy one’s ego or to prove a point to somebody. Someone was jilted, and the next thing she would do was to marry someone in a hurry just to get at her ex-lover. That’s a dumb thing to do. They left you because they didn't belong to you or deserve you.
7. Because of age. They feel they’re getting too old. So they settle for just anything or anyone. It’s better to marry late and marry right than to marry early and marry wrong. After all, if you marry late or later, your marriage is the latest.
8. To belong. Just because everyone in the group is married, you feel odd and so just decided to marry, so that you too can, for example, be a Mrs.
9. Lust and or infatuation. Marriage is not just for sex. Don’t marry with your sex organs. Put your emotions under control.
10. To use partner to advance ambition. I’ve seen men that have latched themselves to a lady because she is a British citizen and they see an escape route of this country.
11. They feel sympathy for the friend. Just because somebody jilted them, you wanted to cure the pain. You may not be fulfilled.
12. Out of guilt. Maybe since they were put in the family way by you, you decided to settle for them.
13. To feel important. At a particular age, everyone greets you and automatically asks, “How is the family?” So, you feel you are not being respected because you have no husband.
14. To feel responsible. Sometimes the society tries to put pressure on people by making them feel, and maybe they are, a little bit irresponsible. So, in order to try to prove they are responsible, they get married.

15. Etc, etc.

It’s a new day for you!

BIGGER THAN KILIMANJARO

BIGGER THAN KILIMANJARO

By Daniel Yohanna

    

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (Mark 11:23)

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, here assures us that with faith born in our hearts and expressed with our mouths, we can move mountains. What kind of mountains was he referring to? Was He teaching us to re-arrange the topography of the earth? Bulldozers and dynamites could easily do that.

While I believe He was pointing at a particular mountain (because of the use of the definite article, “THIS” when He said, “Whoever says to this mountain…” I also believe He was alluding to something greater than a physical mountain. A mountain can also denote problems we encounter in life.

When He spoke of a mountain, He was referring to:

 1)      Any obstacle. Just like a mountain is an obstacle to any road, anything that stands as an obstacle to your journey in life or opposes your progress, is a mountain. It can be moved.

 2)      A problem that is bigger than you. Just like a physical mountain is bigger than you, a mountain is any problem that you are not able to handle yourself. It may be bigger than you; I assure you that it’s not bigger than your God.

 3)      A problem that’s been there from generations. Just like the mountain in your village has been there from the days of your great grandfather, a mountain is any problem that has been there for generations. Your great grandfather faced it; your grandfather faced it; your father faced it, and now you’re facing it.

 4)      A problem with an invisible root. Just like you do not see the root of any physical mountain, so it is with many problems – their root or source is invisible. You don’t know who is behind it; neither do you always know what is responsible. Rom. 8:26 says the Spirit of God helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray or what to pray for, as we ought. I’m glad that the Scripture says, “God overturns the mountains by the roots…His eyes see every precious thing.” (Job 28:9,10).

No matter the kind or size of your mountain, Jesus said it can move. Therefore, the presence of a mountain is not the issue. Your attitude to the mountain is the issue. Those that fly do not complain about the bigness of the mountains. Do you realize you can be seated in the heavenlies with God (Eph. 2:6)? From that vantage point, you can have God’s viewpoint concerning the issues of life.

Comparing yourself to the size of your problems instead of comparing your problems with the size of your God is a big problem. That was what happened to the spies Moses sent to spy the Promised Land. Ten of them said they looked like grasshoppers in comparison with the giants, and went ahead to conclude that so were they in the eyes of the giants (Just wondering if they had any discussion with the giants). See Num. 13:26-33.

How you see a problem is the real problem. Instead of telling God how big your mountain is, tell your mountain how big your God is. Jesus told us to speak (directly) to our mountains.

While the Israelites saw a major obstacle in Goliath, David saw things differently. He saw an opportunity to make a difference. He saw a door to international limelight. While some see problems as stumbling blocks, others view them as stepping stones to higher ground. Some may see them as the end of the road, others see them as an opportunity to witness God make a way where there seemed to be no way.

Are you consumed with worry over the size of your problem or you are rejoicing over the surpassing greatness of your God who is bigger than all your problems?

How big is God?

    

Isaiah 40:12-18, 22-26

12 Who has measured the waters* in the hollow of His hand,

Measured heaven with a span

And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?

Weighed the mountains in scales

And the hills in a balance?

13 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,

Or as His counselor has taught Him?

14 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him,

And taught Him in the path of justice?

Who taught Him knowledge,

And showed Him the way of understanding?

15 Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket,

And are counted as the small dust on the scales;

Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.

16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,

Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.

17 All nations before Him are as nothing,

And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.

18 To whom then will you liken God?

Or what likeness will you compare to Him?

22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,

And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,

Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,

And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

23 He brings the princes to nothing;

He makes the judges of the earth useless.

24 Scarcely shall they be planted,

Scarcely shall they be sown,

Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth,

When He will also blow on them,

And they will wither,

And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

25 "To whom then will you liken Me,

Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes on high,

And see who has created these things,

Who brings out their host by number;

He calls them all by name,

By the greatness of His might

And the strength of His power;

Not one is missing.

How big is your God? My (own) God is higher than the highest, greater than the greatest of men, bigger than the biggest creature (In fact, no creature compares with Him who is the Creator of all things).

There is a song we sing:

“Bigger than all my problems; bigger than all my fears. God is bigger than any mountain I can or cannot see.”

He is higher than the highest mountain. He is far greater than Kilimanjaro. He is much bigger than Everest. Nothing compares with my God.

Our minds are too small to really comprehend the magnificent magnitude of this perfect person.

    

Psalms 8:3-4

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

4 What is man that You are mindful of him,

And the son of man that You visit him?

What is man that you are mindful of him? It is mind-blowing to imagine that this great and mighty God can have the time, the space and the affection in his heart to think about “little” us. But it only tells us how important we are in the sight of God.

The Psalmist said, “When I consider the heavens, the moon and the stars…”

Truly, the universe is said to be made up of hundreds of billions of galaxies that make up the great constellations in existence.

Our own galaxy – the Milky Way – comprises over 200 billion stars.

How big is a star? The closest fixed star to us is the sun, which is considered a dwarf star in comparison to others. The stars look like tiny little dots scattered in the sky - because of distance.

The earth is about 12,756km in diameter (equatorial) while, measuring from pole to pole, it is about 12,720km long.

The sun is 93 million miles or 149,600,000 km away from the earth.

It is 109 times larger than the earth in diameter.

It is 1.3 million times bigger than the earth in volume.

Now, if a star that big looks faint because of distance, what if you were on a star looking at the earth? It would take a very powerful telescope to see the earth. And then, what would be your size if someone were sighting you (that’s if you would be visible) from the star.  You wouldn't be up to an ant in size, not more than a piece of dust. What about the size of your brain? And you want to comprehend the size of the Almighty God with your little brain?

You can’t figure God out with your tiny little brain. It would blow your mind trying to analyze Him.

Have you tried using your small pocket calculator to multiply some figures up to a few billions? When you press the answer, it would read “error!” Because it doesn't have the capacity to handle such a large volume of figures. It’s the same with your brain. It’s beyond your mental capacity to comprehend God. After all, heaven is His throne and the earth His footstool (Isa. 66:1). He must truly be a very big God to sit in heaven (which is far beyond the farthest star) and stretch His legs as far as the earth. And when you think of someone having “long legs,” these are some “long legs.”

Stop trying to figure out how God would solve the problems you've brought before Him. Let go and let God. There’s nothing He cannot do. Nothing is impossible with God. Give it up to Him. Allow Him to do what you cannot do. Let Him do in your life things only He can do, that He alone will take all the glory. He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that you can ever ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). That no one is able to do it does not mean God too cannot do it. When doctors have given up on you, He’s able to heal even what they refer to as incurable or terminal diseases. He can meet any need in your life. He is the Almighty God – El Shaddai – the Big-breasted One; the All-Sufficient One; the God who is more than enough. There’s nothing too big for my God to do. He’s just a prayer away.

If you have issues in your life you’ll like us to pray together concerning, be free to call me on 08077837847  or 08181982929. You can follow me on twitter @DanielYohanna. For more inspiring articles, visit www.danielyohanna.blogspot.com

If you live in Lagos, you can visit us 8am on Sundays at THE BROOK TABERNACLE, Finicky Hall, 6 Jibowu St, Yaba, Lagos. You are bound to have an encounter with God. A miracle awaits you as you come.