God gives everyone talents to make life more pleasant to live. Talents are unique actions you perform without finding it difficult to do. Talents are gifts from God for physical and spiritual benefits of humanity. Few examples of talents performed for physical benefits include: occupational skills, academics, leadership skills, language skills, etc. Talents performed for spiritual benefits are recorded in 1Corintians chapter 12 and verse 7 to 11 which include; word of wisdom, word of knowledge, gift of healing, discerning of spirits etc.

How to Know Your Talents

1. Have Confidence in Yourself

It will be difficult for you to identify your talents, if you don’t believe that God had designed special abilities into your life. Some people thought only the popular icons are talented people, but that is not true. It is the level of talents investment that determines the popularity of a talented individual. Thus, everyone has something good to offer the world.

 

2. Your Easiest Task

Don’t be surprise that one of your easiest tasks might be the most difficult puzzle for another person or group of people. Pick a pen and a jotter to list all the tasks you can do without stress. For example, if you can compose eight tracks of classical songs in two hours, then you are a talented musician who must invest in the life of other music composers who spent twenty-two hours to bring up a single track.

One of my easiest tasks discovered during my teenage was ability to write long essays which most of my colleagues in the class could not achieve.

 

3. List Your Achievements

Your talents are channels of achievement in life. You can easily identify your talents when you go through the actions involved to attain every unique success you made. God had embedded useful talents into you, either in the spiritual or physical gatherings.

 

Invest Your Talents

God gave you the talents for the physical and spiritual benefits of everyone around you and your society. So, it is unwise for your talents to be kept in a corner of your soul. God recommended Bezalel and Oholiab to Moses for the construction of the tabernacle, because He knew how talented they were. God told Moses: “…I have given special skill to all the naturally talented craftsmen so they can make all the things I have instructed you to make…” (Exodus 31:1-11).

Joseph invested his talents of interpretation of dreams to save the whole country of Egypt and its neighboring countries from the sufferings of seven years famine. (Genesis chapter 41)

Always use your talents to provide solutions to people around you or to the society. You can save the life of some body through the talents the Lord had given to you.

Jesus Christ explained in one of His parables that a fearful coward who does not invest his talents into the lives of people will not gain heaven. Jesus says:”… And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mathew 25:14-30)

Identify your talents and invest today!!

Jokes are an untrue stories or exaggerated events to make people laugh. Jesting (twisting stories) is not uncommon in the Christendom. Jokes had become so famous that there are many websites updating ‘online Christian jokes’. Does God support jokes as a form of fun for Christians?

I was a good jester from teenage, and I grew up to be an expert in formulating jokes to make people laugh. When I gave my life to Christ, I never heard a pastor preach against my clown lifestyle, so I thought jesting was a good talent for the congregation.

One day, I was meditating on ‘entrance to heaven’ when I read the book of Luke chapter 13 and verse 24: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” I prayed to God to give me the strength to survive the ‘rough road’ to heaven. God knew my jokes had sapped a lot of spiritual strength from me, so He referred me to read Ephesians chapter 5. When I read verse 4, I had the greatest shock of my life.

If you want to know how to live a good Christian life, I recommend the whole passage of Ephesians chapter 5 to you. Verse 4 says: “neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” I read this verse which condemned jokes and jesting repeatedly, and I kept wondering about its less popularity on the pulpit.

I am not comfortable with the major acceptance of jokes and jesting in the Christendom of our generation. Some pastors make jokes on the pulpit, because they want the congregation to laugh. But jokes and jesting are not the right medium to achieve cheerfulness.

There is no scriptural basis for any act called clean jokes or holy lies. “Let’s call a spade a spade”… you cannot be a liar and a righteous child of God at the same time. 1John chapter 3 verse 10 says: “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”

 

Characteristics of Jokes

• False stories

• Unrealistic narration

• Exaggeration of true life incidence

• Offensive expressions

All these characteristics can make you laugh, but the origin of jokes is from the father of lies, beware! If you listen to a lot of jokes in the church or media, you will agree with me that jokes are bunch of funny lies. Thus, if you are a Christian who long to dwell in heaven where liars are not allowed, I want you to think deeply on this topic. Revelation chapter 21 verses 8 say: “But the cowardly …and all liars … shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

I am not giving an impression that it is wrong to laugh; there are lots of funny real-life incidence which occur every day. If you narrate a true-life incidence without the intention to mock the people involved in the story, then you are not playing jokes. But a true-life incidence played into joke is offensive and not scriptural.

I believe jokes are one of the Devil’s devices to baptize every one into the rivers of lies. Devil had been able to secure a date on the world calendar; April 1st is always a day of ‘fun’ filled with lies, and it’s celebrated across the world. Is it possible for Christians to have fun through the medium of lies? Jesus says in Mathew chapter 7 and verse 18: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”

 

Effect of Jokes

1. ‘Expensive’ jokes had crashed some happy marriages and relationships.

2. Respect for the Jester diminishes, because no one knows when he is lying (jesting) or when he is saying the truth.

3. Listening to jokes in the church or on the media does not edify your spirit, thus, it causes spiritual separation from God.

4.

Jesus’ end-time prophecy was a sign for us to know that this present world will come to an end one day. There are arguments about the reality of the end-time. Some people said that this world will exist forever, while some argued that it may probably be destroyed by the meteorites in the space.

Late Harold Camping was so mathematical about the end-time prophecy, and he fixed dates for the end of the world (September 6, 1994 and May 21, 2011). But his predictions failed several times, thereby misleading a lot of people.

Is Jesus’ end-time prophecy true or false? Let’s check it out!

The book of Matthew chapter 24 explained how curious the disciples were interested in the end-time prophesies, and Jesus gave full predictions from verse 4 to 14;

1. Many will Come and Proclaim to be Messiah

This was the first end-time prophecy predicted by Jesus, and it came to pass few years after His ascension to heaven. Among these false messiahs are Dositheus, the Samaritan, who affirmed that he was Christ; Simon Magus, who said he appeared among the Jews as the Son of God; and Theudas, who persuaded many to go with him to the river Jordan, to see the waters divided.

Matthew chapter 24 verse 4 and 5 says: “And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.’’

2. Wars will Break Out

This second end-time prophecy came to pass in the history of Rome that the most violent agitations prevailed in the Roman Empire before the destruction of Jerusalem. Four emperors, Nero, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, suffered violent deaths, in the short space of eighteen months.

In consequence of these changes in the government, there were commotions throughout the empire, Parties were formed; bloody and violent wars were the consequence of attachment to the particular emperors. Mathew chapter 24 verses 6 say: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

3. World War/Famine/Earthquake

This third end-time prophecy started its fulfillment at Caesarea in AD 59, the Jews and Syrians contended about the right to the city, and twenty thousand of the Jews were slain. At this blow the nation of the Jews was exasperated, and carried war and desolation through the Syrian cities and villages. Sedition and civil war spread throughout Judea; Italy was also thrown into civil war, by the contests between Otho and Vitellius for the crown.

The First World War centered in Europe on 28th July 1914, and the Second World War in 193. The occurrence of these world wars is a strong sign for you to believe the end-time prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 805 million people of the 7.3 billion people in the world, (one in nine) were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2012-2014. The worst affected countries include Ethiopia, Malawi, Sudan, Djibouti, and Eritrea.

Earthquake had been a consistent occurrence since the first record of 1769 near Los Angeles. Mathew chapter 24 verse 7 and 8 says: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

4. Great Persecution

This end-time prophecy started its fulfillment when Peter and John were brought before the council as recorded in the book of Act chapter 4 and verse 5 to 7. Paul and Silas were also beaten and imprisoned. Stephen was stoned to death, and James was killed by Herod…

Mathew chapter 24 verses 9 and 10 say: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another,

God always designs an opportunity for every human being to enjoy restoration, which is referred to as a second chance. I remembered the story of a Christian woman who lost her virginity three months to her wedding day, through fornication with the man she proposed to marry. After two months of the regrettable act, she got pregnant. Since, the marriage counseling committee of the church must not discover the atrocity, she aborted the innocent baby.

She committed the murder to escape the public sanction of the church’s disciplinary committee. On her wedding day, everyone around her were happy and they rejoice with her, but she was bitter in the deepest part of heart. Because, she knew her sexual and murder sins were terrible deeds before the Lord. She was depressed for many years, because she felt God was greatly disappointed by her ungodly actions. The Christian woman backslides from God’s presence and thought she cannot get a second chance.

Devil had made a lot of Christians who found themselves in a mess to believe that God cannot give them a second chance. People suffering from depression or suicide attempt can only be healed if they believe in the power and grace of the second chance from God. Isaiah chapter 1 verses 18 says: “Come now, and let us reason together, “ Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”

The Lord revealed Himself to me in my sleep on the 5th of August 2003 and He said: “Preach to the people! I will forgive the sin(s) of anyone who is ready to do my perfect will”. This message from the Lord shows that He will give you a second chance, if you repent genuinely from your sins.

When you invite God into your life, and you give your ‘sense of decision-making’ to Him, then your second chance shall be sustained. John chapter 14 and verse 23 says: “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

Requirements for the Grant of a Second Chance

1. Forgive yourself!

I had come across some Christians who find it difficult to forgive themselves after committing sins. You cannot enjoy the second chance of God if you don’t forgive yourself for any wrong you must have committed. Do not lose hope!

Christian race on earth is rough and tough, only the tough can win the race. The book of Matthew chapter 7 verses 14 says: “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

If you find it difficult to forgive yourself, then you won’t know when God has forgiven your sins for a second chance of restoration.

2. Make a list

Identify all the causes that made you find yourself in such a mess, and be determined not to repeat the same process when God gives you the second chance.

3. Live in the Spirit

You must be ready to allow God control every action of your life. Your ability is not enough to make you free from committing sins, but you need the divine power of God to enjoy your second chance. Paul advised in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 16; “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

How to Know the Availability of a Second Chance

When you realize your sins and your heart is sober for repentance, then pray to God for forgiveness and a second chance. The Lord will test your heart to confirm how sincere you are, and your second chance shall be made available once you pass His test.

King David was one of the great men in the Bible who passed the test and he enjoyed the second chance from the Lord. Psalm 17 verse 3 says: “You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.”

God created anger as one of the emotions in us for positive usage. Unfortunately, a lot of people get angry always, because they could not control their anger. I heard a true life story of a couple in Nigeria few weeks before the March presidential election. The husband supported the ruling party while the wife was a supporter of the major opposition party. After a hot political argument between the couple, the wife was angry and she went to the kitchen for one of her sharp knives. She stabbed her husband to death. The wife committed this murderous act because she allowed anger to control her sense of judgment.

Anger is like a two sided coin. There are two dimensions to anger which I called; holy anger and unholy anger.

Is Holy Anger a Sin?

Holy anger is a harmless emotional expression which is meant to correct wrong situation. For instance, a judge got angry to a thief and sentenced him to six months imprisonment for rehabilitation. The holy anger of the judge is to help the thief to change from his bad lifestyle to a good one.

The expression of your holy anger is acceptable by God when you act against unholy circumstances. Jesus got angry when He discovered that the temple of God had been rented to some business men for trading. Every action He took when he was angry was meant to restore the primary purpose of the temple.

Luke chapter 19 verse 45 to 47 says: “Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” And He was teaching daily in the temple…”

You are not a sinner when you get angry to a wrong situation. But make sure your holy anger contributes to the positive change of the improper circumstances. Holy anger is not a regular character of God, but He gets angry when disobedient people compromise the laid down rules of living a good life.

The book of Judges chapter 2 verses 20 to 22 says: “Then the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice, “I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, “so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.”

Few Pastors preach on the altar with holy anger, because they dislike the choice of people who act against the will of God in the Bible. For instance, I recently watched Pastor John Hagee on the television, and I was impressed with the way he preached with holy anger against homosexual. Same-sex marriage was recently legalized by the supreme court of the United States. Holy anger is always expressed with love, but unholy anger is disastrous!

How Disastrous is Unholy Anger?

Unholy anger is a destructive emotion with unproductive outcomes. Sometimes it emanates from a heart filled with jealousy. Unholy anger is impatient and has no solution to offer…

Unholy anger in our society had caused unpleasant crises such as:

• Divorce

• Drug abuse

• Domestic violence

• Division in some churches

• Death as a result of racism and non-racism issues.

You have to be careful with the way you react to any unpleasant issue that comes your way. For instance, the first murderer in the Bible, Cain, found himself in the mess because of his unholy anger to Abel whose offering was respected by the Lord. “…And Cain was very angry,…Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him…” (Genesis 4:3-12)

Anger in its broad sense is not...

To hear from God is a critical issue that had always disturbs the heart of a lot of Christians. When Jesus Christ was preached to me as the only One who has the master-key to open all the closed doors of my life, I was eager to meet Him for a serious discussion. I asked myself: “how can I communicate to God and hear His response?”  You might be going through a similar experience, but when you read this article, I’m sure you will hear from God.

1. Hear from God through your Mind

God speaks to our mind, but we don’t hear Him. Simply because our thoughtful desires are more audible than His small still voice. He can speak to your mind anytime and anywhere, but you can only hear from God if your mind had been transformed from the thoughts of worldliness to holiness.

Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and 2 says: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

If you practice the habit of frequent prayers and awesome worship to the Lord in your mind, then you will hear His response to whatever you ask from Him. God loves to be in a regular communication with genuine Christians.

My Christian life in God had been so awesome through His steady communication to my mind. Whenever I hear from God in my mind, it sounds like a fast typist typing on the keyboard of a computer. His speech to me through my mind has a high-speed. The speed of my brain to plan thoughtful expressions can never be compared to the speed of God’s voice in my mind.

The easiest way to differentiate the voice of God from that of Devil is to test the message with the word of God in the Bible. If there is no misconception of the scriptures, then the voice of Devil will always fail the test.

2. Hear from God through Vision

You do not need any special eyes or ears to hear from God through visions. Vision is a medium of communication which involves display of pictorial images or active conversation in another realm different from the earth. The unique experience in vision is the conscious mode of your body, unlike the dream realm.

God conveys a lot of prophetic messages to me through visions. And none of the visions had failed the Bible test. For instance, I was on my bed on the 8th of May 2003 (am not fast asleep because my mind is conscious of my environment) and in the vision I saw a huge Being sitting on a chair. I had the understanding in the vision that He is my Master. I sat on a chair in front of Him, and He opened the Bible in His Hands to Galatians chapter 6:15&16, He told me to read it, which I did. Then He said: ‘’Preach to the people, only those practicing holiness will I take to heaven’’. When the vision came to an end, I opened my eyes and I was amazed that I heard God speak to me!

The tendency to hear from God through visions involves genuine repentance from sinful lifestyle. When you give your life to Christ, His Spirit will come upon you and it will become possible for you to see visions. The book of Act chapter 2 and verses 17 says: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.”

3. Hear from God through Dream

God uses this medium to communicate to a lot of us who always experience a busy day. You can hear from God through your dreams (unconscious sleeping mode). Some dreams requires interpretations unlike vision which has a direct meaning. Don’t be confused when you hear from God through dreams, He will explain the meaning of the dream to you in your prayers to Him.

When I was in the University,