Jesus Christ answered the following questions correctly before he died. Apostle Paul did the same. All men whose lives were declared by God to be successful did the same. Why shouldn’t you do likewise?
# 1. Who am I? – Sounds simple and common, but it goes a long way to determine if you end up in life a success or failure. Your identity defines your activity. A fish is expected to swim. When you hear a bark, you think of a dog. The label you place on yourself determines what your mind is predisposed to do and consequently, the lifestyle you live. Paul always introduced himself as “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God“. (Eph 1:1). Who are you?
# 2. What am I here for? – This is your purpose for living. Why do you see yourself qualified to still be on earth. The computer keyboard is used for typing information into the computer. If it stops functioning, it is not better than plywood. What are you doing that makes you believe the world still needs you? Jesus Christ said in John 10:10 (NLT) – “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness“. What is your purpose for living? If you don’t know the mission you are to accomplish, then you may never get to a point in life where you say like Jesus – “It is finished”, or like Paul, “I have finished the race”, or in modern lingua – “mission accomplished”. What are you meant to do, finish and accomplish?
# 3. Am I living in line with my purpose? – Those who have succeeded in answering the first two questions correctly should endeavour to answer this everyday. It is meant to give you focus and direction. Without focus, distractions are constantly celebrated, energy is readily wasted and life is lived unfulfilled. Without a compass, a pilot is assumed to have said his last prayer. Without a map, a voyager may not get to his destination even though he started sailing well. Paul said in I Cor. 9:26 (NLT) “I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step“. Is there purpose in every step you take in life?
Beloved, I believe one day you will love to stand before God and say confidently that – “I accomplished my mission on earth”. You will want to receive God’s commendation for living a successful life. Why not take a timeout to answer these questions correctly and consequently reflect the answers in your lifestyle. Remember, only the living can make decisions, so act now!
tope aladenusi
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12b
As I was trying to round up on the last post on ‘Careful what you believe’, I noticed this part of our text, a cord of three strands. I meditated on what God was trying to tell me here. It’s wonderful what I re-discovered. ‘Wonderful’ because I never saw things this way before and ‘rediscovered’ because God had once told me this same thing before I got married.
This word is necessary for every one in a marriage or courtship. Being from the kind of background I came from, I worried about the success of my marriage, I especially prayed that my husband would never cheat on me. One day God in the cool of the day like of old, told me that my husband’s faithfulness to me was tied to his (that is my husband’s) faithfulness to Him (God). That became my peace, but you know what, I didn’t hold on to the word like I should have. I hope someone yet to marry will do better than me. Thank God my husband has been a good one despite my attitude.
So what has this word got to do with the text, ‘A cord of three Strands’? What or who makes up these three strands? In marriage counseling, people are advised not to share what happens in their marriage with anyone. But you know what, there’s one person every detail should be shared with, this is the third person who will make your marriage unbreakable and really blissful.
He alone has the best advice for every situation that may come up. He has the right words you need to say to seem like the best partner you are not anyway. Individually you can go share secrets with Him and as a couple you can go to him. He is always there.
Every time you spend time together or individually with him, strength, hope, peace is renewed, fears are also taken care of. This person is no one but God himself. As a couple and individually you need to seek God. You need to have both individual and corporate altars. Share the word of God, pray to God and serve God together. This is very essential, remember the scripture says “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added on to you“. Note that these things there referred to clothing, shelter … which represent the things we worry about. I translate this scripture to mean that as we seek God’s Kingdom together we make God the third Person and all our worries are taken care of.
Seek Him more. To the man, I say take it upon you to build the altar and to the woman, I say be a worthy helper. Any married person will agree that it really takes commitment on the part of husband and wife to establish an altar after marriage. You will both be very busy and tired considering the world we live in today; at this point we need to choose to either live by our convictions or convenience.
God help us all as we work to attain this.
Love you
omolola ezeifeoma.
The great majority of the NT books were penned between A.D. 50 and 100. The writers were apostles and associates and were men specially fitted and commissioned to convey to mankind the Word of God as revealed in the acts and teachings of the Lord Jesus.
We have a NT of 27 books in which we find 5 narrative books, 21 letters and a single book of quite a different character, aptly called the Apocalypse or Revelation; and in them we acknowledge the supreme and complete guide for Christian doctrine and faith.
FORMATION OF THE NT
A. Synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
- Historical Book – Acts of Apostles
- Pauline Epistles – 13
- General Epistles – 8
- Revelation of Apocalypse’ – 1
NT STATISTICS
Number of Books – 27
Verses – 7957
Middle book – II Thessalonians
Middle Verse – Acts 27;17
Longest Verse – Rev. 20:4
Longest Book – Luke
Chapter – 260
Words – 180,552
Middle Chapter – Romans 8 & 9
Smallest Book – 3 John
Longest Book – Luke 1
20 CONTRASTS OF THE OT & NT
OLD TESTAMENT —- NEW TESTAMENT
First Covenant – 2 Cor. 3:14 —- Second Covenant – 2 Cor3:6
Came by Moses – John 1:17 —- Came by Christ – Heb 8:6; 9: 15
Law of the Flesh – Rom 7:5-6 —- Law of the Spirit – Rom 8:2
A Shadow – Co12:14 -17 —- The Reality – Heb 10: 1-8
Powerless to Save – Heb 9:9 —– Saves to uttermost – Heb 7:25
Yearly atonement – Heb 10 : 3 —- Eternal Atonement – Heb 7:25
Animal Sacrifices’ – Heb 9 :12 —- Human Sacrifice – Heb 9:14 – 28
Sinful Mediator – Gal 3 :19 —- Sinless Mediator – I Tim 2:15
Abolishment predicted – Hos. 2:11 —- Establishment predicted – Heb 9:14-28
Daily Programme – Heb7:27 —— Finished Programme – Heb 10: 10-18
Exposes Sin – Gal 3: 19 —- Covered sin – 4:1-8
Many Priests – Heb7:23 —- One Priest – Heb 7:24 -28
No Personal access to God -Heb 9:7 —- Personal access to God – Heb 4 :14-16
Fault – Heb 8 :7 —- Perfect – James l :25
Remembers sins – Heb 10:3 —- Forget Sins – Heb 8 :12;10:17
Could not redeem – Heb 10:4 —- Redeems – Gal. 3:13
No Salvation – Heb 10:28 —- Complete Salvation – Heb8:12
Made at Sinai – Gal 4:24 —- Made at Calvary – Mat. 26:28
No Mercy – Heb 10:28 —- Complete Mercy – Heb 8: 12
For Israel only – Dt.4:7-8; Dt 5:3 —- For all Man -Mat 26:28; Jn3:16.
The provisions of OT are’ not enough for our salvation. Therefore God gave us His Son to open the way for us.
Under the NT, God’s law is inside us, no longer external set of rules and obligations. ‘Holy Spirit reminds us Christ’s Word, activates our conscience, influences our motives and desires and makes us, want to obey God.
-gabriel ajibade
