SCRIPTURAL FOUNDATIONS GUIDING RELATIOSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP

Every of this Scriptures gives us guidelines
1.) PROVERBS 27 VERSE 17
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
He never said iron sharpeneth wood or plastic
True friendship must be based on spiritual standards. Any friendship that is not based on mutual sharpening is out of it, not even about relationship alone but all form of friendship.
Any friendship that doesn’t help you to discover purpose and understand life and GOD in it is a useless friendship

2.) PROVERBS 17 VERSE 17;
“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
How many of your friends do that? Any friends commitment to you must not base on anything either to get in return. Benefit of friends to be source of encouragement and lifting.
There are so many people in our life that are not friends; we have wasted our time believing they are friends. Some are losing friends, because you want to maintain the fake ones alongside
Is there any friend in your life today seeing you in problem, and won’t deny you, or limiting the friendship to where you meet or what brought you guys together?

3.) PROVERBS 18 VERSE 24
“A man that has friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
If your life is not uncommon to drive certain kind of people that means you don’t have values and principles. i.e some seeing a connection and alignment with your life Some things in your life must drive people, not just anyone. If you are afraid of been controversial, then forget been a leader. It takes the courage of been controversial, to be exceptional in life.
Why we find ourselves in useless friendships is because we want to agree with everybody. Many of us are afraid of setting standards. So any friend that is not ready to abide with your Godly standards and ideology, doesn’t fit in your life.

4.) PROVERBS 27 VERSE 6
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
When you meet a true friend, whenever he or she tells you the truth, it will sting you on your wound.
For instance, you prayer life is dyeing, and your friend says we are rising and pulls you up from your sleep to pray.
There are people have challenged on something’s and sometimes looks too harsh, but seriously I love them. You must respect people in your life, especially those that loves you so much, because when they correct you in love, they do that will a sincere and loyal heart.

5.) JOHN 15 VERSE 13
“Great love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
The apex of true friendship is scarifies. Seeing the other party excel. Anyone that claims to be a friend and cannot inconvenient himself or herself no matter little just for you welfare, is not a good friend.
A friend is addicted to his or her own interest is a bad friend. The default behavioral pattern of people is revealed when they are talking to people who do not add to their life. Everybody can fake it, but true friends wont.

6.) LUKE 6 VERSE 31
“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”
The same way you want to be treated, do to others don’t do to anyone, what you will frown at when they do back to you. i.e the way we treat the people lower to us. Please honor everyone the same way irrespective their level or caliber.

7.) PROVERB 13 VERSE 20
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
Any organization of people that are going nowhere, you should have no business with. There are kind of body of people you should have nothing to do with, irrespective of their level. Wise friend will never leave you alone until he or she joins you to grow both physically and spiritually in the body of Christ.
A true friend makes you see reasons why you shouldn’t be in that relationship that won’t take you anywhere. Who is that wise friend in your life today? A wise friend won’t join you to gossip or talk bad about other people.

8.) 1CORITHIANS 15 VERSE 33
“Be not deceived: evil communication corrupt good manners.”
No matter the friend, your standard must not bend. There are something that mustn’t happen irrespective the level of that friendship or the relationship.
I OLUGBENGA, have gone too far on compromising standards, just because of friends and relationship. It pains me and I really learn in a hard way and lost some things. Even terrible things that can cost ones labor, sincerely God has been faithful and He has restored me.
To you my friend, don’t compromise standards.

PRAYER POINTS:
Lord, I make up my mind to take standards
Lord, restore me, help me have Godly standards.
Lord, let the weakness of my flesh never prevail over me.
Lord, help me to maintain good relationship with you.
Lord, give me connection that will rewrite my story for another level of greatness.

SECRETS TO ANSWERED PRAYERS Matthew 7:6-11, Psalm102:17, Luke 18:6-7

When we talk about PRAYER is an avenue in communicating to God. A means of presenting our requests and heart desires to HIM.
In another way round is a means of conversing with God.

Some prayer was not answered not because they were not presented well, but the condition for answered prayers was not meet. So we need to understand the condition and guidelines of answered prayer.

One of the privileges we received from God is prayer, and the body of Christ has shown us more about the secret of answer prayers. The fact that you go to God continuously in prayer over a particular thing doesn’t say He can’t hear you or He can Hear you, only one thing that guaranty the answer is you actualizing the secret behind those prayers.

There are different principles influencing the realm of prayers.

1.)FAITH : the fundamental reason for unanswered prayer is that a lot of people do not ask in faith. (mark11:23). Faith brings about an assurance within you that your prayer IS answered. It a divine word that keep emphasizing your believe in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:11. The success you can access by faith is not dependent on any other thing but faith.
I am praying for you today, may God increase you faith.

2.)ACCURATE PETITION : when you are not asking amiss in the place of prayer, answers may not come. It under must that you must ask right. That’s why the best prayer you can pray that brings you into the realm of receiving is The Lords Prayers. Your motive is very critical to answers to prayer.

For you to get response or answers to that prayers, God must examines you motive toward that request whether it’s fit for an answered or not.( James 4:3.)

3.)POWER OF HIS NAME : The name of Jesus is the great tool to producing answers to our prayer. It is via this name we can ask and receive from God. John14:14. Unanswered prayer most time is as a result of not asking in Jesus name. john16:24. The name of Jesus was a revelation that hell and even heaven had knowledge of till the lamb of was manifested on earth. The name of Jesus is the title deed that grants us access us into the treasures of heaven (phil2:10).

4.)LAW OF SPECIFICITY : Many go into the place of prayer with so many things trying to get their attention. Some don’t get response to their request sometimes because they are not specific about their requests.
To get a rapid response to your request you have to be specific when tendering them before God.(mark5:1-13). Specifying your request, guarantee you answered prayers. Blind Bartimaeus asked specifically that he might receive his sight.

5.)TIMING AND PATIENCE : God could instruct you to wait until the full manifestation of your answers. Patience is one of the things that reveal our trust, indicating that we still truly believe God for whatever we ask of Him. (2Peter3:9). No matter how, patient is an assurance that you won’t give up on God.

6.)GENUINE SALVATION: It doesn’t matter how you can pray or the numbers of hours you spend in the place of prayer, if you are not genuinely save and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, your prayers are just in vain. To really get answers to all your prayers you need to be born again.
(John3:16). It is so important that we are in right stand with God, so as to get a speedy answer to all our request

PRAYER POINTS :

-Father, in all my short comings have mercy on me and grant me the desires of my heart.
-Father, I receive by faith every petition of mine in Jesus name.
-Father, in the name that is above every other name. I ask you help for every challenges of my life.
-Father, please make all things beautiful for me in your own perfect time.
-Jesus, I make vow with my life to serve you all the days of my life. Please empower me to stand by this commitment, oh Lord

The Tragedy of First Time Sex .

"Let's just have it once and we won't do it again", he told her while breathing heavily. They had it more than once till they parted ways with a fight. .

"I wish I had never opened up my life to premarital sex, it wasn't easy to stay off. I had to settle for masturbation to keep myself", she expressed bitterly. .

"We did it only once and I missed my period the following month. I told my boyfriend and he told me to go and remove the thing", she narrated in regret. .

One thing most people don't know about sex outside marriage is that it's like a smoke you must not fan into flames when you're not ready for it otherwise it'll become an uncontrollable fire you cannot put off. .

Many who became addicted to sex, masturbation and pornography is as a result of their first time encounter with sex. Your first time encounter with a thing either leaves you dissatisfied or satisfied. .

Rather than open up your life to terrible consequences, it's better you avoid every urge to fall into sex outside marriage for the first time or repeat it after a long time of abstinence. .
Let me share with you what would likely occur when you expose yourself to first time sex. .

1. You'd hate it or become an addict .
Let me be blunt here. Ladies, if you're exposed to a guy who rides you rough and you suffer lots of bruises due to inadequate lubrication, you'll forever have a terrible memory about sex and even if the right person comes, it'll become a tug of war for you to be convinced that it's a pleasurable experience. .

Aside rape cases or low or no libido issues, most people that hated sex was as a result of their first time exposure to it. First time sex before marriage can't be as wonderful as the marital sex you'd have on your wedding night even as a 'novice'. .

On the contrary, if your first time encounter with sex was mind-blowing, that would create an irresistible delight in you and you'd look for means to sustain it. This is one of the reasons many became sex addict because they find it pleasurable and it became an insatiable appetite. .

It's better to save sex for the right time and at the right place - wedding night so that you won't have had a terrible experience about it. A terrible first time sexual experience leads to a fearful wedding night experience, and an addicted sexual life leads to a comparative sexual analysis of your past encounter with the present. This will lead to infidelity and sexual dissatisfaction. .

2. You'd become pregnant or contact STDs .
Just as some ladies could be vulnerable to pregnancy during their first time sexual experience, it's likely that you might become pregnant or contact sexually transmitted diseases. .

No amount of contraceptives can prevent pregnancy in some cases and as well as sexual diseases. Medically, you'll be told to abstain from sexual relationship to stay safe and healthy. It's better to be sexually healthy than to be nursing STDs. .

I have seen ladies who had sex just once and they became pregnant. Abortion isn't the solution to an unwanted pregnancy. Keep the pregnancy. Learn from your mistakes and move on. This is better than becoming a murderer. .

3. You'd resort to pornography or masturbation .
For most first timer to sustain their sexual urge when a partner isn't readily available, they resolve into pornography or masturbation. These acts are in itself sinful and an abominable practice before God. .

It's better not to be exposed to sex at the wrong time than to seek for a detestable practice to sustain it. Life isn't about knowing how sex feels. Don't be curious! You ain't missing anything if you choose to stay celibate until your wedding night. .

4. Your life has been joined .
Do you know that sexual sin is the only sin that joins you together with the person you have it with? There's a covenant between you two and it cannot be broken even if you go on your separate ways. .

The Bible says whosoever joins himself together with a harlot is one body with her (1 Cor. 6:16). The only way through which two can become one flesh is through sex. .

You may not be joined together physically but spiritually, you are one flesh. However, first time sex or subsequent ones is fornication and it's a sin against your body (1 Cor. 6:18). .

Why sin against your body because of first time temporary pleasure (sex) that would leave you wounded and damaged? .

5. You have violated God's law against His temple .
Most people live their lives or use their bodies as though they owned it. You're not the owner of your life and body, you're just a custodian of it. .

Engaging in premarital or extramarital sex or sexual immoralities is the use of your body against God's purpose and you have equally violated His law (Heb. 13:4). Do you think God will commend you for violating His law and defiling His temple? Don't give the devil the opportunity to destroy your life by breaking the hedge of God over your life. .

I'm not writing all these to scare you but to prevent your chances of facing the aforementioned consequences.
However, no matter how 'sweet' the world may describe premarital or extramarital sex, God hates it with perfect hatred and anyone that violates His law would face its consequences. .

Are you a victim of first time sex or subsequent premarital sex? Repent and ask God for forgiveness. .

To the celibate, it's better not to start the battle you can't finish than to become a casualty in the midst of it. Flee fornication! .

© Oluwamayowa Adeniyi

7 KEYS TO FINANACIAL FORTUNE

Luke11v52, 2Peter1v3

1.)BE SPIRITUALLY ROOTED : Colossians 2:7 Be rooted and grounded spiritually. Ephesians 3:17. Psalms 112:1-3. Daniel and Abraham were spiritually different.

2.)ENGAGE IN COVENANT PRACTICE : it’s the portion of God in your profit that makes the remaining meaningful. Mal 3:11, Deuteronomy 28:13. Tithing is very essential because is the master key to financial fortune. Proverb3:9-10

TITHING: if you are not tithing, you are not a candidate of financial fortune.
Tired-less giving keeps God enlarging your coast. What you don’t give does not reduce anything from God. God will never need you for anything, but we will always need God for everything.
Giving and tithing is for our “Benefit” Psalm 89:34

3.)WORK IN FINANCIAL INTEGRITY: For you to command financial blessing, you must keep your integrity. Can they keep money with you and nothing will happen to it?
To experience financial fortune, you mustn’t be among those that falsifying financial records. Jeremiah 17:11, proverb 13:11, Genesis 14:23. Don’t be part of corruption, be distinct and maintain purity. Don’t change figure, don’t mix genuine with fake and call it new. Proverb 28:20.

4.)BE COMMITTED TO BE A BLESSING: Genesis 12:2, God will never bless a man without seeing your commitment to be blessed. Your commitment in been a blessing to your community, determines how far God will cause the windows of heaven over your life.

He can never bless you beyond what you can discharge. The larger your heart for God. The larger your coast of blessing. Let go, God has instock to release to you. Without a heart for the needy, for the kingdom of God and things that please God, you are far from HIS blessing. Be kingdom driven.

5.)BE DIVINELY GUIDED: Isaiah 48:21, when you allow God to guide you, no matter the dryness He will sustain you. In all you do, let the Holy Spirit guide, so He can walk you into your fulfillment. Deuteronomy 32:12, Isaiah 58:1.
When God leads, Please follow. Let Him guide your steps.

6.)CONTINUE TO SPEAK RIGHT: Joshua 1:8, Speak positive things. For you to experience financial fortune, you must profess positive things with your mouth.
It doesn’t matter how complex things maybe. Proverb 18:21. Decree good things with your mouth, no matter how hard it is keep prophesying good things to yourself and everything around you.
“Let them say continually, my case is different you will never experience failure.” My case is different. Mark 11:23.

7.)REJOICE ALWAYS : Philippians 4:4, 1Thesalonians 3:16, joy and rejoicing are requirement for a financial fortune.
Don’t sympathize with life, rejoice always. Don’t allow depressions. To work in financial fortune, rejoicing must be part of your life. Hebrew 3:17-19.

UNDERSTANDING THE DEMANDS OF BUILDING YOUR FAITH

Faith is a living virtue with unlimited capacity for growth. 2Thesalonians1:3
Faith is a growing force i.e. a living force, its bind by the word of God. Joel 33:3. Building your faith is hard work and not cheap work. Hebrew 4:11.unwilling heart faith cannot work

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR FAITH

1.Faith grows by hearing and understanding the word of God. Roman10:17.
To enjoy the growth of faith, you have to pay attention to the word of God. Act 14:8-9.
The hearing of God’s word brings about the entry of faith. So our faith is built by the word we hear. Colossians 3:16

Understanding the word of God word grows our faith. When understanding comes alive, our faith is quickened.

One light can take you on a flight
One light can put an end to your fight
One light can put an end to your night.

2.Faith grows by meditating on the word. Meditation is the spiritual process of the word of God. i.e spiritual digestion of the word of God. It is the meditation process that turns that word to the power of God. Psalm 119:97-100, Psalms 1:1-2.
Act of meditation is a necessity, setting down to think through the word of God, seeing what the word of God carries. When your faith is alive, you can never be defeated.

Whatever sinks into your spirit man can never be taken away from you. 1Timothy 4:15. We must get committed to the act of meditation, set your heart at it. Joshua 1:8.
Act of meditation brings about our manifestation.
What is meditation?
. Meditation simply means pondering on God’s word. Philippians 4:8.
· Joshua 1:8, it also mean holding Gods word, carrying it in your spirit.

3.By praying in the Holy Ghost. Jude 1:20
We must understand the act of praying in the spirit, is a gift from God. 1 Corinthians 2:13.
You can learn about God by reading, but you can only know about by God by praying. Daniel 11:32, Ephesians 1:17.
To know God, you have to be on the altar of prayer. It does when you know God you can truly believe Him.

The genuineness of our faith requires prayer. To have an intimate conversation with God, praying in tongue is essential. Philippians 3:10.
There is nothing devil will fight like your prayer life.Matthew 17:19-22
Everything answers to the level of our faith.

Before You Enjoy The Pleasure, Know Its Consequence

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” – Genesis 3:5-7.

If many people knew the consequence of what they’re about to embark on, or that which they’re presently doing, they would have ignored the pleasure and choose not to face the consequence.

Oftentimes many people in their relationship are myopic to see the outcome of their actions before they carry it out. A guy tells you to prove love to him with sex and you yield to his consent, don’t you know the consequence behind such action? There’s no pleasure you’d ever enjoy in that relationship that would not have its own consequences, especially when you’re unmarried. Whether it’s a simple and consistent hug, kissing and the likes, something has been set rolling in motion which would someday catch up with you.

The serpent succeeded in making Eve blind to the consequences of eating the fruit. All that she saw was that: it was good for fruit, pleasant to the eyes and one to be desired to make one wise.
She didn’t know that she’ll die – a physical, spiritual and eternal separation from God. She didn’t know that her eyes will be opened to evil and she’ll become naked. She didn’t know she’d be sent out of the garden. She didn’t know that a curse will be placed on her life. She just didn’t know all of these!

Are you also toying with sexual sins that you are yet to see its consequences? Are you blindly in love with someone whom you’re not fully sure God’s leading you to? Are you disobedient to what your friends, parents or guardians are telling you concerning that relationship? Do you think it’s your life and no one should tell you what to do with it?
Joseph fled from his master’s wife sex invite, not because he didn’t know the ‘sweetness’ of the act. But he fled because he knew the consequence of the act – a great wickedness against God.

He chose to flee than to embrace the temporary satisfaction that would make him attract God’s wrath. He knew its effect on his dream of becoming a great ruler. He fled. He didn’t negotiate. He wasn’t like Samson who was taking solace on the lap of sin. God is full of mercies but his kindness won’t take away the consequences of your wrong doings. You need divine understanding to know the consequences of every action in life before you commit them.

Not everyone has the understanding that would enable them see the consequence of an action before it’s committed but many only understood the pleasure inherent in the action. Sex before marriage could seem pleasurable but its consequences are detrimental than the fun derived.

Are you blind to the consequences of premarital sex? Don’t you know the effect of spending the weekend in your fiance’s house? Have you forgotten that it’s dangerous to go into a marriage relationship without God’s guidance or even marry an unbeliever? Or you believe nothing would happen when you get pregnant before marriage?
Your sins would definitely be forgiven if you indulge in the act but forgiveness won’t take away the consequences, the pain, the scar, God’s judgment or regrets that would come afterwards.
How can I know the consequences of an action? See that decision with the lens of God’s word (truth) and not with the eyes of your flesh. Don’t judge it based on the fact that everyone is doing it, be determined to be among the few that wouldn’t do it even if it’ll come with shame.

Dearly beloved, hate evil practices in that relationship and cling to that which is good. Get understanding that comes from God (Prov. 2:6) because it’s the only means of seeing things as God sees them. Don’t taste the temporary pleasure to suffer a lasting consequence afterwards. © Mayowa Adeniyi 2016

JANUARY 2017; Oracles of Truth

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?

John 18:33-34; Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Say thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?

I greet you this day in the name of Jesus the Christ, and I write this to you as well as myself. I will be very concise in this, and I pray that the Lord of heaven give you a wisdom beyond me and an understanding beyond this letter.

Today, if I ask you about Jesus whom over half of the world professes Messiah, what will you say and to what extent will your faith reply.
This message is to help you review your stand in Christ and what you think you know of Him. Most of us were born into “Christian homes” and a foundation was laid for most of our thoughts today and how we access God, in other wise, some attended schools that shaped their beliefs, some attended “churches” and the belief system was sown into their lives. It is safe to say that most of what we know today was sown into our thoughts by society and our immediate environment consciously or unconsciously.

As we grow older, more interactions happen; some challenge certain belief systems to follow another, some simply become free thinkers, some become confused, some do not care anymore…in fact, there is a whole dynamics to what every man holds on to, but no matter what you believe today, there is a foundation carrying it; either through parenthood or environment.

Even the Bible, over the years has been subjectively perceived because of course from study, certain humans put certain texts together and made it “special and holy”, and none of us actually dare try to question its words; yes, I just said so, not because we naturally believe in it, but because of what we hear and see, at a point, we were made to believe that if set on fire, it will not burn; “every sect of life has a holy book also compiled by humans and made ‘divine’, so why should the Bible be superior in any sense, when even the catholic church clearly can be seen to sometimes contradict the Bible which itself is the progenitor.
Of course, Pentecostals, evangelicals, protestants, spiritual and whatever names divide an establishment or organization in this course are seen to carve out what they independently see as just and true. But will God write or speak to confuse us?

So, I should not blame anyone for whatever they believe and hold onto, because from what is written above, if I was born in a Muslim home, I might today be a staunch defender of Islam; if I was born in a pagan home, I probably will be a proud practitioner, and listening to other people’s belief may seem to me like heresy, except of course, like Simon the magician the amaze me with certain events I cannot contain.

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, asked Pilate if what He says about Him is what he conjured from his mind or what other people have said. See Pilate’s reply;

John 18:35; Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?

Pilate knew nothing about Christ, just as we were born blank slates on matters of the gospel, he only became aware after listening to the Chief priests, who are seen as authorities on matters of the Jewish God; you and I also got to know this God, after listening to certain Men who are seen as authorities on matters of God and Christ.

Now, before I write on Peter’s experience which is the core message here, the major lesson to learn from Pilate was he did not jump into conclusions, but tried to sought the truth and though his hands were tied regarding the matter, he saw something was wrong somewhere.

John 18:38  Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

Pilate was questioning the “authorities” who were supposed to have a final say and lead the people and yes! Some things do not add up. Was Pilate wiser than God’s people? Well think about it.

So you and I have heard what people who claim to be authorities are saying as none of us was present when they received their ‘authority’, we are only assuming by faith that they are true and correct. Sorry, but they may not be! There is only one way to get the truth, Peter was not rolling on the floor when he got this truth, neither was he in any uncomfortable position nor behaving weirdly. Jesus also simply asked as I am asking now;

Mat 16:13-17; When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

In this New Year and beyond, you need to pause and reflect what your belief is centered on, what they have said or what God is saying. Do not be sentimental in this review and keep on praying that you indeed is convinced from a stand point of Peter, or else you may be entangled in a false righteousness.

Finally consider these scriptures. Completely read Matthew 23.

Mat 23:3  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Mat 23:4  For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
Mat 23:5  But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Mat 23:6  And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Mat 23:7  And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. Mat 23:8  But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. Mat 23:13  But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Mat 23:15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. I leave you to make conclusions as to what this entire words mean through the help of the Holy Ghost.