QUITTING IS EASY

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:7-9)

Quitting is easy. It is the path of least resistance. All it takes for one to capitulate is simply to stop trying - just walk away, throw away your confidence in the Lord which has a great reward. Quitting begins simply with giving up in your mind and losing enthusiasm emotionally. The rest of you soon follows. However, it's not over yet until you say it is, for failure, no matter how often, is never a done deal until one gives up.

You will face challenges and oppositions, that's the reality of life. As our scripture text suggests, you will be troubled, you will be perplexed, persecuted and even knocked down, perhaps several times, but as long as you don't stay down, you will never be counted out. 

Are you on a just path, living a life of faithful obedience? Then trust the Lord for the grace to persevere in times of trials. Trust God for the strength and courage to deal with the challenges each new day brings. Determine to "press" ahead, looking unto Jesus, who is the source of your strength (Philippians 4:13).

Quitting is easy, but quitters never win. Those who are counted as winners are in the company of those who didn't quit. Winners do get knocked down as often and as hard as everyone else, sometimes even more, but the difference is that they never stay knocked down. They always get back up again and continued to run the race set before them. "...cast down but not destroyed," they persevere!

So, be sure that you are running your own race not another's and be assured that, in Christ, the grace of God is sufficient for you to run you own race, whatever the hand life deals you. "Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward" (Hebrews 10:35), so that by the excellency of God's mighty power at work in you, you may run your life's race with endurance and finish your course triumphantly!

Grace & peace to you!

Pastor Victor

A WONDERFULLY BLESSED LIFE

“The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” (Psalm 16:6)

All glory to God who has promised to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.

As you ponder the words of the psalmist in our text, I hope like me you receive them as a powerful personal statement of faith to profess and live by daily.

The believer's daily life of faith is a life to be lived continually and steadfastly in the confident hope of God's goodness and faithfulness. Life on earth is littered with trials and troubles that often test us and fiercely challenge us, but in all these we must remain focused on God who ultimately causes all things to work together for our good, because Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33).

So, though momentarily you may not be experiencing what you hope for, yet your expectations of God's goodness and faithfulness have not been denied. Understand that you have a beautiful inheritance in Christ. In Him God has caused the lines to fall for you in pleasant places, for God's thoughts for you are for good and not for evil. Indeed, your hope in Christ will never bring shame, praise God!

In all things, Christian, remain God-focused. He alone has the final say in everything concerning you. His boundary lines mark out pleasant places for you. You have a bright future, a delightful and wonderfully blessed life!

May the Lord direct your steps always and cause you to experience diverse and full manifestation of the blessings you have obtained in Christ Jesus as an heir of God.

Grace to you!

Pastor Victor Ubani

DOERS, NOT HEARERS ONLY

What matters in life is not merely what you know, but what you do with what you know.

Knowing, for example, that your poor neighbour is unable to feed his hungry children, does not fill their belly with nourishment; but your acting on that knowledge to actually make provisions for them, directly or indirectly, will make the necessary difference.

LOVE POURED INTO OUR HEARTS

"God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).

The love of God poured into the believer's heart is not a mere embellishment but functional, intended to fundamentally affect how a Christian lives, behaves, and responds or reacts to day-to-day events. "Do everything in love" (1 Corinthians 16:14).

Christian, you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and God's love is the foundation, the character, and energizer of this new life. It is the motivational force that urges us on.

Therefore, friend, be intentional in unleashing this love. Consciously put it at the centre of who you are so that you may thrive in your Christian calling and rise to the top in every aspect of life. Remember, "Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Grace to you!

Pastor Victor Ubani

REMAIN WITH CHRIST

"The truth is in Jesus" (Ephesians 4:21).

In this changing world of rapidly changing appetites where the bounds of propriety and acceptability are redrawn daily according to the whims of men - men who reject the knowledge of God, Christ is your "True North"! Follow Christ and remain with Him!

Russian Orthodox believer and novelist, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, was a man whose life could be described as a strange mix of paradoxes, a man in whom an internal conflict between the believer and the sceptic raged. 

Despite appearing conflicted, however, Dostoyevsky uniquely summed up the strength and depth of his Christian conviction and devoutness with the following profound expression of his faith in Christ: “If someone proved to me that Christ is outside the truth and that in reality the truth were outside of Christ, then I should prefer to remain with Christ rather than with the truth.”

Friend, whatever the rest of the world decides today's version of truth is, only REMAIN WITH CHRIST - for "Truth" that ultimately matters is to be found in Him who alone is able to say "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6). Only on the strength of this conviction will you find true meaning and discover the courage for the next step to the next level in your life. 

Press on in the Spirit of Christ.

Pastor Victor Ubani

Who Can Invalidate It?

“For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:27)

 God has stretched out His mighty hand....! Child of God, the unlimited, unassailable, and unstoppable power of God is at work in you, for you and through you in Christ. Darkness cannot comprehend it or master it! 

So no matter what you are going through or what challenge comes your way today, rejoice in the Lord and in the power of His might! The Lord your God will see you through and neither man nor the forces of darkness can prevent it. 

God will do what He says He will do, so be glad and give Him glory already. The purpose of God cannot be frustrated. It cannot be stopped. 

Hallelujah!

Pastor Victor Ubani

 

Sufficient Grace

"God's grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The undeserved and undue attention you give to your opposers and detractors, energizes them but slows you down and wears you down. It eventually wears you out; incapacitates you, it halts your progress altogether. 

So be determined to turn away and move on from the stumbling blocks and unfair criticisms. Move forward with the purpose of God for your life, "looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith" who endured even worse, but finished His race all the same.

Paul, unsderstanding the power of the word that God had just spoken to Him, joyfully and boldly declared: "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10). There is power in the word of God!

In the uniqueness of your personal experiences today, I pray that you will encounter the power of God's word and find that His grace is indeed sufficient. 

May the power of Christ always rest upon you as you activate His word in every situation!

#ActivateTheWord!

Pastor Victor Ubani