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Archive for April 2010

Pathway to adulthood

The harvest is a product of the seed; an outcome of what was sowed.

An adult is the offshoot of the child; a reflection of what was instilled

He can only give what he has; therefore:

Bring up a child with mockery; and you find an adult who is timid

Bring up a child with deprivation; and you find an adult who is insecure

Bring up a child with abuse; and you find an adult who is bitter and hate

Bring up a child with vilification; and you find an adult who despise

Bring up a child with reproach; and you find an adult who feel guilty

Bring up a child with correction; and you find an adult exuding moral values

Bring up a child with physical force; and you find an adult who is aggressive

Bring up a child with care; and you find an adult who has a sense of self-worth

Bring up a child in disobedience; and you find an adult who is at odds with ethics

Bring up a child with encouragement; and you find an adult who is inspired

Bring up a child with thoughtfulness; and you find an adult who is considerate

Bring up a child with commendation; and you find an adult who is thankful

Bring up a child with moderation; and you find an adult who is humble

Bring up a child with fairness; and you find an adult who project justice

Bring up a child with commitment; and you find an adult who trust

Bring up a child with recognition; and you find an adult who has self-esteem

Bring up a child with affection; and you find an adult who love

Bring up a child with ‘giving’; and you find an adult who is kind and share

Bring up a child with thanksgiving; and you find an adult who show gratitude

Bring up a child with the fear of God; and you find an adult who has wisdom

Bring up a child in the way of the Lord; and you find an adult attached to the

‘true vine’ (John 15: 1-8)

Find an adult clinging to the ‘true vine’; and you will see a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17).

                                                                          – Jolomi O. Awani (16-04-2010)

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Victor Awani

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The masquerades’

When the Bible referred to the heart of man as deceitful and desperately wicked

(Jeremiah 17:9), there were no classifications or specifics on the said ‘man’. Generally,

the reference to ‘man’ cuts across the broad spectrum of mankind. In other words,

all of man has the tendency for wickedness or evil deeds if by commission or omission

their hearts become a fertile ground for evil to thrive.

 

Today the world is replete with sworn enemies masquerading as friends; mask wearers

mimicking a genial host. Wickedness is embellished; adorned with skin-deep cordiality.

Impersonators’ come in the name of God or ‘their gods’ to deceive; many turn away from

the faith, betraying and hating each other; and false prophets perform great signs and 

wonders to deceive even the chosen…. This painful reality is evocative of the end time

(Mathew 24:5-24). There are no holds barred to what atrocity man can perpetuate, so

much so that the atheist may wonder at the abominable and atrocious deeds of ‘some’ 

professed people of faith who claim to love light yet live in darkness; lions in sheeps’ clothing.  

 

Be alert and vigilant for the devil lurks around, usually in unexpected places and times.

Whether in the church, mosque, temple, workplace, school or pub, the devil has no first

or surname; it has no identity or fixed address. The devil could be anything or anyone

and can be anywhere at anytime; it is simply the prowling lion looking for someone to

devour. That Jesus Christ admonished his disciples to ‘watch and pray so as not to fall

into temptation’, underscore the need to have our back against the wall when it comes to

fighting off the devil - evident in human form, the absence of knowledge or otherwise.

No spiritual effort must be spared; no physical stone should be left unturned.

 

These are dangerous and uncertain times and the masquerades’ are everywhere.

Undoubtedly, we live in the precarious age when evildoers have raised their game. 

Whether the enemy manifests as man or a destructive indulgence, we contend with a

period of hightened temptation and evil in the world. The antidote is a honest encounter

with God; staying in active fellowship with Him and measuring our actions with His word.  

Entering the kingdom of God is not about becoming born again, but remaining born again.

 

                                                                                      – Victor Sisan Awani (24/04/2010)

 

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Victor Awani

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Living beyond the moment

What do you see with your eyes; is it of light or darkness? The word of God

teaches us that we cannot pay allegiance to two masters concurrently. Light

and darkness cannot co-exist.

 

Do not be swayed by the things of this world. Life is brief and transient and

ultimately we shall go the same way we came – naked and oblivious of the

treasures around us. Everything become immaterial in relation to life; our

earthly possessions or ‘Will’ if one exits become relevant only to the living,

and only for as long as they have breath as well. A worthy life is not 

measured by its length or vain material acquisitions and attainments; but

by the Godly virtues – love and joy that we share and spread, the lives (not

necessarily our friends and family members) that we impact, touch and

change for the good of society.

 

Be heaven focused and do not be consumed by the cravings for money and

materialism. In the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, “do not store up for

yourselves treasures on earth…but store up for yourselves treasures in

heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not

break in and steal.”

Make no mistake, there’s nothing wrong with prosperity or striving by 

dint of legitimate effort to prosper. But everything is wrong when greed takes

its toll on our conscience and all we see with our eyes is money; when the love of

money govern and rule our lives, and when nothing is off-limit as we jostle for it.

The word of God refers to the eye as “the lamp of the body”, therefore, if your

eyes are corrupted with the selfish, insatiable and vain cravings for worldliness, 

“your whole body will be full of darkness” – Matthew 6:19-23.        

 

We live for the moment when the lamp within us is of darkness; when the

devil become our paymaster and we conform to the world. As children of

God, our lives should and can outlive the moment if our eyes only see and

process light; subservient only to Godly virtues with hearts set no more than

on heaven. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and

love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You

cannot serve both God and money” – Matthew 6:24.

                                                                  

                                                              –    In His Grip

                                                                    Victor Sisan Awani (24/04/2010)

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