IN A WORLD DARKENED BY LUST,SIN AND EVENTUAL DEATH![JAS.1:15] 🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇 WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT, GOD DOES EXIST, AND YOU WILL STAND BEFORE HIM ONE DAY... YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE IN THIS! (JN.20:25) 🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥 THE WORD *COINCIDENCE* DOESN'T EXIST WHERE BOTH GOD AND HIS DIVINE WORD ARE CONCERNED. Yes,*coincidence* is a manipulative tool from the devil's arsenal. This is why compassionate and desiring/aspiring Christlike believers are obligated to keep telling you the truth,even in the face of all kinds of adversity, mockery,scorn,denials, trials and afflictions, including persecutions. BUT OF COURSE, YOU'RE EQUALLY OBLIGATED NOT TO BELIEVE THE TRUTH... HOWEVER, YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE,WHEN IT COMES TO THE CERTAINTY OF YOUR MEETING YOUR CREATOR...YOU *MUST* HIM ONE DAY, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, EITHER AS YOUR SAVIOUR OR AS YOUR JUDGE! Like Thomas in the Bible, we tend to think that seeing is believing. Thomas insists, “Unless I see the nail marks in HIS hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into HIS side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25). We are often the same,if not much more. We live in a sceptical and cynical age. Few people tell the truth and even fewer people expect the truth to be told. Facebook is Fake News. Politicians lie. Everyone has an agenda. TRUTH SIMPLY DOESN'T MATTER. And so, we are both sceptical and cynical. It’s hard to believe anything unless it’s staring us straight in the face. And in a culture like this... HOW COULD I POSSIBLY BELIEVE IN A GOD I CAN'T SEE? He just sounds made up. It’s hard to believe anything unless it’s staring us straight in the face. Our worldview doesn’t help, either. Most of us have grown up with materialism: the belief that nothing exists beyond the material world; that we live in a closed universe; that all reality is found within the four walls of the material realm and that anything outside of it is simply make-believe or mere COINCIDENCE ! This is the air we breathe. So how can we believe in an invisible God who is Spirit? We can’t see Him...how can He be real? We think seeing is believing...just like Thomas. But we’re also very different to Thomas. Because Thomas did get to see. He saw Christ Jesus’ HANDS and FEET. He touched Christ Jesus’ SIDE. He believed because he saw. It's the reason that much isn't heart of him after that incident, except church history,listing him as the disciple that took the Gospel to India. (a terrific task then,I believe) But we can’t do that. None of us get to see Christ Jesus physically today. I’m happy for Thomas that he believes when he sees...but how does that help me? How can I believe when I can’t see? The apostle John was well aware of this dilemma when he wrote his gospel. He was writing to believers who never got to see what he saw. He was asking his first readers to do what we must do today...to believe without seeing. It sounds impossible. And so, John includes what Christ Jesus says to Thomas after he believes: Because you have seen me, you have believed; BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED. (John 20:29) WHAT AND INCREDIBLE STATEMENT? NOT ONLY DOES CHRIST JESUS MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU CAN BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING, BUT THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY BLESSED BY IT, IF YOU DO! This seems so foreign from our expectations and experience and yet Christ Jesus says that it’s true. Christ Jesus promises us that we can believe without seeing. And He’s right. Here is why; 👉 SEEING IS NOT BELIEVING! First, we need to dispel the myth that seeing is believing. It isn’t and it never has been. The evidence for this is found in the people who did see Christ Jesus. Many people have said, *If I could just see Christ Jesus,I would believe in him.* I boldly answer yo, *No you wouldn’t...if you saw Christ Jesus, you would kill Him!* Because that’s what many people who saw Him did. Thousands of people witnessed Christ Jesus performed miracles impossible to man. And yet it was those same crowds that cried out for his crucifixion. Seeing is not believing: just look at those who saw Christ Jesus and did not believe. Christ Jesus demonstrates this Himself in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man descends into hell and pleads with Father Abraham to let him go back and warn his brothers, so that they will not end up there, Abraham replied, *They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.* ‘No, father Abraham,* he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.* Abraham said to him, *If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.* Remember also that this is ONE VERY IMPORTANT SCRIPTURE IN WHICH OUR LORD HIMSELF VERIFIED THE REALITY OF HELL...even though,some unbelieving theologians write it off as mere illustration. Every parable Christ Jesus told in the Bible was from things that were real...not folk stories. I'd to digress a little because HELL is a big issue. (Luke 16:29-31) In this parable, Christ Jesus makes it clear that someone could witness the resurrection and still not believe. Why? BECAUSE SEEING IS NOT BELIEVING. 👉 THE REAL REASON ! But this raises a question. IF SEEING IS NOT BELIEVING... THEN WHAT IS THE REAL REASON WHY PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD? And Christ Jesus tells us: people don’t believe because they simply don’t want to believe. In John 7, Christ Jesus’ brothers urge him to *show Himself to the world*. They thought that if people just saw Christ Jesus...and in particular His miracles...they would believe and follow Him. DO YOU KNOW THAT JUDE WHO WROTE THE BOOK OF JUDE, WAS AN EARTHLY SIBLING OF CHRIST JESUS, BUT HE ONLY BELIEVED IN HIM, AFTER HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION...I'VE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY (SIBLINGS) , ONLY BELIEVED IN HIM AFTER HIS GLORIOUS RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION. (THEY,WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE PRIME BENEFICIARIES OF HIS PRESENCE! WE ARE LIKE THEM... DON'T BLAME THEM). This is what we often think as well. But Christ Jesus rebukes them: *the world cannot hate you, but it hates ME because I testify that its works are evil.* (John 7:7) What is the real reason why people don’t believe in God? And Christ Jesus tells us: people don’t believe because they simply don’t want to believe. Christ Jesus knows that the world will not accept Him and He knows that it has nothing to do with whether they see Him and His miracles or not. THE REAL REASON THAT THE WORLD WILL NOT BELIEVE IN CHRIST JESUS IS THAT IT HATES CHRIST JESUS. If Christ Jesus were to sing to the world’s tune, it would believe in Him in a second. But because He testifies that their works are evil, they hate Him. And that is the real reason why they don’t believe in Him. They don’t want to. Their evil consciences couldn't cope with His righteous rebukes. Later in the same chapter Christ Jesus challenges the religious leaders with this truth: My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. (John 7:16-17) The person who wants to do God’s will believes in Christ Jesus. The person who wants to live their own way won’t. And this is exactly what we see in the rest of the chapter. The Pharisees’ rejection of Christ Jesus is shown to be completely unfounded. Even one of their own, Nicodemus, thinks they are being unfair. Despite all the evidence, they refuse to believe simply because they don’t want to believe. Their unbelief is not based on reason but rebellion. They want to live life their own way. And this is true for our world today. You could see Christ Jesus every day of your life and still not believe in Him. The Pharisees didn’t. His own brothers didn’t. The real reason why people don’t believe in Christ Jesus is that they don’t want to. 👉 HEARING IS BELIEVING! So, if seeing is not believing, how can I believe in God? One of the wonderful things about God is that He never leaves us in the dark. He doesn’t just tell us where to go but also how to get there. And the same is true for faith. Consistently throughout the Bible, God teaches us that seeing is not believing: But Hearing is believing. This is what Paul says: Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ Jesus .(Romans 10:17 emphasis mine). You could not get a more unambiguous verse about how to believe in God. God tells us plainly: Faith comes from hearing! Amen🙇🙏!

IN A WORLD DARKENED BY LUST,SIN AND EVENTUAL DEATH![JAS.1:15] 🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇🙇 WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT, GOD DOES EXIST, AND YOU WILL STAND BEFORE HIM ONE DAY... YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE IN THIS! (JN.20:25) 🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥 THE WORD *COINCIDENCE* DOESN'T EXIST WHERE BOTH GOD AND HIS DIVINE WORD ARE CONCERNED. Yes,*coincidence* is a manipulative tool from the devil's arsenal. This is why compassionate and desiring/aspiring Christlike believers are obligated to keep telling you the truth,even in the face of all kinds of adversity, mockery,scorn,denials, trials and afflictions, including persecutions. BUT OF COURSE, YOU'RE EQUALLY OBLIGATED NOT TO BELIEVE THE TRUTH... HOWEVER, YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE,WHEN IT COMES TO THE CERTAINTY OF YOUR MEETING YOUR CREATOR...YOU *MUST* HIM ONE DAY, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, EITHER AS YOUR SAVIOUR OR AS YOUR JUDGE! Like Thomas in the Bible, we tend to think that seeing is believing. Thomas insists, “Unless I see the nail marks in HIS hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into HIS side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25). We are often the same,if not much more. We live in a sceptical and cynical age. Few people tell the truth and even fewer people expect the truth to be told. Facebook is Fake News. Politicians lie. Everyone has an agenda. TRUTH SIMPLY DOESN'T MATTER. And so, we are both sceptical and cynical. It’s hard to believe anything unless it’s staring us straight in the face. And in a culture like this... HOW COULD I POSSIBLY BELIEVE IN A GOD I CAN'T SEE? He just sounds made up. It’s hard to believe anything unless it’s staring us straight in the face. Our worldview doesn’t help, either. Most of us have grown up with materialism: the belief that nothing exists beyond the material world; that we live in a closed universe; that all reality is found within the four walls of the material realm and that anything outside of it is simply make-believe or mere COINCIDENCE ! This is the air we breathe. So how can we believe in an invisible God who is Spirit? We can’t see Him...how can He be real? We think seeing is believing...just like Thomas. But we’re also very different to Thomas. Because Thomas did get to see. He saw Christ Jesus’ HANDS and FEET. He touched Christ Jesus’ SIDE. He believed because he saw. It's the reason that much isn't heart of him after that incident, except church history,listing him as the disciple that took the Gospel to India. (a terrific task then,I believe) But we can’t do that. None of us get to see Christ Jesus physically today. I’m happy for Thomas that he believes when he sees...but how does that help me? How can I believe when I can’t see? The apostle John was well aware of this dilemma when he wrote his gospel. He was writing to believers who never got to see what he saw. He was asking his first readers to do what we must do today...to believe without seeing. It sounds impossible. And so, John includes what Christ Jesus says to Thomas after he believes: Because you have seen me, you have believed; BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED. (John 20:29) WHAT AND INCREDIBLE STATEMENT? NOT ONLY DOES CHRIST JESUS MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU CAN BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING, BUT THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY BLESSED BY IT, IF YOU DO! This seems so foreign from our expectations and experience and yet Christ Jesus says that it’s true. Christ Jesus promises us that we can believe without seeing. And He’s right. Here is why; 👉 SEEING IS NOT BELIEVING! First, we need to dispel the myth that seeing is believing. It isn’t and it never has been. The evidence for this is found in the people who did see Christ Jesus. Many people have said, *If I could just see Christ Jesus,I would believe in him.* I boldly answer yo, *No you wouldn’t...if you saw Christ Jesus, you would kill Him!* Because that’s what many people who saw Him did. Thousands of people witnessed Christ Jesus performed miracles impossible to man. And yet it was those same crowds that cried out for his crucifixion. Seeing is not believing: just look at those who saw Christ Jesus and did not believe. Christ Jesus demonstrates this Himself in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man descends into hell and pleads with Father Abraham to let him go back and warn his brothers, so that they will not end up there, Abraham replied, *They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.* ‘No, father Abraham,* he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.* Abraham said to him, *If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.* Remember also that this is ONE VERY IMPORTANT SCRIPTURE IN WHICH OUR LORD HIMSELF VERIFIED THE REALITY OF HELL...even though,some unbelieving theologians write it off as mere illustration. Every parable Christ Jesus told in the Bible was from things that were real...not folk stories. I'd to digress a little because HELL is a big issue. (Luke 16:29-31) In this parable, Christ Jesus makes it clear that someone could witness the resurrection and still not believe. Why? BECAUSE SEEING IS NOT BELIEVING. 👉 THE REAL REASON ! But this raises a question. IF SEEING IS NOT BELIEVING... THEN WHAT IS THE REAL REASON WHY PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD? And Christ Jesus tells us: people don’t believe because they simply don’t want to believe. In John 7, Christ Jesus’ brothers urge him to *show Himself to the world*. They thought that if people just saw Christ Jesus...and in particular His miracles...they would believe and follow Him. DO YOU KNOW THAT JUDE WHO WROTE THE BOOK OF JUDE, WAS AN EARTHLY SIBLING OF CHRIST JESUS, BUT HE ONLY BELIEVED IN HIM, AFTER HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION...I'VE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY (SIBLINGS) , ONLY BELIEVED IN HIM AFTER HIS GLORIOUS RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION. (THEY,WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE PRIME BENEFICIARIES OF HIS PRESENCE! WE ARE LIKE THEM... DON'T BLAME THEM). This is what we often think as well. But Christ Jesus rebukes them: *the world cannot hate you, but it hates ME because I testify that its works are evil.* (John 7:7) What is the real reason why people don’t believe in God? And Christ Jesus tells us: people don’t believe because they simply don’t want to believe. Christ Jesus knows that the world will not accept Him and He knows that it has nothing to do with whether they see Him and His miracles or not. THE REAL REASON THAT THE WORLD WILL NOT BELIEVE IN CHRIST JESUS IS THAT IT HATES CHRIST JESUS. If Christ Jesus were to sing to the world’s tune, it would believe in Him in a second. But because He testifies that their works are evil, they hate Him. And that is the real reason why they don’t believe in Him. They don’t want to. Their evil consciences couldn't cope with His righteous rebukes. Later in the same chapter Christ Jesus challenges the religious leaders with this truth: My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. (John 7:16-17) The person who wants to do God’s will believes in Christ Jesus. The person who wants to live their own way won’t. And this is exactly what we see in the rest of the chapter. The Pharisees’ rejection of Christ Jesus is shown to be completely unfounded. Even one of their own, Nicodemus, thinks they are being unfair. Despite all the evidence, they refuse to believe simply because they don’t want to believe. Their unbelief is not based on reason but rebellion. They want to live life their own way. And this is true for our world today. You could see Christ Jesus every day of your life and still not believe in Him. The Pharisees didn’t. His own brothers didn’t. The real reason why people don’t believe in Christ Jesus is that they don’t want to. 👉 HEARING IS BELIEVING! So, if seeing is not believing, how can I believe in God? One of the wonderful things about God is that He never leaves us in the dark. He doesn’t just tell us where to go but also how to get there. And the same is true for faith. Consistently throughout the Bible, God teaches us that seeing is not believing: But Hearing is believing. This is what Paul says: Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ Jesus .(Romans 10:17 emphasis mine). You could not get a more unambiguous verse about how to believe in God. God tells us plainly: Faith comes from hearing! Amen🙇🙏!

HIS WORD ABOVE HIS NAME![PS.138:2] 🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥 GOD DOESN'T APPRECIATE SHORTCUTS! (PS.37:1-9) 🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. (Psa 37: 9) For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. (1Ti 4: 8) The two verses underscores the importance of avoiding shortcuts to doing God's Will,even if you are called. INDEED, PATIENCE IS LISTED AS A GREAT VIRTUE IN THE BIBLE. One path{shortcuts} is filled with worry and uncertainty, while the other{patience} leads to rest and blessing. Which will you and I rather choose? In every facet and activity of life,precise timing is essential. Rushing to act without adhering to the plan can result in missed opportunities, problems, or disasters. God’s plan for our lives also has timeframes. He orchestrates events to accomplish His will, glorify His name, and bless us, which is why cooperating with His Timing is so crucial. Many of us have missed our way, calling, blessings or even muddled up our mandates because of impatience,and trying to FAST-FORWARD GOD, because of a word of knowledge or prophecy we either received directly from God or through His servants. I'm a living example. Many of us already know my story. MANY OF OUR VISIONS HAVE TURNED TO MERE ILLUSIONS, BECAUSE WE EMBARKED ON THEIR FULFILMENT OUR OWN WAY, INSTEAD OF WAITING ON GOD,THE GIVER OF THE VISION. Rather than learning this lesson the painful way, consider what happened in the following situations from Scriptures; Abraham and Sarah tried to have the promised child through Hagar, which resulted in family discord and anger (Genesis 16:1-6). The entire world is sunk into the deep mire that, that impatient decision produced (Ishmael and by extension Islam) Rebecca and Jacob used deceit to obtain the Lord's blessing, and Jacob became a fugitive (Genesis 27:1-43). Jacob suffered for twenty-one years because of it, before relief came Impatient with Samuel’s delay, King Saul offered the sacrifice, and God took away his kingdom (1 Samuel 13:8-14). Innocent Jonathan suffered and died for his father's impatience. Refusing to wait for God's plan leads to bitterness and closes doors. But, on the other hand, trusting in the wisdom of the Lord, believing in His promises, waiting for His timing, and surrendering our plans to Him brings blessings. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO FULFILLING GOD'S WILL, and HIS PATH MAY NOT BE EASY. Therefore, we must die to our ego, relinquish our desires and plans to follow His, and understand that we are His servants, and not the other way around. He is not our Servant...even though He demonstrated servant leadership qualities while on earth as IMMANUEL(GOD WITH US). Devising a plan and rushing may seem like the best way to act, but who is better qualified to point the way: you or God? One path is filled with worry and uncertainty, while the other leads to rest and blessing. Which will you and I rather choose? Without prodding,we all know, Choosing God's Way is the best; For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jer 29: 11) Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? (Lam 3: 37) 8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55: 8-9) Amen🙇🙏!

HIS WORD ABOVE HIS NAME![PS.138:2] 🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥 GOD DOESN'T APPRECIATE SHORTCUTS! (PS.37:1-9) 🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. (Psa 37: 9) For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. (1Ti 4: 8) The two verses underscores the importance of avoiding shortcuts to doing God's Will,even if you are called. INDEED, PATIENCE IS LISTED AS A GREAT VIRTUE IN THE BIBLE. One path{shortcuts} is filled with worry and uncertainty, while the other{patience} leads to rest and blessing. Which will you and I rather choose? In every facet and activity of life,precise timing is essential. Rushing to act without adhering to the plan can result in missed opportunities, problems, or disasters. God’s plan for our lives also has timeframes. He orchestrates events to accomplish His will, glorify His name, and bless us, which is why cooperating with His Timing is so crucial. Many of us have missed our way, calling, blessings or even muddled up our mandates because of impatience,and trying to FAST-FORWARD GOD, because of a word of knowledge or prophecy we either received directly from God or through His servants. I'm a living example. Many of us already know my story. MANY OF OUR VISIONS HAVE TURNED TO MERE ILLUSIONS, BECAUSE WE EMBARKED ON THEIR FULFILMENT OUR OWN WAY, INSTEAD OF WAITING ON GOD,THE GIVER OF THE VISION. Rather than learning this lesson the painful way, consider what happened in the following situations from Scriptures; Abraham and Sarah tried to have the promised child through Hagar, which resulted in family discord and anger (Genesis 16:1-6). The entire world is sunk into the deep mire that, that impatient decision produced (Ishmael and by extension Islam) Rebecca and Jacob used deceit to obtain the Lord's blessing, and Jacob became a fugitive (Genesis 27:1-43). Jacob suffered for twenty-one years because of it, before relief came Impatient with Samuel’s delay, King Saul offered the sacrifice, and God took away his kingdom (1 Samuel 13:8-14). Innocent Jonathan suffered and died for his father's impatience. Refusing to wait for God's plan leads to bitterness and closes doors. But, on the other hand, trusting in the wisdom of the Lord, believing in His promises, waiting for His timing, and surrendering our plans to Him brings blessings. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO FULFILLING GOD'S WILL, and HIS PATH MAY NOT BE EASY. Therefore, we must die to our ego, relinquish our desires and plans to follow His, and understand that we are His servants, and not the other way around. He is not our Servant...even though He demonstrated servant leadership qualities while on earth as IMMANUEL(GOD WITH US). Devising a plan and rushing may seem like the best way to act, but who is better qualified to point the way: you or God? One path is filled with worry and uncertainty, while the other leads to rest and blessing. Which will you and I rather choose? Without prodding,we all know, Choosing God's Way is the best; For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jer 29: 11) Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? (Lam 3: 37) 8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55: 8-9) Amen🙇🙏!

UNDERSTANDING GOD IN A SIN BROKEN WORLD! 🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥 SIN BRINGS SHAME, BUT DOESN'T BRINGS GOD'S REJECTION IF YOU'RE SINCERELY REGRETFUL (DON'T BELIEVE IN SATANIC LIES) 🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥 Talking about satanic lies, they're not peddled by satan himself,but by self-righteous judges,who see themselves better than others. By default,we all are sinners, if we weren't, then there would be no Immanuel and the Bible will be a big lie. I love the way Paul puts it; If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. (1Co 15: 19) We are going to try see God's response to sin,self condemnation,shame and fame, and how He uses them draw us closer to Himself if we allow Him to. And it begins by realizing our helplessness without Him. 👉Adam hid from shame when he sinned,while Christ Jesus openly faced it on the Cross, leading to His glorification. For the Prodigal son,he used his regretful disobedience to illustrate God's character of compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance, demonstrating how He welcomes those who turn back to Him regardless of their past. But many of us think our sins are BLACKER than what God can accept and make WHITE(Isa.1:18) 👉Shame experienced from our confessed and forgiven sin actually give us a fame to use as a tool of evangelism for those who think it isn't to be accepted by God. It's the reason shame and fame coexist. What we make of them depends on our response. For instance, let's identify with the characters in Prodigal story. The story features two brothers, one who strays, representing those who abandon faith, and one who stays, representing the attitude of cynicism in believers towards others coming to faith.(self-righteous) 👉True fame cannot exist without acknowledging past shame. We all have some forms of skeletons in our cupboards that we had to empty before our current state. Hiding shame leads to destruction instead of authentic fame. Like I said, we all have our moments of recognition of straying. Both believers and non believers have moments of recognizing their need for God's mercy and forgiveness, often catalyzed by hitting "rock bottom" in our lives. And in such situations,where we experienced God’s Kindness,we should also be ready to share to those who feel alienated from God that His kindness allows people to realize their separation from Him and prompts them to return, which is a pivotal moment in the journey toward faith. RATHER THAN OUR HOLIER THAN THOU ATTITUDES THAT SENDS FARTHER FROM THE SAME GRACE WE ENJOYED. Unfortunately, our churches today are highly filled with this categories of likely selfmade Christians. A country music singer, Johnny Cash experienced firsthand, and it hurt him so much he wrote a song on it. In the church and the secular,every prominent leader has experienced both shame of sin in one way or the other,and turned it into fame,using it as a guiding principle highlighting the universality of these experiences. Embracing shame can lead to personal relief , while allowing the fame of being too proud to confess overshadow one's integrity and can lead to downfall. The examples of Biblical figures, such as Abraham and David, illustrate how their legacies include both shameful moments and fame. 👉 For example,in the Prodigal son's story, the feelings of unworthiness is a virtue expected by God from a gone astray believer and unbeliever alike. The wayward son's belief that he is unworthy of being a son reflects a common feeling among individuals who feel ashamed of their past sins and doubt their place in God’s family. Yet, God’s Compassionate Response eagerly awaits us... the return of the lost, even though we're being condemned by men. He welcomes those who come back with love and compassion, indicative of His eagerness to mend relationships. AND IT'S THE SHAME OF OUR UNWORTHINESS THAT ATTRACTS THE FAME OF GOD'S ACCEPTANCE AND RECOGNITION AS HIS SONS ONCE MORE. Forgiveness Is a Gift: God offers forgiveness as an unearned gift, stemming from Christ Jesus’ Sacrifice, rather than something one can achieve through their efforts. 👉The shame of sin should not be treated as a death sentence; instead, it should be acknowledged and brought to the Cross for healing. Concealment of sin leads to stagnation, while confession at the Cross leads to liberation and righteousness. 👉Christ Jesus’ Sacrifice transforms our shame into righteousness, allowing believers to rejoice in their identity free from condemnation. We are encouraged to boldly confess our failures, knowing we are supported by grace and have nothing to lose. 👉Permanent Acceptance: When someone repents and turns to God, they become His children, permanently accepted and welcomed into a close relationship with Him. 👉 Remember,we all have our seasons of weakness, no matter how committed we are as Christians IN A WORLD WHERE THE DEVIL HOLDS SWAY. We may experience periods of distraction or doubt, but we can always return to God's open arms for renewal and rekindled relationship. We should be encouraged that whether one has strayed or is struggling in their faith walk, God’s love and acceptance are constant and available to anyone who seeks Him. DON'T EVER ALLOW ANYONE TO CONDEMN YOU THAT'S OVER WITH YOU; 17. For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18. He who believes in him is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. (Joh 3: 17-18) 18. "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. 19. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; (Isa 1: 18-19) 🙇🙏!