Don't confuse attachment to assignment

One of our greatest setbacks in life can be the wrong relationship. When I mean relationship, I am not referring only to that of opposite sexes but our relationship with people in general. Relationship which involves people you encounter daily or those you allow and disallowed into your life. Those acquaintances, friends, colleagues, partners, mates, peers, neighbours, pals or whatever you may call them.

It is an undeniable fact that relationships can make you or break you. You cannot effectively honour the call over your life or fulfil destiny if you have a slew of unhealthy relationships in your life.

God works through people to ultimately achieve His will. If He wants to bless, He can use human as a medium. If He wants to speak He also uses human. All these and lot more show that our interpersonal relationship with others matter.

Never confuse those who are only Attached to you with those who are Assigned to you; the Assignment is Priority, the Attachment is an Option.

There are people that have been assigned to you. They have been assigned to you for whatever reason it may be. Perhaps it is to encourage, motivate or inspire or perhaps it’s simply for you to put a smile on their faces or vice versa.
Some people are assigned to us for our growth too.
Some people are assigned to us for a moment in time, for a season or for a lifetime.
These people who are assigned have an assignment and such assignment is a priority.
These individuals if not all, are waiting for you to use your gifts, talents, skills and abilities to serve them – this is the essence of living in purpose.

It’s so important to have people around you who will speak life into your situation when you can’t. People who want to see you living out God’s plan for your life just as much as you do. Not because they want to use you but because they genuinely care about you and want the best for you. When you begin to lose hope, they quickly remind you that your worst days are behind you and your best days are ahead. They refuse to join your pity party because they see potential in you. They have seen God do miraculous things in lives and your life too and, will quickly remind you that He’s capable of doing it again.
Do you have people in your life like that? These people are ASSIGNED to you and bring out the best in you.

How about those that are attached to you...
Do you have people who are ATTACHED to you? How do you know them?
These people don’t really care about you; they only care about what they can get from you. They will use you up until you have nothing else to give and leave as soon as the next victim comes along. A particular mystic group call them vampires that drain the goodness out of you. Theirs is "what do I get in return".

You have to know the difference between those people who are assigned to you and those people who are attached to you -

People who are attached to you are those soul-sucking folks that take away from your life and do not add anything. They eat at your peace, well-being and spirit. Every time you deal with this person you are more tired and frustrated then invigorated. Simply put – they are like leeches sucking at your soul. I stop here

Be careful who you allow access to your life because the people who are ASSIGNED or ATTACHED to your life now will determine where you will be this time next year.
Anytime you take someone with you that God hasn't authorized, it tampers with your destiny. Be warned!

There are some people who are attached to you while others are actually assigned to you.
Know the difference! So I want you to take an inventory of the relationships in your life. Is there someone who has been attaching themselves to you that you need to let go? Are there people who perhaps have been assigned to you? Are there people who you can serve or vice versa?

Even if you may not know who has been assigned to you, I want to challenge you to live daily in an awareness as to who you can be of service to. You don’t have to do anything extravagant, sometimes it can be as simple as listening to someone, being a great friend, sharing words of wisdom to someone at the office and so on!
My Motto: To gain access to my life…you MUST be approved by God.

Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo

LiveOutLoud!

NOGM

The Mystery of a Grain of Wheat (The secret to eternal life)

John 12:23-24, ‘But Jesus answered them, saying, “...Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” ‘

According to science, after a seed has fallen into the ground and is covered with dirt, it dies and begins germination (Germination is the process of seeds developing into new plants). The process is simple. The seed’s hard protective shell around falls away in deterioration. The cotyledons are empowered by favourable factors like water availability, and temperature. This can only take place after the outer shells open up completely. The (inner)seed becomes filled with water in a process called imbibition. This water activates special proteins, called enzymes, that begin the process of seed growth. First the seed grows a root to access water underground. Next, the shoots, or growth above ground, begin to appear. The seed sends a shoot towards the surface, where it will grow leaves to harvest energy from the sun. The leaves continue to grow towards the LIGHT source in a process called photomorphogenesis.

That's science, you may say.

But Christ Jesus wasn't wrong in John 12:24.

Let's look at the mystery behind Jesus speech.

"As long as a grain of wheat keeps on being a kernel in the head of a stalk of wheat, it remains just that: a lone kernel of wheat among many such kernels. Only when it is detached from the head and buried into the ground by a farmer does it have a chance of producing more grain."
In like manner, Jesus is saying,

The grain of wheat is a LIFE. Its your life and mine too. Also, Jesus was referring to His life too (bible scholars shouldn't get me wrong).
The grain that wants to be productive and fulfilled must be ready to go deep into the soil and dies.

That takes place when a life - that's you - truly come to know Jesus as his/her Lord and Saviour. The seed is planted.

Romans 6:3-4,”...We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

Just been planted is not all. The grain of wheat has to give up its shells, its outer husk and die.

You have to die to yourself. The outer shells of your life has be taken off. Self and flesh must be put to death so that growth can commence. Colossians 3:5-7,”Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry… You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.”

When can there be any type of metamorphosis without there first being a death and a falling away of the outer husk, which represents the sin in our lives, or our harden hearts or our attitude or nature? Romans 8:13,”For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

All I'm saying is that when you completely loose sight of yourself and sell out to God's nature, His will, His desire and His ways you no longer represent the you that your family had but, old things pass away and all things become new. Your cotyledon (SPIRIT MAN) becomes filled and charged with the WATER of LIFE and the HEAT of the holy Spirit respectively. Your entire spirit man becomes empowered for germination and growth. At this juncture, your spirit is modified - the shoot and roots grow. Romans 8:15-16,”...the spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

At that point, you have taken on the nature and mind of God and become His beloved. Now that's a beautiful death. Colossians 3:3,”For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

And that's also a beautiful ressurection and rebirth because all things have become new. That is the mystery of the born again experience, 1 Corinthians 15:44, “it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.”

That is not all.
You becomes a living epistle written and read of men because what remains is a raised spiritual body that begets others! 1 Corinthians 15:44-45, ‘it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body… So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.’

Now can you understand except the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone and unproductive. And, Christ said a life that cannot produce fruits shall be cut off and counted as useless.

If you want to be productive in God's kingdom, you must die to yourself. Only when you do that will you have the opportunity to be fruitful in His kingdom. Moreover, you have Jesus as an example. Philippians 2:6-11,”In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:...”

Though He was equal to God, but He did not count His equality something to be grasped and held onto; rather, He emptied - died to - Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. In other words, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the Father, even though by doing so I was writing His own death sentence.
In conclusion, what Jesus was saying to his audience in John 12 was that only when you die to yourself, refusing to live life autonomously but in service to me and others, will you be amply rewarded in eternity.

Are you dead to self?

Are you alive in Christ?

Who rules your spirit man, flesh or the spirit of God?

If its ruled by the Spirit of God, how far can you go for the Gospel of Christ?

How far can you go for the sake of others?

Do you want to produce fruits?

Or you want to fold your hands, watch others perish and be alone - in the state of unproductiveness?

Remember,
If you are saved you are good. But if you win a soul, you are wise!
Irrespective of that reason of yours, The only reason why you are not winning souls is because you can't preach what you don't practise!

You can't teach what you don't have!
In other words ( rather in a nutshell) it implies you are not dead!

Watch it because whatever hinders you here, will hinder you in eternity.

Mark 8:38, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord. If you are dead to flesh, you will be willing to give up your life for it. Mark 8:34-35, “...Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

Join in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

And He save you to lead others!

Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Nation Of Grace Ministries

How to Have a Successful Teenage Life

You may look at me and think, “What can a man his age know about being a teenager?” or “What can the instructors today know about being a teenager?”

Well, believe it or not, I once was your age, and, believe it or not, someday you will be as old as I am now.

Teenage life - the most exciting, challenging, dramatic and perplexing phase of our life.

Teenage is the life changing phase of our life, what we are in the future depends upon who we are in our teenage life. The decisions you make between now and then will determine the quality of life you have. Every decision you make right now is affecting your future — the attitude you have toward family, school and church; the kind of friends and the type of entertainment you choose; the role models you follow and the heroes you admire and imitate — all these have lasting results.

Teenage life is like your second birth, you drastically change both emotionally and physically - puberty; and the weirdest and scariest part is that this phase of your life fetches you with a new era of pressures:
Peer pressure, Parents pressure, Popularity pressure, weight pressure, Skin pressure and Future pressure.

They are not fleeting things without impact on the rest of your life. So you have to be prepared to face them the right way.
Everyone wants to succeed in their life, don't they? Even as a teenager, you can achieve success in your life; it really isn't that hard. Follow the steps below, and successful teenage years will follow suit!

Accept the teen life and learn.

Be glad to be a teenager. You can't turn back the hands of time. You can never be a toddler again. You are developing. Accept the teenage life and grow in/through it!

Teenagers are no different from anyone else. They have many of the same problems adults have, but they are less equipped to deal with them simply due to lack of experience. So, you have to learn or be brooded upon as mother hen do to her eggs before the good ones hatch.

Have a good relationship with yourself.

Do you spend more time with yourself than with anyone else? If you think about it, you literally never get away from yourself — so you had better like yourself.

We are not supposed to love ourselves selfishly, but we do need to love ourselves properly.

We are not to spend our time comparing ourselves with others and competing with them because we will never get to know ourselves.

Never compare yourself to those images of models, actors, actresses, musicians, on magazines, posters or TV. They are falsified images - after series of photo-shop effects and make-up by professionals. What you see is not the true person.

You have tremendous worth and value. In fact, you are a great person to get to know. But like everyone else, you have strengths and weaknesses. I encourage you not to major on your weaknesses but to turn them over to Jesus and let Him be strong through them. His strength is made perfect through our weakness.

Learn to get along with yourself. If you don't, you will always have difficulty getting along with others.

When you meet someone who seems to hate everyone and everything, you can be sure that person's self-image is rooted in self-hatred.

We always assume that we have something wrong with us if someone rejects us, but that may not be true — the other person could be the one with the problem.

Sincerely, rejection from peers and adults will come. That shouldn't cause you to hate yourself. We have different ideas, different hair and clothing styles, taste, etc. With all of your heart accept yourself. Don't forget, you are accepted by God and blessed with God-ordained destiny.

Ovecome your past.

This stage you are in right now is a gift from God. So overcome your the past. Are there things in your past that threaten your future, things of which you are ashamed? Have you made mistakes? Have you failed at something in your primary school days? Are there subjects you hate or found difficult in the past?

This is a new stage to change all that.

Being stuck in the past, whether it is the past from ten years ago or the past from yesterday, is just like being stuck in the mud. You may put out all kinds of effort and yet go nowhere. Why? Because God does not want you to drag your past into your future. He knows your past will poison it.

Your past is called the past because it has passed. There is only one thing you can do with your past — forget it! God has forgotten it, and so can you.

Do well in school and Manage your studies

No matter how boring it is now, education will help you be a productive member in society. Strive for excellence in school; try your best, listen to the teachers, do your homework, study, and get good grades. Doing so will help you get into a better college/university, which will enable you to get a great job in the future. School sets you up on the right track!

So, Manage your studies. Your studies is all that matters in the end. Nobody in your school will care to ask you how many friends you had when you were in school or your skin texture. They will just ask you your marks or grades. If you are dreaming of having a good college degree then focus on your studies rather than your popularity.

Figure out your goals in life and work toward them.

Start thinking about careers you would like to be in, but make a good choice based on your interests and strengths. This could be your job for the rest of your life! You could also work towards non-career-related goals, such as creating your own fundraiser, getting good grades in school, joining a team sport, etc. Challenge yourself and you'll be surprised what you can accomplish!

Don't get into any trouble, legal or otherwise.

It could ruin your future plans. Avoid the peer pressure and ditch the cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. Abide the law and avoid ending up in the back of a police car. If you're being pressured into anything, walk away. If you can avoid these things during your teen years, they're a lot easier to avoid once you're out of high school and away from peer pressure.

Avoid places and situations that make you uncomfortable. By avoiding situations that might tempt you, you can avoid peer pressure altogether. For example, be weary of going to a party without adult supervision or meeting up with people you know do drugs, immoralities, etc.

Be nice to your parents and teachers.

Many foolishly crave for independence and privacy thinking they are adult already. This results to clashes - in school and at home.

You may complain: I get told to act more mature but I still tend to get treated like a kid. No privacy and independence?

Alot of the mollycoddling is necessary. Don’t get offended, accept and appreciate it. So many children out there have no one to protect them. Be happy to have them. Remember, they're there to help you be the best that you can be. Respect them and value their opinions, even if they annoy you sometimes. Keep in mind that they do the things they do because they care about you and want you to succeed in life. You don't get to choose your teachers or your family, but you still have to put up with them. Learn how to deal with people now, because when you're an adult, you don't get to choose your boss or your co-workers, so learn how to respect them now.

Have good friends to help you out!

Friends are there to support you and lift your spirits. Be with people who make you happy, and ditch the ones who don't. Create a group of supportive, loving friends that can help you succeed in life and live your dreams. Find a few really good friends that will stick with you once you leave high school.

Ask yourself if the people you are around are saying anything worth listening to or are doing anything worth your involvement. If not, make some changes in your lifestyle.

Do what you love.

Adopt a hobby; reading, writing, sewing, singing, dancing, playing a sport, making pottery, etc. It will pass time and help you develop your personality. Experiment and discover new things; you might be surprised to find that you really like them!

Get active! Join a sports team at school or out of school.

Believe in God!

Christ lives in you! He commands your destiny. He is your comforter. He is your Father. Remember, He made you, so He knows you better. If you believe in Him, if you stand on his power, no schemes of men or power of hell can hurt you.

Let analyse this:

1peter 1:24-25,For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

If the word of God is in you, you live forever and fulfil destiny!
If God is by your side you will find life easy.

Live life to the fullest!

You're only young for a short time, and before you know it you'll be an adult that will be lying around saying, "I wish I had done this when I was younger."
Be daring, go out into the world and live life! Life is short, so enjoy it while you can.

EndNote:
… you have a God-given right to enjoy your life and to become all that you can possibly be in Christ.
So enjoy the growth process!

Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world… Ephesians 1:4.

Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
LiveOutLoud
Nation Of Grace Ministries

August Message For You

Ezekiel 47:12
"By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

August is an awesomely powerful time each year as God's power blazes us into a fiery new phase. After, His works has been perfected, what follows is the materialization o manifestation of the new phase - which will happen in August.

Isaiah 43:19, "Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands."MSG

In this fiery new phase,
Build the future,
Learn from the past and forget it!
(Isaiah 43:18 "Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history"MSG)

God's delight, what kind of future do you want to see for humanity, yourself and family?
God honoured His children - He is a promise keeper!
So, don’t worry about the how or when, focus on it!
The how and when as it applies to you will surface in your heart and mind and inspire you into creation.
"Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have.
And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds." - Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

In with the new. It’s in you.
Live it, breathe it into your world.

Jeremiah 1:10,"see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms,... to build, and to plant."KJV

So, plant it!
Be it.
Renew your focus on what you want to create.
Start within.
We have more support for this than it seems.
God is about to surprise you!
So,
Ignite YOUR Soul in August with His words and essence daily.
Spend some time each morning to focus on your desires for the future, yours and humanity’s future.
This is your time, special one.
Be present and gift the future with your Love.

These are the times you've been preparing for.
These are the times you've been made for.
These are your times
Powerful times, indeed.

Awesome August to you!
Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Nation Of Grace Ministries
LiveOutLoud

Life truth!

In life,
some may walk,
others may run,
but remember the Lord gave the tortoise and the horse the same days to reach Noah's ark.

Your journey might be rough and tough but you will definitely get to your destination.

Jacob looked at Joseph and saw a good son!
The ten brothers looked at Joseph and saw a useless dreamer!
The travellers looked at Joseph and saw a slave!!
Potiphar looked at Joseph and saw a fine servant!!
Potiphar's wife looked at Joseph and saw a potential boyfriend!
The prison officers saw in Joseph a prisoner!
How wrong were all of them! God looked at Joseph and saw a Prime Minister of Egypt in waiting!!
Don't be discouraged by what people see in you!!
Be encouraged by what God sees in you!!
Never underrate the person next to you because you never know what the Lord has deposited in that person.
Your maid may be a Chief Executive Officer in waiting for a company which shall employ your child.
Your garden-boy may be a president in waiting.
Remember David got the anointing of becoming a King while he was a simple youth herding sheep.
Esther was a simple orphaned girl yet she was a Queen in waiting.

IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW PEOPLE SEE YOU.
IT MATTERS HOW GOD SEES YOU!

God is God:
🏽He doesn't care about *age*, no wonder he blessed Abraham.
🏽He doesn't care about *experience*, no wonder he chose David.
🏽He doesn't care about *gender*, no wonder he lifted Esther.
🏽He doesn't care about *your past*, no wonder he called Paul.
🏽He doesn't care about *your physical appearance*, no wonder he chose Zacchaeus (the shortest one).
🏽He doesn't care about *fluency in speech*, no wonder he chose Moses.
🏽He doesn't care about *your career*, no wonder he choose Mary Magdalene; a prostitute.
🏽He doesn't care about *your past*, no wonder He chose Rahab and Ruth as ancestral mothers of Jesus - a prostitute and stranger.

All I know is that my God never changes
🏽He never made *a promise he wouldn't keep*👌🏾
He never saw *a person he wouldn't help*👌🏾
🏽He never heard *a prayer he wouldn't answer*👌🏾
🖼He never found *a soul he wouldn't love*👌🏾
🏽He never found *a sinner he wouldn't forgive*👌🏾
This is the kind of God I would like to commune with every day the moment I wake up. I strongly recommend Him to you.

Our inner spiirtuality

Our beliefs tend often to be hereditary;
Our beliefs are often determined by family, friends, society, etc - our upbringing.

I admonish all to follow their inner path...which Christ has created and made nonreligious, which only "few" have walked - forget the crowd you see in the religion setting today.

You know,
Often,
Its easier to get the buzz caused by the masses rather than following our inner spirituality.

Religion is like cooking - learn to cook or be forced to live on franchised fast food or live on well sold junk food.
You know junk foods are not good for our health - the spiritual health!

What/How is your relationship with God?
That is all that matter, planet-mates!

Good Morning, earth-mate!
Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Nation Of Grace Ministries
LiveOutLoud!

Look beyond what you see

Look beyond what you see, because our eyes are shortsighted, we can't see beyond our nose. Look beyond what you see, because beneath what you see lies the treasures of the earth. Look beyond the rose buds, because after which comes the Rose. Look beyond the muster seed because out of that tiny seed is a gigantic tree. Look beyond what others see - for their paths ain't yours , their sights ain't yours too and they ain't God! Remember, "Not everybody want to be a somebody!" Look beyond the sight of men, for what God sees concerning you is beyond any human conclusion. Look beyond the knowledge of men, for ye are gods! Look beyond the flesh of a man, the enemy is not him but the spirit in him that we wrestle against. They are your source of income! Look beyond the colour of any man - by so doing, you accept the wonderful and diversification of God's work and see them, black or white as a channel of blessings to you! Look beyond the eyes of humans...for through these one can see the very heart of men and know their desire and needs which are your business clues. Look beyond the locality of any place - for beneath the dungs and debris lies your gold and silver. Listen beyond what you hear, because beneath the lyrics, tones, beats and rhythm and suchlike lies the inspirations. Read beyond what you read, for beneath the letters lies TRUTH and power!

Look, Listen, Read, beyond what you see, hear and read - for beyond them lies the: intuition for that invention, answer to your questions, solutions to your problems, ideas for that business, innovations and transformation for growth, progress and longevity. Look beyond what you see - for beyond what you see lies the ideas and your first ten(10) billion dollars.

Two men visited India sometime ago. They saw that the people there don't wear shoes - they walk on bare foot. Maybe, they are fond of doing so. The two men returned to USA with different view. One went about telling people of the strange people he saw that don't wear shoes. "Do you know what I saw in Asia?...People without shoes..." The other didn't just see people without shoes but shoe-making business. He thought and started making easy-to-wear sandals that will be suit their taste. And, that was it - His business empire worth billions of dollars.

You don't know why others are going ahead of you. Do you know why? They looked beyond what you saw! Well, You may have the eyes of a man, see the world with with eyes of God, You may have the mind of man, but think with the mind of God. You may have the brain of a man, but reasoning like God! And live as your Father on earth! Now, look around you again...look around your vicinity again....look at the people around your environment again...tell me what you see? Do it over and over again, if you see nothing! Well well, Look, listen and read beyond what you see, hear and read! And, Hit your limelight! To Live Life Loud and to the fullness. Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo Nation Of Grace Ministries LiveOutLoud

Look, listen and read beyond what you see, hear and read!

Look beyond what you see.

Look beyond what you see, because our eyes are shortsighted, we can't see beyond our nose.

Look beyond what you see, because beneath what you see lies the treasures of the earth.

Look beyond the rose buds, because after which comes the Rose.

Look beyond the muster seed because out of that tiny seed is a gigantic tree.

Look beyond what others see -
for their paths ain't yours ,
their sights ain't yours too and
they ain't God!
Remember, "Not everybody want to be a somebody!"

Look beyond the sight of men, for what God sees concerning you is beyond any human conclusion.

Look beyond the knowledge of men, for ye are gods!

Look beyond the flesh of a man, the enemy is not him but the spirit in him that we wrestle against. They are your source of income!

Look beyond the colour of any man - by so doing, you accept the wonderful and diversification of God's work and see them, black or white as a channel of blessings to you!

Look beyond the eyes of humans...for through these one can see the very heart of men and know their desire and needs which are your business clues.

Look beyond the locality of any place - for beneath the dungs and debris lies your gold and silver.

Listen beyond what you hear, because beneath the lyrics, tones, beats and rhythm and suchlike lies the inspirations.

Read beyond what you read, for beneath the letters lies TRUTH and power!

Look,
Listen,
Read,
         beyond what you
see,
hear and
read -
         for beyond them lies the:
intuition for that invention,
answer to your questions,
solutions to your problems,
ideas for that business,
innovations and transformation for growth, progress and longevity.

Look beyond what you see - for beyond what you see lies the ideas and your first ten(10) billion dollars.

Two men visited India sometime ago.
They saw that the people there don't wear shoes - they walk on bare foot. Maybe, they are fond of doing so.
The two men returned to USA with different view.

One went about telling people of the strange people he saw that don't wear shoes. "Do you know what I saw in Asia?...People without shoes..."

The other didn't just see people without shoes but shoe-making business. He thought and started making easy-to-wear sandals that will be suit their taste. And, that was it - His business empire worth billions of dollars.

You don't know why others are going ahead of you.
Do you know why?

They looked beyond what you saw!

Well,
You may have the eyes of a man, see the world with with eyes of God,
You may have the mind of man, but think with the mind of God.
You may have the brain of a man, but reasoning like God!
And live as your Father on earth!

Now, look around you again...look around your vicinity again....look at the people around your environment again...tell me what you see?
Do it over and over again, if you see nothing!

Well well,
Look, listen and read beyond what you see, hear and read!
And,
Hit your limelight!
To
Live Life Loud and to the fullness.

Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Nation Of Grace Ministries
LiveOutLoud

WHY TODAY MATTERS?

Today is not just any ordinary day.

Today is a day that matters.
Today you will have the choice to make a difference in your life and those around you.

Today you will have the choice to smile rather than frown, be grateful rather than selfish, lift up rather than put down, accept rather than reject and love rather than hate.

Today you will have the choice of seeking hope for the future or remain in the hopelessness of the past.

Today you have the choice to laugh or cry. Both will make you feel better.
Today you will have the undivided attention of the King of the Universe.
At that time you can ask Him anything you want.
You can ask for help, plead for a friend or just enjoy His presence.
It all depends on you.

Whichever you choose, today matters.

Make the choice to make it a day worth living.

And don't forget, tomorrow is another day.
Copyright © 2015 Tom Krause

Good Morning, God's Delight!
Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Nation Of Grace Ministries (NOGM)

Is spirituality, religiosity, and piety for Sundays only?

If Christians who put on ambassadorial qualities, religiosity, piety, thankfulness, prayerfulness - in short, spirituality - on Sundays, can expressed these continuously on other days of the week they would have nothing to worry about.  Gods will richly dwell in their lives. The world will feel their presences and God's light through them.

It sadden me, when religiosity and piety have been kept for Sundays only. All prayers, Thanksgivings, almsgiving, offerings, "christlikedness" and others are done on Sundays. To bad, the other days of the week are nothing to write home about, judging with their actions of Sundays. Many even look their best on that day and dressed themselves up both in spirit and physical with rags (like slaves) on other days.

In life, there is no off duty. Since the birds have decided to fly without perching, the hunter should be ready to shoot without missing.
Since the enemies and wickedness of this world have no day for "off duty" or any form of slackness, the believers should be ready to be spiritual daily.
A soldier at war should always be fit daily because they can strike and when his defence his down, you know what happen afterward!

Everyday is special!
Everyday demands true righteousness.
Everyday demands from us fitness.
Why don't you eat only on Sundays?
Just this definition of Pharisees: they repent on Sundays of sins committed from Monday to Saturday and hope to do them on Monday.
Such isn't life.
Apart from mystery of the hour of His second coming, you are letting your guard down by so doing. You are vulnerable! It would be better to say you as not a christian.
The devil is  serpent/snake.
Check this: when you step on a snake knowingly or unknowingly, it strike you back. For it, no forgiveness!
So when you are less concern about your christian life from Monday to Saturday, the devil strikes back in retaliation to your binding and casting on Sundays.

We are soldiers for crying out loud!
Christ lives in us daily.
We are called the light of the world.
We are not born to be bond.
It is not a one day affair. It is the way we should live. It is us! That kind of life is we!
The spirituality, religiosity, piety and suchlike are our nature. Christ has taken over our beings.
We are carrier of His essence!

This doesn't call for showoff like the manner of many, but true Christianity.

To be honest here, forget about God's covenant and numerous unfailing promises if you can not carry His essence into everyday of your life. Forget about them! Your Christianity - if it is an engine - won't work! Why do we eat good food daily?

Do you what: you have that breath in you every of the week because God have a purpose for you, and wants you to shine His light every day of the week.

Of what use will be an electric bulb if it can not bring forth light in your room? Anyway, God is merciful. Be warn though!

Look nice everyday!
Dress nice - both physically and spiritually everyday.
Be holy everyday!
Be Christ everyday!
For Christ lives in you!

Since a room has to swept, kept, and protected daily so that you won't be ashamed when someone pays a visit, so is our lives - the TEMPLE of God.
Spirituality, Religiosity, Piety, Thankfulness, Christlikedness and Prayerfulness should be our everyday thing not only on Sundays!

From the Holy Spirit to:
Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Nation Of Grace Ministries

why you didn't die in your sleep

Do you know why you are awake?
You sleep at night and wakes up every morning?
You sleep every night. Closed the eyes as if dead - save the heartbeat. While dead in sleep, the hearts and other organs worked without our effort and knowing.
Suddenly, our eyes open into the dawn of a new day.
And the breath of life kept us alive once again.
Why didn't the heart stops beating?
Why did the eyes open at the early hours of the day?
Why didn't the eyes remain shut?
Who told the eyes to open up? You? You planned it? Nope!
It was God!
But why?
Why you?
Why you everyday?
Many have gone like. They are dead and gone in their sleep. But why you?

You are special!
That to me is an indication that God has a plan for you here. If a device is no longer useful to us, what do we do with it? We disposed it, right?

God wakes you up every morning because He sees something in you. I rephrase: because He have something in you that must be established for all to see.

Do you know what/who you are?
You are a manuscript of a divine letter.
You are a mirror reflecting a noble face.
This universe needs you.
You are a carrier of DIVINITY and His GLORY.
Do you just remove a good bulb from the lamp-holder? You leave it there to fulfill it days gloriously.
God has to ensure you are alive daily so that that GLORY can be fulfilled.
You should rejoice because He is not done with you! No one can predict your movie.
Glory!
Look inside yourself!
You are special!

Enjoy the ride of life!

LiveOutLoud!

Good Morning,
Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Live Out Loud

We are accountable for every actions

It is bad enough that people in the world do not want to be held accountable for their behaviour. They want to do all but want to avoid the reactions of the "all". Can one eat his cake and it? It's really bad!

It is more catastrophic when Christians have the attitude that they are not accountable for their behaviour and, to anyone. Christians should take care not to use their liberty to the hurt of others, or to their own reproach and fall.

'You say, "I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is good for you. You say, "I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is beneficial.' - 1Corinthians 10:23 NLT

We can not do whatever we please.
Many people want to do everything and run under a false perception of grace they build for themselves.

It is wrong and immoral to seek to escape the consequences of one's acts. - Mahatma Gandhi

This practice of many has produced immaturity and a somewhat silly attitude toward life on the part of numerous Christians.
Also, one of the truly destructive results of the unscriptural "state of grace" concept is that once we make a profession of faith in Christ we no longer are responsible or answerable for our behaviour. That isn't Grace! Grace speaks of responsibility and accountability.

But doesn't the fact that we have placed our trust in the blood atonement mean that God does not see our behaviour, and that we can speak careless words and it does not matter?—we will not be held accountable for them?
Or, since God has a glorious destiny for everyone and His thought toward us are of good not of evil, we can do anything with our lives? - we have be predestined by Him already?

Do you really believe those?
Do you truly believe that Christians can sin and it doesn't matter, but the unsaved will be held accountable for every idle word?
Do you believe Christians can do all things since the Grace is available?
Do you believe we need to fold our hands and do nothing since there is "destiny" and fate?

It is no wonder many Christians behave in a foolish, irresponsible manner, as though God is a genie. They have been taught they are not accountable for their behaviour. But, remember not all things are beneficial to Christians.

Funny how people do whatever they please and then get upset when they feel the consequences of their actions.

Accountability is one of the principal ideas of the Bible. We are going to be held accountable for our behaviour, at one time or another. We are going to answer to God for the things we have said and done.
But doesn't the fact that we have placed our trust in the blood atonement mean that God does not see our behavior, and that we can speak careless words and it does not matter?—we will not be held accountable for them?

Every believer though are not saved by works but, will be rewarded according to what we did for Jesus Christ while on the earth.

"...ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building...Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.  If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" - 1 Corinthians 3:9,12-15,6.

The following three questions have to be answered when we seek to understand accountability:

To whom or to what are we answerable and responsible?

Who decides what is right or wrong?

What are the consequences of being right or of being wrong?

The answers to the above three questions are the most important issues of each person's life. Here are the answers:

We are answerable and responsible to the Lord Jesus Christ, for the Father has given all authority of judgment to Him.

God alone decides what is right or wrong.

The consequences of being wrong can be chastening, severe or not as severe, or banishment from God's Presence in a place of torment.

Make no mistake: doing what is right will pay off in the end, just as doing what is wrong will yield an appropriate recompense. - Anonymous

To be accountable is to be answerable and responsible for our words and actions.

Some people create their own storms, then get upset when it rains. They create trouble, then complain when bad things happen.

So,
Always remember, your destiny lies in your hands.
Your thoughts and actions determine what you get.
The destination of your soul is determine by your actions here on earth.

Conclusively,
Never do anything that you can’t admit doing,
because if you are that ashamed of whatever it is,
it is probably wrong

Live Out Loud!

Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Nation Of Grace Ministries

Message to Parents (part 1)

The moment a child staggers into life his/her reception is very important.
The way and manner he or she will be handled as a child will determine his or her future.
All these go a long way to dent or polish his/her destiny.

Imagine Jesus, the Christ had a wrong or bad reception at birth. What if Joseph had refused to father the child? It would have been a different story today. Perhaps, an inglorious one! I trust God, He would have created another way!

The questions we need to ask for every child (and our own biological children) are:

What should be his/her reception?
What treatment should he/she be given?
What kind of dedication should be done?
On what altar?
And to whom should it be done?
Who should be his/her handlers?
What parental care should be given?
Who should be his/her instructors or pedagogues and mentors?
What foundation must be layed during his/her tender period?
How/What should he/she be taught to handle him/herself?

Let's take a lesson from the early life of Jesus Christ.

What kind of dedication should be done? On what altar? And, to whom should it be done?

Luke 2:21-24, "And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."

What surprised me here is the action of Joseph and Mary. Though they knew Jesus was born of the Spirit, they still have to follow the due process. They strictly adhere to the law.
Many parent today would not have done that. After, those revelations and receptions. They would not go to the temple let alone offering sacrifices.
Some would never go for purification. But, Mary the mother of Jesus did.
Many parents today care less. When they have not given birth to a greater Jesus.
Many "ceremonized" the whole event which have made it to lose it's essence in some lives today.

What altar are you dedicating your children on? And to whom?
A lot of people possesses altars which contradict God's principle. Some have altars of sex, idols, iconic idols, celebrity, sports, alcoholism, materialism, etc.

If Baby Jesus had to be redeemed and dedicated, dedication and purification is very important. If you think otherwise, explain why Jesus had to be baptised by John and fasted 40days in the wilderness? To fulfill all righteousness? If baptism is important, true dedication to God almighty is important too.

Who should be his/her handlers?

Luke 2:25-34, "And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon;...and the Holy Ghost was upon him. Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God,...And Simeon blessed them,..."
Luke 2:36-38,"And there was one Anna, a prophetess,...which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord,..."
2 Samuel 4:4,"And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son...He was five years old...and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth."

The handlers of a child is also very important.
Parents need to be extra prayerful and careful mostly the first 40days of the child or during the period when the top spot of the child's head is still soft and forming.
The way they handled and what they say to the child is a strong factor. But, thank God parents have the power too to decree prayerfully on their children. Well, I only fear for those that don't.

Careless on the part of so many parents has resulted to crash and fail of destinies of their offsprings.
Many parent like Mary and Joseph have lost their adolescent Jesus. Tell, how would a parent not know that a twelve years old boy was not traveling with them? Why did it have to take 1 day before they realise? Luke 2:42-52. To God be the glory he was found in the temple after three days of search.
Many parents are still looking for their adolescent Jesus even after 20years. Many have lost their parental ground in the heart of those little ones.
They see you as the arms of God, but when that sight is lost they seek solace in other gods!

Your children shall not go missing in Jesus name!
The missing I am taking about here also is losing the parentage hold in their lives.
Your children shall not slip out of your care in Jesus name! No even shall snatch them!

A lot of adults today had it the wrong way, but thank God for His redemption and restoration.
Today, we have the chance to make it smooth for these little ones and those yet to be born.
The reception, handling and treatment given to each unborn and born babies have a deep influence on the destiny.
No one can fulfill destiny without being born.
The children of the great, the brave, the feeble, the weak, the rich, the poor all experience the commonality of birth. But, they are never equal.
The differences or inequality we see among children later in their life are as a result of the different manners they were been handled after birth.

To Be Continue!

Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Nation Of Grace Ministries

The mind and the thoughts

*THE MIND AND YOUR THOUGHTS*

*The mind is a well of abundance, a well of success.

*Battles are won or lost in the realm of thoughts before they are acted in the physical arena.

*The mind is the center for the storage of knowledge, where understanding and wisdom find their residence.

*A man without a mind has no worth.

*The largest room in the world is the room for self-improvement.

*The degree of your thinking determines the quality of your lifestyle - Prov. 23:7

*You are essentially your thoughts.

*The entrance to the house of wisdom begins through thinking.

*If you refuse to think you fail to find a way out.

*You must think differently in order to succeed differently.

*The future you cannot think through is future you cannot see.

*Until your mind is changed your circumstances never change.

*Human mind is the most intricate.
FEED YOUR MIND THE RIGHT INFORMATION...
FEED IT WITH THE *WORD*

*The mind must be developed. Knowledge is to the mind what light is to the eyes

*Counsel is vital to the mind - Prov. 11 :14

#AbigailPromiseOse-ken...
#NationOfGraceMinistries

The true story behind CRISTIANO RONALDO's UEFA Top-Scorer Glory

In the race of top scorers in 2016/2017 UEFA Champions League before the quarter final games Cristiano Ronaldo had only 2 goals while Lionel Messi had already score 11 goals.
All thought it was over. Many believed Messi has won the prize. 2 goals against 11 goals. How can any player meet that.

Well, let me hit the nail here.
Leading a race does not mean you will win it.
That's a Zambian proverb.

Cristiano Ronaldo's comeback truly reflects this proverb.
The current world footballer of the year, is couple of matches made up.
5 goals in quarterfinal games against Bayern Munich, 3 goals in semi-final games against Atletico Madrid and 2 goals in the final game againt Juventus.
These made him the top scorer of the 2016/2017 UEFA Champions League.
Such is life.

ITS NOT OVER UNTIL IS OVER

It is not over until it is over.
In the race of life you don't rejoice prematurely, you don't underestimate anybody, and you don't pass final judgement on people.

The fact that you are ahead of someone doesn't mean you are better than them.

Being ahead does not mean you have reached your destination.

The fact that you're leading doesn't mean others are losing.

The fact that you're winning doesn't mean others can't beat you.

Or the fact that you're leading doesn't mean you'll win.

Life can change instantly. You can always have more or less than what you have if you still living on earth.

In Tanzania, it is said: "KUTANGULIA SIO KUFIKA"

All that matters is discipline in your run, before the race is over don't count yourself a winner, if you don't maintain your discipline you are as good as a laughing stone.

Be sober!

A great start doesn't' always mean a great finish.

Live Out Loud!!!

Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Nation Of Grace Ministries

Juggle Balls - balancing in your life

Juggle Balls

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?

Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us each together.

Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.

Don’t forget that a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

By Coca Cola CEO Brian Dyson

How well are you growing in faith!

Galatians 4:1 "Let me show you the implications of this. As long as the heir is a minor, he has no advantage over the slave. Though legally he owns the entire inheritance," MSG

KJV says, "Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;"

The cases of many Christians are not related to devil. Devil was not there when God was making covenant with you and your family. The devil is just a spectator and an accuser. He can do nothing! I am not here to discuss him anyway.

The problems of many Christians is rooted in the passage above. As long as the heir of a powerful man  is a minor (child) he has no advantage over the slave (the rulers of darkness and nature itself). What can a heir (who chosen not to grow) do?
Most Christians are not growing. They have left growth to pastors, Prophets, Bishops etc. Is it only clergies that want to go to heaven?
They even desire to be spoon-feed. And, they desire liquid food!

Come on!
How can they have a say in the conduct of their lives? A child don't have any say. For instance, what do a child of 5years know in respect to his inheritance if parents are no more? Whatever he was told by the servants is what he or she will believe. He can be told that he is the son of a servant and he will believe.

So, whatever most Christians are told by the devil and the world, they believe like that baby heir. They know not so, they die like mere men - Psalms 82. That is why prophets and other clergy manipulate them and make merchandize of them.

Galatians 4:3,"That is the way it is with us: When we were minors, we were just like slaves ordered around by simple instructions (the tutors and administrators of this world), with no say in the conduct of our own lives." MSG

That is baby Christians for you!

Spiritual growth is a continuous process. There is no limit!

The more you of Him you have in you, the more your growth.

Our growth is directly proportional to our relationship with God.
Our growth is directly proportional to how much we have Him in us (if it can be quantify).
How well do you "know" God?
What kind of relationship do you have with God? Is it casual, official, infatuated, crushed, seasonal, give-me-but-keep-your-words, give-me-goodies-only, I-speak-you-listen, (you can add others).

How can you claim to be a good friend when you don't want to listen to that your friend?
Friends know each other!

Grow up!
Baby Christians are casualties in the war.
Can they defend themselves?

Eat more of God's word. Know more of Him through His word in the bible.

Your growth is important - just as your repentance. It is part of the salvation process! Can a baby survive on it own in this world.
As a heir, try to know your father and grow up!
Your inheritance is great! Ye are gods! Read the bible passage again.

Galatians 4:1-11,"Let me show you the implications of this. As long as the heir is a minor, he has no advantage over the slave. Though legally he owns the entire inheritance,
he is subject to tutors and administrators until whatever date the father has set for emancipation.
That is the way it is with us: When we were minors, we were just like slaves ordered around by simple instructions (the tutors and administrators of this world), with no say in the conduct of our own lives.
But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law.
You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, "Papa! Father!"
Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you're also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.
Earlier, before you knew God personally, you were enslaved to so-called gods that had nothing of the divine about them.
But now that you know the real God - or rather since God knows you - how can you possibly subject yourselves again to those paper tigers?
For that is exactly what you do when you are intimidated into scrupulously observing all the traditions, taboos, and superstitions associated with special days and seasons and years.
I am afraid that all my hard work among you has gone up in a puff of smoke!"

Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Live Out Loud
NOGM

The Creative Power of Confession

Do you know you have the power to create whatever circumstances you want in your life? We can call into being that which we desire! Your PROFESSION is your POSSESSION?

"Words are the most powerful thing in the universe... Words are containers. They contain faith, or fear, and they produce after their kind." - Charles Capps

What God did in Genesis when He said  "Light be!" and, light came into being! is a proof of this power of confession. Before He confessed it, light "was not yet", but once He said it, light sprang into being. "Well, yes," you might say, "but, that was God!" True!
But we have been such authority too. God want us to express that too on earth as gods, (Psalms 82). He want us to "call those things that be not as though they are?" (Romans 4:17). That's God's way of operation. And anyone who is not ready to flow with this tide can not please God - "for without faith no one can please God". Moses will tell you better! God said "speak to the rock,...", "not strike the rock" Numbers 20:7-12.

You are made in God’s image, you can also call those things that are not as though they are! Nature and force in this planet are conditioned to favour you! They have no choice!

"Your words are building blocks of which you construct your life and future". - Charles Capps

Study all the miracles Jesus and the apostles did in the bible. He called forth what He wanted. He taught the disciples same operation. He taught them not to see the way things are in the natural. But to see them the way God meant it to be and called them forth into being.

Let no one deceive you, you are the creator of the circumstances surround your life. Its funny how men blame it on Satan on the time. Anyway, most people  like giving excuses. Satan is Satan to everybody even to Jesus and the apostles, so that is not an excuse.

Many failed because "seen things" - the circumstances they face, the natural things, protocols  - have become so real to some people that they have forgotten about the unseen. So out of defeat, they have to postulate doctrines that expound accepting fate as destiny.
We live in a world of the natural. That's true! We rub shoulders with the physical day after day but the unseen realm shouldn't be unreal to you. Impossibility shouldn't be in your dictionary. Though you may almost be tempted to believe that fate controls the wheel. Fate, luck and suchlike doesn't exist!
Many want God who has provided the food to cook the dinner. Haba! It's illegal for God to do that, because legally, He has handed over to us the authority. He delivered the authority of this earth to man and has never taken it back.

"Man has been an earthly expression of God Himself" - Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo

The authority over all things and to create things is still in the hands of man. At first, Adam turned it over to Satan, but Jesus took it from the devil and gave it back to the believer ("whosoever believeth...") before He ascended to heaven. He said, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore... (Matt. 28:18,19).

So, with this understanding, you believe now that you are an earthly expression of Divinity - God Himself. He lives through you. Then why ignoring the power to command into existence because of unbelief?
How do you speak and claim when there are no treasures in your heart?
Whatever you want to come out of your mouth, you should deposit in your heart! Psalms 119:11 and Joshua 1:8; You should meditate on God's Word! Then, what you have stored in your heart will come out of your mouth... and that word, God's Word, will have the power within itself to cause itself to come to pass!

"The image that the Word creates in you is already a reality in the spirit realm. When you speak God's Word from your heart, then faith gives substance to the promises of God." - Charles Capps

You should use words carefully, as you would power tools! You don't haphazardly use a power tool, or you could get seriously hurt! In the same way, you shouldn't misuse, or take for granted, the power of your words!

So change the way you talk.
See the way God meant it to be, and start calling  them forth. 

You bother yourself too much - "how is this and that going to workout?"

You are gods!

Speak what you want to see happening in your life. 

There is power in your tongue. 

There is power in words spoken because they are keys to unlock the supernatural.

Live out loud!

Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Live Out Loud!

Wonderful lesson about the magic of faith in Almighty God!

The Smell of Rain

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the Doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still groggy from surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10,1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24 weeks pregnant, to Danae Lu Blessing.

At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor’s soft words dropped like bombs.
"I don’t think she’s going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could. “There’s only a 10 percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one.”
Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Danae would likely face if she survived. She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.
“No! No!” was all Diana could say.
She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away.

Through the dark hours of morning as Danae held onto life by the thinnest thread, Diana slipped in and out of sleep, growing more and more determined that their tiny daughter would live, and live to be a healthy, happy young girl. But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire details of their daughter’s chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much less healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable. David walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral arrangements.
Diana remembers, ‘I felt so bad for him because he was doing everything, trying to include me in what was going on, but I just wouldn’t listen, I couldn’t listen.'
I said, “No, that is not going to happen, no way! I don’t care what the doctors say; Danae is not going to die! One day she will be just fine, and she will be coming home with us!”

As if willed to live by Diana’s determination, Danae clung to life hour after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her miniature body could endure. But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Danae’s under-developed nervous system was essentially raw, the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn’t even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Danae struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl. There was never a moment when Danae suddenly grew stronger.

But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there. At last, when Danae turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later-though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero. Danae went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Today, five years later, Danae is a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She shows no signs, what so ever, of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she is everything a little girl can be and more-but that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Danae was sitting in her mother’s lap in the bleachers of a local ballpark where her brother Dustin’s baseball team was practicing. As always, Danae was chattering non-stop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent.
Hugging her arms across her chest, Danae asked, “Do you smell that?”
Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, “Yes, it smells like rain.”
Danae closed her eyes and again asked, “Do you smell that?”
Once again, her mother replied, “Yes, I think we’re about to get wet, it smells like rain."
Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced,

“No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest.”

Tears blurred Diana’s eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play with the other children.

Before the rains came, her daughter’s words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Danae on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

This is a real story.

God is great.
I have heard and learnt that for every single step we take towards Him, He moves a ten steps closer to us.

God is with us all.
We cannot see Him. But we can definitely feel His presence in every good things around us.
He is everywhere.
He is everything.
And He is there every time.
Nothing happens without his awareness.

Everything bears His stamp.

This story instills this belief in its readers.
Be good.
Do good.
Have faith in God Almighty.

You can only live out loud with God.
With GOD by your side NOTHING is impossible!

Love and believe in GOD is all that count till the last breath of our life so, never loose your faith in GOD.
GOD is the only one who can turn impossible into I am possible…..

Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
LiveOutLoud!

Let go of your Stresses!

"Even as fire finds peace in its resting place without fuel, when thoughts become silence the soul finds peace in its own source. When the mind is silent, then it can enter into a world which is far beyond the mind. This is wisdom, and this is liberation." - The Upanishads

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: ”How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”

If you tend to get stressed out frequently - as many of us do in today’s demanding world - your body may be in a heightened state of stress most of the time. And that can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can suppress your immune system, upset your digestive and reproductive systems, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and speed up the aging process. It can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.

Problems caused or exacerbated by stress are numerous. So let it go before it kill you from within!

"If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person." - Seneca

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. It’s so simple! But yet many may think it's difficult to implement.

A strong network of supportive friends and family members is an enormous buffer against stress.  Its said that the simple act of talking face-to-face with another human can trigger hormones that relieve stress when you're feeling uncomfortable, unsure, or unsafe. So stay connected to others. The more lonely and isolated you are, the greater your risk of succumbing to stress. When you have people you know you can count on, life’s pressures don’t seem as overwhelming.
A brief exchange of kind words or a friendly look from another human being can help calm and soothe your nervous system. So spend time with people who make you feel good and don’t let your responsibilities keep you from having a social life.

If you have confidence in yourself and your ability to influence events and persevere through challenges, it’s easier to take stress in stride. Do not believe that you have little control over your life. Don't think that you’re at the mercy of your environment and circumstances, with limited ability to make changes. If you believe that you are the master of your life and everything is determine by you, stress is less likely to paralyze you and knock you off course.

The way you look at life and its inevitable challenges makes a huge difference in your ability to handle stress. So you have to work on your attitude and outlook. If you’re generally hopeful and optimistic, you’ll be less vulnerable.

Stress is not what happen to us. It is our response to what happens to us. And, response is something we choose.

Stress-hardy people tend to embrace challenges, have a stronger sense of humor, believe in a higher purpose, and accept change as an inevitable part of life. While others respond negatively and are drown in the effects.

How well do you deal with your emotions when they arise? Your ability to deal with your emotions matters.

Its not the LOAD that breaks you down, it's the way you carry the load.

If you don’t know how to calm and soothe yourself when you’re feeling sad, angry, or afraid, you’re highly likely to become stressed and agitated. Having the ability to identify and deal appropriately with your emotions can increase your tolerance to stress and help you bounce back from adversity.

Your knowledge and preparation - The more you know about a stressful situation—including how long it will last and what to expect—the easier it is to cope. For example, if you go into surgery with a realistic picture of what to expect post-op, a painful recovery will be less stressful than if you were expecting to bounce back immediately.

"The mind can go either direction under stress—toward positive or toward negative: on or off. Think of it as a spectrum whose extremes are unconsciousness at the negative end and hyper-consciousness at the positive end. The way the mind will lean under stress is strongly influenced by training." - Frank Herbert

Events may create physical pain, but they do not in themselves create suffering. Resistance creates suffering. Stress happens when your mind resists what is...The only problem in your life is your mind's resistance to life as it unfolds. Allow your life as it unfolds. There are lots of things we can't change ourselves; why worry over them and allow them stresses out? What's stressful for you? Why is it stressful? Are you looking at the other side?

How often do you rest?  Do you relax at all? Get your rest and become more productive and emotionally balanced. Feeling tired can increase stress by causing you to think irrationally.
Even God rested! If God could rest, how much more we humans that are vulnerable? We that are mortals!
Learn how to relax. Learn to rest. We are not machines. Even machines stop for a while. And remember, machines do wear and tear.
You can’t completely eliminate stress from your life, but you can control how much it affects you. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body’s relaxation response, as proven by experts. Being in the state of restfulness will positively influence all aspect of your life.
Regular rest and relaxation will lead to a reduction in your everyday stress levels and a boost in your feelings of joy and serenity. Also, it will increase your ability to stay calm and collected under pressure. And this is one of the quality of a goal getter and leader.

Another tool is exercise. Regular exercise can lift your mood and serve as a distraction from worries, allowing you to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed stress. Rhythmic exercises such as walking, running, swimming, and dancing are particularly effective, especially if you exercise mindfully (focusing your attention on the physical sensations you experience as you move).

Some people don't know that the food they eat can improve or worsen their mood and affect their ability to cope with life’s stressors. At all times, eat healthy diets. Eating a diet full of processed and convenience food, refined carbohydrates, and sugary snacks can worsen symptoms of stress while eating a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, high-quality protein, and healthy fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids, can help you better cope with life’s ups and downs.

"More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate." - Roy T. Bennett

Don't let the sun go down in your stress. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. If not, it will disrupt you sweet sleep and makes you inactive the next day.

Introspect n re-introspect your own life to bring that change from within.

Remember to put the glass down!

Let go of your stress!

And, Live out loud!

Apostle Julius Ikhide-Iyke Etaifo
Live Out Loud