G-ASHelen Orientations

As Christians, we are not allowed to live a life below greatness, even in our simplicity and normal lifestyle. All about us should hold people ransom to the kingdom of God. And that's why I have taken our time to look into the life of our "Lord Jesus Christ who lived a kind of lifestyle that the world considers to be exceptional, but which is normal to us who are of the kingdom of the Father of Light." In this series, we have been looking into those little little things that gathered together to make our Lord Jesus Christ great. Read Part 1 or Part 2 of the series. In this Part, we will yet look at another simple step that leads to Jesus Christ's greatness. Our Bible verse for this part is in the book of Philippians 2:5-11 that says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servan

As we look into the very important steps that made our Lord Jesus Christ the greatest on earth and much more in heaven, here is yet another simple step into His greatness before or after this. Our Bible verse for this step is in the book of Hebrews 12:2 that says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." This verse is one of the most memorised verses of scripture among the believers, particularly that phrase "the author and finisher of our faith". If you asked 100 believers to quote this verse offhand, hardly could you see 20 that could do so without leaving out the rest of the verse. Yet the verse holds one of the major keys into the treasure of heaven. The verse alone contains three sentences that separately express the manifestation or outcome of three steps of action in relation to completion of one

To achieve all your heart desires of any kind as a Christian you must become like Jesus Christ. Becoming like Jesus Christ is not the same thing as achieving the exact things that Jesus Christ achieved on earth, in earth and in heaven. Our aims and objectives in this earth are not the same. Aims, objectives and purposes are comparative in nature depending on individual. What you want and whatever has been assigned for you to achieve in this single life might never be found among many achievements of Jesus Christ. So you may say you don't want to raise the dead, walk on the sea, still the storms, open the blind eye, cure diseases, etc. But you just want to build houses, buy vehicle of various designs, have godly family, and of course live a peaceful and lovely and befitting life with everyone around you. And of a truth, you can live just that and be welcomed into the glorious home of the Trinity in heaven with shout of joy. Note: anything that glorifies God is a miracle.

As Christians who wants to become as great as Jesus Christ on earth and in heavens, just as our Father in heaven desires, Romans 8:29, and which shows that it is very possible to become like Him, we cannot be so by categoring mainly on His backgrounds as reason for His greatness in any sense. If it is for His backgrounds that God says we should focus and listen to Him for us to be great, then we cannot be like Him in any way, because our mothers were not virgin before and after they gave birth to us. They were probably virgins before they knew our fathers, but never after they came across our fathers - the connection that preceded our conceptions. And for that, every other thing has no value in itself as for us to become like Jesus Christ in comparison to backgrounds. Read the introduction to this series Therefore, when God instructs us to focus on Jesus Christ, He is telling us to pay attention to what Jesus did and how He did it. It is in that we have our road map to h

The earth has produced a good number of great personalities in both sexes that are now God's road maps for us to follow, if we ever desire to be great in any calling or ministry, be it religion, business, politics, corporate career, education, etc. And of course, we are not matching the brake in our pursue of great men and women through whatever available means - social media, conferences, seminars, workshops, formal and informal gathering, one-on-one meeting and mentoring. However, the expected results are truly not manifesting. So the question is: Why are we not getting the expected results? The problem is that we are more interested in success stories of these personalities and we focus on them than the stories of their failings and risings, trials and fighting, sacrifices and pains, etc. And whenever we listen to such aspects of their stories, we quickly associate their victories to something like their backgrounds, experiences, mental capacities, etc. forgetting tha

Sometimes ago, on one of my evangelical outings, a friend and I came across a group of young handsome looking guys in their workshop. From their looks one could tell that they didn't want us around, but one who seemed to be the owner of the workshop welcomed us as most people often welcome street evangelists. He made us feel comfortable within the little space of the shop. Being allowed by the head, some of the other guys stayed, while the rest just found a way to excuse themselves. We prayed together without any of the guys closed their eyes and their boss busy pressing the cell phone in his hand. After the prayer, my partner started preaching about the sin of humanity and the love of God through Jesus Christ. None of them really shown a sense of interest and their boss was just busy pressing his phone without lifting his head. Awhile later, my partner stopped and I asked me if I had something to say to which I answered yes. I opened my Bible and about to talk, when the bo

As a Christian youth, it is never a sin to pray God for money, wife or husband, cars, houses, food and every other good thing of this world as some are doing. And a good number of some are not even DIRECTLY concerned themselves with these things of the world, theirs are ministries and places in the church. As a matter of fact, the fathers of faith ask us to pray continually - not relaxing. And God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, also commands us, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession" and in another place He says, "I will satisfy you with the riches of the earth." And, indeed, our youths have not been silently praying God for these things. But, the truth of the matter is that heaven seems locked up, particularly to these prayers and this explains why many Christian youths are getting out of the church to check elsewhere for it. They think God is dead; for even those p

As Christians in this present generation, we tend to question God why He allows evil in someone else situation and good in another, especially someone we might consider 'underserved'. Such judgement is not sentimental, I will say, rather a result of our inability to understand the indepth of God's sovereignty and His declared words. What kind of things that happens in today society to the good 'ones'; 'why him or her?' And 'why not him or her?' We could argue the issue passionately and with good different points of view that could cast down any other plausible argument concerning the situation. And as such, some people's minds, and ultimately their faith could shrink back from their sincere service and worship to God and to Christ Jesus, our saviour, because of the things that happen to the good Samaritan, who deserves care and love and, even to some extents to be worshipped. But the truth of the two kinds of situation - good and bad

By Wole Soyinka for thehighereducation.com A few years ago, I had reached the stage of despair over the deterioration of the university system in my own country, Nigeria, under successive regimes of both civilian and military orders. Even the basic, campus social life had broken down, a condition that I tried to summarise in the title of a public lecture that went: “Descent of barbarism and end of the collegial”. Educational standards had plummeted so low that the word “illiteracy” had become current within – not only outside – the ivory towers, leading Unesco to classify Nigeria as one of the nine countries that together accounted for 70 per cent of the globe’s illiterate population. We do not need to be reminded that primary and secondary education form the base material for the intellectual quality of intakes into the tertiary institution. When deterioration in those two tiers is compounded by the fact that those tertiaries indulged in any excuse to foment strikes by facul

The essence of this period of your life on campus is to acquire knowledge in a directed and intentional manner about certain personalities and some concepts that are paramount to life. In addition to your discipline knowledge that would directly get you a job back in society, you must be 60% focus on acquiring those ones that will help you stay relevant in your job after you might have gotten or established one. So, your focus should be on the following: GOD There are so many things that worth-knowing about in the universe, but none has the benefits of knowing God – who by himself is the universe, with whom all things started and will end with. He is the major Actor in the play presenting on the stage called Earth, while our appearance in the play, which is never by chance, nor coincidence, but intentional, is to play a short important minor roles towards a happy ending expected of the play. Therefore, as actors and actresses, it is expected of us to have a proper knowledg

"And the Lord God said, " The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil..." Gen. 3:22 Dictionary definitions of temperament are: “a person’s nature with regard to the effect it has on their behavior,” “a person’s inherent qualities of mind and character.” Let me say temperament is a person’s nature of doing things. Nature is defined as “an inborn or hereditary characteristics as an influence on or determination of personality.” One great mistake people often make in regard to temperament is to consider it as an attitude when both are distinctly different. While attitude deals with HOW WE THINK, temperament deals with THE DEGREE OF OUR THINKING or THE EXTENT OF OUR ACTIONS. Temperament is an influencer of attitude. It is like a wave that directs the torrent of a river. Temperament is the total wiring of your inner world that keeps feeding your feelings. Tim Lahaye, the expert on temperament, explained, “The most profound human influence on yo

Talking about purposes of scholing, Professor Steven Stemler of Wesleyan University briefly discusses how the primary purposes of schooling have shifted over time. Watch this video.

By Josh Squires for desiringGod.org “Help. My heart is broken.” This is one of the most common refrains in my counseling ministry. There are many causes: love unrequited, jobs lost, dreams quashed, spouses and children taken. No matter its roots, the pain is unbearably similar for its sufferers. And the question that hangs over it all is this: “Now what?” Weep Well Grief is an act as well as a feeling. When hearts are broken, cheeks should be wet. I wish it weren’t true, but it is. There is something about weeping that is incredibly scary. It’s a vulnerable act that floods our thoughts and feelings, leaving us fatigued. Little wonder then that people avoid it like the plague, or feel that they need to make an excuse for it. But Scripture itself does not take such a negative view on mourning. God does not tell his children to “dry it up!” Rather, God stores our tears in his bottle (Psalm 56:8). In an ancient, arid land where bottles were not a dime a dozen, only precious thi