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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Quote for the Day 31Mar2011

Watch out for the power of God to transform what appears to you as the worst today to the best you can ever imagine. - Emmanuel Arotile

Quote for the Day 30Mar2011

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. - Judy Garland

Monday, March 28, 2011

Quote for the Day 29Mar2011

If I feel depressed I will sing.
If I feel sad I will laugh.
If I feel ill I will double my labor.
If I feel fear I will plunge ahead.
If I feel inferior I will wear new garments.
If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice.
If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.
If I feel incompetent I will think of past success.
If I feel insignificant I will remember my goals.
Today I will be the master of my emotions.
- Og Mandino

Quote for the Day 28Mar2011

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough. - Oprah Winfrey

Saturday, March 26, 2011

AS NIGERIANS GO TO THE POLLS

Dearly Beloved,
AS NIGERIANS GO TO THE POLLS
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels’” (Psalm 122:6-7 NIV).
My message this week is different from the usual ones as it is a call for prayers as Nigerians go to the polls next month to elect new political leaders that will be at the helm of affairs in various positions for the next four years. If you are a Nigerian, good, if not, please join us to pray for the most populous country in Africa.
Pray that God will guide the Nigerian electorate to elect the right candidates for the various positions ranging from members of state houses of assembly, state governors, federal legislature and above all the president of the country.
Pray that each vote casted will count and that at the end of the exercise, people’s choices will emerge as the elected leaders.
Pray against any form of electoral malpractices before, during and after the elections.
Pray that the electoral umpires will conduct the elections with the fear of God without any form of partiality.
Pray for peace and security of lives and properties before, during and after the elections.
You can also add more prayer points to these as you are led.
Above all, pray for the absolute will of God to be done in the whole exercise.
“The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results” (James 5:16 TLB).
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
NB
For Nigerians who are eligible to vote, please go out to exercise your civil duty. God bless you!

Quote for the Day 26Mar2011

Knowledge that does not lead to obedience will only fill us with arrogance! - Author Unknown

Friday, March 25, 2011

Quote for the Day 25Mar2011

You are not drowned by falling in the water you are drowned by staying there. - Edwin Loius Cole

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Quote for the Day 24Mar2011

Life is complex. Each one of us must make his own path through life. There are no self-help manuals, no formulas, no easy answers. The right road for one is the wrong road for another. The journey of life is not paved in blacktop; it is not brightly lit, and it has no road signs. It is a rocky path through the wilderness. - M. Scott Peck

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Quote for the Day 23Mar2011

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals. - Henry Ford

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Quote for the Day 22Mar2011

I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition. - Martha Washington

Monday, March 21, 2011

Quote for the Day 21Mar2011

There is a treasure you can own
That is greater than a crown or throne;
This treasure is a conscience clear
That brings the sweetest peace and cheer.
- Isenhour

Saturday, March 19, 2011

WHERE IS YOUR TREASURY?

Dearly Beloved,
WHERE IS YOUR TREASURY?
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV).
The recent happenings in the world are confirming the biblical injunctions about financial and material possessions. To invest in the capital market used to be a good advice for people until the recent economic meltdown when the values of many shares in the stock market dropped drastically. Landed properties have been more valuable and dependable investment because they do not depreciate but appreciate in value. However, happenings like Hurricane Katrina in the United States, the recent tsunami in some Asia countries and the not-too-long earthquake in Japan that rendered many people homeless and destroyed many landed properties are making people to think twice now also before investing in landed properties. Many people have been greatly disappointed by turns of events. Some (if not most) people are now thinking of the best way to invest or save their resources for future purposes.
The Bible clearly teaches in many places that one should not put one’s trust in worldly possessions, but rather to be rich towards God (see Job 31:24; Psalm 39:6; 62:10; Proverbs 11:14; 16:16; 23:5; Ecclesiastes 2:26; 5:10-14; Luke 12:21; 18:24; 1 Timothy 6:8-10, 17; Hebrews 13:5; James 5:1-3; 1 John 2:15-16). The above quoted passage (Matthew 6:19-21) is succinct about what one’s attitude towards worldly possessions should be and where one should keep them. Here, Jesus Christ was making it clear that a right attitude toward wealth is a mark of true spirituality. If one has the true righteousness of Christ in one’s lives, then one will have a proper attitude toward material wealth. This does not mean that Jesus was magnifying poverty or criticizing the rightful acquisition of wealth. It is not wrong for one to possess worldly possessions, but it is wrong for these things to possess one. One should not make them one’s utmost priority nor depend on them for future security and supply in time to come. The reason is that they are liable to loss and decay as that passage puts it and as it has been proven from recent happenings. Storing up for oneself treasures in heaven means making God the utmost priority and using one’s resources for His cause and the benefits of humanity. Only resources used for God, other people and oneself in edifying and beneficial ways are saved for eternal dividends.
Where is your treasury? Where do you put your trust: in worldly possessions or God? What is your attitude towards worldly possessions? Do you see them as things that are temporal? Store up your resources in God and you will never regret you did.
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
NB
This message is dedicated to people in Japan that were displaced by the recent earthquake. If you can, send financial and material support to these people. God bless you!

Quote for the Day 19Mar2011

You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win. - Zig Ziglar

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Quote for the Day 18Mar2011

You never will be the person you can be if pressure, tension and discipline are taken out of your life. - James G. Bilkey

Quote for the Day 17Mar2011

Remember, you are given two ears, two eyes and one mouth. This means that you must hear and see twice as you speak. - Nelson Tunde Akinola

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Quote for the Day 16Mar2011

If God asks you to follow peace with your enemy, it is not because He cannot destroy the fellow; He just wants to make a helper out of him. - EA Adeboye

Monday, March 14, 2011

Quote for the Day 15Mar2011

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. - Pope John XXIII

Quote for the Day 14Mar2011

If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own. - Henry Ford

Saturday, March 12, 2011

DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE (Part 3)

Dearly Beloved,
DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE (Part 3)
“Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:31 NIV).
The first two parts of this message highlighted some of the things that Simon Peter did to do the impossible by walking on the water: he recognized the Lordship of Jesus; he took the initiative of asking to walk on water; he was ready to leave his comfort zone (that is, the comfort of the boat); he moved toward Jesus; he was tested; and he called on the Lord. This concluding part is more or less what Jesus Christ did in response to Peter’s action.
Anyone that will do the impossible will certainly experience Jesus’ faithfulness (verse 31). Peter had been doing extraordinarily well before he did the wrong thing by shifting his attention from Jesus, and he saw the repercussion. Nonetheless, he retraced his steps by calling on Jesus for help. The interesting thing here is that Jesus was ready to help Peter, and He did help him. In spite of Peter’s seeming unfaithfulness and little faith, Jesus remained faithful. Apostle Paul confirmed this: “Here is a trustworthy saying: ...if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Timothy 2:11, 13 NIV. See also Lamentations 3:22-23).
Anyone that will do the impossible will learn something from Jesus (verse 31). Take a closer look at this verse: was Jesus’ comment here a rebuke or commendation? If it was a rebuke, why did Jesus rebuke Peter and not the other disciples? However, to me, it was both a commendation and a rebuke. At least, Peter had little faith while the other disciples did not have any. One does not need a giant faith to move mountains. Hear Jesus: “I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed [a very small seed], you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20 NKJV). Jesus expects us to take that little step even if we will stumble in it. A crawling child is not afraid that he will stumble as he takes his steps. Though, he falls, he tries again. Jesus rebuked Peter not for taking steps of faith, but for doubting in the process. If you will do the impossible, do not doubt that God can do the impossible through and in you. The other disciples that were in the comfort of the boat were neither rebuked nor commended.
Lastly, anyone that will do the impossible will indeed experience that God does the impossible if he is ready to do all the highlighted things that Peter did. Peter wanted to do the impossible, he did some things, and he experienced the God that is above all the impossible in his life. Do you also want to experience this God? Then dare to do the impossible by doing like Peter. You will indeed do the impossible of walking on the trouble waters of your life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
NB
1. If you miss any part of this message or you want me to send the whole message to you, contact me at or . God bless you!
2. It is no longer news that I published a book titled "Ministering through the Internet: An Essential Guide" in 2009. People have been asking me how to get copies of the book. Visit this weblink http://ministeringthroughtheinternet.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-get-copies-of-book_31.html to get info on to get copies of the book and more info about the book. Thanks.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Quote for the Day 12Mar2011

The extent of our walk with God greatly determines the benefits of grace and influence we have wherever we find ourselves. - Emmanuel Arotile

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Quote for the Day 11Mar2011

When you think that you are weak and small compared to others in the world, that is when God can use you to do great and wonderful things for Him! - Joseph Prince

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Quote for the Day 10Mar2011

The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those that fail. - Napoleon Hill

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Quote for the Day 09Mar2011

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong, because someday in life you will have been all of these. - George Washington Carver

Monday, March 7, 2011

Quote for the Day 08Mar2011

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - Nelson Mandela

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Quote for the Day 07Mar2011

To get through the hardest journey you must muster yourself to take a step and continue stepping on even when it seems there is no hope and at last you will laugh. - Nelson Tunde Akinola

Saturday, March 5, 2011

DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE (Part 2)

Dearly Beloved,
DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE (Part 2)
“But when [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14:30 NIV).
In the first part of this message, we saw how Simon Peter was ready to do the impossible by doing three things: he recognized the Lordship of Jesus; he took the initiative of asking to walk on water; and he was ready to leave his comfort zone (that is, the comfort of the boat). He also did other things that are worthy of note for anyone who also wants to do the impossible.
The fourth thing that Peter did was that he moved toward Jesus (verse 29b). When he got down from the boat and started walking on the water, he did not move towards any other direction except the direction of Jesus. He knew that he was walking on water because of Jesus because without Jesus he could do nothing (see John 15:5b). He was not full of himself. Anyone who will do the impossible must be ready to be God-conscious and not self-centred.
The fifth thing is that anyone that will do the impossible must be ready for trials of faith (verse 30). One has to take note of something here that the writers of the Gospels were silent of: what did the other disciples say or do when Peter was getting down of the boat and started walking on the water? Did they discourage or encourage him? If they did not say or do anything as the Bible portrays it, what was the effect of their indifference to Peter? Anyway, Peter was walking on the water, but he considered the prevailing circumstance (the wind) and he started to sink. The action or inaction of the other disciples and the turbulent wind were trials of faith for him. Unfortunately, he lost focus of Jesus that he was moving toward. This made him to start to sink. A matter of fact is that in this world, anyone that will do the impossible will face many trials of faith. Such trials that may be in form of anything either good or bad are inevitable (see John 16:33; Acts 14:22; 1 Thessalonians 3:4; 2 Timothy 3:12). How do you react to them? Was it possible that Peter doubted as he was walking on the water? James said, “But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. A person like that, unable to make up his mind and undecided in all he does, must not think that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-7 TEV).
Peter did the right thing: he called on the Lord (verse 30b). He did not rely on any other thing. As a professional fisherman, he could rely on his professional experience and try to swim either back to the safety of the boat or to Jesus. He might have remembered one of the many promises of God. One of such promises is, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honour me” (Psalm 50:15 NIV. See also Psalm 91:15; Jeremiah 33:3; Matthew 7:7; James 5:13).
Are you ready to do the impossible of walking on the trouble water of your life? Then be ready to do these highlighted things. Wait for the concluding part next week.
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

NB
In addition to the blog of daily quotes and other edifying blogs in my Internet ministry, I have just recently created another blog for at least a verse from the Holy Bible every day. Here is the link to the weblog: http://bibleverseofthedaybypastorbayo.blogspot.com/. Bookmark or save it and be visiting it every day for daily edifying Bible verses. God bless you!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Quote for the Day 05Mar2011

To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there. - Kofi Annan

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Quote for the Day 04Mar2011

The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reasons for remaining ashore. - Vincent Van Gogh

In addition to the blog of daily quotes and other edifying blogs in my Internet ministry, I have just created another blog for at least a verse from the Holy Bible every day. Here is the link to the weblog: http://bibleverseofthedaybypastorbayo.blogspot.com/. Bookmark or save it and be visiting it every day for daily edifying Bible verses. God bless you!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Quote for the Day 03Mar2011

Life is learning from our mistakes as well as our successes. The only real mistake in life is the mistake not learned from. - Author Unknown

Quote for the Day 02Mar2011

When coasting in our comfort zones, we do not grow. We continue to do more of the same.... Maintaining a comfort zone can, paradoxically, lead to discomfort in the long run. If by being comfortable we avoid important life issues, internal tension accumulates.... Eventually, as both internal and external pressures for change persist, the ‘comfort zone’ ceases to serve us. - Eric Allenbaugh