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MY PROFOUND NYSC CAMP LESSON
I have being very hesitant in posting my NYSC experience as by now you have probably gotten tired of the whole NYSC story. If you just read a little further I promise that you wouldn’t have wasted your time or your mental faculty trying to process what I have to say.
For readers who don’t know the meaning of NYSC-National Youth Service Corps. NYSC is a one year scheme, designed by the Nigerian Government, entailing a 3 weeks paramilitary training at various camps across the federation, after which you serve the community where you have been posted to. Now I am starting to sound like one of the NYSC officials 😉 .
NYSC was a whole new experience for me; of course I had to cover a whole lot of distance by various means just to get to one funny destination called Wanune, Tarka. I leave your mind to wonder about the state, but of course there is google. If by now you haven’t gotten tired of my beating around the bush, then I say congratulations my friend. I am getting to the very heart of the matter.
Have you ever been in a strange place and you have wanted to identify with another? On my first day in camp, there was a lady directly opposite me. I had seen something of hers that identified her as a member of my church, so I carefully waited for her to finish her prayers and then I greeted her and waited to chip this in “Are you a member of….church”, you should have seen the smile on my face when she said yes. This was the part I was waiting for; I immediately chipped in “That’s my church too”. She made a good friend, as I latter got to discover that she was in the same platoon with me and we attended the same fellowship in camp…I did meet another person and she was also from my church too and we made such good friends too. The binding factor here was our DENOMINATION, after that we got to know each other beyond Denomination.
Then came a Sunday morning and I think the title of the message was about “Breaking Denominational Barriers”. I have not been so much into the names of churches as I could sometimes go to another church different from mine and blend in, but for some good reasons I have to identify with a church and stay there.
The Truth is; some of us and even I have forgotten the reason for DENOMINATION and we have replaced the word with SEGREGATION, sometimes with CONDEMNATION. If she is not in my church then he/she is on her way to Hell-fire. May I remind you that we would not stand that day as a DENOMINATION but as individuals and as the Church of Christ! Let me give a brief description of what we are doing, we are all on the same football team “Jesus Team”, but we seem to be playing for the other side or scoring own goals, due to division.
Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
One of the tools the devil seems to be using at a time like this is division in the house of God. He divides then he carries out its plan. It’s very hard to attack a group of people together, but get one person out of the group then it becomes very easy to attack such a person. Let me also remind you of the time when the disciples came to meet Jesus;
Mar 9:38-40 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbade him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.
We shouldn’t be found attacking ourselves all because our doctrines are different, let’s consult the bible and if you feel your brother is not getting something right, win him over with love. We must always have the mindset that we are the body of Christ, irrespective of our different denominations. That my friend is the greatest lesson I learnt in camp.
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MILLION DOLLAR FRIENDSHIP
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I have this particular friend that irrespective of what I think I have done I can always tell her “Susz I think I have done something wrong oh” and then we would be able to reason out if I was actually wrong or not. One of the qualities I find endearing in my friends is their ability to build me up and tell me the truth irrespective of how it would end up.
Here is what the bible has to say about friends
“Pro 18:24 A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Truth be told, I have made my own share of mistakes as regards friends and God has being merciful enough to bring us back together again. Sometimes, I get a few of my friends weary, but in the end the bond only gets stronger. There are also times I have had to walk away from a few friends, for some reasons that are best known to me. These are ten lessons I have learnt from my relationship with friends;
1. Make sure God is comfortable with “him” or “her” being your friend
2. I do know that you can’t always have the same mindset about the same thing but ensure that you are both in agreement on key issues. Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
3. Never talk down on your friends, irrespective of how right you think you are. Your ideas can always be passed on without making the other party feel unimportant.
4. Nobody wants to be around a person who always talks them down and makes them feel like it’s a privilege that they have you as a friend.
5. I have always been able to relate my friendship to what my biology teacher once said about how pests feed on the blood of other animals. It is called “Pest-like friendship”. In this kind of relationship, one party gains and the other party is ripped off. Ensure both parties are adding to the friendship.
6. Never make negative comments about your friend-except you need a candid opinion concerning an issue regarding the other party. Always be truthful to the other party.
7. Always let them know that you love and care for them and this is also applicable to family members.
8. Spend quality time with them and remember important dates in their lives e.g birthdays…Take time to build your friendship. Psa 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed,what can the righteous do
9. Spend time praying for one another and edifying one another.
10. Never let the sun go down on your anger (Eph4:26)
Your friends never leave you the same way they met you-they either add to you or take from you. The case between Ammon and Jonadab was such that Ammon heeded to wrong counsel from his friend Jonadab and in the end, this lead to his death (2Sam13:1-36). These are a few things I have learnt in most of my friendship, some in a nice way and others in ways that were not so palatable. I sometimes break a few of this but then the key is any time you realize that you have gone out of the box, it is never too late to turn back and make amends.
Thank you for taking out time to read this post. Drop a comment and tell us things that have made your friendship long lasting 🙂
DEPRESSION
Listening to the first lines of Jason Nelson’s song dominion and he goes like “depression, you have to flee, you no longer have dominion over me” and I couldn’t help but think of a lot of people that have had to battle with depression. You probably have gone through the feeling before without even knowing that it’s called “Depression”.
I can’t just help but think that depression has to do with “Deep-pressing-on a person”. It’s good that English language gave it a name and that it exists in the dictionary, but in my own dictionary of words, I’d like to kick out depression. It doesn’t even exist! I can’t help but think that I have something personal against depression.
I really do have something against depression. Truly first impression matters and depression has never left even a good second impression on me. Depression is a thief of hope and joy and it knows that am not accusing it wrongly. Ask anyone that has ever being depressed and they would tell you. Depression robs you of God’s blessing, because it knows that Joy is the access to God’s blessings.
Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation
Fact about depression is that it is a thing of the mind and it doesn’t rob you without your permission. Asides the fact that depression robs you of your blessings; it also has its effect on your health. Depression has an ageing effect and hinders your spiritual growth.
Pro 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Two simple ways in which you can fight depression from the word of God;
ONE
Rule your spirit! As simple as this may sound if you don’t have a rule over your own spirit, then you can be easily tossed about by circumstances or situations.
Pro 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
TWO
Encourage yourself! Depression would always give you reasons to be downcast, but the only way to fight back is to also give it reasons why you shouldn’t be.
1Sa 30:6 And David was greatly distressed for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encourage himself in the LORD his God.
If you would just take your eyes off the things that seem to weigh you down and fix your eyes on Jesus, then you would realize that it wasn’t so big after all, just like David and Goliath. Even if you are not capable you serve a capable God.
Thank you for your comments and encouragements, I look forward to hearing from you. If you are not yet following Shalom Truths, Please click on the follow button by the left, to receive updates about the latest post.
THE GREATEST AUTHOR
I recently heard a very striking quote “Don’t let your background, put your back to the ground”. I am tempted to look at the circumstances surrounding me sometimes and then I lose focus of the promise. Another quote I agree very much with is “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do”.
When I was in primary school my dad told me and my brothers that any of us that could come up with a very interesting story, he would publish it for us. The thought was very appealing and so you would see each of us struggling to write a story. I used the word struggling because back then I don’t think our write ups were anything to write home about, in fact any time I got close to writing a story after a page the story comes to an end.
I devised a means of writing. I would pick up any of my favourite story book and play with the characters. I changed their names and I made the story end the way I thought it should. I didn’t get to present the book at the end, but I felt good about the characters I had created.
A preacher was preaching recently and said “never write off a man till he is in the grave”. Let me introduce you to the greatest author that has ever lived and is still living. His name is Jesus Christ!
Heb 12:1 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.
Why am I introducing you to Jesus Christ today! It’s because I know that he is able to give you the perfect end and make all things work together for your good (Romans 8:28).
Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Christ has written a perfect end for you. So don’t let that past hold you down “Don’t let one bad chapter in your life hold you down, the key is to let Christ give you that perfect ending, by believing that he is Able”. You might be saying you don’t know what I have being through, if I don’t know, God knows and he is saying everything will work together for your good and at the end you would become a best-seller. Imagine the best author writing a book; of course it will become a best-seller. Just see whatever phase you are in now as the middle of the story. Remember better is the end of a matter than the beginning thereof.
Ecc 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
SUPERSTITION VS THE LAW OF KARMA
I was running late for an impartation service which was slated for eight and rain was falling heavily, I was able to get my dad to drop me at the bus stop as he was free at that time. After boarding a bus, I sat at the middle row alongside the conductor, there was a boy directly in front of me, and he looked a little bit young. He gave the conductor 200 Naira note and the conductor handed him a 100 Naira in return.
The boy refused to collect the change due to the fact that the money was wet as a result of the rain. Let me chip this in, I was actually happy that the boy rejected the money, because the conductor was treating him in a very rude manner.
They both had an argument and the conductor rained him with insults, after which he told the driver to stop the car and they asked him to come down from the bus. As if that was not enough they continued insulting the boy immediately after they dropped him, I was concerned but at the same time all I wanted was to get to my destination on time.
Now here is the funny part, a small distance after the boy had highlighted, we had a funny sound from the car, boom! Then the car slowed to a halt. I then overheard the conversation of two of the passengers. They were talking in Yoruba but for the sake of all, I will transcribe to English.
“The head of that boy is very strong” one of the passengers said to another. This means that the passenger thought that it was due to the fact that they told the boy to highlight that the vehicle packed up. The second passenger nodded his head to affirm his statement. We had to come down as the bus was no longer in good shape to take us to our destination. I overheard the same passenger repeating the same thing to the conductor and then all of a sudden the conductor that was using abusive words earlier, started saying “God pass am”. At that point I couldn’t hold my laughter.
I walked up to the passenger and asked him if he ever considered that the bus had needed maintenance prior to that and that’s why it was in such a condition. Immediately I told him he started saying “don’t mind them they don’t take care of their vehicles”.
A friend of mine was recently telling me about some few superstitions and how the devil uses it as an opportunity. He said in the North you are to treat twins well, otherwise it is believed that something negative can occur.
He said there was this short boy, a twin, named Hassan. Hassan was a dwarf and had a very big head, as of that time he was 20 years. According to him folks called him “Kei de Kei”, then on a Saturday morning, Hassan was passing along the route where a woman fries akara and she calls him “Kei de Kei”, which in Hausa means “double head” and then he said “let me see how you would fry your akara”, well to cut the long story short the akara was in the hot oil but couldn’t get fried until she apologized and then by the time she got back to her akara it was burnt.
The moment I explained to the passenger his perspective changed immediately. Why did he result to thinking that the boy was the cause of the bus breakdown? Knowledge! God speaking in Hosea 4:6
Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
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I do not doubt that it is good to do good and all. My challenge comes to linking it to the Law of Karma or superstition as it relates to us Christians. Take care of twins because you one day want to have your own and not because something bad would happen if you do not. One thing I learnt from Pastor Ubong Ntia is to ask a question and the question is “Who said so?”
“They said all the girls in your family never get married” your reply “Who said so?”
“They said you won’t make it” your reply “Who said so?”
“You are under superstition and the law of Karma” your reply “Who said so?”
It is what you place yourself under that you are subject to. Good thing was that I was able to get to my destination on time for the impartation service, if not I would have looked for that conductor with a big whip. I leave the rest to my imagination. So much for superstition and Karma!
ABORTION – FEELING GUILTY?
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The doctors coming at you with their knives and all, then the scream and then the darkness…The water cascading down your back and you try to wash it all away. Try hard as you may, you still feel dirty, the top of your skin tingles from irritation. You press the sponge to your skin and scrub as hard as you can, till your skin begins to bleed and the bathwater turns red, after a few minutes you are still there and the pain comes all back! Your hands are full of blood (Isaiah 1:15)…
Does this feel like something you are going through at the moment? Then this article is for you. You felt this was the right decision you could ever make, to make the situation right again. Your friend, Parent or the guy that promised you marriage, promised you it will be all better after the abortion and soon enough you found out that it was a lie. It wasn’t alright at all.
The circle begins. This is the time that nobody told you of. The period after the deed is done. The questions start swimming in your head “Why did I do this?”, “Am I going to be the same again?”, “Who would ever want me?”…and then comes condemnation knocking on your door “I am worthless”, “God would never love me anymore”, “I am doomed for judgement”, “I would never marry and have a good home” and the list goes on and on.
Pause!!! Beating yourself down with condemning thoughts hasn’t changed anything so far! In fact it probably has added more to the challenge already.
TRUTH ONE
The trick of the devil is to hold you down through condemnation, fear, doubt, low self-esteem…If you have confessed your sins to God, He has forgiven you and he has given you a clean slate. Who are you to remember what God has forgotten?
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Romans 8:1 makes us to understand that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Run out of condemnation by walking into the waiting arms of Jesus Christ.
TRUTH TWO
The Lord is waiting for you with his arms stretched out, just like the parable of the prodigal son. Heaven would rejoice to have you come home. He is saying to you come irrespective of who you are, we can reason together and everything will be alright again.
Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
TRUTH THREE
You can still get up! The story of the woman at the well side shows that Jesus Christ still has Mercy on even the most despised, on those who have given up on themselves. He forgave her but there was one instruction he left with her.
John 8:11 …Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more.
Jesus Christ is saying the same to you daughter of Zion, I do not condemn you even if the world does, go and sin no more. Do you know how precious you are? In case you are thinking that you have never aborted, I ask you, what about those dreams that were placed in your heart? What did you do with them!
Heb 12:1 …let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…
We can take our queue from the life of Paul the apostle. Paul was one person that should have being moving around with his head buried in the ground. But here in this scripture he charged us on moving ahead and I ask that you do same.
Phi 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Phi 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
If at this moment you are thinking of going through this gory process of abortion, here is a piece of thought “abortion is just a temporary solution”. Remember the spiritual and medical effects of abortion. Like TD Jakes would say Woman thou art Loosed. Play!!!
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