WHAT IF JESUS NEVER CAME

Some people may ask "Why do we celebrate Christmas? What is the big deal about the birth of Jesus Christ." One way to properly understand why we should celebrate the birth of Christ, perhaps more than anything else, is to take a look at what our world and hopes would have been like if Jesus was never born. There is much that could be said about this but for  lack of time, I will limit myself to 8 issues.

If Jesus was never born,...
1. History would not have been what it is today. For the history of the world is divided into BC and AD meaning ‘Before Christ’ and ‘In the year of our Lord’ (Latin: Anno Domini) respectively. Imagine the world in which the past cannot be properly documented. The coming of Jesus was one most important event that became the reference point for understanding history. If Jesus was never born, we would have had difficulty organizing history.

2. If Jesus was never born, modern science would have been a mirage. The birth of Jesus brought us the bible that gave us the foundational truth about creation. This made further research productive because they were done with correct primary assumptions informed by the scriptures. When modern science was born in 16th and 17th century, it was given birth to by men who believed in Christ and had a biblical worldview. Almost all branches of modern science were started by men who were devoted to Jesus. In the words of Johannes Kepler who was a great Christian astronomer, they were simply “thinking God’s thoughts after Him.” They knew Jesus as an orderly God who created an orderly universe and it was their role as scientist to seek out what those rules are and use them to manage creation. If Jesus was never born the primary understanding that made science possible would not have been there and modern science would have been very different.

3. If Jesus was never born, education for the masses may never materialize. The Great Commission (i.e. the command to teach all nations) given by our Lord Jesus Christ to His followers resulted in Mass Education where ever Christianity entered. Christianity has brought literacy to hundreds of millions of people of all sorts of languages. Education for the elites has always been there but it was the commission of Jesus that spurred the Christian church to make education available for all. The first twelve schools in Nigeria were all Church schools. Out of the first 50 secondary schools in Nigeria, the church built 36. Today, literally, all the world famous universities were established as Christian centres of learning. They include Universities like Oxford, Harvard, Yale and Princeton. Many of the indigenous languages around the world were first written by Christian missionaries. The Yoruba language was first written by Bishop Ajayi Crowther. If Christ was never born, many of us today would not have had access to modern education.

4. It was the teachings of Jesus that brought about a high respect for human life. Before Christ was born, the world was a very dangerous place to live in. It was normal practice to throw away unwanted babies, plenty babies were part of everyday refuse found at the refuse sites and people were killed everywhere for sport. Christians ended all that by following the golden rule, a teaching of Jesus that says “Do to others as you will have them do to you.” It was the agitation of christian missionaries in the 1830s that stopped the practice called Suttee in India. A practice where the widow of a deceased husband was burnt alive with the body of the husband at his funeral. It was the Christian missionary Mary Slessor that stopped the killing of the twins in Calabar. If Christ was never born killing of twins and burning of widows may have continued till date.

5. William Wilberforce was moved by the teachings of Jesus to devote his entire life to the abolition of slave trade. He gathered together like minded people to seek to stop more slaves from being brought into the British empire for 25 years. Later, on his death bed he received the news that his lifelong ambition to stop slavery has succeeded in the British parliament.  The notion that everyman was born equal before God came from the teachings of the scripture that says we are all created in the image of God. If Christ was never born, slavery would have continued today.

6. Christ coming and His teachings had a direct impact on the way the culture of charity, compassion and care for the poor and needy in the world has evolved. People moved by the teachings of Christ established charitable organizations such as the Salvation Army and Red Cross which has saved millions of lives from famine, natural disasters and war across the world. The love of Christ has motivated people like Mother Theresa to spend all of her life caring for the poor in India. If Christ was never born, lives saved by these organizations would have been wasted.

7. Modern hospital care is traceable to the compassion of Christ manifested through the first nurse, Florence Nightingale. Before, when people were sick of contagious diseases, they were considered to be cursed and taken away from home, away from other human beings and left alone to die. Florence carried them into one place and cared for them until they recover. Many other people moved by the compassion of Christ joined Florence to take care of the sick. They responded to the rebuke of Christ that says Matthew 25:43, 45 (NKJV)  "I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me... Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." What Florence Nightingale did was the beginning of what we call hospital today. If Christ was never born, nothing would have inspired Florence to risk her life to care for the sick and modern hospitals would not have evolved from it.

8. Jesus made forgiveness of sin, hope of eternal life and relationship with the Father possible. When humans relationship with God was based on human merit, no one was good enough to earn salvation. But the birth of Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross for us changed all that. Now through faith in Him, our sins are forgiven, we receive eternal life and can now relate with God through His own merit.
These are a few of what we would have missed if Jesus was never born. Today we thank God and celebrate the fact that He was born, the world is a better place because of Him and we are beneficiaries of His birth.

Written by Ifiok Ukobo
President: Think Right and Live Right Club and Lifebuilders Ministry
Email : tralright@gmail.com

AM I BORN AGAIN? I feel something is missing

               Have you ever written exams and afterwards have this strange feeling that you have failed? In many cases you are even afraid to go and check the result. The reason is that you are not confident that what you wrote in the exams has met the requirement of the examiners; as a result there is this strange feeling that you have not made the mark.
               In the same way, you may have heard about Jesus and his desire to do you good. You like many others may have responded to the call to give your life to Christ so that you may enjoy the good that Jesus has to offer you. You may have prayed by yourself or a pastor prayed for you or both. Yet to your dismay, your life has remained the same. Your tastes and appetites remain the same. The things you pursued in life and the sins you enjoyed committing before the prayer to give your life to Christ remain attractive to you. You know that this cannot be God’s standard of righteousness, you are therefore filled with fear each time you hear about the coming of Jesus or the possibility of death. You don’t honestly know the judgment God has for you after this life. The biblical report that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” is yet to come true in your life.
                What is it that is missing in your conversion? Why is your conversion experience different from that of people in the bible? The answer to these questions are one. It is lack of biblical repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus. The bible says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2Co 7:10 NIV). True repentance involves experience of grieve in our heart about our sins against God. When we truly see that we have caused Jesus much grief through our lives of sin despite his suffering for us on the cross, then we feel grief for our foolishness. True repentance involves the knowledge of the fact that you are a sinner, owing God debts of obedience which you can never finish paying and the penalty for the debt is death. Your debt has temporarily separated you from God waiting for eternal separation in hell. But God in His love did not want you to perish in your dept so He decided to pay your debt for you. Jesus paid your debt by living a life of complete obedience and taking your place to die on the cross. True repentance involves appreciating this love of God, turning away from your sins and putting your faith in Him for your eternal salvation. It involves confession of the sins you have committed to God as much as you can remember and asking him in prayers for forgiveness. It involves returning things you have stolen, asking forgiveness from those you have wronged and beginning to do the right where you have been accustomed to do evil. Lastly, true repentance involves a quality decision to live for Jesus and not self.
                You may say that you did not know these things before. If you are right then the time to repent in truth is now. The bible says “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” (Act 17:30-31). 
If you chose to repent now, God will accept you, transform and make you his child. Jesus will say to you what he said to Zaccheaus (the man in the bible who repented in a similar fashion), “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:9) If you desire to pray the prayer of repentance, your prayer to God should acknowledge
That you have sinned (Confessed all the sins you can remember to God). That you are turning away from your sin (tell God the kind of change you desire). That you want God to forgive your sins. (Ask God to make you clean in his sight). That you are submitting yourself to Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. (Offer yourself to God to serve him as your master and Lord)

You can pray now.

Yours truthfully

Ifiok Ukobo
For further counselling and help contact
THINK RIGHT AND LIVE RIGHT CLUB
0802 333 1970, 0805 395 1808, 0805 384 7685
Email: tralright@yahoo.com, tralright@gmail.com

RESOLVE GENERATIONAL CURSES IN 5 MINUTES

On God's part, all generational curses has been rendered inoperative in Christ Jesus. When you repented of your sin and made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, you automatically became a chosen generation and no longer a cursed generation. "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 1Peter 2:9 (NKJV). Your inheritance of blessings and curses ceased to be from your parents but from Christ Jesus. "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will." Ephesians 1:11 (NKJV).  Therefore, all your generational curses are broken in Christ. "13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV). This is the New Covenant law for Kingdom citizens.

You might ask, but why am I experiencing the same battles or challenges that my parents and grandparents experienced. If this is not generational curse, what is it? Remember that Satan is a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. The afflictions he placed upon your parents, he wants it to continue with you. Not because generational curses are still in force but because as a criminal, he does not respect heaven's edict that abolished generational curses until forced to do so. He is simply a rebel, practicing on you that which God has already ruled illegal. The good news is that God has given you authority and power to make him obey heaven's edict on the matter.

If you are born again, you have been made a king. The bible says concerning our Lord Jesus, “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Rev 1:6 (KJV). Therefore you have received the authority to exercise dominion. If you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you have received power to enforce your authority. You are God's policeman to arrest and stop the illegal activities of that criminal called Satan. The bible says “…what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Mat 18:18 (GNB). The responsibility is not on God but on you to act. The Holy Spirit is in you to help you if you choose to act.  All that it takes is for you to believe and act in obedience.

You act in obedience by resisting the devil. The scripture says to resist the devil. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Jas 4:7 (KJV). If you will not only be a hearer of the word deceiving yourself but a doer of the word then God will do the work. You become a doer of the word by obeying the command to resist the devil and God will do the work by bringing about result. Start obeying the word.

Some may ask, where and how do you see the devil to resist him? You catch the devil through his acts. Jesus was dealing with the devil when he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil. When thoughts that are contrary to scripture drop into your mind, that's the devil. Resist that thought by refusing to dwell on it. Speak out to renounce and replace it with the word of God. When a sickness comes on you, that's the devil. Refuse to accommodate the sickness in your mind, rather think on the scriptures that promise you good health. When your children are leaving the faith, that’s the devil. When you seem weak and unable to overcome sinful habits and addictions that's the devil. You resist him by standing on the promises of God, renouncing Satan's desires over your life and refusing to believe you are helpless.

If you are born again, you have both the authority and warrant to arrest that criminal called Satan. If you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you possess the power to enforce your authority. Therefore, claim and stand on what the word of God says concerning that thing and at the same time rebuke and destroy the works of the devil in that area of your life. You can't lose if you don't give up. If you are not born again or you are not sure whether you are born again, click here for help.

Notice also that God is not the one putting generational curses on people. God said in  Jeremiah 31:29-30 (NKJV)   “29 In those days they shall say no more: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.'  30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge." Those days have come in the New Covenant and God is not putting any curse on you. On the other hand, the devil derives pleasure from continuing bondage from generation to generation. So the devil is your enemy, he is the one you are dealing with. The bible makes it clear in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) that we have a completely new deal in Christ.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Your future is not based on what you inherited from your parents but what you inherited from Jesus. “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” Eph 1:11 (KJV). You are a new man in Christ but if you don't renew your mind in the word, you aren't putting on the new man. We are charged in Ephesians 4:22-24 (NKJV)  “22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,  23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,  24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." You have to believe it and let it renew your mind by thinking in line with it, before the new man in you can manifest.

What about going to the village to pray at the family compound, look for strange object buried in the ground, etc., in order to destroy your link to the past? If that is always necessary for our freedom, Jesus would have recommended it to at least one of the people he ministered to.  But in all cases of healings and deliverances, the people’s problems terminated with their encounter with Jesus Christ. Your generational problems too will terminate the moment you believe what Jesus did for you and act on it without retreating. The Apostles also were used of God to usher many into the freedom that Christ bought for us. They ministered in many Gentile territories that were known for worshiping plethora of gods.  Yet there is no evidence of one of them advocating for going home to do family deliverance. If there was anything Paul said about the past it is this "No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." (Philippians 3:13).   I suggest that we should do the same thing.

Some argue that some people had results going home to do those kinds of deliverance. They may have had some relief perhaps but not freedom. You must understand that walking in freedom is not possible without operating in the truth. Results of relief is not always a validation of method or theology but God actions of love for the hurting people. This is why some will say to God on the last day, we healed and prophesied in your name and God will say to them, depart from me ye workers of iniquity. They had what appeared to be results but they were wrong in interpreting it to mean that God had accepted their lawless lifestyles. God is love and is constantly looking for how to do loving things to his people.

Let no one make merchandize of you in the name of breaking generational curses. Your curses were borne by Jesus on the cross on your behalf. Faith in Him makes what He did to be credited to your account. Submit to God by believing His word then resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Written by Ifiok Ukobo

If you need help in overcoming the devil, you can reach me through the email: tralright@yahoo.com

CONTEND OR BE DEFEATED

         If you are a true Christian, you are contending against some doctrinal errors where ever you may be living. If everything looks okay to you and there is nothing to contend for, watch it, the possibilities are that you have been deceived. Wrong teachings have become mainstream and dominant in such a way that no true Christian can remain true without fighting hard to retain what was originally given to us by Jesus Christ and His Apostles. The root of this error in many cases has been a corrupted doctrine of grace.
        These errors are not new. As early as 90AD, Jude had noticed with grieve of heart that the truth of the faith is being corrupted by some teachers in the Church. He therefore wrote  in Jude 1:3-4 (NKJV) "...exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
         This is a command to Christians of every generation to contend for the truth of the gospel that was delivered to the saints. What does it mean to contend? It simply means to struggle or exert oneself to obtain or retain possession of,  the body of Truth of the gospel that was once and for all delivered to the saints. We are not only to contend for the truth but do so earnestly, that is, seriously with sincere and intense conviction without fear nor apology. Some people may say you are judging others when doing this but the word of God says contend earnestly for the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints.
            Why is this contending necessary according to this scripture? Because Satan is using some people to corrupt the Church by distorting the doctrine of grace, turning it into lewdness. Notice that the foundation of the error according to the passage in Jude rest on a wrong understanding and application of the doctrine of grace. In Jude's words, these people are those "who turn the grace of our God into lewdness". How do they do this? Through their teachings. Their teachings about the grace of God motivate in their hearers responses that are inclined to, characterized by, or inciting to lust or lechery, obscene or indecent.
             Apostle Peter warned that these teachers will become regular in the last days. He wrote in 2 Peter 2:1-3, 14, 18 (KJV) "1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error."
            These people are able to continue in the path of destruction because they choose to remember only the goodness of God. The love and goodness of God is something we must constantly keep before us so the enemy may not deceive us to seek relationship with God based on our merits rather the finished work of Christ. However, the bible teaches us to "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off." Romans 11:22 (NKJV). In other words, to stay in the truth and enjoy the grace of God without the error of succumbing to lewdness, we must keep before us not only the goodness but also the severity of God. Any attempt to focus only on the goodness of God to the omission of the severity of God will lead to lewdness.
          Consequently, Jude said to all who cared to listen, "But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe." Jude 1:5 (NKJV). These things are quoted in the epistles and other New Testament scriptures because they are relevant to us who are in the New Covenant relationship with God. God does not address issues that do not exist.  The Times call for you to earnestly contend for the faith or be deceived into condemnation.

TRANSFORMATIONAL EDUCATION

                                       Transformational Education
                                                       By
                                               Ifiok Ukobo
All education promotes values whether it was intended to or not. Often, asymmetric relationship between teachers and students mean that secular thought patterns embedded in the curriculum is the only voice permitted in the classroom. But there is another reality waiting for the child at the close of the school day, a reality taught at home, lived within the community and assumed in every transaction. A reality that is intrinsically African. A reality they readily fall back on in moments of crisis, confusion, and frustration. At such times, the classroom voice and the values it postulated ceases to have any effect. The chicken has come home to roost as they say, and the only voice being heard is that of the culture. What we had invested years to acquire has now, in a moment given way to that which is culturally African. Can this be the reason our public officers can deliver papers that are by western standard excellent yet cannot implement same in their countries? What would have been the result if the voice in the classroom was not opposed to the values and culture of the African, but rather utilized them to give contextualized education. What if education was made to be culturally relevant?

We need to examine the values promoted by education in Africa over the years to ascertain their appropriateness for building African communities. My observation is that education given in Africa, has not promoted nor replicated values that are in tandem with the social and cultural identity of the African. Our sense of community and awareness of the Holy is constantly assaulted. We Africans are being conditioned to think and appreciate family, relationships, gender roles, beauty and community like westerners. Western styled living, appreciation of life and values are presented as the ideal. It has become the norm that local innovations and creations must be appreciated abroad first before it can be appreciated locally. It has always intrigued me that Mongo Park, an English man was credited for the discovery of River Niger even though the locals were the ones showing him around and ferrying him in their boats. A more disturbing issue is the fact that this position was taught to our children in schools for decades. This kind of education tends to communicate the values of passivity, low expectations concerning one’s potential and capabilities to our children. Consequently, our youths have been condition to always expect salvation from abroad. The result is an African identity crises that condition a perpetual policy failure rooted in mistaking westernization for development.

Can the universality of Education be asserted and preserved without insisting on customs and values that are adversarial to our identity as Bible believing Christians and Africans? The answer should certainly be yes. We do not need to become secular Europeans to be educated. Questions such as "Does education modify culture or culture modifies education" are often misleading and need not be our concern? Such questions seem to put up education against culture, a fight that neither can win. It might be more helpful to seek ways education can be made to be more culturally relevant and contextually effective. In this way education and culture can be partners in progress.

IS IT CONDEMNATION OR CONVICTION?|Don't Make a Shipwreck of Your Faith

         I recently participated in an online interaction over the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the issue of self-condemnation came up. It was almost a unanimous belief that when you feel bad about your sin, it amount to self-condemnation. And that such a self-condemnation will keep you from faith for the supernatural, confidence to achieve and boldness to enter God's presence and receive what God has for you.

        I agree that self-condemnation will do all that are stated above but what exactly is self-condemnation? Does feeling bad about our sin amount to self-condemnation? Inability to properly define what self-condemnation is has created a situation where people, in an attempt to stop self-condemnation have inadvertently killed their consciences. They have mistaken the voice of conviction for condemnation and have become incorrigible. Such are people today who are very loud about the power of God, manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the finished work of Christ but completely ungodly in their business, relationships and pleasures.

        Some time ago I came in contact with a man who leads a house fellowship in a ministry that teaches against self-condemnation in ways I consider to be false. This man wanted to relocate to a western country and become a citizen of that country. His strategy for fulfilling his dream was to divorce his wife in Nigeria and travel out, on arrival marry a citizen of that country in order to become a citizen and eventually divorce the second wife, remarry his first wife and bring her to live with him. To my surprise, his wife accepted the plan. They both saw nothing wrong in divorcing each other, deceiving another person into an ill motivated marriage and telling lies to the authorities. Their consciences have been seared through a constant training that labelled any form of conviction as condemnation. Their faith was anchored on the word in Romans 8:1 but without the concluding part that demands a walk in the Spirit. That scripture says "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (NKJV). Is their attitude and conduct a true representation of what this passage teaches?

        The Bible teaches that a Holy Spirit ruled conscience is what God uses to convict or make Christians know that they have sinned against God. Paul in his letter to the Romans said in Romans 9:1 "I am speaking the truth; I belong to Christ and I do not lie. My conscience, ruled by the Holy Spirit, also assures me that I am not lying". When a Christian realizes that he has sinned, that is not a condemnation but a witness from his conscience. When he accepts it, it provokes in him a godly sorrow that makes him carry his sins to God for cleansing. If he rejects it, it becomes in him a bad conscience that will eventually lead to a shipwreck of his faith.  The Bible says in 1 Timothy 1:19 (GNB) "and keep your faith and a clear conscience. Some people have not listened to their conscience and have made a ruin of their faith".

         Now you can't just help but feel bad when you realize that you have sinned against the person you really love. This is what godly sorrow is all about. Jesus taught us that obedience to His commandment is the way to show Him love. It is written in black and white in John 14:15 (NKJV)  "If you love Me, keep My commandments." Therefore when you are sorrowful, it means you are unhappy about the fact that you have sinned against God whom you love. This is not self-condemnation at all. Apostle Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NKJV) "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." So godly sorrow is good because it leads to salvation. It is a sorrow that point you to Jesus as the solution. It is a sorrow that ends in joy, believing that all our sins have been forgiven through the finished work of Christ.

          In 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) God said that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Understand that confession is not a condition for forgiveness of sin but a condition for receiving the forgiveness already secured by Christ Jesus through His sacrifice on the cross. However, the word confession (omologōmen in Greek) means to speak the same, to agree. By requesting confession of sins as a prerequisite for experiencing forgiveness, God is simply saying, if you refuse to accept the conviction of your conscience that what you did was wrong, you cannot benefit from the forgiveness that has already been bought for you. Walking together in fellowship is what the Lord want to have with us. However, we can't have that if we are not in agreement. God asked through Prophet Amos in Amos 3:3 (NKJV)  "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" Sin is missing the mark or the way while confession is God's method of making us rediscover the mark and the way and come back to  it.

          Therefore, confession is not sin consciousness neither is godly sorrow a form of condemnation. If we become aware of our sin, feel bad about what we have done but refuse to confess and accept the forgiveness that Jesus has purchased for us, then we are into self-condemnation. Self-condemnation is a worldly sorrow because it is rooted in pride that exalt our opinion above the written word of God. If we have confessed our sins and God in His word says He has forgiven us, then our problem is prideful believe in ourselves rather than the word of God. When we exalt the opinion of man, including ourselves, higher than the word of God, we can't have faith. Jesus upbraided the Pharisees in John 5:44 (NKJV)  "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" So, self-condemnation is rooted in pride. Rather than destroying our conscience, let's deal with our pride and humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. Let's believe the word and live it out.

          What will be your attitude to these two offenders? You rebuked the first one for accusing you falsely and he simply said, "sorry,  if what i did was wrong". You rebuked the second person for the same offense and he said "You are right. It was wrong of me to accuse you before verifying the report. I am sorry to have spoilt you name and hurt your feelings. Please forgive me". Which of the two will you readily accept as truly repentant? Which of the two will you readily restore friendship?


Conclusion
Do not let men destroy your ability to keep good conscience by telling you that conviction of conscience is condemnation. Test the conviction of conscience with the word of God. If you have gone against the commandment of God, repent, confess your sins to God, claim your forgiveness in Jesus name and continue with a good conscience.

written by Ifiok J. Ukobo

LOVE & RELATIONSHIP 101 | Setting the right foot forward

Many relationships that were desired for happiness have often ended in emotional tragedies, heart break and frustration. Many have blamed the myriads of problems noticed in this area to lack of compatibility between the couples or would be couples. Is incompatibility really the problem? What about Hollywood actors and actresses that marry their colleagues in the same profession, with the same taste in fashion, movies, music and romance etc. one would suppose that they should be the last persons to divorce, yet realities point to a different conclusion. Some recent happenings in this area will suffice us. For more download the eBook Love & Relationship 101 | Setting the right foot forward.

Love and Relationship 101 is available as a free eBook guaranteed to help answer some of the most difficult questions concerning intimacy and your sexuality. Download your copy here, read it thoroughly and sign the covenant of purity card below. I will personally call to pray with you when you submit your signed form below. God bless you.

DOWNLOAD LOVE AND RELATIONSHIP 101 

COVENANT CARD FOR LOVE & RELATIONSHIP 101

Believing that God’s kind of love is the highest expression of God’s love and character, and it is worked out through obedience to His command that we should abstain from all forms of sexual immorality and pursue purity of heart and conduct. I am determined under God to abstain from all forms of sexual immorality and pursue purity of heart and conduct and wait for sex in a marriage relationship. Please pastor Ifiok, pray with me.

I will call you and pray personally with you when you submit this card. God bless you.

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WE MISSED IT: IT WAS NOT A VICTORY

It was a Sunday morning. The sun shone brightly and it resonated with my heart. God is going to save some people today. Just the thought of it stirred some excitement in me. I had prayed for this day and my expectations were high. I finally arrived at the Church I was to preach. The atmosphere was warm and there was a significant youth population. We sang and danced and it was glorious. Just then, the pastor called for those that had testimonies. Quite a few came out to share their testimonies. As I listened to testimony after testimony, it struck me so clear, these people are treating purchase of a new car, acquisition of a new home, winning of contracts, acquisition of an academic degree, promotion at the place of work, etc as their victory. Are these things really our victory or are they our blessings? Is there any difference between the two? Do these things in themselves have value in eternity?

It was not the first time I  heard it. Everywhere, stuffs are being celebrated as victory. A new house, new car, new jobs are celebrated as victory.  But Jesus said in Revelation 3:5 (NKJV)  "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” If we take these words from Jesus seriously, we will need to ask, is acquisition of a new house or car the victory that will clothe one with white and prevent ones name from being deleted from the book of life? How many financial breakthroughs, escape from death, promotion in our career, etc. will qualify us as overcomers? Could our victory be about something else, something that we do not commonly celebrate as victory, yet in the eyes of Jesus that is true victory?

Since it is overcomers or the victorious that will be in heaven, it follows that it is those that have been overcome or defeated that will be found in Hell. Hell is for failures and the defeated while heaven is for the victorious and overcomers. Jesus made it clear to us that people can gain the whole world yet are losers in hell. In Mark 8:36 (NKJV) Jesus said "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" In other words, gaining the whole world is not victory in the eyes of Jesus. Buying a new house, gaining promotion in career or winning a mighty contract are not victories in Jesus eyes because they have no value in eternity. However, what you use your house to do, has value in eternity and can be a victory for you. If you use your house to serve the Lord, it will be a victory for you. If you use your cars to serve the Lord, it will be a victory for you. We are all stewards of what God has given us. When we use what we have been given to serve God who is the owner, we are victorious. However, Satan want us to serve self. The entire world system is designed for serving self. If we fall into the trap of serving self, we have been defeated by the world. 

So, what we overcome as children of God is not primarily poverty, sickness or death but the world. The bible says in 1 John 5:4 (NKJV)  "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith." Our victory is a strong faith in Jesus that overcomes the system of doing and valuing things called the WORLD.  Jesus also overcame this system of doing and valuing things called the world. He said in John 16:33 (NKJV)  "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

The world is a system of doing and valuing things that is organized in opposition to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Satan's strategy is to use everything at his disposal to pressure you into accepting the world's way of doing and valuing things. Your financial difficulties, delays in getting someone to marry, ungodly conditions for promotion, sickness and disease, lack of suitable accommodation, unfair treatment at work, difficulty in getting university admission or job, are all tools Satan wants to use to get you to bow to the world system of doing and valuing things. Your victory therefore is in staying true to Jesus and refusing to bow to the world. This is the true victory that heaven acknowledges. This is what Jesus want us to see and accept as victory. He or she that overcomes this world system, is an overcomer and is born of God.

Therefore, those that enjoy promotion after compromising their faith have been defeated. Those that got someone hooked for marriage after submitting to fornication have been defeated. Those that got contracts after bribing officials have been defeated. Those that got houses after an illegal deal have been defeated. Their defeat is not in their desire for these things but in submitting to the system of the world in order to have them, that system that invite us to prioritize for the pleasure of self over the pleasure of God. Fortunately all is not lost, they can come back into winning ways if they repent and start obeying Jesus as their Lord.

According to the scriptures, the entire world system is controlled by three things, Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes and Pride of Life. When one is overcome by these things, that person cannot have the love of the Father in him rather it is the love of self that will prevail. This is why we are commanded, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1Jn 2:15-16 NIV).


As those that are truly born of God, let’s celebrate telling the truth more than buying a car. Let’s celebrate integrity more than wealth.  Let’s promote kindness more than purchases. Let’s celebrate humility above worldly status. Let’s promote sexual purity above wedding glamour. Let’s celebrate the day we were born again above the day we were born in the flesh, for what is born of flesh is flesh but what is born of Spirit is spirit. Let’s reprogram ourselves using heaven’s value system. It is then that the Church victory over the world will manifest with a brilliance that will make nations arise to the brightness of our arising. God bless you.

Written by Ifiok J. Ukobo

DON'T CARNALIZE IT

         Have You Ever Experienced This?

You’re sharing God’s viewpoint on a matter, and the person you’re talking to says, “Let’s be practical—don’t spiritualize everything.” When I hear Christians speak like this, I can’t help but wonder—if we’re not supposed to spiritualize it, are we meant to carnalize it instead?

Most times, when someone says, “Let’s be practical,” what they actually mean is, “Let’s look at this from the perspective of our five senses—what we can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell.” In other words, “Let’s stay grounded in what makes sense to us as physical beings.” But that’s precisely what it means to be carnal—being dominated by the senses. That doesn’t make us more human; it simply reveals we’re being unspiritual. Scripture says plainly:
“To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” — Romans 8:6 (KJV)

One area where this carnal mindset is especially damaging is in love and relationships.

My wife and I were invited to minister in a church a few years ago on the subject of marriage. I spoke to husbands about loving their wives—not because their wives are always lovable, but because it’s a command from God. I explained that obedience to this command pleases God, invites His peace into the marriage, and stores up eternal rewards. The message to both husbands and wives was simple: Don’t treat your spouse based on what they deserve, but based on your obedience to God. This way, your response becomes a product of your reverence for God—not a reflection of your partner’s failures.

This mindset frees us to look past our spouse’s shortcomings and focus on what God requires of us. And husbands must take the lead in this. Scripture says:
“The head of every man is Christ…” — 1 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV)
So if Christ is a man’s head, then Christ—not his wife’s behavior—should guide his actions. Whoever determines your response has become your head. When men reject Christ’s headship, they lose the authority to lead their homes.

Likewise, the Bible instructs wives:
“Submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” — Ephesians 5:22 (KJV)
Again, this submission is not based on whether the husband is deserving but flows from obedience to God. When both spouses respond to each other out of fear and reverence for God, their marriage becomes a glimpse of heaven on earth.

During that church service, someone asked, “What should I do about my wife? When I married her, she was slim and beautiful. Now she’s as big as a young elephant!” The crowd laughed, but I simply replied, “Love your wife as Christ loved the Church.” Thinking I misunderstood him, he repeated the question. I gave him the same answer. At this point, he was visibly irritated and said, “You’re just spiritualizing this!”

For him, loving his wife when his senses weren’t pleased was unrealistic. But what he failed to understand is this: once you're born again, you’re no longer just a physical being. You are a spiritual man, and your choices must be led by the Spirit—not your senses.
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” — John 3:6 (KJV)
And again:
“He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” — 1 Corinthians 6:17 (KJV)

If sticking to Scripture means you’re “spiritualizing things,” then so be it. There’s nothing wrong with a spiritual person acting spiritually. In fact, that’s the way to life and peace. What’s dangerous is a spiritual person thinking and acting carnally. That brings death—death to relationships, death to morality, death to the abundant life Jesus came to give.
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.” — John 6:63 (KJV)

God’s Word reveals the spiritual position on all matters. The “flesh” in this context refers to the body and soul trained by sin to be governed by the senses. If you want to experience the life Jesus promised, your body and soul must come under the discipline of the Spirit.

Now imagine that man chose to love his wife unconditionally out of obedience to God. That act of spiritual obedience would invite life and peace into his home. It would open the door for God to work in his wife’s heart—even regarding her weight.
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” — Philippians 2:13 (NIV)

This principle applies to every part of our lives—career, marriage, fashion, politics, even science. If you are born again, you are a spiritual being. Walk in the Spirit or you’ll end up satisfying the desires of the flesh. Evaluate all things through a biblical lens. That’s the only way to live in true peace.

Prayer and fasting are powerful—but without walking in the Spirit, they yield little fruit. A spiritual person should live with only one perspective—God’s. All other viewpoints that oppose it must be cast aside.

Let’s restore life and peace in our homes, churches, and communities. Don’t carnalize it—spiritualize it.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)

written by Ifiok J. Ukobo

A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN FROM THE EYES OF A GODLY MAN

         

What Kind of Beauty Attracts a Godly Man?

Understanding beauty through the lens of godly values

There are many kinds of men in this world, and what each one calls beautiful reflects the kind of man he is. A demon’s idea of beauty will look nothing like what an angel calls beautiful. That’s because beauty is not a standalone value—it springs from the values within a person. The same applies to godly and ungodly people alike.

Even advertisers understand this. They say, “Beauty brands – skincare, color cosmetics and hair care – can be vastly different in the consumer values they speak to and, as such, in the consumers they attract.” Beauty follows values. And when values are shaped by godliness, beauty takes on a whole new meaning.

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Who Does a Godly Man Call Beautiful?

So what kind of beauty catches the eye of a godly man?

Let’s look at the wisdom of Apostle Peter. He was a godly man, an apostle of Jesus Christ, and a married man who understood both spiritual truth and practical life. As his time on earth neared its end, he left this timeless advice to women who desire true beauty:

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
(1 Peter 3:3–4 NIV)

Peter highlights the inner beauty of a woman who trusts in God. This gentle and quiet spirit was the adornment of holy women in the past, and it remains the kind of beauty God treasures—and that godly men appreciate.

Godly men know this truth:

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”
(Proverbs 31:30 NIV)

If your focus is only on outward beauty, hoping to attract a godly man, you may be disappointed. That approach usually draws shallow attention. True attraction comes from within—a spirit that fears the Lord and radiates grace.

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How Do You Know What’s in a Person?

You can’t measure a person by looks alone. The fear of God—or lack of it—is revealed in how someone handles life’s temptations, especially sin. Scripture says:

“By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.”
(Proverbs 16:6 KJV)

People who justify or hide sin lack reverence for God. But those who confess and turn away from sin show true godliness.

When Samuel was sent to anoint Israel’s next king, he was impressed by Eliab’s outward appearance. But God corrected him:

“Do not consider his appearance or his height… The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
(1 Samuel 16:7 NIV)

The lesson? God sees deeper—and so do godly men.

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Do Godly Men Care About Outward Beauty?

Absolutely! But they put first things first.

External beauty matters, but it must reflect something deeper. When God instructed Moses to clothe Aaron the priest, He said:

“Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor.”
(Exodus 28:2 NIV)

Aaron’s garments were to represent the holiness within. They were beautiful—not for vanity, but for the glory they expressed. Likewise, godly men appreciate beauty that reflects inner purity and strength.

A godly man admires modesty, propriety, and dignity. He’s not interested in seduction or immodesty. He appreciates a woman’s style when it complements her character, not when it competes with it. The beauty he values is whole and refined—it honors God.

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What Does a Godly Woman’s Beauty Look Like?

A beautiful woman in the eyes of a godly man dresses with grace. She doesn’t use clothes to hide insecurity or attract ungodly attention. Her appearance expresses dignity and a holy confidence in her identity as a woman created by God.

She isn’t trying to impress the world—she’s reflecting the glory of the God she serves. Her style is not about extremes, but balance. She’s not trying to become a sex object—she’s living as a vessel of honor.

This is beauty that’s defined by holiness.

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The Kind of Beauty to Avoid

Not all men define beauty the same way. Scripture describes some men whose desires are twisted by lust and greed:

“They have eyes full of adultery and never stop sinning… they are experts in greed… cursed children!”
(2 Peter 2:14 NIV)

These men are captivated by seductive beauty—what Scripture might call “Jezebel beauty.” It’s shallow, sensual, and self-serving. In today's world, many don’t even use the word beautiful anymore—they say sexy. The entire language of beauty has shifted.

Godly women don’t live by the world’s standard. They live by heaven’s.

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Final Thoughts: Becoming Beautiful in God’s Eyes

Godly men see beauty as God sees it. If your desire is to be found by a godly man, start with cultivating godly beauty. Let your reverence for God shine through your character, your choices, and yes—your appearance.

Let your inner life radiate outward. That’s the kind of beauty that attracts godly men—men of character, conviction, and calling. Men whose hearts are led by the Holy Spirit.

And when you walk in this beauty, you’re preparing not just for a wedding day—but for a life marked by righteousness, peace, and joy.

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Do you desire to become this kind of woman? Or are you a man seeking a woman with this kind of beauty? Let’s talk about how to grow in godly character and godly relationships in the comments below.

First written by Ifiok Ukobo as a contribution to the book "Unveiling the Daughters of Sarah". 

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[i] An article by Jennifer Haid, EdD Sr. Director, Consumer Strategist, Health/Beauty. Accessed from www.iconoculture.com (2010)