by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jul 4, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Truly when I look back over my life I discover that the many times I thought my prayers were denied was actually only delayed. Of course, at such times, I would query God on why He refused to give answer my deepest heart desires, and yet He answers some others. I believe if life is to speak to you, it will say, I’ll surely get to you, hang on! Life is good, so it will never suggest suicide!
At some point I had thought my iniquities were so much that they defiled God’s mercies. This thought sometimes led to self-comparison, which further made me cast aspersion on God’s love and goodness. Through it all, God’s word tried me and proved me. And, I can testify that it was good for me to have experienced those adversities, because it deepened my understanding of God and His acts.
Yes, Life will always present broken places, places of struggles and conflicts. To assume that life will always be rosy is the height of self-deception. Even your faith which is more precious than silver or gold will be tried (1 Peter 1:4). It is these terrifying moments that has taught me how to soar! This is the reasons why I believe and confidently proclaim that, ‘I am winning!’
The real test of faith is in the silence of being on hold. There are certain times when life seem stagnant, or suspended. Then, you feel you’re are the verge of something phenomenal. Then, it would feel like eternity, when these silent coaches take your patience into strenuous calisthenics.
Do you feel you’re on hold? If you have a divine purpose and life has put you on hold hang on there. Yes, stay on the line until life gets back to you. Patience gets a workout when God’s answer is no answer. Stay on the line, life will surely get back to you! You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
“THE PRESENT IS THE KEY TO THE PAST; BUT THE PAST IS NOT THE PRESENT.”
GreatMark
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jul 2, 2017 | Uncategorized |
July 2nd is the day when the supposed Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) was said to have crashed. Altbough the day is celebrated by some on June 24, which is said to be the date that Aviator Kenneth Arnold reported the sighting of an unidentified flying object in the United States.
World UFO Day is an awareness day for people to gather together and watch the skies for unidentified flying objects.
I remember vividly when I was in primary school, we use to watch the skies to look for UFOs. And even played the computer game of UFOS so much more that it became very popular amongst my peers.
Today, as the world marks the day, what came to mind was about a similar future event but which has a contrast to the occurrence of UFOs.
It is a future event that would some day see the world also gaze into the skies prompted by the sound of trumpets that would Herald the descent of a King. It is the second coming of Christ.
The event would be so sudden that many would attempt to identify where the sound of a trumpet is coming from as well as the image of a man riding on a horse. Every eyes shall see Him. Some would be transformed while some would watch on, and would call to remembrance what has been said about Him. For many, it would be too late to make a change.
It is the rapture of the saints. A final call up of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Rev. 1:7.
Unlike the UFO, everyone who sees him would recognize him. He would be an identified image. His source is heaven, his purpose is clearly to rapture the saints, for whom he has prepared a place in heaven (John 14:6). He’s Jesus Christ, the coming King. He is coming soon. Are you ready to meet him?
Be expectant. Be prepared. You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
GreatMark
Reference: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_UFO_Day
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jul 1, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Despite all their efforts to avoid the transformer, its impact turned out to be an amazing story of national significance.
Just immediately after returning from exiles the people gave all efforts and attention to re-building their ruined homes, and businesses while abandoning the place of worship, which was at the centre of their community, and was a symbol of their sustenance.
The determination to catch up with years lost in captivity, and regain the lost years of business activities and economic boom was at the top of their agenda. Their pursuit was to re-enact the days of prosperity by every means, therefore, ‘God and his business can wait’, they thought.
This action by the people made God issue a warning and instructions through the Prophet Hagai, saying, “…consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified.” Haggai 1:7-8. Apparently, God had watched them struggle in vain. In His sovereignty, He had prevented their land from yielding its fruits, and has made national blessings elusive.
Despite all the efforts to achieve a desired result, failures and disappointments met all their endeavours. Though they made several attempts at success, yet frustrations wasn’t far away from them. They invested so much in agriculture and anticipated flourishing commercial harvest. But instead of celebrating abundance, calamities and adversities were the reoccurring phenomenon.
Is your story and experience similar to the one painted above? Have you struggled so much to achieve a desired results yet several of your expectations have failed you? Could it be that like these returning exiles, you have given little or no time to the things that concerns God, and you have become so pre-occuppied with the busyness of this life? Little wonder your achievements are elusive and you have little or no result to show for all your frantic efforts. You may have even fasted and prayed, and used your hitherto sure human connections, yet your efforts ended in futility.
Perhaps, this is because you have forgotten that it is never how far but how well. You should not also forget that, except God builds a house, the labourers works in vain (Psalm 27:1). I know you have committed so much to your business yet you get poor results. Up till now your sincere efforts to pass an exam has been in futility, even though you have committed so much resources into it. Perhaps, you should consider your ways, and do it right again!
God is saying, “Give me your attention and mind my own business as well, and I’ll make your little effort yield great harvest. Seeing that I control the wind and the rains, I can choose to shut the heavens so that your hard labour would yield futility. Likewise, I can choose to open up the gates of heaven so that your little efforts would yield bountiful harvests.
“I am the fountain of life.” How much longer can you survive without me? Just as a river that forgets its source would dry up, so also you cannot truly succeed without me. A consistent friendship with me is the sure way to true prosperity because I don’t only give you the good things of life, I also give life, abundant life!”, says the Lord.
For the returning exiles, God’s instructions to them was to make the building of the place of worship a reality. It was a call to give God the best place in their national life, whilst they go about their own businesses.
In the new covenant, we are God’s temple as such He wouldn’t want our temple to be in ruin. For you, God’s instruction might be a call to re-awaken from your state of spiritual lethargy. It might be a call to rise up to your duty and calling. Or to you, it might be a call to cease from your struggles and embrace the way of godliness, peace and righteousness.
“Go up to the mountain…!” Begin the process of experiencing a closer and more intimate fellowship with your creator. Like the Israelites did obeyed the voice of the Lord, their God, and they worked on the house of the Lord, you too should heed His instructions so you can be transferred, and enjoy the promise of great and bountiful harvest.
The word of God is the transformer that changes us and our situations. God’s instruction is Like a Step-up-transformer that connects us to a higher realm of grace and favour with God. If you want to follow God more closely you must know what He says every moment. The more we know the scope of God’s word, the more resources we would have to guide us in our daily decisions, and more fulfilling our lives would be.
God’s word is a grace-carrying-conductor. It impacts strength to our hearts and inspire our zeal. As long as our delights is in the things that pleases God, He will always transform us by His grace, and He will empower us to yield excellent results. We must daily spend time in His presence, and make the choices that show our love and devotion for Him.
Dear friend, rise up from the ashes and step up with God. Let God’s word transform you (Romans 12:2). You’re winning! Yes, we are winning! Welcome to the month of July. Cheers!
GreatMark
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jun 29, 2017 | Uncategorized |
The saying that money answers all things is one reason I think many bulls are very much expected in the church. This possibly is also the reason why lots of efforts are focused on money-making activities in some of our house of worship. No doubt, ‘Money is the wheel of the gospel’, as they say, but when this takes the place of sincere worship experience, then it becomes worrisome.
Knowing the need for financial resources in the church, why would God say that he does not want our offerings? In addressing the hypocritical Israelites, He declared, “I have no need of a bull from your stall..for every animal of the forest is mine….” Psalm 50:9. God rejected their offerings because their lives were not pleasing to him.
The anxiety about offerings to give in church prevents some from attending church services because they don’t want to been seen as not participating in the contributions. I have interacted with few who confided in me that they truly wouldn’t like to be embarrassed during offering time especially when they would be required to dance to the alter and drop their offerings. And so they stay away from church until they are financially buoyant.My question is, should this be so?
For self justification, some would usually quote the bible verse that instructed us not to come to God’s presence empty-handed. “…No one is to show up in the Presence of God empty-handed; each man must bring as much as he can manage, giving generously in response to the blessings of God , your God.” -Deuteronomy 16: 16-17 MSG.
Truly, God instructed us to offer our gifts as a way of appreciation and honor to him. But this, He advised must be done out of a cheerful and generous heart, and not by compulsion. Thus, a genuine lack and inability to give offerings is acceptable to God, but a fat offering from a proud and ungodly heart is an abomination to him.
Church offering and tithes are part of our worship experience. It’s purpose is clearly stated in Malachi 3:10: “Bring all the tithes into the store house that there may be food in My house…”. Firstly our offerings or tithes are not useful to God but it is for the propagation of the gospel. He made the world and everything in it, and so He calls for worship that is from a pure heart.
Here the church is the storehouse; the place where one receives spiritual help, where his gospel needs are supplied and where he meets his responsibility in the work of God. Thus, for the proclamation of the gospel, our cheerful contributions are important for the church. However, this should not be done out of force or coercion, rather it should be given out of a cheerful heart and not as a grudging obligation.
Apostle Paul admonished the Corinthians church to give from willing and beneficial hearts, not from a grudging and covetous spirit (2 Corinthians 9:5). He further stated in vs. 7 four things that a man must do in giving. This includes:
1. He must give willingly from the heart
2. He must not give grudgingly
3. He must not give of compulsion
4. He must give cheerfully.
Therefore, God will be pleased to have us enjoy his presence without the burden of what to contribute in church. He’s much more concerned about our hearts of worship than our gifts. He asked, “Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?”(Psalm 50: 14). He’s more interested in the sacrifice of our lives than our meager or bountiful offerings. Remember that Gods acceptance of the sacrifices of Abel and His refusal of that of Cain was not based on the quality of their gifts but on the state of their hearts.
In the same vein, we are sometimes motivated to give beyond our ability so that we can enjoy more of God’s blessings. Oftentimes, this is borne out of compulsion or coercion, and the greedy believers would fall into the trap of testing God with their offerings. God cannot be mocked! If such gifts are from an unwilling heart, it would yield no peaceable fruits except if spiritually manipulated in an ungodly manner.
We should view our sacrifices as an act of commitment and fellowship with God, not as a way of manipulating God into putting His stamp of approval on our plans. No! God is rich beyond our dreams; He has no need of our offerings. What matters to him is the attitude we take towards him.
God is deserving of our sincere worship, absolutely. His acceptance of us is not dependent on the quality or quantity of our offerings. He wants our lives as sacrifices. This is the reasonable and acceptable worship that is pleasing to him.
So, don’t just take bulls to church, take your hearts of worship to church. The pastor might be pleased with your well nourished bulls but to God it may be a disgusting sacrifice and an effort in futility. Rather, take to church a broken spirit, not just a bull! God can despise your beautiful and bountiful offerings but a broken and a contrite heart He will not despise (Psalm 51:17).
Offer yourself wholly to your maker. You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
DIVINE STRATEGIES FOR WINNING III
DIVINE STRATEGIES FOR WINNING III
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by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jun 23, 2017 | Uncategorized |
What are the consequences of stress and infertility?
Whether stress and fertility are linked as cause or consequence is unclear, and there is no consensus on the most appropriate methods for measuring stress in fertile women. Controversy aside, well-known academic institutions are offering a spectrum of nontraditional approaches. Facing fertility diagnosis can be an isolating experience, and taking part in support groups can help couples feel like they are alone in their attempts to conceive a child. “For most couples, it’s a very heartfelt journey. It is the number one priority in their life.”
The truth is that this relationship is very hard to study. Thinking about all the factors that go into our concept of stress makes it all the more difficult. Take an individual who is a Type A personality? Do you like stress and perform better under stress? Is infertility only a small part of the stress such as illness or family problems? These are the issues. Personality styles, ways of coping with stress, the amount of stress in the environment, and support systems are only some of the factors that need to be considered when we look at the relationship of stress and fertility.
Infertile couple giving a bribe for IVF treatment
When working with individuals going through infertility treatment. I often hear them wish they had more control over the events in their lives, particularly their fertility. The desire to be able to directly affect ability to become pregnant is powerful. On the other hand, acting on this desire may make the person feel responsible if he or she is unable to get pregnant because you are “too upright”. “working too many hours” or “not relaxed enough”. It is still unknown whether stress causes infertility. More in search is needy in this area to prove this relationship.
Infertility places a heavy burden upon people’s esteem, and stress arise from the negative self-image. Many men and women report feeling less masculine or feminine after diagnosis of infertility. I often hear infertile women tell me that they feel their bodies do not work right or are defective.Phrases such as “everyone else can get pregnant” or “I must have something wrong to deserve this”: reflects how badly individuals view themselves.
Unknowingly, family or friends can reinforce this image. Hearing statement like “I just had to look at my husband to get pregnant” can be very hurtful. Some mothers have told their daughters “I don’t understand- I never had a problem getting pregnant”. This statement, which may have meant to reassure daughter that there cannot be a major problem because it would have been known previously in the family, only serves to make the infertile daughter feel defective or estranged from her mother.
We grow up assuming we are fertile; most couple with whom I work have been actively using contraception to prevent pregnancy. It feels like we should be able to control our infertility-after all we have always assumed we could control to have a bay. Infertility robs us of our control and choices, leaving us vulnerable to depression and felling of hopelessness. For the infertile couple, feelings of guilt and responsibility can arise. It is not uncommon to hear an infertile partner offer (only half-jokingly) to divorce their partner so that they can have a child with someone else.
UNCERTAINTY
Stress may also arise from uncertainty in the future. Many patients often say to me that they could do this for years if they would just tell me that in the end I will get pregnant. Someone ones describe infertility as “being limbo.” Couples postpone vacations “in case” they are pregnant. Women will put off buying clothes with the hope that they will be pregnant and not need them.
Other women will stop all caffeine, alcohol and heavy exercise. Infertile couples are living in limbo not knowing what the future holds. They also live in limbo because they do not always know when they need to be available to run into the doctor’s offices. Men may find their work schedule impacted because they need to be available for timed intercourse or to provide a specimen.
EFFECT OF INFERTILITY ON SEXUALITY: Many couples experience a change in their sex lives while trying to battle infertility. Sexual intimacy may be replaced by scheduled sex. I frequently hear men joke that they feel like a “sperm donor” during sex. Couples may also feel that sex and pregnancy are no longer related. This may be the case if the couple is going through inseminations or through assisted reproductive technologies. To this couple, sex may represent something that has failed them.
To some, sex seems pointless and indulgent to some couples who feels that their sex lives were changed. Women may also feel that their bodies are changed for the worse medications. Certainly, if you are having an ultrasound every morning and your ovaries are enlarged, you may feel less sexy or sexual than usual.
The treatment of infertility takes time. The medications most women take during infertility treatment can have side effects. These side effects include headaches, fatigue, and premenstrual symptoms such as feeling irritable, sad or moody. For those women who need to take injections, the need mix medications and injections can cause a great fell of stress.
Some couples find that sharing responsibility for mixing medication and injection can prevent all the stress from falling on the woman and can help reduce her feelings that she is going through the treatment on her own.
Above all, it is God who works in us to do and to will for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). With God there is nothing impossible, and to him who has put his faith in God, nothing shall be impossible. Put your confidence in God always, and He will bring it to pass. Don’t fret, this too shall come to pass. You are winning. Yes, we are winning!
Doctor Ajayi (Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos), 2006
https://yeswearewinning.com/2017/06/07/how-to-cope-with-stress-and-infertility/
https://backup.yeswearewinning.com/2017/06/07/how-to-cope-with-stress-and-infertility/
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jun 22, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Have you ever wondered how wealthy the church really is? Have you ever wondered how much treasures can be found in the church? Today, we read about top richest pastors, and their many exploits, including their immense amassement of wealth and affluent lifestyles. Of course their wealth cannot be valued outside the financial contributions of their members. And this include those who give cheerfully and those that were coerced into giving their meager resources.
What are the treasures of the church?
Lawrence was a deacon serving in Rome in the third century when a wave of persecution broke out. When Pope Sixtus and others were killed Lawrence knew it was only a matter of time before they came for him. As keeper of the Church’s goods, he had already been responsible for giving alms to the poor. Now he started giving them even more.
Soon Lawrence was called before Roman officials who demanded he hand over the church’s treasure. He replied that indeed the church was rich and asked for three days to get everything in order.
The days passed and the Roman officials arrived not to a church filled with silver and gold but one filled with the poor, blind, lame and leprous. “Here are the treasures of the church” declared Lawrence. The official were furious and in the year 258 had Lawrence executed.2
Are the treasures of the church truly the indigent, the poor, and the sick? Are the treasures of the church not the silver and gold, state-of-the-art facilities, beautiful edifices and mansions, real estates, shares and stocks, schools, hospitals, and other numerous investments of the church? No doubt, the articles of silver and gold that Saint Lawrence gave to the poor and needy was more important to the church officials who had him executed for ‘mismanaging the treasures of the church.’
In his book, ‘The Vatican Billions’, writer and philosopher Avro Manhattan gives us a glimpse of the true financial worth of the catholic church. He wrote, “The Catholic church is the biggest financial power, wealth accumulator and property owner in existence. She is a greater possessor of material riches than any other single institution, corporation, bank, giant trust, government or state of the whole globe.”1
About the affluence of the Pope, he said, “The pope, as the visible ruler of this immense amassment of wealth, is consequently the richest individual of the twentieth century. No one can realistically assess how much he is worth in terms of billions of dollars.” 1
It is amazing how so much wealth is in the church, and yet the gap of inequality continues to widen among members of church. The Scriptures tells of the history of the early church in its infancy, when all the believers were together and had everything in common. “Selling their possessions and goods,they shared with anyone who was in need.Selling their possessions and goods,they shared with anyone who was in need. Acts 2: 45. What has happened to the devotion, piety, and love that characterized the early church? Why is the accumulation of wealth more important to the salvation of souls?
Gone are the days when the passion of the Church is the welfare of members and the indigent people. When the desire to build lives through discipleship ranks topmost in the mission of the church. Now, it looks very different. Many leaders would prefer to suck members dry and leave them in abject poverty just because they want to build edifices or compete favourably with other churches. Agreed, it is good to build comfortable places of worship, but it is far more rewarding to build lives and lead them heavenwards.
Avro Manhattan further noted that, “Jesus was the poorest of the poor. Roman Catholicism, which claims to be His church, is the richest of the rich, the wealthiest institution on earth. How come, that such an institution, ruling in the name of this same itinerant preacher, whose want was such that he had not even a pillow upon which to rest his head, is now so top-heavy with riches that she can rival – indeed, that she can put to shame – the combined might of the most redoubtable financial trusts, of the most potent industrial super-giants, and of the most prosperous global corporation of the world?”1
I do know that few of our churches are involved in humanitarian services, and benevolent programs, but I think we are not doing enough. Whilst we build church edifices, and establish several businesses for the church, we need to devote our resources to bridging the gap of inequalities amongst members of the church by creating more welfare programs for the poor in our midst.
Lawrence was right about the treasures of the church was he not? The people are the treasures of the church! A wealthy church is such that is devoted to building lives in accordance with the mandate of the head of the church, Jesus Christ.
You are winning! Yes, we are winning!
WORLD’S MOST FLOURISHING BUSINESS
GreatMark
Read more: 1 The Vartican Billions by Avro Mahantan
2. Internet source
