THE RAGING STORM: PART 2 (TURNING YOUR STORM INTO AN OPPORTUNITY, EXAMPLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE) ACTS 27

Acts 27:14(But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. 20. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. 22. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship) The storm of life is an inevitable occurrence in our lives as we go through our journey here on earth. It is important to know what do at this point in our lives because our approach toward the storms is what will determine the outcome. Some see their storm as a threat while some see it as a challenge, it all depend on our level of understanding and faith in God. Storms are meant to stop us from getting to our destination; It is Satan positioning people at every stage to stop you from getting anything done, it will look as if there is no way out, it is very discouraging because anytime you want to try new thing or take a new approach he will remind you that you are going to fail. He will be hitting you in all directions with troubles all at the same time, calamities, unnecessary hatred and disappointments, etc. At this stage the only way to know whether God is with you in the ship is that you will have inner peace. People will be watching to see how you are going to overcome and if you succeed they will turn to your God (Zech8:23). Apostle Paul took advantage of his storm to draw many to Christ (Acts 27:22-25). God used Jonah’s storm to turn the people in the ship to himself because their gods failed them (Jonah 1:14-16). At times when it comes to the issue of storm our disobedience cannot stop God from glorifying himself. Whether we like it or not his name must be glorified. Paul was a man on assignment, trying to stop him is a waste of time because he turns all his challenges into an opportunity to draw many to Christ. Even King Agrippa confessed that he almost become a Christian (Acts 26:28). In the middle of the storm he ignored Satan because he had trust in God that no matter what happens he will get to his destination. Apostle Paul’s approach to the raging storm is the best way to handle the storm of life. Every one of us should emulate him. It is very important to study those who have gone before of us in their journey; it helps in building up our faith. I believe that Apostle Paul remembered how God took advantage of Jonah’s storm to draw many to him. Paul did the same and it worked perfectly. Most of the time, in Satan’s effort to stop us he helps us to achieve our purpose in life, if we know how to take advantage of the situation. The storm did not bother Paul; while others were crying he was calm (Acts 27:34-37). He pleaded with them to eat. He told them that God has assured him of their safety. Luke 21:(13. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 17. And all shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. 18. But there shall not an hair of your head perish). Jesus has promised him safety. That’s all that mattered to him. Friends, no matter how tempestuous the wind is right now, it shall turn to you for a testimony in Jesus name. Focus on God, keep moving, and don’t be distracted. Jesus is in that ship with you and you cannot sink. But if Jesus is not yet in your ship, this is an opportunity to invite him into your ship to calm the storm. Lord Jesus, I come to you today, I am a sinner, I cannot help myself, forgive me my sins, cleanse me with your precious blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the living God. Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and saviour. Now I know, I am Born Again, Amen. #womanyouarefree www.womanuarefree.blogspot.com neneisahoc@gmail.com

THE RAGING STORM: PART 1 MARK 4:37-41, LUKE 8:23-25, MATTHEW 14:23-33

Matthew 14:24(But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25. And the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 31. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him. O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32. And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased) In the journey of life, you go through different phases in order to get to your destination. At times you may need to use a ship to cross over. Happy that you have finally boarded a ship, right in the middle of the sea, Satan your adversary in order to stop you from getting to your destination may stir up the sea. The raging storm can be very scary and devastating. As if the whole world is against you, anywhere you go he stirs up trouble for you. They would all be coming at the same time. This can send people to their early grave without fulfilling their God ordained destiny. At this point he has only one mission, which is to kill you because he knows what is waiting for you across the sea. What you do to calm the storm and who you turn to is very crucial at this stage. At this stage turning back is not an option because you are right there in the middle of a tempestuous storm. You can actually view your destination from afar before the unfortunate event happens. God is the only one that can calm the raging storm. There is no other option than to cry unto him for help. Someone is turning to God for help today in Jesus name. Your ship will not sink in Jesus name. You will come out victorious. It doesn’t matter how tempestuous the wind is, our confidence in God is what is require to calm the storm. Redemption has made us the wind, which means, if we are conscious of who we are in Christ, Satan will not be able to use the storm against us. He will not know the direction we are going to take because our rage against him will be stronger (John 3:8). Jesus Christ will do anything to save anyone who will call unto him for help. He walked upon the sea to save his disciple. He is a good shepherd. Jesus has given us the weapon of faith to calm any storm. Our faith in Christ is stronger than any storm. Right in the middle of a tempestuous storm Peter walked upon the sea but as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus he began to sink and Jesus stretched out his hand to save him. All things are possible if you believe (Mark 9:23). As a believer we are empowered to walk upon the sea, to calm the storm like Jesus did. This means that we have power to walk through any situation in life if we focus and trust in him. John 14:12(Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my father). Take a bold step and confront the storm, it does not matter if you have a little doubt, what matters the most is to cry unto him for help and he will show up. Jesus finished his assignment here on earth; you also will finish well in Jesus name. Jesus entered their ship and the wind ceased. He is waiting for you to invite him into your ship right there in the middle of the raging storm, so hurry up. Lord Jesus, I come to you today, I am a sinner, I cannot help myself, forgive me my sins, cleanse me with your precious blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the living God. Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and saviour. Now I know, I am Born Again, Amen. #womanyouarefree www.womanuarefree.blogspot.com neneisahoc@gmail.com

WHY AM I HERE ON EARTH? MATTHEW 25:14-30

Matthew 25(14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightaway took his journey. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents) Every product is manufactured to serve a purpose and no one knows the product more than the manufacturer. We are here to serve a purpose. We are all here on assignment of which when we are done, we will need to give account of our work here. Friends, this is the reason why you cannot afford to live a careless life. In this case, God is the manufacturer and we are the works of his hand. Whether you like it or not you will be asked to account for your life. Just like the parable of the three servants. Jesus Christ told his parents that he went about doing his Father’s business (Luke 2:49). You are not here by accident, you have a part to play and it is only you that can do it better because he has equipped you to do it. So don’t ever think less of yourself. You have something unique to offer to the world. God has given each one of us something to profit with if only you can get it out; it’s deep inside (1 Corinthians 12:7). But you need the word of God for direction; his word is our blueprint. You may say, Nene, I am confused. It is okay to be confused but what you do to get it straight is what matters. That’s when you need to get back to the manufacturer. He has made available to us a manual which is the bible. Believe me all the answers you ever need to get it straight are in there. The unprofitable servant from our text was cast into darkness by his master for failing to be productive. There was weeping and gnashing of teeth in the darkness (Matt 25:30), that shall not be your portion in Jesus name. I know for sure that along the way things might have happened. Some people get lost or get their talent stolen. There is nothing you have lost that cannot be recovered. All you have to do is to make an effort, don’t wait for him to return and cast you into darkness. If you have lost contact with the manufacturer, the first step to access him is salvation. John 10:10(The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life and that they might have it abundantly) Lord Jesus, I come to you today, I am a sinner, I cannot help myself, forgive me my sins, cleanse me with your precious blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the living God. Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and saviour. Now I know, I am Born Again, Amen. #womanyouarefree www.womanuarefree.blogspot.com neneisahoc@gmail.com

YOUR TRUE IDENTITY: MATTHEW 16:13-17, LUKE 4:17-18

Matt 16(13.When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14. And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets) Your true identity is whom God says you are and not what your circumstances and situation has made you to be or whom the people think you are. In life, everybody wants to be identified. The question is how many really know their true identity? Even Jesus asked his disciples the same questions in (Matt 16:13) whom do men say that I the son of man am? The Jews asked John the Baptist the same question, who are you? Whether you like it or not, this question will always be there and if you don’t answer it and define yourself, people will answer it for you. Don’t leave the blank space for them to fill in because you may not like the answer. In the case of Jesus, his disciples gave him different answers except Peter who true the help of God answered correctly. Matt 16:16 (And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God). John the Baptist refused to accept who the people assumed he was because he knew who God says he is from the scripture and he was already in the line of his destiny. John 1:20(And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ). Our identity is in the words of God as written in the Bible. If you have not found yours ask the lord to reveal it to you. Matt 7:7(Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you). Don’t try to be someone else, because as our faces are different so is our assignment here on earth. Since the day I discovered my identity from the scripture, I held on to it and memorized the entire verse because I needed to keep reminding myself, this also helped me to fight on and keep running no matter the challenges. Jesus did not say that we would not face challenges but he guaranteed us victory. John 16:33. A wise woman once said and I quote “it is okay to fall but it is a sin to remain on the ground” so friends no matter how many times you fall, get up and continue your journey. Jesus Christ opened the book and found what was written concerning him in (Luke4:17-18). The good news is that the book is still available to you and me. But you need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, I come to you today, I am a sinner, I cannot help myself, forgive me my sins, cleanse me with your precious blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the living God. Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and saviour. Now I know, I am Born Again, I am free! Amen. #womanyouarefree www.womanuarefree.blogspot.com neneisahoc@gmail.com

FREEDOM FROM CONDEMNATION: PART 3 (JOHN 8:3-12)

John 8:7(So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 9. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst). Roman 3:23 (For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God) 2 Corinthians 5:21(For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him) We have all sinned, is by his grace that we were saved. The same grace has been made available to you. I believe that among the things Jesus Christ wrote on the ground concerning that woman is that, he is taken her place. Jesus demonstrated the ultimate love by sacrificing himself for us to be saved. 2cor5:18(And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation) He has given us the same assignment, in our own case we don’t need to die for anyone, all we need to do is to introduce them to the treasure that we have found in Christ. That’s Love. Instead of condemning others, do what Jesus Christ did for that woman by saving them. The accusers of that woman were convicted by their conscience but yet refused to convert. Matt 7:1-5 Jesus said, we should remove the beam in our own eyes so that we can see clearly in casting out the mote in our brother’s eyes. We need to keep our garment clean, so that we would not be embarrassed like the Pharisees. Jesus stooped down; I believe he wrote their names along with their secret sins, because the scripture said, they left one after another. Jesus is the defender of the defenseless. The woman does not need to defend herself, he took over her defense. I don’t know how many stones they want to cast against you, but one thing I am sure of is that Jesus is here waiting for you to run to him. As soon as you align with him they will drop their stones. You may ask, Nene, how is that possible. I know because I am saved by his loving grace. You also shall be free in Jesus name. Lord Jesus, I come to you today, I am a sinner, I cannot help myself, forgive me my sins, cleanse me with your precious blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the living God. Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and saviour. Now I know, I am Born Again, Amen. #womanyouarefree www.womanuarefree.blogspot.com neneisahoc@gmail.com

FREEDOM FROM CONDEMNATION: PART 2 (WOMAN, WHERE ARE THOSE YOUR ACCUSERS?) JOHN 8:3-12, REVELATION 12:7-12, JOHN 1:29

John 8: 10(When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? 11. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more). Revelation 12:10(And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night) The woman’s real accuser was Satan; those men were just mere tools in his hand. He is a man of sin. Don’t fall for him, he accuses the brethren. He knows that if you are clean, he will not have anything to hold against you. He is a thief, a destroyer and a killer. John 10:10(The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly). That’s exactly what he wanted to do to that woman; he has succeeded in stealing her destiny and destroyed her. He was on the final stage; he was on his way to killing her before Jesus Christ rescued her. As a believer, you need to know your right and protect it. If you are ignorant of his device, he will steal from you. He will entice you and drag you into sin and then use the same sin to persecute you. He is a trickster. You don’t need to wait for him to destroy you or even get to the final stage, tell him enough is enough that you know the truth now. John 8: 32(And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free). The good news is that he has been defeated. Jesus has won the battle for us on the cross of Calvary. Jesus asked, woman, where are those your accusers? As soon as she received her deliverance, her accusers left, they were living one after another. That’s exactly what will happen to the person reading this, who is in any form of bondage. I don’t care how many of them are up against you, they will all leave you today in Jesus name. Revelation 12:11(They overcame him by the blood of the lamb) Jesus is the Lamb of God. John 1:29. You can’t have access to his blood except you become his child. John 1:12(But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to him that believe on his name) Lord Jesus, I come to you today, I am a sinner, I cannot help myself, forgive me my sins, cleanse me with your precious blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the living God. Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and saviour. Now I know, I am Born Again, I am free! Amen. #womanyouarefree www.womanuarefree.blogspot.com neneisahoc@gmail.com