The Spirit of Christ

 

          

  A woman discovering light in a tunnel

Before time began, in eternity, Jesus Christ was. He has always been even before the world was created. Before He came in the form of man to die, He appeared and ministered to the people of God at different occasions. At different times, He appeared. However, His identity as the Son of God and Redeemer of mankind was not yet made known. In the times before He became incarnated as the Son of man, He often was referred to as 'the angel of the Lord'. One time he appeared was at Peniel where Jacob fought Him and had his name changed to Israel.God knows why He rendered Jesus obscure during those times. 

The Spirit of Jesus Christ is the Holy Spirit. I know this is most times, hard theology, however, the blessed Trinity were all present and cooperated in the creation of the world and all living/non-living things on Earth. Three persons in one God. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. The spirit of God hovered over the waters and the world was in utter darkness. When God said, 'let there be light', the word and the spirit both cooperated to cause light to be. God's speech comprise of His breath and His words, the breath is the Holy Spirit and His word is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is a person, Jesus Christ is a person and God is also a person. They are all one.The Holy Spirit is God in the form by which He can dwell in a man. Jesus Christ is God in the form of a man and God is God as He is. They all have different manners of expression, different levels of jurisdiction and different divisions of duty towards us.

The Spirit of Christ has the same attributes of God, so does Jesus although they may differ in manners of operation and expression. The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of God because Jesus Christ is visible likeness of the invisible God. Their natures are one and the same.

The Spirit of Christ gives us the ability to relate with God as sons. It imbues us with all the expressions of the blessed Trinity including their very nature. It also helps us to have the same disposition Jesus has in heart, mind and mannerism. This disposition is one and the same with that of the Holy Spirit.

As the Spirit of Christ is in us, we become his own and not of ourselves.

For more Christian Blogs like this one, feel free to check out the Top 100 Christian Blogs list on Feedspot. You can also find Thoughts of Juliet on No. 195 of the list.

Happy read and happy discoveries!

The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit

 

                             The Holy Trinity

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, because of this, He was able to go about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.

He developed this ability because God came to live within Him in the form of the Holy Spirit.

If God did not come to live with Him and through Him on Earth, He will not have had the abilities He acquired with the anointing.

The Holy Spirit is a person with a personality and He is the very power force of God.

He enables people to do good and manifest power.

Not by their might or strength but by the indwelling of the Him in them.

The Holy Spirit is the power and wisdom of God in the form of a person.

When God anointed Jesus Christ, He equipped Him with the power to do things beyond the ordinary.

The Holy Spirit is a defender and proofer of everything God has said.

He supports and consolidates God 's word with the evidence of manifestation.

Without faith, the Holy Spirit cannot work.

It is by foolishness and stupidity that God is given room to show Himself.

When we have suspended reasoning and rationalization, the supernatural can find room to express itself.

Some miracles needs the faith of the receiver in order to occur.

The reason why the people of this times has not seen or experienced signs and wonders like of the days of old is because the faith of the ancient times does not exist anymore.

Technology and Science has empowered people to believe in what they can do but where Science and technology ends, God takes over.

God is even in the midst of Science and technology because it is all as a result of the ingenuity He liberally gave to mankind that they are able to do all they do.

God has empowered us to do many things and solve many problems by ourselves but it would be much wiser to invite him into all our decision making and problem solving, this is because divinity sees farther than humanity can ever probe into.

Where then is the Holy Spirit supposed to come into?

When is He supposed to come into the picture?

From the very beginning, even within and in the midst of our seeming human capabilities, it is important to still place His counsel above our intellectual reasoning for a divine touch to be present.

Also, when the road seems to meet a close end, that is when we are supposed to key into our faith in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Not to give up because it seems impervious but to invite the Holy Spirit to take absolute control where our strengths and abilities have failed us.

If we relate with the Holy Spirit as the person that He is and entrust Him with a confidence and faith that He is able, what He can do with us, through us and with us is limitless.

The Holy Spirit, the word of God and God were all present in the beginning.

God spoke His word and things became out of nothing.

He breathed into things and they became living souls.

The word is Jesus Christ.

His breath the Holy Spirit.

These three persons who created everything we see and enjoy today are still very alive and with us today.

How much more, God is with us and in us.

The Holy Spirit is the same as the Spirit of Christ.

And God dwells in man in the form of His Spirit.

The Father and the Son are one.

So, you see... these Three are one and the same God manifesting and relating to us in different forms and ways.

Invisible, in flesh and as spirit with fullness of power and might.

They are inseparable.

"I and my Father are one" - John 10:30

Commune with the Holy Spirit on a daily basis, talk to Him, reason with Him, communicate with Him..

If you relate to God , Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as you relate with a normal person you see everyday, they will become more and more real to you.

They are alive and realer than anything in the world but they can only show up like that you show them that you believe that they are real.

When you speak to them as living beings , present, here and now with you, you will experience them in a way the people of the Bible times experienced them.

Faith is the key into a world of daily experiences with them.

It will become normal to you and they will come with everything they are: as three persons in one God, as God Almighty.

The Sin of Idolatry

         Idolatry sometimes looks holy

Anything that you cannot give to God, is an idol to you.

If you cannot hand over or surrender anything or anyone to God, then, that is an idol to you.

God is the only one true God.

He does not like sharing anyone or anything that belongs to Him with any other god.

You should not put any other thing or person before God but God.

Every other thing should come secondary, God should always come first.

In every environment, there are always dominant gods being worshipped in that area.

The dominant god or gods could be a particular way of life, a spiritual deity, a particular sin , habit or culture common to a group of people.

If God is put first in our lives, every other thing will fall into place.

The kind of idols that we Christians will be most likely tempted to worship other than God is the idols most prevalent in our present environment.

Every sinful lifestyle is a form of idolatry in itself because before a thing or act can be called a sin, it has to defy the authority and place of God.

In every environment, there is always one dominant act of idolatry in the form of sin.

The prevalence of that sin is consolidated by the presence of spirit entity(ies) whose duty it is to ensure that that particular sin proliferates and reproduces.

As a child of God, it is our duty to be vigilant and sober in our prayer life in order to not fall prey to the spirit entity(ies) governing idolatry in any area.

There are also angels of God assigned to different locations who keep watch and guard the children of God in that area.

The spirit entity(ies) which are not of God and whose duty it is to ensure sin in a particular location recognize the children of God when they see them.

The same applies to the angels in charge of their protection and guidance.

The evil ones will try to lure the children of God into sinful lifestyle but with the help of the angels and their own cooperation, they will overcome.

God has charged us to fear no one, bow to no one, serve no one or sacrifice to no one but Him.

This does not mean that we should be rebellious to everyone around us but it means that we should fear Him only, bow to Him only, serve Him only and sacrifice to Him only.

You know that in the matters of service, we are able to serve our invisible God through service to humanity provided it doesn't lead us to sin against God.

God admonishes us to sacrifice to Him through our sacrifice to humanity provided that we do not end up committing sin in the process.

Jesus Christ obeyed God by offering His life on the cross for us.

God should be the motivation and the motive behind all our actions.

Love should be the motivation and the motive behind all our actions.

Absolutely, God is love and love is God.

We can provoke God into different emotions that cause Him to chastise us or reward us.

He sees and watches us everyday.

He sees, hears and knows everything.

To every human being, servants and prophets of God are sent.

Also, to every human being, agents of unrighteous are sent.

It takes a spirit of discernment to know who is who.

If your spiritual discernment is sharp and clear, you will be able to detect who is who early enough and discharge any association that is not of God quickly.

However, the devil can use any human being and God can also use any human being.

This is why it is important to be watchful and alert at all times, in every deed of yours and you will be able to spot the enemy once he shows up through anybody.

The devil is a very intelligent fellow, an excellent debator and a great orator but it takes a spiritual man to see through his reasonable lies.

This is only achievable by exposing everything in front of the mirror of the word of God.

Prior to this, a grounded knowledge and understanding of the word of God is required in order to seek counsel from it in times of decision making and conclusion drawing.

It is well with us in Jesus name, amen.

The Seeker of Entry Points

 

                     An Enemy trying to get in

Who is a seeker? A seeker is someone who is looking for something or a place, who has the desire to find it in order to get something done.

What is an entry point? An entry point is a particular place or spot or mark by which a thing or person can gain entrance.

It can also be called access point which means it is a particular place by which a particular access can be gained.

The seeker of entry points is therefore a person who is looking for particular points, spots or marks by which he or she can gain access into a someplace in order to do something.

In the Bible, different forces seek entry points into our beings.

The force of good seeks entry points into our hearts , minds, bodies, souls, spirits, lives etc.

The same with the force of evil seeking entry points into us or our lives.

The difference between the way the two forces gain access is:

The Holy Spirit, God, Angels, Jesus e.t.c will seek your consent. If you want to, you let them in...

Revelation 3:20 - "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

The devil and his cohorts will not seek your permission instead, if they find a way in, they will break in, with or without your permission.

1 Peter 5:8 - "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

I will be talking about how to make sure that you do not give access to the forces of evil.

One of the ways the enemy gains access into our bodies, hearts, minds, spirits and souls is when he sees a likeness in him.

The reason why I say hearts, minds, bodies, spirits and souls is because once a person or a force gains access to any of these, the person has gained access into our lives.

God has a likeness, a nature, the way He is and the way He does what he does, what He is known for whereas the devil has a likeness, a nature, the way he is and the way he does what he does, what he is known for.

The devil and God don't go together.

The devil avoids anything that is like God and comes close to anything that behaves like him.

So , if the devil wants to gain access into a life, he will look for loopholes, cracks or leaks by which he can break in.

The loopholes, leaks or cracks he is looking for are simply his likeness. Things , behaviors, thoughts and actions that look like what he would do.

If you have not surrendered everything you are and have to Jesus Christ, you are indirectly leaving it for the devil to mess with.

We need God, we need Jesus.

He is a great covering to us and when we take on his likeness in mind, heart, spirit, soul and body, the enemy is blocked out.

What blocks the enemy out? Characteristics of the Holy Spirit.

Love is a language and a force the devil hates.

He cannot stand love. he cannot thrive in humility, patience, long-suffering, meekness, kindness, counsel, wisdom and truth.

These virtues and all others are powerful energies that the enemy cannot penetrate.

So, he gains access to cause havoc when he sees envy, bitterness, anger, lies, jealousy, pride, foolishness e.t.c

If the enemy wants to gain access into lives, he will try to plant seeds of vices into hearts and minds so that he can get in.

He can start with thoughts, he often start with thoughts.

Sinful thoughts, hateful thoughts, lustful thoughts, perverted thoughts.

He can cause you to see something or hear something and then steer your mind to dwell on them so that he can gain access.

This is why we are admonished by the Bible to do what?

2 Corinthians 10:5 - "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"

Proverbs 4:23 - "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things"

Proverbs 6:25 - "Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids."

1 Peter 5: 8-9 - "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour whom (the people he seeks to devour) resist (him the devil) stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world".

Please, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

Secrecy, A Close Companion of Sin

                        A dark room

If I were to recount the times when I deliberately committed a sin, whether it was a sinful manner of thought, speech or action, I recall correctly that what made me bold enough to 'go on' was the assurance that no one knows.

I believed that no one could hear me, of course, except God...but the point is, I was more convinced to carry on with what I wanted to do because no human being could see me.

I thought sinful thoughts of bitterness,anger, hatred, envy, jealousy and lewdness boldly and confidently because I was convinced that no human being could hear my thoughts.

So , I enjoyed the secrecy therein and the way it oiled the wheels of my sinful deeds.

When I was saying hurtful things silently to only my hearing or maybe to the hearing of my confidant, it was because no one else could hear us and when I did bad things, I was eager to 'get it over it' because I believed no one was looking.

So, you see... Secrecy greatly aids the engineering of sin, iniquity, atrocity e.t.c

What if our thoughts were loud enough for everyone to hear from anywhere, if our words were clear enough for anyone to hear from anywhere and if our actions was visible on a world-wide CCTV camera? , I bet you that we wouldn't have done, said or thought some sinful things we did, said or thought.

Do you know why we fear the people around us more than we fear God?

Of course, that is what is happening, we fear the people around us more than we fear God.

We value their opinion more than the opinion of God.

Seek their approval more than we seek the approval of God and worry about what they will say, think or do more than we worry about what God will say, think or do.

The reason why this is the case among most of us is because we have not given God His rightful place in our lives.

You may think you have but it is most likely that you have not.

You don't think so? Ok, try this litmus test:

Can you perceive God in a real, close way, so real that the connection is stronger and deeper than the connection you have with your closest companion?

Do you feel God so strong that it is as if you can almost touch Him?

Me first! No, I don't and I bet I am not alone on this.

So, you see?! We have a long way to go.

If the connection that we have with God was stronger than the connection that we have with people, we would worry more about what God would say, think or do.

We will be more worried if God can see us.

Moreso, we will be ever conscious of His eyes , His ears and His presence, how He can hear our thoughts, the things we say in secret or in the dark or when no human being can see us, how He sees everything we do, everything..

Secrecy is a close companion of sin. That is why it is only in the confession of our sins do we  give them up with all their burden and bondage.

And then we are set free when we do not hide our iniquity but confess to one another and to our God.

It is well in Jesus name, amen.

The Nature of Condemnation and How it works

 

           A Judge passing judgment

According to my studies of the concept of condemnation in holy scriptures, condemnation simply means being found guilty and sentenced to a penalty due to the offence committed.

Condemnation can only be meted out by a righteous judge in whom no fault is found.

Therefore, when a person judges and condemns another person, he or she is indirectly putting his or herself in a position whereby the same offence for which he or she condemned another, should never be committed by him or her.

In the old testament, the 10 commandments was given to the children of Israel.

In the new testament, the giving of the 10 commandments to the children of Israel was referred to as 'the ministration of condemnation', according to the King James version.

The reason why it is called that is because the law was like a trap, one is not saved by obeying all of the 10 commandments and is guilty of failing all at the failure of keeping one.

It was only by faith in Jesus Christ are men destined to be truly saved , pleasing to God and counted righteous by Him.

This is called the righteousness of faith/the righteousness of Christ.

So, things were made easier for men when the will of God was written in the hearts of men so that when one errs, his or her conscience bears witness to the abberation that has occurred.

When one goes against the will of God, the person will know because the law , the will of God is now written in the hearts of  men.

For those under the law, failure to meet all the 10 commandments renders them guilty.

These people under the law also do not believe in Jesus Christ as they should and so are already condemned by their unbelief.

As a person who believes in Jesus Christ, you will not be condemned because you believe in Jesus Christ.

Why is this?

This is because fulfilling all of the 10 commandments does not save you or accredits you as righteous.

When a man in the generic sense, sincerely wants to please God and puts in conscious effort to avoid sin and fulfill all of the 10 commandments, the whole process is called works but a man cannot be saved by his own works.

This is because no amount of avoidance of sin and keeping of all the 10 commandments can be pleasing to God as the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

That is why we need to believe in Jesus Christ, go into Him and please God through our faith in Him.

Let us please God through the righteousness of Christ that is also ours when we believe.

Let us believe in Jesus Christ as we consciously work out our salvation and have the humbling awareness that is not by our might, power, works or avoidance of sin that we are saved or counted righteous by God by the spirit of God and by our faith in Jesus Christ.

This does not mean that we have no role to play in the work of salvation because faith without works is dead.

Show me your faith and I will show you my faith by my works.

It is all about a balance of energies, knowing the extent to which you can do , playing your part and leaving the rest to God.

The grace of God is here to help us when we get to our weaknesses and limits so we do not have any excuse.

When we feel like we can't keep running this race of faith, we can ask for the grace of God and it will be given to us, to empower us to keep running.

When we fall, the blood of Jesus Christ is there for reparation, atonement and intercession, we have an everlasting high priest who was once human and knows what it feels like..

People give excuses with their weaknesses when the grace of God is available to be requested when we need it.

When we are weak and grace is given, we are expected to make the most of it and not remain in our weaknesses even after we have been empowered to overcome them.

Romans 6:1 - 15

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid".

THE ESSENCE OF LIVING

                  People joining hands

As you have esteemed yourself so high, know that there are still people who are better than you and more so, you do not exist only for yourself.

Nature has always lived in coexistence and interdependence.

You are an essential element of nature, you are not exempted.

You are here to contribute your uniqueness to this world you came to.

What have you done so far to make life better for those you are in contact with?

Moreso, what will you be leaving behind for them?

Set your mark.🏹

Hoist your flag.🏳️

Be remembered. 🕯️

Starting from Jesus Christ to Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa e.t.c , what makes you think you can escape sacrificial living?

It is the only way your name can be etched on the wall of history.

Impact is the word.

It is the greater cause.

Bigger than your self interest and personal victory, that another life be bettered by what you've said or done.

Self pity and low self-esteem have never been healthy or inspiring neither has arrogance and narcissism symbolized true wholesomeness.

The balance is in knowing your unique value/worth, acknowledging the fact that there are still people better than you but not negating the reality that there is something the world is waiting for, from you alone.

That way, you don't look down on yourself or think too high of yourself but will have your energies tamed to a frequency that it will be the most productive.

Stable, controlled and long lasting.

Why would you want to do things solely for your glory?

You are mortal and you will still expire decaying into carbon.

Our extent and scope of accomplishments is magnified and expanded when we do things primarily for the happiness and well being of others.

Although some persons are inspired to take on humanitarian conquests for subtle self aggradization, when no one applauses you or gives you credit, will you still be content with the happiness of those you served?

That is the litmus test of motives in service.

What kind of mindset do you have?

In every venture, what do you see first?

Those whose lives will be bettered by what you will do or the personal gain in it for you?

What motivated Jesus to keep going on the way to Calvary even as He felt life leaving Him?

It was how better off you and I will be after He will have died..

Do you think like that?

Or is it all about you?

How about if you die?

What will people say?.

You know they will only say anything from the perspective of how you have affected their lives negatively or positively.

Self isolation and social ostracization is still an impact, a rather selfish one at that.

No man is an island and one is sure a lonely number.

Coexistence and interdependence is inevitable.

You are not the best person in this world and everyone has their own issues but it takes tolerance to overlook our shortcomings and focus on what's more important: a better world for all of us.

You and I have something to offer.

If we didn't, we wouldn't have come in the first place.

It doesn't matter if we can do the same thing, we can do it differently.

So bring your uniqueness to the world.

Let us know you came.

The world...needs you.

The Inclusive Effect of Association and Origin

                 People shaking hands

Everything that has surfaced over the face of the Earth has a beginning.

Every plant, animal or human being has an origin, the very first time it began to exist.

However, human beings are much important subjects to focus on.

Talking about human beings, the emergence of races, cultures, religions, governments and social systems all started one day.

Little by little, they modified over time before assuming a stable, permanent form.

Every individual on the face of this Earth came from a woman, via artificial insemination or natural fertilization, the zygote still needs a womb to develop in before it can be delivered.

There might be new technologies in the future that can enable birth/delivery to occur in other ways but that is not the point of this discourse.

The point of this discourse is : the beginning of a man, the source of human being, a person's origin has a lot to do with his or her status quo.

We didn't just start existing, we were born first.

Even the way we look can be traced up our family trees.

Different things bind different people to different forms of belonging.

The forms of belonging are mostly family, church, mosques, schools, professions, sports, hobbies, clubs, associations, occupations e.t.c

Whenever people are gathered under one umbrella with common goals and objectives, they are more of one body.

They can be likened to one body. 

This is because they abide by the same code of conduct, ethics, rules and regulations.

Provided a person has willingly consented to being a party to such agreement, he or she has become one with the group in question.

In some cases, you don't get to give consent, instead, someone stands in and decide for you.

This particular form of belonging occurs when a child is born into a family and automatically accepts everything he or she meets without an room for consent giving.

So, they act as one person even though they are many individuals numerically.

Because one agreement binds all of them together, they share in the goals , the successes and even the failures.

This means that, whatever action any of them takes, affects everyone who has committed his or herself to the terms and conditions of the group.

When one person does one thing, it is seen as done by everybody.

This is why it is important to study the present modus operandi of any group we find ourselves in.

The present modus operandi is as a result of decisions and happenings of the past / original modus operandi.

The way a people behave has an explanation of why it is that way in their past.

It is good to ask questions and inquire into history.

Traditions exist even in the corporate world, firms and organizations have cultures , the way things are done around there , which is most times unannounced and never questioned.

When a person identifies his or herself with a new group, born into a family , adopted into a family, joined a club, employed in an organization, partaking as part of an association, the person must first get a good understanding of the traditions of the circle in question, the culture, the way of doing things, unannounced and unquestionable.

This is what the proverbial African fowl does, in a new environment, it stands with one feet up and the other down.

The fowl is in a phase of observation.

It is foolishness to confront whatever seems off in a new environment.

You'll only be getting yourself in trouble.

Instead, because you know that you are now one of the people in question, that whatever happens to one, happens to all, you should do a background check on everything traceable.

When crazy things begin to happen, the solution can only be administered properly from the foundation.

Going back to the origin where and how it all began.

It is stupid to rebuff such search for answers.

It's like walking blindfolded on road full of potholes.

Jesus Christ is our deliverance, yes.

He is the solution but even as he is the solution, we will have to find out the root cause of whatever the problem is, in order to administer Jesus to it properly and efficiently.

It is good to research before committing to anything form of agreement.

Terms and conditions should not be swiped up without in-depth study and consideration.

By the time you will have seen all there is to handle by your commitment, you will know what you are going into and will know how to tackle whatever matter that may arise.

Romans 5:12:

"Wherefore, as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned".

It is well with us in Jesus name, amen.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

A pictorial illustration of the Kingdom                               of God

What makes a kingdom what it is?

A kingdom is characterized by the specific way of life by which its people are known.

A kingdom is as good as the mindset of the people in it, their way of reasoning and doing things.

Every kingdom has its uniqueness and a common factor that distinguishes it from every other kingdom.

This could be in the language that they speak, their character, behavior, commerce, religion, culture, tradition e.t.c

The king of every kingdom is the leader and is also that one person who has a strong orientation of the ways of the kingdom, both in knowledge and in habit, and seeks to perpetuate it.

Therefore, a kingdom is more of the intangible aspects of its uniqueness.

It is this intangible aspects of its uniqueness that supports and upholds the tangible aspects of its uniqueness.

The intangible aspects of a kingdom 's uniqueness is basically the mindset of its habitants which influences why they are the way they are.

This mindset is reflected on why they speak the way they speak, dress the way they dress, eat what they eat, behave the way they behave and believe in what they believe in..

It is not actually the buildings and structures of a kingdom that makes a kingdom what it is, it is first, the mindset of its inhabitants which influences their way of doing things, that makes a kingdom what it is.

A kingdom is only as good as the mindset of its people just like a country is only as good as the mindset of its citizens.

Therefore a kingdom can be perceived through the character, behavior, habits or mannerisms of someone/people from it.

The kingdom of God can be seen here on Earth through the manifestation of the things that the people of heaven are known for.

According to the Ron Kelony 's song, the kingdom of God is made of these three core characteristics:

Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy ghost.

This means that you needn't die and go to heaven before you can see the kingdom of God.

Here on Earth, when you begin to see, perceive and even express abilities that the people of heaven are known for, you will have seen the kingdom of God to a degree.

Not just righteousness, peace and joy in the holy ghost but also having the mindset of Jesus Christ, seeing things the way he would have seen them, doing things the way he would have done them, knowing God and living a reality of everything ever preached in church.

You see a degree of the kingdom of God when you have believed in God truly and genuinely.

When your faith in God is not just something that is in your heart or mind but a reality that defends itself through manifestations. 

By manifestations, i mean, the real power of God working in your life, on your life and through you because you truly believe.

When you truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross of Calvary, and that when he died , we died with him, we (our former old selves) died with him, our sinful nature and abilities nailed to the cross and that when he rose, we rose with him yet not the old us anymore, but him now in us, when we believe that we are seated at the right hand of the Father Almighty, and that we reign with him from there, when we really believe this, a power to live in the reality of what Jesus Christ has done for us is activated.

This is the true rebirth in Jesus Christ and it is in this rebirth that we see the kingdom of God starting from here on Earth to heaven when we will transit to glory.

A SPECIAL KIND OF FOLLOWING

 

 

               Followers of Jesus Christ

In the world of social media, we all know the meaning of influencers and their followers.

The more followers a person has on any of his or her social media handle, the more influential the person is perceived to be.

In the world of social media, it is all about influence.

Influence can be expressed in the display of talent, popularity, intelligence, beauty, wealth, power e.t.c.

The stronger the influence, especially in the ability to make a direct impact on the lives of followers, the more the followers become more and more like the influencer they all adore.

An influencer inspires his or her followers in ways they believe, make them better or give their lives more quality.

It could educative, entertaining, appetizing and so many other things.

If you take a closer look at a particular influencer and his/her corresponding followers , you will notice a similarity in behavior, manner of thinking and even dress sense.

Why is this so?

This is because they are followers, technically and literally.

They follow this person's way of life, they absorb this person's values, norms, taste, mannerisms, culture and most of all, this person's psychology.

Followers are only a replication of the influencer that they follow.

They indulge very much in their influencer's philosophy of life and psychology.

So, it's like the influencer is duplicated in them and it's as if they are similar copies of the influencer.

For example, when a new artist is being signed on a record label or someone happens to be a huge fan of a celebrity, the person without even telling already looks like or behaves like this influencer or role model that they adore.

It is good to have people we look up to and people who inspire us to be better but it is important to choose carefully 'who'.

It is also important to examine and find out the manner of impact this influencer has had on us and in our lives.

Whether it is a negative impact or a positive impact.

What are the benefits of having an influencer to emulate and look up to?

1. Giveaways.

2. Exposure.

3. Opportunities and lots more.

If you look at the benefits of having an influencer, you will notice that most of them do not have an eternal nature.

Some may touch us from the inside out but is it everlasting, true, pure, healing and uplifting?

There is one man who has being calling us to follow him, His name is Jesus Christ and His word is true.

John 8: 12

NIV: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Jesus is saying that He is the only light that the whole ,wide ,world has.

It means, without Jesus, the whole world will be dark.

And then he said that whoever, no matter who you are , what you've done or where you're from, whoever follows him will never walk in darkness.

Following Jesus is checking up on his daily updates through the word of God to know what he is doing or what he is thinking.

It means praying and finding out what he wants you to do.

It means letting him determine how you live your life, just like we do with all these influencers.

And guess what, he promised that whoever follows him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

What does this mean?

This means that as you follow Jesus, because He is the only light the whole world has, his glorious, divine light will shine on you and permeate your being, his light is in his holy word and in our divine encounters with him in many ways.

His light is in his way of thinking and doing things.

The more you begin to know about Jesus, the more you will become like him.

His light in his holy word and in who he is , will rub off on you and you will begin to store up his light within you, like the moon stores up light from the sun.

Then , you will have his light in you.

A light of life.

It brings light and life with it, everything it touches becomes new again.

This is true.

This is real.