GRACE STORY...Mine, Yours, Everyone's

It is just GRACE.

I could end this post like that and still look back on it as a fully complete post.

I could. Very much tempted to.

In fact, maybe I should let you tell me just how much this statement means to you.

As for me, I really would look back on this post as a fully complete one.

Isn't it just lovely? Grace. Just a breath of fresh air. What's your Grace story?

Please kindly feel free to share on our facebook page: facebook.com/livecoals or just email us your story at coals4life@gmail.com.

As for me, my job here is done for now....lol

#NehemiahMovement #COAL4 #JoinTheMovement

GIVE ME FAITH

Sometimes, this is all we need. A simple prayer. A heavy cry not for recognition. A honest soul reaching to a living God. There are so many torrents swaying us. We, as teenagers and youths at large, have never had it harder. It makes one wish one was almost born in the times of our fathers.

This piece is not for those above board, way too holy or beyond failure. Nope. This is for all those that have ever had to pray the words in the picture above. GIVE ME FAITH. You may have come to a point, as I have so many times, where you feel God is so far away that you just feel your entire faith (Christian faith) has been completely destroyed. At those times, in the sincerity of your heart, you cry out like this.

It may be the closest to what many have prayed in a long time but if it is from your heart, rest assured the Lord God will hear and come swiftly to your aid. The social media, TV, and others make up a very attractive pot of vanity. We all have been sucked, to a large extent, into the gaping hole, the vacuum. Yet, for all those who will cry out in the conviction of their spirits, GOD IS READY to imbue you with GRACE UPON GRACE to walk through the storm. That is my testimony. Having God with me through the storms; He steadies me when I falter and picks me when I fall, with so much love that I just cry at times. FAITH to believe that the Word of God aint just words but LIFE which, if allowed to dwell in you, has the potential to revamp, refurbish and pimp you up for good.

In a way, Camp of a Lifetime(COAL) has played a vital role in helping people through this period of uncertainty. COAL seeks to take us away for a period to a serene place where we are really alone with GOD, young people who have, just for a couple of days, no attachment to all of the fuss. A set of young people who have left it all to come rediscover the taste and fragrance of WORSHIP and LOVE for Jesus Christ. We have had testimonies, encounters with evil manifestations dedicated to thwarting the WILL OF GOD. Yet, each time, God manifests so much love and power toward us that we just have nothing else to say than to bow and worship. God loves us. He calls us. We are unashamed to declare we are flawed. So much more are we unashamed to declare that we are what we are by His grace. Remember COAL 4 comes up soon.

Yes, it gets hard, cold, dark, heavy and silent at times. But if only we would cry out (not shouting on top of our voices like mad people...at least, not always) though with sealed lips, and nothing but bended knees and outstretched arms, God, MY God will hear and come swiftly to you.

Amen.

Leaving to Live

Haven't we all gotten to that point where we just decide to not be tied down to what has plagued us?
Have you gotten to the point where you have sunk so low that you begin to think that "It can't get any worse"?

Well, luckily for me, I have. I say lucky because it is one position of immense perspective. Your whole world shifts into focus. You see how adrift you are from purpose and peace. You see the familiar landmarks you have always seen. You cry the same old tears and fail so many times, you begin to get used to it.

It is a point of sudden outburst of insight, not one foreign to you but one that has always resided within. That was how I came to know Christ. That was how I got to know that I really can have better. You have to consciously decide to leave to live. You have to leave those old stumping grounds that have yielded no fruit and aspire to the reality of God's purpose for you.

Sounds cliche yeah? I know right?

But in the end, you will know that is more. There has to be more. I have to know what MORE is. I have to see the other possibilities. Surely, this cannot be ALL to my life. I am not satisfied. I cannot end here. I am not like everyone. I am (the) OTHER. I am the difference. I am the pinch of salt that is supposed to make the food so tasteful.

You asking yourself this question already? You are leaving your random for your PURPOSE. Leave it all behind that you may LIVE in the fullness of life in Christ. Besides, Abram had to LEAVE his old settlement because God wanted him to LIVE as ABRAHAM. It is the boldness to take the step that plagues us.

Well, find solace in the fact that I don't know anything but thankfully, I don't serve a God that has my limitations.

......Be the  best. God wants no less from you.

REJOICE ALWAYS...

It has been a while y'all! Greetings from our Heavenly father of lights. It is He who has made us. A great privilege to standing. Today, we shall be looking at a simple topic: REJOICE ALWAYS. This was taken from 1 Thessalonians 5:16.

As has become a sort of habit for me, I'll start with a quick look at what the Greek lexicon has to say. CHAIRO is the Greek rendering of this word, has a number of meanings buried in it. Apart from Rejoice, CHAIRO also means "to be glad" and to be "full of joy." Interestingly, this Greek word has the same root with the word Grace(CHARIS). So, you definitely wouldn't have thought of rejoicing and grace having any link whatsoever. Well, they do!

Rejoicing is an act that even the most "spirit-filled" Christians struggle to come to terms with. I mean, who would really be so eager to praise God in the face of overwhelming misfortune or disappointments? It is usually a term pushed to the background in the heat of the moment. Yet, Paul, in his letter to the Church at Thessalonica, urged the faithfuls to rejoice. He knew things would never be smooth all the way. Regardless, he said we should rejoice. I do not doubt many of us have seen enough tragedies to be shared among three generations. I do not doubt the depth or validity of your sorrow. I understand the need to not want to rejoice; I mean, it would seem ironic...foolish to say the least. But we all must agree on one fact: God is surely not stupid. He would not say it if He didn't mean it, or if He didn't think it would help us. Jesus told His disciples in John 14:2 "...if it were not so, I would have told you."

Kenneth Hagin, one of my favorite ministers, had his own challenges but he became who he was not by whining about these problems. He spent his time rejoicing and praising God. The worse they got, the more he praised God. You see, REJOICING IN THE PLACE OF PAIN OR STRUGGLE DRAWS ON GRACE. That is where the connection comes in: God knows how humanly painful some experiences or events may be for us. Thus, He has provided us with CHARIS that we may, despite our night, sing of His glorious day!

I pray that in every situation you're going through at the moment, God will release upon you the grace to REJOICE. As you do so, watch and see Jehovah come forth for you....SHALOM!

PURPOSE

WHAT'S MY PURPOSE?

Many go through life without a clue to the answer of this question. Others wander through the world as strangers without hope. They know they are meant to be more, to do more. Yet, this cloud of possibility withholds its rain of knowledge because of blindness. You could live 50 years and still not be a step closer to answering that question. You could be a “believer” and sing in the highest vocal notes to God and still not comprehend this fact! You see, when you don’t work with knowledge, you’ll walk in thick darkness. It’s really that simple.

I wonder why we all have become so busy that we have failed to see the fact that our surroundings are replete with evidences pointing to our purpose; to the supreme fact at the core of my and your existence. In the arts, architecture, social sciences and the sciences, God keeps speaking through the most undervalued things, sometimes right before our eyes. One of such is the scientific wonder of what is called the LAMININ.

According to Wikipedia, the Laminins are a group of glycoproteins that are essential for the structural build-up and strength of every tissue in an organism. They also play vital roles in the maintenance and survival of these tissues. They are responsible for ensuring that the overall body structure holds together. The most baffling thing to scientists is that it is in the shape of a cross! The Laminin connects all other cells together in a cross format. We could say that the absence of this cross-shaped glycoprotein would translate into an overall collapse of the body system.

Do you still ponder what your reasonable service is? If God predestined you before the beginning of the earth to have a body structure held in place by the Cross, don’t you think you will never be satisfied with anything lesser than that Cross? Aren’t you tired of short-changing yourself? The One that made you put a craving within that will never be satisfied until you “hearken to the knowledge” (acknowledge) of the Cross. Do not deny your God-likeness. To worship God, to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, my dear friend, is your eternal purpose. The very fact you’re reading this means the Cross within you has not failed. Are you still a loyal follower of that cross? Until you figure that out and yield completely, all you’ll have is a half-life; an unbalanced life; a life without Laminin.

Remember your Foundation. Remember your God! If you stay in  His presence, then you are failure-proof, sorrow-proof, doubt-proof! The simple fact is there is never going to be a step taken out of place. Remember when Ps 16:11 said "In Your presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore"? Well, direction is one of those pleasures. It's unfortunate that some people will read this and think "Well, he wants us to be pastors." Really, I don't. If God wants you to be one, believe me, you will. The point is that not everyone is destined for the pulpit. We are to spread the fragrance of this awesome presence of God to every nook and cranny we find ourselves. Where you work, school, live, find God's purpose there.

A MAN OF PURPOSE IS A MAN OF DIRECTION!

I PRAY THAT THE KING OF GLORY WILL GIVE YOU THE GRACE TO UNDERSTAND THIS AND CARRY THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.

THE MASTER PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE...

What is the master plan?

Obviously, I had to look it up and two definitions caught my eye. The Oxford Dictionary defines this as “a comprehensive or far-reaching plan of action.” An extra internet source referred to it as “a comprehensive long range plan intended to guide growth and development.” Both definitions point out the fact that a master plan possesses one key attribute: comprehensiveness. In other words, everything needed to make your plan achievable must be well thought out and rock-solid so that you can “guide” your growth pattern. In architecture, this master plan refers to drawings of a project to be embarked upon. Let’s stop here for a minute. If you've seen the topic, you will know it is the master plan, not a master plan. This only makes me understand that there is one other type of master plan that surpasses every other in importance. Why else would we call it “the” master plan?

God makes this plan for everyone. It is no less comprehensive than man’s plan. In fact, it is the most comprehensive of them all. It takes both the “seen” and the “unseen” into consideration. That is God’s blueprint for your life, for a country, for the world. Why don’t we look at a typical example of how God’s majestic plan was accomplished through the life of one man – Johannes Gutenberg (1400-1468).

At the end of the 20^th century, this German-born blacksmith, who lived in the 15^th century, was named The Most Important Man of The Millennium. Well, this was because he invented the printing press.

Johannes Gutenberg was a lover of books and sculpture. Above all, he just loved God. Everything he read seemed to lead him back to God. He decided to travel to learn more from foreign lands – Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Holland. On one of such days, his close friend came to him with “a piece of wood that had letters carved on it;” the wood was wrapped in a parchment. Unknown to him, the little sap still in the wood had hardened and taken the shape of some of the letters on the parchment.

Gutenberg was struck with the idea of a printing press immediately. It was said of him that this inspiration “flashed into his heart and mind with the force of lightening.” When asked why he wanted to pursue the idea, he simply said, “Through it God will spread His Word. A spring of pure truth shall flow from it! Like a new star, it shall scatter the darkness of ignorance, and cause a light hitherto unknown to shine among men.” After many years, and resources, he succeeded. It was not a surprise when he decided to publish the bible. The Gutenberg Bible, as it was named, remains the first book ever published, with only 50 copies alive today. Though many tried to steal his invention, he was not moved and remained a good Christian till the end of his life. His singular action made the bible and other Christian materials cheaper to purchase – prices of good volumes of books went down from 100 pieces of gold (equivalent to at least $8,000 today) to 4 pieces for one (about $320). Apart from this, Gutenberg’s invention played a great role in the rise and success of the Protestant Reformation headed by notable names such as Martin Luther, William Tyndale and John Calvin. This remarkable movement spawned a new era in Christianity a mere 60 years after his death. It was said that “Gutenberg’s invention enabled multiplied millions to discover for themselves great literature and, most importantly, the Word of God.

That’s just Gutenberg. What of you? Never think that a singular action of yours is just one out of a million inconsequential actions dying unheard. The Master Plan of God is infallible. He knows everything you are and can ever possibly be. Is it not surprising how one action or inaction, one decision, one show of faith or lack thereof could shake the earth to the very foundation? Gutenberg lives on today in your bible. Every time you pick it up, He is remembered and his legacy is revitalized. Are you in a dilemma? Why not go to the one who has the plan meant to guide your steady progress? There is only so much we can do by ourselves; any attempt to go through this life alone would surely be difficulty.

I know God has my Master Plan, a comprehensive plan of all I am and all He will make me. Do you believe He has the same plan for you? If so, never be discouraged by circumstances surrounding you because it is always a part of the plan. Who knows the revolution you and I could spark and be remembered for if only we heed to His Master Plan? Isn't it possible our decision to align ourselves with God’s plan today could make us the most important set of people in the next hundred, no, thousand years?! I will leave you to ponder on these. However, you must know that He has assured us He has just good intentions for us. Jeremiah 29:11 tells me this: “I know what I am doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for” (MSG). I am sure there are countless Gutenbergs reading this right now. May you walk in the fullness and reality of your Heavenly Father's plan for you.

A CAMP TO REMEMBER!

Hello everyone!

To the glory of God, we are pleased to announce the successful end of this year's CAMP OF A LIFETIME. It was amazing! Never have I seen young people liberated as I saw in camp. The lessons remain evergreen. It was 5 days of fun, teachings and glory. The prophecy of Joel was fully realized; young people did really, visibly come alive to their inheritance in God. There was so much power and, hopefully, as the days continue, we shall intimate you on some of the highlights of COAL2.

We hope you have been living the victorious Christian life. We are yet to conquer all the lands God has given to us. Joshua conquered 31 and on his deathbed, he was shown 61 others he did not even touch. Joshua probably thought he did a lot. We probably think we've done a lot. Yet, some of us have not yet started. Don't worry. We pray you receive speed to do all you need to do, go where you need to go and fulfill ALL that has been written concerning you in the books of DESTINY!

Remember we are here for you. Remember to come forward with every issue you may have and we promise to pray together and walk in the fullness of God's victory concerning any issue. We wait for your e-mails, calls and blackberry requests.

E-MAIL: yomi4eva@yahoo.com, yomi4eva@gmail.com
NUMBERS: 08131111535, 08059184145
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