The WORD

LIVING LIKE VARIABLES IN A WORLD WE DO NOT OWN
APOSTLE SAMUEL O AMBALI

There are moments in life when humanity must pause and remember a sobering truth: we are not constants in this world; we are variables. We come, we grow, we change, and one day we depart. Yet many live as though the earth were their permanent possession, clinging tightly to power, wealth, fame, and control. To live like a variable is to understand that life is transient, seasons change, and nothing truly belongs to us except what we become and what we give. This awareness births humility, wisdom, and purpose.

Christmas powerfully teaches this truth. Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, did not enter the world as a king in a palace but as a baby in a manger. He owned the heavens yet borrowed a womb to be born, a manger to sleep in, a boat to preach from, a donkey to ride on, and a tomb to be buried in. If anyone had the right to live as a “constant,” it was Jesus. Yet He chose to live as a “variable” to teach humanity that life is not about possession, but submission; not about domination, but obedience to God’s will.

The lesson of Christmas is clear: greatness is not measured by how much we hold, but by how lightly we hold it. When we accept that we do not own this world, we learn to live responsibly, love genuinely, and serve sacrificially. We stop fighting for temporary thrones and start aligning with eternal purposes.

FIVE MATTERS OF LIFE THAT BESEECH HUMANITY AND WHAT JESUS WOULD DO

1. Power and Authority
Power often intoxicates the human heart, making people forget their mortality. Leaders cling to positions as though they were eternal.
What Jesus would do: He would kneel and wash feet (John 13:14–15).
Lesson: Use power to serve, not to suppress. Authority is stewardship, not ownership.

2. Wealth and Possessions
Many measure life by what they acquire, forgetting that riches can neither save nor follow us beyond the grave.
What Jesus would do: He would give generously and live simply (Matthew 6:19–21).
Lesson: Let possessions serve purpose; never let them possess you.

3. Pride and Self-Importance
Pride convinces humans they are self-made and self-sustained.
What Jesus would do: He would humble Himself, even unto death on the cross (Philippians 2:6–8).
Lesson: Humility is not weakness; it is alignment with God.

4. Injustice and Lack of Compassion
The world groans under oppression, hatred, and indifference.
What Jesus would do: He would touch the l***r, defend the weak, and speak for the voiceless (Luke 4:18).
Lesson: True humanity is revealed in compassion and justice.

5. Time and Purpose
Many waste time as though life were endless, postponing purpose and repentance.
What Jesus would do: He would be about His Father’s business (Luke 2:49).
Lesson: Live intentionally. Every day is a gift, not a guarantee.

CONCLUSION

To live like a variable is to walk softly, love deeply, and serve faithfully. It is to understand that we are pilgrims, not landlords of the earth. Christmas reminds us that God entered time to redeem eternity, and He did so with humility. When we embrace this mindset, life becomes meaningful, relationships become sacred, and purpose becomes clear.

Eternal Father,
We thank You for the gift of Christmas, where You taught us through Your Son that life is not about ownership but obedience. Deliver us from pride, greed, and the illusion of permanence. Teach us to live like variables—humble, flexible, and dependent on You. May we walk in love, serve in humility, and use all You place in our hands for Your glory. As Christ lived for Your will, help us to do the same until our journey on earth is complete.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

🖊️🖊️📓 FOOD FOR THOUGHT📓🖊️🖊️

In your preparation, you will surely experience periods of abundant sun and overflowing rains. Try to endure your period of sun when everything heat up and wisely manage your period of rain when things seem easy. If you don't prepare well and focus on achieving your set goals for either rain or sun season, you will waste your reign. Every minute is precious. Be wise!

Shalom

IN TIME LIKE THIS

When life’s circumstances, drop us to our knees, we feel a loss of hope. Family and friends give words of encouragement and support, but it’s still tough to pull ourselves out of despair, anger, disappointment and frustration. However, by understanding that hope is a choice, we can cope better and keep it alive.

We can use hope to embrace our future. By building this inner strength with practice, it becomes innate. Let's practice hope, especially during hard times:

1. Express your feelings

During a setback or loss, it can be healing to express your feelings to a loved one or write them down in a journal. This helps release the negative emotions that are causing you to feel less hopeful. When you feel negative emotions arise, try not to judge them. Rather, shift your attention to the future. Can you plan a trip? Indulge in a creative hobby? Although it may not be easy to do this right away, each time you think about what’s possible, you’ll feel a rise in hope.

2. Look for hope in unexpected places

Hope is in our playgrounds, at our shops, in the books we read, in our friend’s voice and our mother’s caring words. Create a challenge today to look for hope in your daily routine, and notice your spirits lifting.

3. Cultivate optimism

Do you see the “glass half full” instead of “half empty”? Do you make lemonade out of the lemons life throws you? Then you’re an optimistic person. If you are, you’ll enjoy a higher quality of life and better physical and mental health according to scientific research. However, if you tend to be more pessimistic, especially during hard times, then here are some ways to cultivate optimism: Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses, maximize your successes and minimize your failures, challenge self-sabotaging thought patterns by creating new ones that empower you, and look at all the possibilities in your life, not the limitations.

4. Practice gratitude

As cliché as practicing gratitude may sound, it can make you more hopeful. Thinking about all that you are grateful for puts things in a new and happier perspective, which naturally makes you more hopeful. You can practice gratitude by writing down daily three to five things you are grateful for in a journal. Alternatively, you can think grateful thoughts before you start or end your day.

5. Look at the possibilities in your life, not the limitations

When you feel a loss of hope, visualizing a better future can give you the will to find ways to make it so. For help with this, you can create a compelling vision, which is a clear and specific mental picture of a desired outcome. This outcome must inspire and energize you to go after it no matter what obstacles come up. For example, a compelling vision might be to live somewhere else more desirable to you, write a book on a favorite topic or start a business. Thinking about your vision inspires hope.

6. Go outside to look at nature

Have you ever looked at a flower or sunrise and felt a rise of hope? Nature has a way of doing this for us. We see that no matter what the sun and moon appear, birds sing, grass grows and the seasons change. We can also rely on a new day bringing us a fresh start, a chance to make a change, get it right and say what needs saying. What better way to practice hope, than to marvel at nature’s beauty every day.

7. Do a random act of kindness

Kindness gives hope to others.

8. Take some time for self-care

Loving ourselves can be a challenge any time but especially during hard times. A job loss can shake our confidence. We can blame ourselves for a mistake we made that caused something unfortunate to happen. This is when we most need to practice self-love. Some ways to do this are to notice your negative self-talk and work to change it, believe in yourself and your capabilities, engage in self-care by meditating, taking a vacation and exercising and eating better. Finally, visualize the life you want and commit to making it happen, which surely increases hope.

9. Harness faith

Having faith is an inner knowing that things will work out without any evidence that it’s true.

Faith is knowing in our hearts, after staking claim to something, that if we keep focusing on the end result, consistently taking action to make it happen, then our hope will rise.

10. Become more spiritual

Becoming more spiritual, not necessarily in the religious sense, can ignite hope within yourself. Certainly, if attending church or studying your religion feels good to you, then that helps increase hope. However, another way to add more spirituality in life is to get to know yourself better. Self-knowledge means knowing what you value, what makes you happy and what your unique talents and skills are which deepens life. You also may uncover old belief systems that are holding you back. This inner wisdom invites healing and transformation which gives you hope for a better future.

In Summary

By making a choice to hope, you put yourself in control of how you react to your circumstances and how you’ll handle what comes next. Although it’s not so easy when going through bad things to maintain a hopeful disposition, always know that you can draw upon hope to see things in a new way.

IN TIME LIKE THIS

When life’s circumstances, drop us to our knees, we feel a loss of hope. Family and friends give words of encouragement and support, but it’s still tough to pull ourselves out of despair, anger, disappointment and frustration. However, by understanding that hope is a choice, we can cope better and keep it alive.

Religion carries two sorts of people in two entirely opposite directions: the mild and gentle people it carries towards mercy and justice; the persecuting people it carries into fiendish sadistic cruelty. Mind you, though this may seem to justify the nineteenth-century Age of Reason in its contention that religion is nothing but an organized, gigantic fraud and a curse to the human race, nothing could be farther from the truth. It possesses these two aspects, the evil one of the two appealing to people capable of naïve hatred; but what is actually happening is that when you get natures stirred to their depths over questions which they feel to be overwhelmingly vital, you get the bad stirred up in them as well as the good; the mud as well as the water. It doesn't seem to matter much which sect you have, for both types occur in all sects.

FACING ANXIETY WITH GOD

In this day and age, there seems to be so much to be anxious about. Living in a broken world makes it seemingly impossible not to live in a state of constant anxiety and fear. Anxiety stems from lack of faith. It happens when we place our hopes in ourselves and not on trusting in God’s plan for our lives.

Satan loves to use anxiety as a way to distract us from our relationship with God. At its worst, anxiety takes over our minds and leads our thoughts into a deep dark place. Worry doesn’t benefit you in any way, but it does harm you in many ways.

Worry can affect you mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. In reality, anxious thoughts can’t prevent anything from happening in your life. Also, the bad things that may cause anxiety might not ever happen, and many good things can happen instead. Anxious thoughts also waste valuable time that could be spent on more fulfilling activities.

Don’t live in constant fear of the future…put your life and your future into Christ’s hands.” – Billy Graham.

The good news is that God wants so much more for us than to walk through life with overwhelming anxiety, fear, and worry. God wants what is best for you and is present in all circumstance. Living in a relationship with Him can free us from ever having to be anxious about anything.

I am not a counselor or a therapist, but I can share tips that have been helpful for me (and hope they are helpful for you too), including what I do to emerge from the grips of anxiety and deal with those situations as they come. With all of that said, please do not be afraid of seeing a doctor if you feel that you need help treating your anxiety. They can help you learn healthy ways to cope with your anxiety.

Instead of choosing to dwell on the worrisome thoughts, invite God to work in that situation. Spend some time in His presence talking to Him about what worries you. Ask God to reveal whatever unbelief is preventing you from trusting in Him completely. Ask Him to help you through your unbelief. Pray for the Holy Spirit to renew your mind.

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.

Turn to the Word to Overcome Anxiety

Whenever you catch yourself giving into worrisome thoughts, compare them to God’s Biblical truths. The Bible has something very valuable to say to anxious hearts. Meditate on Bible verses that describe God’s comforting promises and faithfulness to you. You can replace your worrisome thoughts with new thoughts that are based on the reality of what God says is true.

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4.

Surrender Your Anxious Thoughts to Christ
When you focus your thoughts too much on your circumstance, your mind can wander to a constant state of worry. These anxious thoughts can quickly control your life. Instead, focus on Christ and surrender worrisome thought or situation to Him. He exalts His power by taking away what troubles us.

“And every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5.

By fixing your thoughts on Him – who is in control of all situations – you will get to know more about Him, His power and love, which will you show that it makes sense to trust Him. Pray that He will make your thoughts more like His thoughts. Make your words more filled with His grace and compassion. Choose to believe that He is working on your behalf for a good purpose, and place your hope in Him.

Trusting God with Your Anxiety
Anxiety focuses your attention on the future, anticipating negative events that may never happen. It is meaningless to spend time worrying about this because whatever you might try to do, you can’t prevent it. So choose to live in the present, take one day at a time. If you do that, Jesus will prepare you to handle every anxious moment that may arise.

“Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34.

Overcome Anxiety Mentally and Physically

Declutter Your Life

If you are at all like me when your life seems too full of activities or “to-do’s,” the stress of trying to keep up with it all can cause anxiety. So examine your daily schedule using this Day Designer Planner, and see what you can eliminate to cut out unnecessary anxiety. Pray that God helps reveal where your true priorities are so that you can specify changes in your daily regimen. Most importantly, if you can’t do it all, allow some of God’s grace into your life

Take Care of Yourself Physically

Take charge of your health. This is particularly important for those who struggle with anxiety and stress as our physical health is linked to our mental health. Regular exercise has shown to reduce anxiety and stress.

Allow Yourself to Rest

Physical and mental rest is also just as important. God is waiting for us to enter his arms and find complete rest. Make a habit of meditating on God’s faithfulness, and let Him fill you with His peace that surpasses all understanding.

If we believe in His provision and promise, we no longer have a reason to worry. So put your trust in God and rest in faith that He has your best intentions in mind. God is our One Comfort. Choose to live in peace with God today and every day.

SHALOM!!!

Nothing destroy man's ambition than things we think will never happen

TOPIC: THIS WORLD AND ANGER

BIBLE TEXT: Ecclesiastes 7:8-10

(8) The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
(9) Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
(10) Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?"
For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

Solomon compares patience and hasty anger. We become frustrated easily and frequently. Often, doing a good job is superior simply because it has been done well and does not have to be inspected by someone else to check and double-check the quality of workmanship. How often does a person's temper feed into the way and the quality of the job? God is clearly suggesting that a person's temperament has a distinct effect on the quality and consistency of his workmanship.

Does an angry person make a good spouse? Does an angry or impatient person make a good employee? Does an angry person make a good church member? Does a driver burning with road rage make a good driver? Most of the time, anger is not wisdom. Anger can be good if it is used at the right time, is controlled, is directed toward the right ends, and is not simply an expression of personal, willful frustration because things are not going as expected. Notice how the following verses confirm anger's ability to hinder good:

» Proverbs 14:17: “A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.”

» Proverbs 14:29: “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.”

» Proverbs 16:32: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

» James 1:19-20: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Solomon expressly states in Ecclesiastes 7:9, “Anger resides in the bosom of fools.” He describes an anger ready to burst out at even slight irritations because a person's pride convinces him that even slight irritations simply should not happen to such a wonderful person as he is. He explodes because of his impatience.

From impatience, it is often but a short step to bribery, which Solomon mentions in verse 7. A bribe is often given or taken because the individual wants to hurry the process of achieving his goal. The recipient convinces himself it is merely a shortcut. It is a means of getting the job done quicker. However, in reality the bribe is a trap that binds him by indebtedness to another and ultimately, to shame.

Do not be misled by the word “end” in verse 8. It does not necessarily suggest a job that is finished. Rather, Solomon is thinking of the outcome, the fruit produced, or the quality achieved. Some things that do not seem to start well actually become quite productive. There is a saying: “All's well that ends well,” which is the sort of end Solomon means, one that is quite important to growing and overcoming.

Many times, we fear becoming involved with even the first small steps of overcoming a character flaw to improve our conduct, so we procrastinate. We often find, however, that once involved in disciplining ourselves and taking some small hesitant steps, we are encouraged because more good is happening than we ever thought possible. Some insignificant beginnings have endings of major consequence.

A clear example is found in the fact that Jesus Christ was born as a babe, in a second-rate, occupied, and enslaved nation and into an insignificant family—but that “project” will end in the awesome things written in Revelation 22 with billions of glorified, immortal persons gathered into one awesome Family. This illustration feeds into this principle and the overall thoughts about how we think about life now that we are in the midst of our calling and have a much clearer view of how things are going on Planet Earth.

What is today?
Today is yesterday's tomorrow

The WORD In the beginning was the word....................

WHERE I GOT ARRESTED!!!

Yes! My nickname was Baby Rocky! I was the worst of them all. I was the daughter of high leaders in the church and my wayward life had earned many queries, heartaches, pain and discipline letters from the church. I did not only swim in sins and evil, I dragged others along with me. For reasons I could not fathom, I was a bad girl that loved attending church programs especially camps. Well, maybe because it was an avenue to catch new fishes! Really, everyone in church was tired of me but who cares? After all, I was well celebrated in my circle. Leaders have spoken to me severally but the way I skillfully chewd gum in their face was a huge discouraging turn off.

It was another camp again and I'd planned with my squad how it would be. We had our constant sitting position and arrangement in the hall that no usher dared to alter to avoid huge embarrassment.
I'd dressed in my seductive dress. Yes! Seductive or what do you expect? And so, I walked in, head up, shoulders high as I made way to my usual seat. But then, halfway down to the seat, Sis Ruth, the Usher I first met directed me to another seat. I eyed her with evil in me as I thought in me, "who dares to direct me away from my usual seat". But, the closer I got to her, the more I could not resist obeying her leading. I tried to go to my usual side but she just smiled and still directed me to where she wanted. I could not understand or explain it but I was compelled to obey her and so I sat.

About thirty minutes later, the Bible Study started and Bro Tope taught with so much power and anointing that day. It was just thirty minutes and it's as though he'd set me on fire and I tell you. I completely lost all form of peace in me. I wanted to go out for a little relief but it's as though Sis Ruth had glued me to that particular seat and then Bro Tope had set me ablaze. I knew I was in for something!
After the Bible Study, it's the session of worship that was to last for just twenty minutes. Sis Goodness and Sis Temi just came up and then they began with the familiar " All to Jesus I surrender ". That song kept on for minutes and then, things began! The atmosphere changed! The entire six halls were charged! Something different was happening! The Holy Ghost undeniably was present! Oh! My eyes were opened and for few minutes, I saw my self in chains and in a cage! The next minutes, I saw myself in hell, in terrible flames and as I looked to the stage, I didn't see Sis Temi and Sis Goodness, rather, I saw Christ Himself calling me and saying, " surrender to me". Oh my! I could not bear it anymore. The more I sat, it seemed the flames I was in multiplied. I shouted immediately as I ran to the front. I didn't care who was looking at me because as those sisters were singing, they were literally pouring out fire on me. I ran to the altar where I laid in the ground and wept my heart out. I confessed ALL of my sins right there! I was done with being caged and in chains!
Oh! I got arrested and saved there! I must not forget to tell you, twelve different people God healed in that session, specifically, Bro Bode right there got a message of a very juicy job appointment he'd been praying for for months and then, many others were saved from sin that day.

You see, since then, Sis Ruth, Temi, Goodness and Bro Tope have been the ones holding my hands and helping me grow rapidly in God till wherever I am now. A huge secret I was exposed to was, Sister Goodness and Temi had prayed and fasted for a week before that ministration. Bro Tope told me how he knelt on the Bible Study outline for two whole nights and cried to God that he'd not teach, he'd only stand and let God do the teaching, he'd told God to take the stage and have His way for he was an ordinary vessel and nothing more. Sis Ruth told me how she'd covenanted with God never to stand and direct under the flesh but her standing, directing and even smiling must heavily be under the influence of the Holy Ghost! I was too surprised but then, I was not because the results were there............

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Please, tell that Usher that she's not a Traffic Warden.
Please, tell that Usher that he's not a Receptionist.

Please, tell that Bible Study teacher that she's not a Comedian.
Please, tell that Bible Study teacher that he's not a Motivational Speaker.

Please, tell that Chorister that she's not an Entertainer.
Please, tell that Chorister that he's not for talent show.

Please, tell that Technical Crew member that he's not just an Electrician.
Please, tell that Technical Crew member that he's not a NEPA staff.
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Dear Lord,

Please, take us back to the old paths. Take us back to the paths our Fathers walked. Please, return us back to our knees where we rely completely on you and your power for EVERY ministration. Please, drag us back to the secret place where our power and grace to minister beyond the ordinary is renewed.

Please, teach our Choristers to value spirituality more than talent. Help our Ushers understand that it's way beyond just dressing smartly, standing, smiling and directing. Make our Bible Study teachers aware of the fact that it's more than just oratory prowess, perfect vocabularies and excellent knowledge in Grammar. Please, reveal to our prayer warriors that it's beyond coming to just shout and sweat before the service. Please, drag the ears of our Technical Crew members that it's more than holding and connecting wires and getting the microphones ready. Please, arrest the hearts of our Evangelism Team members that it's more than just going old to tell old old salvation stories.

Oh God! We've missed it! Please, bring us back and align us back to the basics and weightier matters. Father! My heart's bleeding at the ORDINARY services everywhere! Services where NOTHING happens. Services where the sinners, sick, depressed, oppressed and confused come and go back the same. Services where members are only sapped dry of their finances while the have unseen loads of life still weighing them down. Lord, we're tired of services where members endure and long for the closing prayer! Lord, the cry for a change is far more his we say it in words for words fail us©️ Praize)
INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

Fifteen Christians were gunned down while attending a church service in Bangui, Central African Republic on Tuesday, reports The Christian Post.

The Christians had been attending a worship service at Notre Dame de Fatima church when the attack occurred.

"Filled with panic, some Christians began to flee until bullets and grenades began to fall in the parish grounds, trapping those who remained in the compound," recalled Moses Aliou, one of the priests at the church at the time of the attack. Another priest, identified as Albert Toungoumale Baba, was one of the 15 killed when the gunmen opened fire.

The gunmen responsible for the attack have yet to be identified. The Christian Post also reports that the Central African Republic is in the middle of a civil war and there has been unrest and even violent clashes between CAR’s army and the Muslim PK5 community.

This is also not the first time the Notre Dame de Fatima church has been the target of an attack. In 2014, over a dozen people, also including a priest, were killed there.

"Once again it is the civilian population, especially women and children, who pay the price of violence," said Najat Rochdi, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for the CAR in a telling statement.



Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/PeterHermesFurian

Publication date: May 2, 2018

pls pray along

*PROPHETIC PRAYER 🙏🏽 FOR TODAY!* Zechariah 4:7
Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain:
_GOOD MORNING ANA A PEACEFUL THURSDAY TO YOU_
EVERY MOUNTAIN BEFORE US SHALL BECOME PLAIN, EVERY IMPOSSIBILITY SHALL BECOME POSSIBLE FOR YOU IN JESUS' NAME.