ACE GOSPEL SINGER, DON MOEN WELCOMES FIRST GRANDCHILD

Award-winning ace gospel singer, Don Moen is so elated at the moment. The music-evangelist announced on his facebook page that he is now a grand-father. "It's official! Our first grandchild!! Sweet Stella!"

Be Careful How You Think

"Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts" (Pro_4:23 GNB)

Solomon's proverbial insight are as relevant today as ever before. "Be careful how you think," he tells us, "your life is shaped by your thoughts." In the New Testament we are told by the apostle Paul that our lives are transformed by the "renewing of our
minds" (Rom_12:2). In other words, beliefs determine behaviour.

If you believe the right thing — you will do the right thing. And the exact opposite is also true. If we believe a lie, we will live the lie — and our lives will fall short of the glory of God. So, be careful how you think. And, to this end, be even more careful who you choose to
befriend; for we ultimately become like those with whom we most closely associate.

If you spend your time in the companyy of complainers and murmurers, critics and fault-finders, nay-sayers and dream-killers — then your life will diminish, your
light grow dim, and your presence become dull around others. Spend your time in the company of faithful men and women, who walk in the Spirit and know the Word of God; who understand the Times, and who spend their lives to help others succeed — and your path will grow brighter and brighter.

We are living in historic times – times that require deep conviction and decisive courage. We must not be so absorbed with self interest that we become easily offended with what we don't understand and, thus, make rash and stupid choices. Our thoughts must
become formed by truth; our opinions must become enlarged by intelligence; our words strengthened by wisdom and grace; our behaviour monitored by self-
restraint; and our interaction with others marked by respect and civility.

What hangs in the balance in these days of global turmoil and uncertainty could be the very welfare of our world. "Be careful how you think; your life is
shaped by your thoughts." Think truly. Decide courageously. Act nobly. Stand
firmly. Live generously. And die honorably.

Your life matters now more than ever, and how you think shapes your very life. And what you choose to do with your life has lasting consequences. "Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side; great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,the choice goes by forever, 'twixt that darkness and that light.

Then to side with truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust,her cause bring fame and fortune, and 'tis prosperous to be just;it is the brave man chooses
while the coward stands aside,the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied. Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong;her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong; that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own."

By James R. Lowell, 1845

'THE JOURNEY BEGINS' FOR TIM GODFREY, BANKY W, JULIUS AGWU, JOSEPH BENJAMIN & OTHERS

The Journey Begins; a dance, drama and high energy music event put together by fast-rising Gospel singer and Agidigba crooner, Tim Godfrey will take place at
the Shell Hall, Muson Centre on the 28th September, 2013.

Directed by Joseph Ofili, roll-call of notable Nigerian celebrities involved in the project include EME boss, Banky W, Julius D'Genius Agwu, Joseph Benjamin, Yaw, Akpororo, Lepacious Bose, O.C Ukeje, Femi Jacobs to mention a few.

Speaking further on the event, Tim Godfrey, the President of RoX stated. "In a time like this, we need to create an atmosphere where we can reach out to our youths with a message even in the midst of the mess, that they can turn a new leaf today and let "The Journey Begin(s) again for them towards a better
life."

And they follow me

"And they follow me." - Joh_10:27

We should follow our Lord as unhesitatingly as sheep follow their shepherd, for he has a right to lead us
wherever he pleases. We are not our own, we are bought with a price-let us recognize the rights of the redeeming blood. The soldier follows his captain, the
servant obeys his master, much more must we follow our Redeemer, to whom we are a purchased possession.

We are not true to our profession of being Christians, if we question the bidding of our Leader and Commander. Submission is our duty, cavilling is our folly. Often might our Lord say to us as to Peter, "What is that to thee? Follow thou me."

Wherever Jesus may lead us, he goes before us. If we know not where we go, we know with whom we go. With such a
companion, who will dread the perils of the road? The journey may be long, but his everlasting arms will carry us to the end. The presence of Jesus is the
assurance of eternal salvation, because he lives, we shall live also.

We should follow Christ in simplicity and faith, because the paths in which he leads us all end in glory and immortality. It is true they may not be smooth paths-they may be covered with sharp flinty trials, but they lead to the "city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant."

Let us put full trust in our Leader, since we know that, come prosperity or adversity, sickness or health, popularity or contempt, his purpose shall be worked out, and that purpose shall be pure, unmingled good to every heir of mercy.
We shall find it sweet to go up the bleak side of the hill with Christ; and when rain and snow blow into our faces, his dear love will make us far more blest than
those who sit at home and warm their hands at the world's fire.

To the top of Amana, to the dens of lions,
or to the hills of leopards, we will follow our Beloved. Precious Jesus, draw us, and we will run after thee.


By: Richard Onanuga
Follow @richdollarman @Christ_envoy

Standing Firm in a Topsy Turvy World

"Without warning your life can turn upside-down, and who knows how or when it might happen?" (Pro_24:22, The Living Bible)

What can you do in a topsy-turvy world? Where can you turn when everything is turned upside down? When the lid blows off, and the bottom drops out, and the walls come crashing in -– all at the same time… how will you fare? Will you be able to find heaven when all hell breaks
loose?

There is an accepted standard of civil behaviour in our society; we all basically know how we are supposed to behave around one another. There are definite "dos and don'ts" – even though they are not written down anywhere. We just know them. And for the most part, we abide by them – and behave ourselves.

But sometimes there comes such a shock to the social system that all bets are off; it would seem that anything goes when everything is shaken. It's like what happens when you kick an anthill; the
normal activity suddenly shifts, and the ground swarms with more ants than you can imagine; spilling out of the disrupted dirt pile like lava out of a volcano.

What if our anthill gets kicked? What if some colossal event rocks our world to the core, and an otherwise well ordered society goes abuzz with rash activity?
What will you do? Where will you turn?
Or, take it to the personal level. Maybe the world goes on just fine, as it has now for indefinite days.

But your world is crumbling around you. A great loss has ripped your soul apart, a dark loneliness has swept over your heart, a catastrophic fear has seized your thoughts, or an eroding doubts is stealing away your dreams. What are you to do now? Well, it might be helpful for you to know that others have gone before you and left a trail that leads safely through these dark woods. Here is but one one example:

"I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and He saved me from my enemies. The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me.
The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to he LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from His sanctuary; my cry to Him reached His ears." (Psa_18:3-6, New Living Translation).

Writer concludes by saying, "He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved — surprised to be loved! GOD made my life complete when I placed all
the pieces before Him. When I got my act together, He gave me a fresh start." (Psa_18:19-20, The Message).
Call out to God, and He will answer you. Trust Him and do what He tells you – for a wide-open field is yet in your future!

By Richard Onanuga
Follow @richdollarman @Christ_envoy

God is Jealous

"God is jealous."- Nah_1:2

Your Lord is very jealous of your love, O believer. Did he choose you? He cannot bear that you should choose another. Did he buy you with his own blood? He cannot endure that you should think that you are your own, or that you belong to this world.

He loved you with such a love that he would not stop in heaven without you; he
would sooner die than you should perish, and he cannot endure that anything should stand between your heart's love and himself. He is very jealous of your trust. He will not permit you to trust in an arm of flesh.

He cannot bear that you should hew out broken cisterns, when the overflowing fountain is always free to you. When we lean upon him, he is glad, but when we transfer our dependence to another, when we rely upon our own wisdom, or the wisdom of a friend-worst of all, when we trust in any works of our own, he is
displeased, and will chasten us that he may bring us to himself.

He is also very jealous of our company. There should be no one with whom we converse so much as with Jesus. To abide in him only, this is true love; but to commune with the world, to find sufficient solace in our carnal comforts, to prefer even the society of our fellow Christians to secret intercourse with him, this is grievous to our jealous Lord.

He would have us abide in him, and enjoy constant fellowship with himself; and many of the trials which he sends us are for the purpose of weaning our hearts from the creature, and fixing them more closely upon himself.

Let this jealousy which would keep us near to Christ be also a comfort to us, for if he loves us so much as to care thus about our love we may be sure that he will suffer nothing to harm us, and will protect us from all our enemies. Oh that we may have grace this day to keep our hearts in sacred chastity for our Beloved
alone, with sacred jealousy shutting our eyes to all the fascinations of the world!

Ever Wanted to Bite Somebody?

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the
righteous life that God desires (Jas_1:19-20, NIV)

There was this guy who had been bitten by a rabid dog and was advised by his physician that his prospects for recovery would be long and painful. The man grabbed a pen and began frantically writing on a piece of paper. The doctor responded by saying, "You're not going to die, so there's no need to write out your will in such a hurry." Will?" the guy replied, "I'm not writing my will; I making a list of all the people I'm going to bite!"

Have you ever wanted to bite somebody? Even been so angry you could take a chunk out of 'em? Maybe;
maybe not. There are many around you who are feeling the squeeze; more than a few grinding their teeth. For there is a growing anger in our world today, fueled by any number of things, and headed for an unmistakable eruption.

We are fast approaching the tipping point. But how about you? How are you doing? Are you finding a way to handle our topsy-turvy world without blowing a gasket? I think James gives us a good place to start when he advises – "everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."

An old proverb says that God gave man two ears and one mouth, so that we would listen twice as much as we speak.
Why not cultivate this as a personal habit? Throughout today stop and deliberately listen – listen to those who
want to talk to you.

Listen to the music that you have playing in your car as you drive to work. Listen to the sounds of life happening around you. Listen to your thoughts. And, above all – listen to the Lord. He will take the bite out of everything!


By Richard Onanuga
Follow @richdollarman @Christ_envoy