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A CLARION CALL TO FATHERS

God is calling on fathers to take up their place in our societies today.

A CLARION CALL TO ALL FATHERS We can easily nail the happenings in our societies to one thing; fatherhood or lack of it. Whatever a society turns out to be, either positively or negatively, is as a result of fatherhood. When fathers play their roles effectively, it will reflect on society and when they neglect that responsibility, society will also feel the brunt of it. Why this proposition? Let…

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THOSE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BELONGS TO

We may all be created in the image of God and may be called children of God but we may not all spend eternity with Him in His kingdom after leaving earth. According to the Universalist, everybody irrespective of their lives on earth will ultimately be saved to be with God forever. This however is a great lie prepared from the pits of hell to deceive many into doing the right thing whiles alive on earth. And so who are those who the kingdom of God belongs to?

The kingdom of God belongs to those who are poor in spirit according to the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:3. Another Bible version calls such peoplec as the afflicted or humble. Therefore it takes humility for one to possess the kingdom of God. In our day and age humility is such a rare commodity in an era where we tout the so-called human right instead of God’s will. We fight for our own course and wouldn’t let anybody come between us and our desired objectives. We will not let others cheat us or have the better of us. We feel big and bossy about ourselves and our achievements. But cautioned us to turn the other cheek when we got slapped or to give out our tunic addition to losing our coat.

According to the Matthew Henry Commentary, poverty in spirit is put first among the Christian graces. Thus the foundation of all other graces is laid in humility. Poor in spirit means that just like the material or financial pauper is dependent on others for their source of supply, those poor spiritually are also deprived of any spiritual state of being and therefore making God the source of their strength. They are heavily dependent on God for their spiritual well-being. This spiritual state of depravity infers that one feels a need for forgiveness out of his state of helplessness. They see nothing spiritually good in themselves and thus cry out to God for their deliverance. As Michael W. Smith will sing, they reach out to God saying, Lord “Save me from myself”.

But if one feels spiritually complete in themselves and thus feel no need for help then we have a major problem here. No one is spiritually there yet and none ever can attain that spiritual state of perfection until they are glorified or depart from this life. The process of Christian growth is not a one-time event. It is a process theologically referred to as Sanctification. It posit that Christian growth is to be consistently progressive towards that moment of perfection which comes at death. Therefore one grows from grace to grace daily in spiritual maturity. And we do so depending on the power of God to make that possible. It is like the tax collector who was so ashamed of his sins so much that he couldn’t even lift up his eyes to God but to beat his chest asking for God’s mercy and forgiveness. This is really a person poor in spirit. However the so-called religiously inclined Pharisee was so full of himself to the point of boasting of his spiritual acumen and credentials so that he looked down on the tax collector and Jesus said that before God he was just a noisemaker. He got nothing from God because he was so prideful.

Another example of this state of being poor in spirit is that of Mary the prostitute who went to Jesus to anoint His feet with tears, flagrance and her hair. Her state of remorsefulness disposed her to be considered as spiritually poor. The truth is that we are worthless in our own self-righteousness or capacity but becomes everything when we depend fully on God in all things. In the kingdom of God the currency for receiving blessings is humility. Bible even says in James 4:7 that God resist the proud but grants grace to the humble.

It doesn’t matter how much we fast or pray, how much we preach the word or do acts of charity, it doesn’t matter if we tithe regularly or give to God’s work, we need to always be mindful of the fact that to please God, transcends our own personal efforts. Yes we have an all-important task to pursue righteousness but whatever we do in the name of God must be done with the heart of humility knowing that God is the source of our strength. We should also be mindful of our motives for doing what we do so as to be in right standing with Him. We should not regard ourselves too highly than we ought to so as not to be ahead of God or full of ourselves. As we observe these virtues, we will find ourselves in the kingdom of God since it belongs to those who are indeed poor in spirit. May God help us to walk in true spirit  of humility.

Prince Eric Opare

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THOSE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BELONGS TO

THOSE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BELONGS TO

We may all be created in the image of God and may be called children of God but we may not all spend eternity with Him in His kingdom after leaving earth. According to the Universalist, everybody irrespective of their lives on earth will ultimately be saved to be with God forever. This however is a great lie prepared from the pits of hell to deceive many into doing the right thing whiles alive on…

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THE POWER OF BEING MERCIFUL

 Being merciful is one of the key attributes of God. In fact it is that which keeps the world and us in existence instead of being annihilated. The Lord’s mercy is the part of Him that allows us to be alive irrespective of the multitude of sins that we perpetrate. In Deuteronomy 4:31 we are told that the Lord is merciful and will not abandon or destroy us. Therefore mercy is the fruit of divinity. Christ Jesus in Matthew 5:7 calls us to a life of mercy. He said blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. Therefore He tells us to be merciful in order to attract mercy ourselves. Exhibiting a life of mercy will draw same to us. Be merciful to receive mercy or don’t be merciful and attract the opposite.

But what is the meaning of being merciful? To be merciful is Greek eleemon and means to have a feeling of pity, with a focus of showing compassion to those in serious need. This is the aspect of God’s love that causes Him to help the miserable. We see this aspect of mercy especially in the life of our Lord Jesus as He heals the sick, feed the hungry, raise the dead, teach them etc. These acts grew out of his attitude of compassion and mercy. It is the ability to enter into another’s world with all its misery to feel for that person and to act to alleviate their misery. A perfect description of the act of showing mercy is the story of the Good Samaritan who took in the injured man he did not know and cared for him in Luke 10.

And so why is it important for us to be merciful?

-        You reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7). You sow mercy to reap mercy. When we exercise mercy, others will treat us similarly and God Himself, who has already shown us mercy in Christ, will show us even greater mercy.

-        Mercy also calls us to exercise forgiveness more often. We must not live aloof and detached from others and their plights.

-        We must pity the ignorant and instruct them; the careless and warn them; those who are in a state of sin and snatch them.

-        Psalm 41:1 states, “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.” It is blessed to consider the poor.

A true mark of a correct Christian is one who is merciful. It is a fruit that is unmissable about someone who is truly saved. You cannot be a Christian and walk in judgment of others instead of being merciful with them. You cannot be merciful and be stingy towards your neighbour in need. You cannot be merciful and let someone go hungry. Today we have a church that is a peel shadow of its first century state. We are more selfish, inward-looking and cares less of the plight of others. In the early church the welfare of others was the concern of all. They sold their belongings in other to aid one another. The point is that your riches does not consist in what you possess but what you possess in others. How much of your wealth has translated into the lives of others? That’s what matters most in this life and the next. It is not about how much you own in material things but how much that wealth has been transferred into the lives of others.

It also means being more easily forgiving than unforgiving. It is one of the greatest outcome of being merciful. Don’t hold on to offence but let it go. Ephesians 4:26 cautions us to not let the sun go down on our wrath. We must reciprocate the kind gesture of the Father in forgiving us of our sins whiles we were yet in sin (Romans 5:8). He did not hold us at bay but took the initial steps towards us to seek reconciliation. Let us learn to exhibit the tendency of the Father. As we do so God will let go of our own shortcomings.

One of the purest and most refined delights in this world is that of doing good. Acts 20:35 says it is more blessed to give than to receive. In James 1:27 we are told that “Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” It is sometimes a pity when you see unbelievers show more love and care to others than the so-called believer. Personally I have experienced more kindness from unbelievers than from believers. This is a pity. It is time Christians became Christians and stop playing Christianity. We think we can be Christians by mouth and not by heart. It is time to change that to exhibit true Christianity by living out what we believe. Be merciful and you will be shown mercy. God bless you.

Prince Eric Opare  

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THE POWER OF BEING MERCIFUL

THE POWER OF BEING MERCIFUL

Being merciful is one of the key attributes of God. In fact it is that which keeps the world and us in existence instead of being annihilated. The Lord’s mercy is the part of Him that allows us to be alive irrespective of the multitude of sins that we perpetrate. In Deuteronomy 4:31 we are told that the Lord is merciful and will not abandon or destroy us. Therefore mercy is the fruit of divinity.…

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Listen to Prince Eric Opare's Podcast on TuneIn #NowPlaying

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(Christ's Mission Brigade)

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10 EGYPTIAN DEITIES PUNISHED BY THE 10 PLAQUES OF GOD

We learn from the Exodus story of how God brought ten plaques against the land of Egypt, all in an effort to liberate His chosen nation, Israel. But interesting enough, each of the ten different plagues was targeted at a specific Egyptian deity. Let us learn of them below:

1.     The first plaque of bloody waters was directed against Osiris, the god of the Nile.

2.     The second plaque of frogs was against the frog goddess Hekt.

3.     The third plaque of lice was against Seb, the earth god.

4.     The fourth plaque of beetles (or flies) was against Hatkok, the wife of Osiris.

5.     The fifth plaque of cattle disease was against Apis, the sacred bull god.

6.     The sixth plaque of boils was against Typhon.

7.     The seventh plaque of hail and fire was against Shu, the god of the atmosphere.

8.     The eight plaque, locust, was against Serapia, the god who protected Egypt against locust.

9.     The ninth plaque of darkness was against Ra, the sun god.

10.  The tenth plaque, the death of the firstborn, was an attack on all gods.

The purpose of the plaques was twofold: first to demonstrate to Israel the strength of their God and second to show the Egyptians the total inability of their gods. We serve a living God who is the Supreme of all that exist. There is no God beside Him and will go at all length to save His own. You can become His own today by giving your life to Him by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord over your life. God bless you!

Prince Eric Opare

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10 EGYPTIAN DEITIES PUNISHED BY THE 10 PLAQUES OF GOD

10 EGYPTIAN DEITIES PUNISHED BY THE 10 PLAQUES OF GOD

We learn from the Exodus story of how God brought ten plaques against the land of Egypt, all in an effort to liberate His chosen nation, Israel. But interesting enough, each of the ten different plagues was targeted at a specific Egyptian deity. Let us learn of them below: The first plaque of bloody waters was directed against Osiris, the god of the Nile.The second plaque of frogs was against…

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(Christ's Mission Brigade)

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THE WONDERS OF GOD IN NATURE

 How vast is our universe?

-        In our galaxy called the Milky Way for instance, the distance from the earth to the sun is 93 million miles.

-        If the sun was hollow, 1.3 million earth could fit inside.

-        A star named Antares if hollow could hold 64 million of our sun.

-        In the constellation of Hercules there is a star which could contain 100 million of Antares.

-        The largest known star, Epsilon, could easily swallow up several million stars the size of the one in Hercules.

-        Our earth is traveling around its own axis at 1000 miles per hour.

-        It moves around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour

-        It moves around our galaxy at 481,000 miles per hour

-        It travels through space at 1.35 million miles per hour

-        Every 24 hours we cover 57,360,000 miles

-        Each year we travel 20,936,400,000 miles across empty space.

-        The smallest insect on this earth is made up millions of living cells.

-        There are 75 trillion such sells in the body of an average man. Each individual cell is unbelievably complex.

-        Each cell is a world brimming with as many as 200 trillion tiny group of atoms called protein molecules.

-        The largest molecule is called the DNA (deoxyribo-nucleic acid). The DNA carries the hereditary information from the parent to the offspring in all living things. It contains the genetic code and determines whether you will turn out to be a man, mushroom, dandelion or dinosaur.

All the above is, of course, but a feeble attempt to illustrate the magnitude of space and of a universe which contains as many stars as there are grains of sand on all the seashores of the world. Furthermore in Psalms 147:4 we are told that God has both numbered and named each star.

Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite – Psalms 147:5

What manner of people ought we to be? We need to revere God and live our lives fully for Him. With these no one can claim there is no God. Let us live our lives for Him. If you have not yet received the Lord Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour it is time to do so before it is too late. Irrespective of the vastness of the universe, we are the pinnacle of His creation and cares about us more than anything in the universe. He loves us and want us to be in His kingdom. Let us give it all for Him and we will experience His awesome power both in this life and the next. God bless you.

Prince Eric Opare

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THE WONDERS OF GOD IN NATURE

THE WONDERS OF GOD IN NATURE

How vast is our universe? In our galaxy called the Milky Way for instance, the distance from the earth to the sun is 93 million miles.If the sun was hollow, 1.3 million earth could fit inside.A star named Antares if hollow could hold 64 million of our sun.In the constellation of Hercules there is a star which could contain 100 million of Antares.The largest known star, Epsilon, could easily…

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MODERN NATIONS REPRESENTING THE DESCENDANTS OF NOAH’S THREE CHILDREN

 In Biblical account we learn of how God wiped out life on earth with a great flood and only preserved the household of Noah and a pair of each animal. Beyond that deluge, Noah’s three sons of Japheth, Ham and Shem and their descendants founded great states and nations that exists till date. So what are these nations that they founded in modern times? Let us learn of them here.

Descendants of Japheth (Genesis 10:2-5)

a.      Gomer                                    -           Germany

b.     Magog, Tubal, and Mechech  -           Russia

c.      Madai                                      -           Persia

d.     Javan                                       -           Greece

e.      Tiras                                        -           Italy

f.      Togarmah                               -           Armenia

g.     Tarshish                                  -           Spain

h.     Kittim                                     -           Cyprus

Descendants of Ham (Genesis 10:6-20)

a.      Cush                                       -           Ethiopia

b.     Mizraim                                 -           Egypt

c.      Phut                                         -           Africa

d.     Canaan                                                -           Canaanites of Palestine

e.      Nimrod                                   -           Babylon and Assyria

f.      Sidon                                       -           Phoenicia

g.     Heth                                        -           Hittites

h.     Jebus                                       -           Jebusites, the occupants of Jerusalem prior to David

i.       Philistim                                 -           Philistines

j.       Sin                                           -           Likely the oriental people: China, Japan, India etc.

Descendants of Shem (Genesis 10:21-32; 11:10-32)

a.      Through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob    -  Nation Israel

b.     Through Abraham, Ishmael and Esau -  The Middle East Arab countries.

In the words of Anthropologist Abraham Custance he notes, “And thus we conclude that from the family of Noah have sprung all the peoples of the world, prehistoric and historic.”

So these are the nations of the world today and where they have come from. Whose descendants are you? God bless you for reading.

Prince Eric Opare

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NATIONS EMERGING FROM NOAH AND HIS CHILDREN

NATIONS EMERGING FROM NOAH AND HIS CHILDREN

In Biblical account we learn of how God wiped out life on earth with a great flood and only preserved the household of Noah and a pair of each animal. Beyond that deluge, Noah’s three sons of Japheth, Ham and Shem and their descendants founded great states and nations that exists till date. So what are these nations that they founded in modern times? Let us learn of them here. Descendants of…

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The greatest most powerful tool in the world is the Bible

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The greatest most powerful tool in the world is the Bible

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THE FULL MEANING OF THE ABBREVIATION B.I.B.L.E.

THE FULL MEANING OF THE ABBREVIATION B.I.B.L.E.

The word Bible has been referred to in various terms. Being the word of God, it contain great truths that is beneficial for life’s journeys. It is referred to as the word of God but even most importantly, God Himself. God is His word as you cannot separate the two. In John 1:1, we read that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Therefore the Word is God…