Emeka Anslem's Blog... Bringing knowledge to the people

TIMELY NOTES! Faith has no regard for your feelings. Anytime you say "I'm feeling pain", faith says "you'd have to choose between me and pain". Faith is a jealous force, it can't share your attention with any feeling. The way people feel when they are cheated is the same way faith feels when you develop feelings for pain or needs. Scripture tells us that faith is rooted in love; that literally means that if you want to see the best of faith, then develop deep love for it. If you love faith, you won't think alternatives. If you love faith, you won't think impossibilities. Impossibility is the enemy of faith. As believers, we must give faith priority. God is pleased when He sees you with faith. Faith is highly recommended by God for every believer. Faith knows how to persuade God to stop your pains, heal your wounds, and supply your needs. So instead of developing feelings for your needs, just embrace faith and tell "her" how great ...

TIMELY NOTES! If you want to change the way you live, then change the way you respond to life. Responsibility is a life changer. You'd remain at the same level until you increase your level of responsibility. Responsibilities are opportunities to advance in life. Many people are not growing intellectually because they're not responsible for any intellectual matters. So also, many people are not growing spiritually because they don't take responsibility to meet the spiritual needs of others. A parent cannot be happy feeding their child for 30 years. And that's because they expect the child to be responsible for himself at that age. In Galatians chapter 4, God literally expresses His compassion when He said "many children are going to die as slaves because they've refused to take responsibility of a son. Jesus was born as a child, but He was given to the world as a Son. And the reason why He was given to the world is because He took responsibility for the wor...

LOVE IS THE WAY OUT! I used to think that no man deserved my honesty, not until I realized that I wasn't being honest for them, but for change. Love changes the way people think about you, it changes the way people see you, and it ultimately changes the way people relate with you. I told you how my director believed that I'm a Christian because I acted in love towards the company, by purchasing office needs and reporting the exact amount I bought them. Love is not just the feeling or compassion, it's truth and sincerity, it is peace and tranquility, it is righteousness and obedience to God's word. We don't have to cheat on people, we don't have to steal from people, we don't have to lie to people, because we've had too much of all these already. True change can only be effected by love. If the government loves the people, they won't lie to us. Love is God, and a man without God can't love. The reason why many nations are struggling is b...

TIMELY NOTES! I'm not just like God, I'm also as God. 1 John 4:17 talks about our love being made perfect, so that we can have boldness in the day of judgment, because "as He is, so are we in this world". If you don't know what it takes to be like God, at least you have all it takes to live as God lives. 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love; and what a joy, the same love has been shed abroad in our hearts by His Spirit. Haven't you noticed? That every act of love often ends with this particular feedback; "this must be God!" Don't struggle to be like God, just live as God lives, and it won't be long before people would see that you're actually like God. People may doubt the words you speak, but they'd helplessly submit to the love you show. Love is fulfilling; that's why the Bible tells us that love is the fulfilling of the law. Everything else may fail and be doubted, but love can never fail, neither can it be doubted. I remem...

EVERYTHING GOD HAS IS YOURS! The prodigal son was celebrated with a feast the day he returned to his father. His father was so happy that he killed the most valued calf for this purpose. But his eldest son was displeased with the feast. He complained that he had worked for the father all these years, but the father had never given him a tangible thing, let alone organizing a feast. To his amazement, his father told him that everything he owned also belonged to him, but they had to celebrate the prodigal son because he was lost but now he is found. The year I gave my life to Christ, things were very rosy for me. It was like God knew what I needed, such that, before I prayed answers were waiting. But after some time, it reduced, and then it stopped. I began to judge myself, thinking that I may perhaps be doing certain things wrong. If only I had known that the time of celebration had ended. God wanted me to take responsibility as a son that I am. I use to feel jealous over some n...

TIMELY NOTES! Many people are victims of unanswered prayers. There's nothing you'd say to convince them about the graciousness and kindness of God. They've prayed many times, and many of these times there were no answers. What I do to such people is to plead with them to forgive God and trust Him again. There is no prayer that God doesn't answer, the only challenge is our lack of faith to receive the answer when it comes. I'd paraphrase Luke 18:7-8; it says "God will answer the prayers of His children quickly, but when His Son goes to deliver their desires, will He find faith in them?". We need to take responsibility for the delivery of answers to our prayers. God answers quickly, our faith is what is causing the delay. I remember praying to God to sell off a trailer load of light bulbs in one week, and the space of 3 days one man came and bought the whole container. I prayed for someone to recover her stolen phone in 5 days, and in exactly 5 days, in ...

GET A MASTER'S DECREE TODAY! Say unto Pharaoh "I will yet release one more plague, and after that, he'd let you go". That was a Master's decree handed to Moses during his mission to deliver Israel out of Egypt. Moses had tried many other terrible things; but each time he did, he asked Pharaoh the same question, "Let my people go that they may serve Me". That wasn't really a question, but I perceive it sounded like one, because Pharaoh kept giving him reasons why He can't release them. But when the decree came, it sounded differently, It was no longer "let my people go"; rather, it became "... after that, he will let you go". That's what The Master's decree does; it empowers you to acquire things without any further negotiation. If you're tired of employers turning you down and giving you reasons why they can't employ you, then get The Master's decree. You may ask, how do I get The Master's decree?...

TIMELY NOTES! It's obvious that people still struggle to get a job even with a master degree. The power to get wealth has been channelled back to the kingdom of God. I've heard testimonies of illiterates who got a professional job just by a divine intervention. Many people are earning fat salaries today, not because of their academic qualifications, but because they have a decree from the kingdom of God. God told Moses to "take the rod in his hand, because that is what he'd use to do signs". Moses obviously had certificates, but God still had to give him a rod for signs and wonders. It is not a master degree you need to be free from joblessness, it's the Master's decree. There is a limit to where your degree can take you, because course contents become obsolete over time; but the Master's decree is able to make a prisoner a prime minister, it's able to make a cattle rearer the minister of agriculture, it's able to make a shepherd boy a king...

TIMELY NOTES! Get on Heaven's payroll! Many Christians are helplessly conformed to this world; they depend on their salary to meet their financial responsibilities. I remember how I prayed to God to help the organization I worked with - so that my salary for 3 months could be paid. And I made that prayer because I was in desperate need of money. I struggled to get to the office that day, but compassion gripped me when I saw the depressed face of my colleague. Then God spoke to me saying "have I not told you that I shall supply all your needs according to My riches in glory? If your salary is your need, don't you think I would have supplied it?". That was when I realized that God does not need my salary to meet my needs. I didn't hesitate to admonish my colleague with the same line of words. And it wasn't long before I started receiving financial favour from people. That's how far we'd go on today's Timely Note. But take these last words; ALWA...

TIMELY NOTES! Who, or what do you relate with? There's a saying that "it's not about what you know but who you know". And that is true, because the reason why you know what you know is because of who you know. The reason why I know what I'm writing to you now is because I know the Author. The Bible talks about having a sweet relationship with the Holy Spirit. Someone had said that you'd be in the same position for years except you change the people you relate with, the books you read, and the places you go to. What's your relationship with anger, malice, Jealousy, pride, laziness, and haughtiness? I mean, if you possess all these things, then you certainly have a relationship with the spirit that possesses them. Whatever you know how to do has its origin in your relationship with its source. Just as our relationship with the Holy Spirit will develop our spiritual life, our relationship with the spirit of anger and pride will also increase our pride and...

KEEP ASKING! Sometimes, God answers our prayers, not because we're His children, but because we just won't stop asking. When God does not answer our prayers, He may have good reasons why He doesn't want to answer us, or it may just be that it's not convenient for Him to answer us as at the time we asked. In Luke 11:5-8, Jesus explained how God answers some prayers. He explained that a certain man went to his friends house at a very odd hour of the night to request for bread - to feed his visitor. But his friend denied him audience, saying that it was too late, he and his children were already in bed, and he had locked the door. Jesus concluded the story by saying "even if his friend will not get up to help him because he's also a friend, he'd get up and give him everything he needs because he's not ashamed to continue knocking. Therefore, I say unto you; keep asking, until it has been given unto you. Keep seeking, until you find; keep knocking, ...

TIMELY NOTES! The people who were with Jesus thought that blind Bartimaeus was disrupting. Come to think of it; these people were His disciples, they've been with Him all through His journey, so they should be in a good position to identify disruption when they see one. Blind Bartimaeus on the other hand, didn't care about the high esteem of these people; instead, he shouted the more, "Jesus, have mercy on me". The summary is that Jesus had to stop to help him. If you sit in the dark for very long, you'd get used to it. If you doubt me, ask a blind man how he moves around when there's nobody to help him. But the fact that you're used to the dark doesn't mean there is light. And in most cases, when light suddenly shows up, it hurts for a while, and then you begin to adjust to the presence of light. And this is why many unbelievers reject the gospel at first. But after a while, they accept it. Here's my point; everybody may think you're doing...

TIMELY NOTES! Mercy is like a tool in the hand of God; He uses it to avert the challenges that should come to us; while grace is like a tool given to man by God to do everything that God can do. Grace is the sufficiency of God; That's why God told Paul that His grace is sufficient for him. Mercy is obtained on the altar of prayer, grace is found in God's word. It was a cry for mercy that delivered Bathemaus from blindness. David was highly skilled in crying for mercy, he knew the words that commits God to have mercy on him. Grace takes you beyond your limits; it's an extra tool for greatness. Grace has money in your account even when you don't have money in your account. Grace can afford to buy a car even though your financial status can't buy you a wheelbarrow. Grace is God's tool, not your tool; and that means it answers only to the capacity of God. You may limit yourself, but never try to limit the unlimited grace of God. God's grace is all sufficient...

PREPARE FOR THE BLESSING! This things began with Moses. God told him to get down to the people of Israel and tell them to prepare themselves, because He wants to come down and set them free from Pharaoh's stronghold. And as they did, God came down and did as He promised. According to scriptures, God has since promised every believer good things. Gal 4:28 particularly calls us the children of promise. But we can only receive these promises through faith. Faith isn't just about believing what God has promised, it's preparing yourself to receive what God has promised. In Luke 9:12-17, Jesus knew that by faith in God, those five thousand people would be fed; and that's why He told His disciples to feed them. But unfortunately, His disciples started giving excuses on why it would be impossible to feed them. Jesus, ignoring their lack of faith, instructed them to make the people sit in groups of fifties. I perceive that the reason why He ask them to sit was so that Go...

YOU HAVE SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS! Sufficiency is not a function of volume or quantity, it's a function of power. The Bible tells us that God's grace, which is God's power, will abound for us, so that we can have sufficiency is all things, and abundance for every good works. Money does not give sufficiency, it is power that does. The salary of many workers is never sufficient for them, not because they don't earn enough, but because they don't have the power that gives sufficiency. The widow of Zarephath was about to eat her last meal and die, but the power of God through prophet Elijah made the last meal sufficient all through the famine period. Before Jesus fed the five thousand, His disciples told Him that the only food that was available was 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes, and that it would not be sufficient. But Jesus, by His power, made what was available to feed five thousand with loads of left overs. The widow gave the first portion of her last meal...

TIMELY NOTES! The output of your hand is determined by the strength of your mind. When you have a mind to work, strength naturally comes to your hands. The reason why many people have slack hands is because they have sluggish minds. If your mind is slow to think, your hands will be low in acts. If your output is too low in the office, check the processing power of your mind. Nehemiah said the reason why they were able to build the wall was because the people had a mind to work. When your mind is willing, your hands naturally work. The proven way to develop a working mind is to get excited at your work. The moment you lose the excitement to work, you'd get your mind off work; and your hands can't work effectively where your mind is absent. On the other hand, don't let the happenings in your office determine your emotional state. Rejoice always like scriptures say, rejoice. That's how far we'd go on today's Timely Note. But take these last words; EXCITEMENT ...

TIMELY NOTES! That Centurion in Luke chapter 7 clearly understood authority. He had soldiers and slaves under him; people who would do everything to ensure that his commands are immediately and neatly executed. He also had superiors; people whom he must submit to at all cost. Now this Centurion had a sick servant whom he loved - and would do anything to keep him alive. Thank God he knew about Jesus; because he sent some of his servants to look for Him. When Jesus was approaching the Centurion's chamber, some high ranked soldiers ran to Him with a message from the Centurion. He literally told Jesus that He didn't need to come all the way to his chamber to heal his sick servant, all he wants from Him is to speak the word of healing, and the military of the kingdom of God would go and execute the command. He even said that the reason why He sent his servants to meet him is because he wasn't worthy enough to stand before a man like Jesus, just like many of his soldiers can...

IT'S RUNNING OVER! "Give to others, and God will give to you. He'd send a generous helper to you; someone who would help you with the same measure to which you gave. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you". That's the literal translation of Luke 6:38. The King James Version talks about "running over" returns. Come to think of it; if I give something with the whole of my hands, then I'm to expect something from the whole of God's hands. And since God's hands are bigger than mine, then it's only natural for the blessing to run over. But here's the big question, how does God measure our given? Is it by the volume of what we give? The experience of Cain shows us that God does not receive gifts that has no connection to our hearts. God cares more about the size of our heart for Him than the volume of what we're giving to Him. In Mark 12:44, Jesus qualified a poor widow as the best giver; because oth...

TIMELY NOTES! It's amazing how people who call themselves Believers reason. Sometime ago, I met a man in a restaurant who ordered for a meal that was beyond the money he had with him. After eating, he began to blame the government for making things hard for the masses; somehow I knew he was trying a play a game. When it was time to pay, he gave the restauranteur the money he had and promised to pay the balance later. I got really upset and told the man that he is manipulating his Christian faith - in the name of poor government. The government may be poor, but the Bible didn't tell us to eat on credit. Just because we have access to credit doesn't mean we should take credits. As a matter of scriptures, it's discontentment to spend beyond what we have. He had enough money to eat and be satisfied, but he chose to eat and live a dissatisfied life. Yes, that's what taking credit does; it adds dissatisfaction into satisfaction. Now don't get me wrong; I'm not...

DON'T YOU GET IT? HIS WAYS ARE HIGHER! If you pour new wine in an old wineskin, the wineskin will heat-up, tear apart, and eventually waste the wine. That's what Jesus told those Scribes and Pharisees that complained that His disciples were not fasting as the disciples of John did. There are many people who feel that giving their life to Christ is a waste of time. And that's probably because their situation became even worse than it was when they were in the world. The Christian life is an entirely new life; it's not something you can mix with your old nature. If you do, things may only become worse for you. Just as an old wineskin is destroyed when a new wine is poured into it, our old nature is also destroyed when the life of Christ comes into it. The world may engage in certain ventures and succeed, but you'd be surprised to see that you won't scale through when you do the same thing. This is probably because the ways of Christ are higher than the way...

TIMELY NOTES! The end always motivates the process. It's usually not a big deal to begin a venture, the challenge comes from the diverse processes. Marriage is a desirable thing, but the process scares many eligible singles. And that's why they've resolved to get all the money in the world before they get married. Money might pay the bills, but it doesn't guarantee a good marriage. If care is not taken, one may lose all the money saved for marriage in the first year of marriage. Enough money is never enough for marriage. Who wouldn't like to be a business owner? But after the challenges are taken into consideration, many people settle for a salary job. They prefer to sit in the office for 31 days and get a pay check, than to work hard on their business idea - looking for organizations that would need their service. The challenge is still money; they always want to have enough money on them - even though they know that they can never have enough money on the job....

GOD STILL TAKES SOMETHING FROM MISTAKES! Don't worry about how you came into this world, or about the terrible experiences you've had, you're still going to fulfill destiny. Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah; but Jacob and Leah were the parents of Judah. The marriage between Jacob and Leah was a mistake, but right inside the mistake is the Saviour of the world today. Though marrying Leah was a mistake, but inside her was a tribe that raised king David, and King Jesus. It was even Judah that took the leadership role in selling Joseph into slavery. Though his intentions were good, but it didn't change the fact that he sold his brother into slavery. God didn't transfer Jesus' birth to the lineage of Joseph for that reason, instead He maintained His purpose. Jesus was born in a manger, not the beautiful bed that babies enjoy these days. Imagine a new born baby sleeping in a container used to feed horses and cattle; that's where Jesus laid when He w...

TIMELY NOTES! Nothing is too small in the beginning. As a matter of scriptures, it's advisable to start small. Many businesses, careers, and destinies have crashed today, all because they chose to start big. Many of them started big because they had the resources, while many others started big out of ignorance. The ministry of Jesus didn't start big, it started with 12 disciples. Even before he got the 12 disciples, He was alone in the business. Today, His ministry has grown to all nations of the earth. There is no nation on earth where Jesus is not known, no matter how much they try to deny it. Starting small doesn't reduce your big mentality, it only secures it. Those who start small have little or no downtime, while those who start big hardly have enough time to overcome their downtimes. Starting a big business is not the same as starting a business big. That's how far we'd go on today's Timely Note. But take these last words; STARTING SMALL TEACHES YOU...

TIMELY NOTES! God never changes; He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Though God may not change, but times and seasons change. It's obvious that the time of "Lord, give me" has passed; we've entered the season of "Lord, thy Kingdom come". In the last couple of days I've met people who bluntly declared that they were tired of praying - because they were not getting answers to their prayers. This issue began with Job. God only turned his captivity when he prayed for his friends. It's time for us to shift our prayer focus from ourselves to others, especially as it relates to the kingdom of God. Churches that won't wake up to this season may have deep challenges with their congregations. God knows everything we'd ever need, and Matt 6:33 tells us that all those things would be added to us if we seek His kingdom first. If you're not getting answers to your prayers, it's probably because you've reversed that scripture. ...

TIMELY NOTES! Let our conversations be without covetousness. God expects the words of our mouth to be rooted in faith. The Syrophenician woman wasn't entitled to any form of help from Jesus - because of where she came from. But her conversation of faith suddenly caught Jesus' attention, and He was compelled to do what He normally shouldn't do. If you think God is not blessing you, try to speak a language He easily flows it. This also happens in the world today; organizations would be compelled to employ people who speak their language. Parents would prefer to give their daughter to a man who understands their tongue. Schools would first admit students who come from their region. Several times, I've had to buy things at a cheaper rate against the regular price - because I speak in languages the sellers like. Language in this sense may not necessarily mean your mother tongue or dialect, it may also mean your attitude, professional skill, or experience. That's ho...

TIMELY NOTES! Hope is believing that God will do it, while faith is the believe that God has done it. The Bible tells us that "those who have believed enter into rest". If you can't find rest in the midst of your challenges, then what you probably have is hope. Though hope does not make a person ashamed, but it brings frequent unrest. Hope lives with the thought that needs have to be met, faith lives with the joy that needs have been met. As a matter of scriptures, the best way to demonstrate faith is to express joy. It's hard for faith to live without joy. Abraham staggered not at the promise of God, but was strong in faith, joyfully giving glory to God. That also means that people could see his faith because they saw his joy. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. If you have the evidence of what you've been hoping for, won't you be joyful about it? The evidence is not the document, it is not the pregnancy test r...

TIMELY NOTES! God is not poor! There'd never be a time when you'd ask God for what is too much for Him to do. Even if His possessions can't help you, He'd lay down His life just to help you. God is Almighty! If He does not do as you've asked, then it's probably because He has more than you've asked. You need to know your rights! Just as many people believe that God knows their needs, God also believes that they know their rights. The brother to the prodigal son knew his needs, but his father told him that what he had as a need was actually his right to have. That's how far we'd go on today's Timely Note. But take these last words; THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IN HAVING NEEDS. BUT MOST OF THE THINGS THAT APPEAR TO US AS NEEDS ARE ACTUALLY OUR RIGHT TO HAVE. Have a most fruitful day, in Jesus precious name! And hey, don't forget to "like" it. And if you really like it, please share it! #TimelyNotes An Inspiration of The Almighty...

TIMELY NOTES! In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. But the earth which He created was empty and had no particular form. Then the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God said "..." - you already know what God said. But here's my point; God created the heaven and the earth, the heaven was okay, but the earth had a problem. Something more was required to put the earth in a perfect state. I perceive that God saw what was required to perfect the earth when His Spirit moved upon the face of the waters. Here's a new month that God has created for you. Do you perceive that it's okay, or are you seeing things that are without form and void? Are you seeing issues upon the face of your marriage, business, job, career or academics? Well, the Spirit of God has since moved upon the face of the Word of God - waiting for you to speak. God saw the issues, but He spoke the solution. You don't have to go through the emptiness and formlessn...