Take My Hand Inspirations: 2018

Monday 31 December 2018

40: Introduction : Be Godly Resolute In All You Do

Take My Hand Inspirations

ARMOR OF GOD SERIES

Taking the 7^th and last step to salvation does not mean you are finished. As explained in Blog #39, our lives as Christians are filled with constant and consistent testimony of how good God is! As you daily cleanse yourself in His Water, the Word, through Bible reading; and as you communicate to the Lord in prayer; and as you fellowship with other brothers and sisters in the Lord, His Church, you are keeping the Holy Spirit active and working in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

Warning: Stay on track. Don’t get bored or weary or disappointed when you find other Christians still struggling to overcome their weaknesses. Maybe for you, adhering to a plan for reading the Bible in a year, is easy, but for your fellow brother or sister, it may be a most challenging task, so they’d prefer to read the Bible at their own pace. Or, perhaps interacting with other Christians in your Church family is upsetting for you, especially if you’ve been bitten by the back-biter before. But another Christian sister or brother may need someone like you who is a good listener and who is also discrete.

You must embrace this realistic fact: None of us is perfect—that’s why we must enter into the hospital of the soul—the Church—and become part of the body of Christ, each one of us functioning according to our strengths thereby edifying into a strong body as we all heal together.

We, born-again believers, arrive at the feet of Jesus with all kinds of “issues.” And He is there to heal us all if we only RESOLVE to be healed. RESOLVE is an action. In Christ, we, the adopted sons and daughters, come to understand very quickly that a Christian life-style is all about action: sharing, giving, forgiving, reading, praying, evangelizing, singing, praising, listening, guiding, tithing and above all else, loving and growing and growing some more until we become the image of Christ.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

This scripture tells us that whatever we DO, God knows why we are doing it. That is why Bible-reading is so crucial to the healing of our souls. Studying God’s Word teaches us what God wills for us to do. If we do His will, nothing is too difficult because He sends the help we need to accomplish it. But if we do the will of our flesh (the physical body) or of our ego (unregenerate mentality—carnal idea of self-importance) so that others can praise us; or, if we seek only money for doing it, then we have stepped out of the will of God, and, it will be most difficult to complete whatever you and I resolve to do. What is the intent of your resolution?

RESOLVE means to make a decision formally or with determination. As a noun it means strong determination. And its derivative, RESOLUTION, is a promise to yourself to do or to not do something.

On the eve of every New Year, most of us look back on what we achieved and what we failed at from the past January to December. Then we resolve to make changes for the New Year. We take out our pen and paper and get the list going. We feel better if five to ten resolutions are officially documented. Then throughout the course of the year, we stress ourselves out to accomplish everything before December rolls round again.

This New Year 2019, I have resolved to continue working out my salvation and definitely to help others work out theirs through the Armor of God and Principles of Wellness Series. This is also the year of publication and public speaking. Of course, these resolutions are definite goals (wrapped in hopes and dreams) for my family (which includes you), children, ministry and nation; and yet I know that God will send me the help I need to accomplish it all because these are resolutely intended to glorify Him.

You are part of my help.

PUBLICATION: My dream can be our dream to reach the masses in country and abroad with the Salvation message—to win more souls for the Kingdom of God as the end-time is here.

1 Take My Hand Inspirations can be published and distributed in tract form to help others win souls to Christ as we help each other keep stepping to testify about Christ. To publish tracts in bulk, starts at GH₵400 or $100 or £60.

2 The Lion Is In The Way: A Message to the Naked Church authored by my father, Rev. P.O.K. Anyamesem is in its 2^nd edition, and as such, needs sponsorship to be published and distributed with media adverstisement. This task is very rewarding as we embark on The Way to healing today’s Church body. Publication and distribution is approximately GH₵5,000 or $1,500 or £900.

3 “The Classroom Laboratory: A Course for the Practical Teacher” is my heart’s desire to transform how children are taught English as a Second or Third or sometimes Fourth Language in the Ghanaian classroom. The times are changing and we, the educators, must change our teaching methods to cognitively connect our new generations successfully to the technological world engulfing them. To publish this manual and implement it across the public and private school sectors is an estimated GH₵3,000 or $800 or £500.

PUBLIC SPEAKING: It’s time for me to come out to your communities: schools, churches, organizations, etc. to speak with you personally the salvation message and any other message I am equipped to give for the development of body, soul and spirit unto the will of God. I’d love to interact with you and share with you my own personal testimonies, encourage you and, through the power of the spoken word, edify us all with God’s message of hope, healing, and help. CONTACT ME AT jesuspatience@gmail.com to book a speaking engagement.

Now you may be wondering: “What does the Armor of God have to do with my godly resolutions or helping someone fulfill her ministerial resolutions?” Well, the moment you make a promise to do something for God in Christ; or to help fulfill the projects you can financially support to further spread the gospel of Christ, that old mischievous Satan lurks closely by to steal, kill and destroy your resolve.

Apostle Paul, who ripped through many wrestling matches with the devil yet came out with most of the printed (and published) New Testament, admonishes us with this word:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Read all of Ephesians 6:10-20 as we get ready for 2019).

© 2018 by Take My Hand Inspirations, a division of PepParadise Society Ltd Publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Most of the paintings selected for this blog are retrieved from “Black Art” search engine.

Take My Hand Inspirations

Friday 14 December 2018

39: STEP 7: Testify About Christ!

Take My Hand Inspirations

SALVATION SERIES

Welcome home, Dear Child of God—to the Kingdom of God. Home is more than just a place where you dwell. Home is where your heart is—that place where you find rest for your soul, a peace that is beyond human understanding; that part of you where you are unconditionally loved. Your home is where you can love and be loved right back without any strings attached.

Home is the place where Jesus is—and we call it the Temple of Christ. It is first spiritual: The Holy Spirit lives in you because you believe on the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. The two of you become one; and though you may remember your past and all its ugly sins, as long as you’ve let Christ’s Spirit—the Holy Spirit—live in you, Jesus Christ becomes your righteousness. YOU ARE RIGHT WITH GOD BECAUSE HE LIVES IN YOU. Welcome home. The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:20-21).

Secondly, home is physical: You are now in the service of the Lord, a soldier in His army—like a Salvation Army. Your mission is Missions—evangelizing to other souls lost like you once were. We born again Christians must build up the Army of the Lord by telling others about what happened to us. That is called testifying about Christ with the goal of bringing others to Him.

While Jesus was physically on earth, He said to His disciples: The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few (Matthew 9:37). The harvest is the 7 billion souls inhabiting this planet of which approximately 5 billion are bound by anti-Christian beliefs; and we, the 2 billion Christian laborers are commissioned by our Lord to Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . . . (Matthew 28:19). Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-47).

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher [someone who testifies about Christ]? How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things! So then faith comes by hearing . . . . (Read Romans 10:14-18).

YOUR CONFESSION OF CHRIST CAN SAVE ANOTHER DYING SOUL UNTO ETERNAL LIFE.

. . . that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’

(Romans 10:9-11)

So now that Step 6 has given you that blessed assurance that you are saved, it is only right that you take the 7^th Step out into your own “Jerusalem” and tell others about Christ by simply sharing your own salvation story—what you were doing before you were saved; how you made the choice to take these seven steps to salvation; and how you are living now as a born again child of the Living God. And, guess what? Step 7 never ends while you dwell on earth.

To succeed at your commission:

1 Take your Bible and simply start at the Book of John and read one verse a day or a chapter daily; and what you do not understand, ask questions to your Pastor and/or other mature Christians. Pray—talk to God honestly—about what you’ve read and ask how it can be applied to your life—that is called the washing of the Word to keep the soul clean because the world will surely soil your sanctified soul if you are not washed every day in the Water (Ephesians 5:26-27; John 4:10-14).

2 Then STEP OUT! with your beautiful feet and let those in your “Jerusalem”—your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, anyone you can touch with your testimony—hear about the power of Christ through someone they know who is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes . . . . (Romans 1:16).

3 Support other Christians who are working in prisons, hospitals, orphanages and distant villages all over the world by praying for their success in winning souls and by giving them whatever aid they need to bring others to Christ.

This is my plea to you, fellow Christian. Now it is Easter, one of the pillar beliefs of our faith. Help me to share the power of the Cross with 200 youth who include the physically and/or mentally challenged and youth who live with me in the rural villages. As you know, I am a Bible teacher to over 8,000 children as a Children’s Ministry District Rep. as well as a Headmistress in my father’s private school in a community of over 2,000 children.

I truly want to share the gospel of Jesus Christ unto salvation for the souls of children and teens; for we know without guidance our young people suffer most, especially as they reach adolescence. Help me to save them now with this LIFTED UP TO SHINE EASTER PRODUCTION on 13^th April 2019.

LOG ON TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE (TAKE MY HAND INSPIRATIONS) TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION

@preciouslordleadme

Your generous financial donations of any amount by MARCH 22nd will help us produce and deliver our Easter play entitled: Lifted Up to Shine enacted by the youth of Light In Me Productions, a drama club whose members include youth from the Edwenase Rehabilitation and Vocational Training Center, GLOVICA Int'l and from the Assemblies of God Church community. This production will sincerely deliver the message of the Cross to win the hearts of the youth to Christ. It will also provide free lunch and face painting, video recording, music and support of the marketplace as we purchase the handmade items of the Edwenase trainees. The budget is GH₵3,500.00; and with each donation, you contribute toward helping the Kingdom of God to win more souls to His Army.

Please send your donation by Mobile Money to +233-(0)54-763-0369 (MTN) or +233-(0)50-338-3738 (VODAFONE) by FRIDAY 22nd March. God bless you!

© 2018, 2019 by Take My Hand Inspirations, a division of PepParadise Society Ltd Publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Most of the paintings selected for this blog are retrieved from “Black Art” search engine.

Take My Hand Inspirations

Monday 10 December 2018

38: STEP 6: Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine

Take My Hand Inspirations

SALVATION SERIES

What is salvation? It is a state of grace—unmerited, or undeserved, favour given to the underserved. Once I was a sinner saved by Grace . . . And there are three aspects of Salvation: Justification, Regeneration and Sanctification.

Justification: Man, guilty and condemned, before God, is acquitted and declared righteous—that is justified.

Regeneration: An inward experience in which the soul, dead in trespasses and in sins, needs a new life and this new life is imparted by the Divine act of regeneration (the moment you take Step 5). The person then becomes a child of God (by adoption) and a member of His household—the Church.

Sanctification: Set right in relation to God’s law and born again to a new life, the person is henceforth dedicated to the service of God. Bought with a price, he is no longer his own; he departs not from the temple (right relationship with God and with His other children) but serves God day and night (Luke 2:37). He is made holy and set aside by God; and he gives himself voluntarily and freely in joy to God.

Who is saved? A saved man (or woman—our soul) is one who has been set right with God, adopted into the Divine family, and is now dedicated to God’s service. In other words, his experience of salvation, or state of grace, consists of justification, regeneration (and adoption), and sanctification. Being justified, he belongs to the righteous; being regenerated, he is a child of God; being sanctified, he is a “saint” (literally, a holy person).¹

And all this is freely given to us as a Gift of God (Romans 6:23). Do you accept this gift you have received after taking Step 5?

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (John 1:12).

Be fully aware that after taking Step 5, Jesus does come to “dine” with you. It’s like starting a new relationship with you—the reborn, or the new you—and with God, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. It’s a refreshing, exhilarating experience. It’s a spiritual “high” that feels better than any “high” that alcohol or drugs or illicit sex can give—and it stays in you as long as you stay in Christ. You can’t feel low again. It’s like flying in the clouds, every day with Jesus.

This is where I stop to caution you, dear believer. You are now saved, Amen. What you must keep in mind is:

Once saved, always saved is a lie; and many Christians believe that once they have taken Step 5, that’s all there’s to this salvation thing. But salvation is more than just an action. It is a change, a change in the way you live—the way you think and act (or react). Christianity today has become a mere form of works without faith—like a competition to outdo a fellow Christian in appearing to do good deeds and saying holy things publically, but privately never getting closer to the Lord by praying nor reading the Bible and practicing God’s Word nor fellowshipping with other children of God with pure love, all which are the true tests marked by Jesus.

Paul wrote to the Church in Philippi in his exhortation to Love and Unite in Humility to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

There are many false doctrines that distract the new born and, nowadays, the seasoned Christian. Placing faith in anything outside of what is written in the Holy Bible; or misinterpreting the Word of God for personal gain is allowing your soul to divert from the TRUTH—Jesus is the Way, the TRUTH, and the life (John 14:6); and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He cannot be changed—misinterpreted, twisted, manipulated or eliminated! The TRUTH WILL ALWAYS AND FOREVER WILL REMAIN THE TRUTH.

You, who have received the gift of salvation, if you throw it away by later rejecting the Word of God, or ceasing to talk to God, or stopping fellowship (love) with other children of God, or decide to go back into the sinful life you led before your salvation, do you think that when Jesus comes, you’ll have automatic membership into heaven?

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the TRUTH, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God (NIV: Hebrews 10:26-27).

How do you know you are saved? He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:12). Assure is an action word which means to tell someone confidently that something is true, especially so that they do not worry. Assurance is a noun which means a promise. By taking Step 5, Jesus has come into your heart. You are born again as His child. You are part of His family—the Church. And you are set aside for God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

This is THE PROMISE, the assurance. God has said it; therefore, it is true. Do not worry. YOU ARE SAVED.

…That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart [the soul] that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart [the soul] one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

Shout Halleluiah! as you Step on into Six singing:

Stanza 1
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

Stanza 2
Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

(Refrain)

Stanza 3
Perfect submission, all is at rest!
I in my Savior am happy and blessed,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

(Refrain) ²

Footnote:

1. Pearlman, M. (1937). Chapter VIII: Salvation. In Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible (219). Springfield, Missouri, USA: Gospel Publishing House.

Most of the paintings selected for this blog are retrieved from “Black Art” search engine.

Take My Hand Inspirations