Title: 'Discerning My Direction From God'

Title: 'SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT'/Mx - Visual Prayer Art from Collection by Rev.Bola A.

HOW I MAKE ALL MY IMPORTANT LIFE DECISIONS.

'Four Questions on Discerning My Direction from God'

Introduction:
Being led of the Spirit and knowing the will of God requires discernment and a submissive heart.
It is important that I get my heart in the place where I am willing to do whatever the Lord may ask me to do.
Or to refrain from doing whatever the Lord, does not need, want or require me to do.

I must not be like the lady that I read about who….
went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed.
One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. "Why do you toss the stick more than once?" someone asked. "Because," replied the woman, "it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right." She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air until it pointed the way she wanted to go!

MY BIBLE TEXT:
Proverbs 3: says 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;'
v6.' In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct[a] your paths.'

God's Word in The Bible assures me that there is a way I can position my heart to know I will be directed by the Lord. This verse says so in addition to many others. Let me share four questions I ask during times when I am attempting to discern direction from God.

1. Does What I am Sensing Square with Scripture?

-Since the Scripture reveals us to me the will of God, I should never follow a path contrary to the truth of Scripture.
-I am to be led by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:14) and the Holy Spirit will never lead me contrary to Scripture. Why? Because the Scripture was given to men through the Holy Spirit.

2. Does What I am Sensing Bear Witness with Peace?

-Paul wrote we are to let the peace of God rule in our hearts. If what I think I hear being said causes me to lose my peace, then something is amiss.
-The ministry of reconciliation that believers carries is awesome. I must not violate that ministry by doing things that I do not have an inner peace about doing,
-Something may be right to do, but it may not be the right time to do it.
-Something may be right for someone else to do, but yet, I am not to do it,
-Something may right in my own human eyes and the eyes of my friends, but if there is no peace, then the Holy Spirit is saying "No!"

3. Does What I am Sensing Connect or Conflict with Other Confirmed Direction?

-If I am having to knock down a door that God has not opened, then I realize I am going the wrong way. Sometimes we want something we will try to bend everything toward it.

ILLUS-When God bolts the door, don't try to get in through the window. The will of God never will lead me where the grace of God cannot keep me.
-In the mouth of two or three witnesses a thing is established. What does the counsel of Godly Christian people around me say?
-What prophetic words have I been encouraged with through the Scripture or through the Spirit speaking through someone else, or even my dreams. God still speaks through dreams but I must be discerning and use His Word as a standard to judge them.

ILLUS-Do not hastily ascribe things to God. Do not easily suppose dreams, voices, impressions, visions or revelations to be from God. They may be from Him. They may be from nature. They may be from the Devil.
J.K. Johnston, John Wesley Why Christians Sin, Discovery House, 1992, p. 102.
-Do not go against the last thing you KNOW God spoke to you about by changing directions on a word you are not fully assurred of.

4. Does What I am Sensing Contain the Fruit of the Spirit?

-I do not do what Jesus who was full of the Spirit would not do.
-This is a behavior oriented test. The Lord leads me to do things that will result in the fruit of the Spirit being demonstrated in my life.
-For example, He will not lead me into situations where I lose my patience with my partner. He will not lead me to respond to someone in a harmful way.

CONCLUSION: Am I willing to do His will above all others?

I only wrestle with God for one of two reasons:
1. I don't know God's will and I am trying to find it. /OR
2. I know God's will and I am trying to decide whether or not to do it.

I must always ask my Spirit, which of these might I be wrestling with at any given time?

Incidentally, sharing this article brings me a lot of PEACE.
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PEACE And LOVE
Rev.Bola A.

*With Special Thanks To  Eddie Lawrence for his Divinely Inspired Teachings.
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'God Wants You To Know'

Title: 'YOU ARE LOVED'/Mx - Visual Prayer Art from Collection by Rev.Bola A

God wants you to know that....

1. You are loved and very precious to God.
2. You have the right to be treated many times better than the current world system is treating you.
3. You have the right to be completely free of any and all forms of negativity.
4. You have the right to be happy and joyful all the time.
5. You have the right to live a life of peace, tranquility, beauty and harmony.
6. You have the right to all your basic needs for survival being met without struggle.
7. You have the right to enjoy and share all your natural gifts and talents with other human-beings..
8. You have the right to live in abundance, without lack or competition for resources.
9. You have the right to a healthy and fit physical body that does not age.
10. You have the right to direct knowing without being programmed.
11. You have the right to feel safe and secure around other humans.
12. You have the right to only buy, own and use what you actually need.
13. You have the right to be stress, pressure, addiction and compulsion free.
14. You have the right to make your own choices in life, and be accountable for them.
15. You have the right to go anywhere you want, providing you go in love.
16. You have the right to balance in all areas of life.
17. You have the right to know what the rules governing life are, and how to apply them.
18. You have the right to clarity at all times.
19. You have the right to a guilt free, shame free life.
20. You have the right to loving connections with others.
21. You have the right to spend your time with people who care for you and away from people who don't, no matter who they are.
22. You have the right to a pain free passage into and out of the material world.
23. You have the right to unconditional love and acceptance.
24. You have the right to a life of beauty, comfort, luxury and aesthetic appreciation.
25. You have the right to choose not to have any of these things for yourself.

'So, Who Are You?' - Personal Recognition Course

 

Title: 'WHO AM I?'/Mm  - Visual Prayer Art from Precious Stone Collection by Rev.Bola A

* Personal Identity - Course
- A FREE  On-line Internet Based Course -

Introductory notes

At some point in life, you may have come up with advice by well intentioned people, to...'just be yourself' or 'be true to yourself'....and all will be fine. That is sound advice when you actually know who you are to begin with. But if you don't know, or you are not sure who you really are.  I am willing to bet that a lot of the anxiety that is felt by so many, is due to being uncertain of the answer to this question.

So who are you really? How do you identify yourself?  Is that by your birth name? Your family name? Your nick-name? Do you identify yourself by your country of origin? Your race? Your vocation or career? Your sexual orientation? Your DNA? I mean, who are you really? Do you know? Do the people around you know? Who or what do people say, or demonstrate that you are? What names have you been called in the past, What labels have you been given? Do they adequately describe who you are? You may even have been asked the question ...'Who do you think you are?'....in a somewhat derogratory manner, as though attempting to express yourself in the world is somehow bad.

Perhaps this question, is something you have been engaged in trying to figure out, most of your life. Or perhaps you are one of those who has even given up the search altogether? Either way, it can't be denied that this question is both significant and indeed relevant to every one of us.
For as long as we remain unaware of who we are, it is impossible to experience the contentment, security, or deep sense of peace that we cherish and deserve. You may also have noticed that those who seem the most certain in life, whether naturally or acquired, often tend to have a strong sense of who they are.

The purpose of this course, is to point you in the direction of where to find your answers.
I have personally walked this path of learning, and one thing I can say for certain is that you are definitely someone worth knowing. You can therefore rest assured that, as long as you are willing to be earnest with yourself and the process, this is a remarkably challenging, wonderful, exciting and worthwhile journey to embark upon. You will be very blessed by what you find.

This on-line, internet based course, is currently being made available for FREE of charge to all who wish to identify and understand themselves, and to know more of who they really are, but generous donations towards the cost of producing the work are also welcome from those who can afford it.
For enquiries, send email to Course Support : ibejipoets@yahoo.co.uk


Suggested Procedure For This Course

There are a number of different ways to proceed through this course.
However, for your own optimum learning experience and ease, it is suggested that you first
get an overview of what you will be learning, by doing a quick scan through the entire content of the preceding 1-15 Groups of terminology presented.

Some of the terms you may already be familiar with, others may be completely new to you. Either way, at this stage, it's best to remain relaxed and open, but alert and willing to learning new things. You will need access to a good dictionary, and a notebook or journal to take notes and keep track of your progress.

After the quick overview, next simply advance through the course, one level at a time, starting from Level 1, and running through (1-15) each Group of terms, to the completion of that level,  before moving on to the next level.  Then repeat that process with the next level up, and so on, all the way through to Level 6.  *Level 7 is of course optional, but doing it, will offer you and others, a profound awareness of your true self, and a powerful acknowledgement of who you really are at core.


Study Terminology : Groups (1 to 15) --

1. Identity, Personality, Mind, Memory, Mental body, Physical Body, Senses, Emotion, Emotional body, Feeling.

2. Individual, Ego, Psyche, Human, Mortal, Immortal, Being, Spirit, Divinity, God, Christ, Holy Spirit, Angel

3. Soul, Thought, Intention, Intuition, Belief, Agreement, Will, Free will, Choice, Entity, Channel, Imagination, Talent, Ethics, Morality

4. Psyche, Conscious, Subconscious, Unconscious, Aura, Awareness, Conscience, I, Other, Self, Higher Self, Lower Self.

5. Destiny, Purpose, Mission, Goal, Desire, karma, Life, Birth, Death, Living, Game, Survival, Win, Lose, Devil, Sin, Temptation.

6. Good, Evil, Sin, Demon, Pleasure, Pain, Rules, Laws, Principles, Truth, Lies, Error, Duality, Mirror, Magnet

7. Attraction, Positive, Negative, Resistance, Love, Hate, Communication, Ability, Lesson, Teacher, Choice

8. Free will, Denial, Invalidation, Approval, Measurement, Quantity, Quality, Space, Location, Distance.

9. Prophecy, Time, Past, Present, Future, Energy, Matter, Weight, Gravity, Frequency, Light, Transmitter.

10. Energy, Flow, Direction, Cause, Change, Effect, Problem, Question, Assumption, Experience, Skill

11. Belief, Habit, Objective, Subjective, Conditioning, Reality, World, Universe, Environment, Nationality,

12. Gender, Race, Species, Animal, Plant, Cell, DNA, Molecule, Atom, Particle, Element, Elementals

13. Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Metal, Colour, Sound, Movement, Speed, Shape, Texture, Mood, Temperature

14. God, Creator, Source, Origin,  Heaven, Universe, Infinity, Harmony, Beauty, Prosperity, Love, Peace,

15. Salvation, Accountability, Responsibility, Joy, Wisdom, Contentment, Truth, Knowing, Fellowship, Unity.

*Levels (1 - 6)

Level 1. --
A) Define each of  the preceding terms in Groups 1-14 , using a dictionary, thesaurus, and/or encyclopaedia.
B)  Put each term into 2 sentences of your own words.       
    
Level 2.--
'Google' each term from your internet browser, checking and reading the contents of at least 2 sites, for each term.

Level 3.--
A) Based on what you have learned, now give a summary in your own words about what each term means to you.
B) Give practical illustrations and examples of the application of each term.

Level  4--
A) Describe in your own way, how each term relates in meaning and relevance, to the previous terms  you have studied.
B) Illustrate the connections with a link chart or diagram of your own.

Level 5--
A) Describe briefly in your own words how each content of one group, relates to the other groups.
B) Can you recognise any common denominator between them, or any pattern emerging, and if so what?            

Level 6--
A)Who are you? Describe in your own words and way, who you now believe you are?
B) What in your view, is the most important lesson you have learned from this course?

Level 7 (Optional) -- For the creative minded, using any Art form you choose-- this could be a painting  or other visual image, a poem, a song, music, dance, or even film ---to create an artistic expression that represents:-
A) Each, All or Some, of the terms you have learnt, and the connection between them.
B) Each, All or Some of the groups you have studied, and what they have in common.

Completion: Send in your testimonial of completion by email to Course Support: ibejipoets@yahoo.co.uk

Feel free to share your experiences of this course any of the issues, to ask pertinent questions, or to leave your comments, and I will do my best to respond.
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Course Created and Designed by Rev.Bola A.
(Copyright: 11Dec11 -ARR)
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Title: 'Being of Good Cheer'

'And being moved with pity and sympathy, 

Jesus reached out His hand and touched him,
and said to him, I am willing; be made clean!'

--Mark 1:41

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'Jesus wept.' --John 11:35
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The shortest verse in the Bible, 'Jesus wept', 
provides us with this greatest of insights: 
in Jesus Christ, we have a friend 
who has experienced all the griefs and pain 
that we experience today. 
Therefore we too can remain optimistic.
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Love Rev.Bola

Title: 'Consequences'

Title: 'MAKING TIME'  - Prayer Art by Rev.Bola A.

'The consequences of today are 
determined by the actions of the past. 
To change your future, 
alter your decisions today.'
~ Anonymous

   With Love from Rev.Bola A.
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'JOY - How To Feel Wonderful'

.

joy is the deep seated confidence that God is in control of every area of your life. 

It is the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; a keen pleasure; elation.  A source or cause of tremendous pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.  Joy is rapture and bliss; and is the reverse of misery, unhappiness, sorrow or grief.

Regardless of our circumstances, we can keep our joy alive, by staying focused on God. Here is a way to do just that.

Exercise in Joyfulness

1. Bring to mind a time you felt fantastic.
2. Shut your eyes and imagine that time frame, in brilliant detail. Picture the image clearly, pick up the auditory sensation* loudly, recall the feelings, like they were happening right now.
3. Envisage yourself stepping into that experience, and imagine being in that memory, as though you were there now. See what you'd see, hear what you would hear, experience how good you feel. Get the colours more accented and brighter.
4. Be aware of this fantastic feeling that is in your body. Capture a sense of where the sensation begins. Is it in your chest, or your abdomen, for instance, or does it start from your backbone area, or from your feet up? Now imagine taking charge of that good feeling and vibrating it faster, making it bigger and stronger, through your body.
5. Now, consider a time in the future, where you could apply the good feelings. Strengthen these joyful feelings throughout your body as you imagine all the activities you will be engaged in, over the next few days. 6. I am sure you will be feeling jolly good by now.

Exercise 2

A Visual Talisman For 'JOY'

Just focus on the image below for a few minutes at a time, and you will experience Joy.

Can you see JOY in this Stereo-gram? If not, try softening your gaze a little:-)

Wishing you heaps of Joy x Rev.Bola.

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'HUMILITY not Pride -Please!'

Pride is one of the biggest challenges we face as humans.
 Arrogance is another word for pride, and too much of that,
 is what gets us into trouble a lot of the time.
 Satan's greatest sin again God the Creator was his pride.
 He wanted to take over from The Living God, the true source of Life.
 The same God who created him. Satan thought he could do a better job than his creator,
 and went forth contaminating other souls with his prideful ideas.
From this suffering was then introduced to the human soul.
 Now pain and suffering have become part of every day life for humanity, and why is that?
 All because of arrogance and pride.

By personal experience, I have much to say on the subject of Pride,
 but for now it will suffice to state that if we really want to make heaven,
 we need to learn to keep our pride in check.
Pride stops us from admitting when we are wrong.
 Pride stops us from congratulating others when they have done well.
 Pride stops us from greeting others back when they greet us.
 Pride stops us from communicating lovingly and respectfully to others.
 Pride stops us from being available and present to the needs of our environment.
 Pride stops us from being of service.
 Pride stops us from showing respect for all living beings,
and worst of all pride stops us from having a respectful and loving relationship with our Creator God.

'I'm bigger than God'

How many families have been broken up due to pride? Countless.
How many friendships have bitten the dust due to pride? Countless.
 How many positive ideas have been ignored due to pride?
How many talented people have had their contributions and gifts wasted due to pride?
 How many murderous wars have started due to pride?
 Satanic Pride in the name of Religion, Satanic pride in the name of political causes
, Satanic pride in the name of scientific advancement, Satanic pride in the name of national security.
 Satanic pride disguised as commercial progress, as wealth, as celebrity.
Satanic pride disguised as education, as art and culture, or as sophistication. Quite incredible really.
 Do we know the difference between satanic pride and genuine self esteem that comes from the experience of Divine nature? Can we spot the difference or are we confused?
 Satan and his consorts pretend to build you up with false pride whilst carefully,
 and willfully eroding your dignity and your self esteem.

 Mathew 11 verse 29 - The Holy Bible - The Lord says:
 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, 
and you will find rest for your souls.

The Lord teaches here, that gentleness and humility is where we are able to gain true joy and peace in our lives, and not by willful pride. Let us learn to be humble, and to practice Divine humility towards our Creator God. God showed us humility when He sent His Son Christ Jesus to earth to save us, willingly giving up His life through crucifixion. How many of us can withstand such humiliation in the discharge of our duties to God? And yet Christ did that for us, even though He was the Son of God. For that act of humility, billions of lives and souls have been liberated from the trappings of Satan. Many more continue to be liberated every day. So we see that Humility is an extremely precious soul quality to develop in life, so let us now do our utmost to cultivate it.
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 by: Rev.Dr.Bola Animashaun (copyright:  22/Feb/2011 - ARR)