Comparison is the thief of joy
Theodore Roosevelt
QUICK QUOTEs
Comparison is the thief of joy
Theodore Roosevelt
Author: chukwubuigwe
Budding writer with a passion for God and my beautiful nation 9ja. Also enjoy being a "positive nuisance" *smiles*. Proud supporter of 9ja's national teams & The Gunners
QUICK QUOTEs
God does not desire divine visitation but rather He desires divine habitation
My favourite Avatar
While reminiscing on what he said over three months ago, it finally hit me. Who’s my favourite Avatar? Now mind you I ain’t really into the whole “The last air bender” Avatar Aang “ish” movie. I asked my siblings who their favourite Avatar was and why? Really heard some interesting things I must say. But I had to find my own favourite Avatar…
So I decided to embark on a research for me to pick/choose my own answer. To get this answer I had to consider all the Avatars both known and unknown.
So what’s the basic requirement that qualifies one to become an Avatar?
– You must be a bender (that is the ability to manipulate or change the state of a certain substance)
To find the first ever recorded bender in the history of the World I had to search deep in history and what better place to start searching other than the oldest and most trusted book on the face of the Earth.
And there I found them, six of them; the only real life Avatars with flesh and blood flowing through them not them cartoon-ish characters that you guys all love and adore.
The first of them was termed the meekest man on the face of the Earth according to the book. His history points to the fact that he was from the water tribe ‘cos he was born and then placed in water and the first thing he ever bent was water. Turning every atom of water in a certain land to blood… Now that’s the height of bending, not only did he gain control of water but he also changed it to a totally different fluid. He also did part a certain sea in two for his tribes people to cross the sea while leading them to their promised land.
The second on the list who was an understudy of the first character is quite a queer fellow in the sense that this dude mastered the art of controlling what no one before or after him ever controlled. He made the Sun stand still!!! That’s just dope! Based on what he bent, I honestly can’t place what tribe he’s from.
My third Avatar is from the fire nation, a man who I’ll call the Lord of the fire nation during his time. This man called fire down out of nothing… Absolutely nothing! This man is unlike any fire bender before or after him, for this man conjures fire out of nothing unlike them fire benders that need a touch of fire to work their magic…
The fourth character just like the second was an understudy of the third bender though he’s from the water tribe and one of his recorded feats was bending the same river his master “The Fire Lord” bent. He also is a metal bender making the head of an axe float on water and bending water itself.
The next on the list happens to be the first ever recorded air bender commanding the North, South, East and West winds to come together to breathe life into a valley of… Yep, you got it, dry bones.
Now, the last and definitely the “bestest” and greatest by my opinion. The only Avatar who didn’t need to consult the “Avatar Spirit” for guidance on what to do next ‘cos he himself was the greatest Avatar Spirit in human form… A man who bent water into wine, turned clay to healing instruments, walked on water… Commanded the wind.
A Soul bender; bending it from the damned to the redeemed…
A Life changer; changing it from one full of negativities to one full of positivities…
A death conqueror; the only man to have successfully conquered death…
And… A life giver; the only man whose name can give life…
He is my favourite bender…
My favourite Avatar…
Need I say the name of the book?
BE THE CHANGE 1
Change as is commonly said is the only constant or permanent thing in life. The dictionary and everyone has his/her unique definition for this word CHANGE, this is based on their personal or do I say unique views. For this reason I won’t be giving any definition for this word yet.
Change is a process, so it definitely can’t be accomplished in a day as most of us “should” have realized by now, so in order to effect change one has to be extremely patient. Now, that’s enough on CHANGE because that’s not the topic.
Before I go further, I’ld like to state categorically that this write-up is dedicated to the good people of my great nation NIGERIA, but it’s not restricted to us (Nigerians) alone.
This write-up is for those of us that:
– Go about castigating, insulting and pointing accusing fingers at those that are in positions of authority/power.
– Do not see anything worth celebrating/commending rather we only see things worth complaining about the nation.
– Love and appreciate this beautiful nation of ours NIGERIA.
Actually, I’m not here to blame anyone of us who falls in the first two categories rather, I’m here to try give us a change of perspective. I’m certain some of us would be wondering what I have to say that could change our perspective on this nation.
Well… here it goes :
1) Take a look at Aso rock, it’s a civilian that’s in power, go back some 17 years (early 1998) when the Late Gen. Sani Abacha was in power, there was never the slightest hope for democracy. Yet we had a seamless transition to democracy (yes, I know it has its own peculiar challenges), no blood was shed, then compare us with the “Arab spring” nations (Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Syria) who have had to pay and are in fact still paying for ousting their leaders and in the case of Syria has escalated to a civil war just to oust a civilian leader. These countries have lost thousands of lives and property worth millions of dollars have also been destroyed.
2) Nigeria has 3 major tribes and about 371 tribes in total and with all our ethno-diversity and inter-tribal conflicts, notably the civil war that lasted about 3 years (1967-1970), we haven’t lost lives at the rate which RWANDA that has 2 major tribes HUTSI’s and TUTSI’s and 3 tribes in total lost lives in an inter-tribal conflict between the first two tribes. Shouldn’t we celebrate?
3) NATURAL DISASTERS: Asides flooding (which I won’t term a natural disaster rather a product of bad drainage channels) NIGERIA has nothing to worry about “mother nature’s” forces. Not too far from us here in neighbouring CAMEROUN, they suffer the wrath of volcanic eruptions. AMERICA with all the Earthquakes, Tornadoes and Hurricanes, most notably the Hurricanes Katie and Isaac that tore through the land. ASIAN countries always hit by Monsoons and Typhoons, ever fresh in my memory is the Typhoon Temple that ravaged TAIWAN and both ends of the KOREAN people that’s the NORTH and SOUTH. Lest I forget, Tsunamis always have a score to settle with the Asians… Fukushima anyone?
4) NATURAL RESOURCES: This country has been blessed by GOD with numerous natural resources; TIN, GOLD, COAL, COLUMBITE, CRUDE OIL, a very fertile soil for agricultural produce etc. Most of these resources haven’t been harnessed at all with our over-dependence on “BLACK GOLD”, this land is truly a haven of GOD’s riches and benevolence on us. Truly the land is GREEN (thanks TY Bello).
5) By my own rating this is by far the most important of them all; HUMAN RESOURCES: We’re overly blessed with the best of people in every sphere of life. Yes every sphere, from the Leaders to the least significant citizen (if there’s anything like that) in the country. This point is where my topic comes to play, like I stated earlier NIGERIA is blessed with the best of HUMAN RESOURCE, the only challenge is that most of these human resources have just sealed their heart with the notion that nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, good can come out of this nation, but I want to counter this notion. All this country needs is someone somewhere to begin that change, I’ll give instances.
– We’ve been known to work with “African” time and that’s the reason a 2 hours meeting that’s to end by 12pm by original schedule would just be starting by 11:15am (an alarming 1 hour 15 minutes late). This is the case in a lot of gatherings or meetings that is associated with time, now that happens because everyone involved in such meetings/gatherings believes that other participants of the meeting will also come late, so they consciously decide to go late for the meeting even when they could have been 30 minutes early. This cliché “AFRICAN TIME” can only stop when we all decide to come on time for every of our meetings. You’ll be surprised how this little change will positively change our lives.
– Also, some of us just decide to break rules because we believe that we can always “bribe” our way out of trouble because the official in-charge is corrupt. We haven’t realized the fact that we (the people giving bribe) are actually the corrupt ones and for those that may say they were forced to give the bribe, have you considered what will happen if you just do what’s right? You won’t have to face any charges, the official will have no one to collect bribe from, hence turning or do I say transforming the official to a noble citizen (that’s one better human resource) for the country.
– PATIENCE; we’re known to be “RUSHians” which has led to several/numerous mistakes (most notably fatal car accidents). We also rush to condemn our leaders, elders, friends, subordinates or younger ones. We don’t give them the opportunity to explain themselves, we seem to forget what the BIBLE says about the tongue (life and death are in the power of the tongue), we rush to curse and condemn people yet we want them to perform, how is that possible? It’s really difficult… Please mind what you say about anyone because it may just come back to haunt you, remember words are like eggs once they’re out of your mouth (break), you can never get them back.
– I cannot help but add the ability to concede defeat for the greater good of the nation and not keep fighting for your own selfish interest as our outgoing President did in the last elections. I know that it’s a very rare happening in this nation but if we can all go about with a changed attitude like this, I can assure you that our beloved nation can only get stronger.
There are many more but I’ll stop with these few for now, remember NIGERIA is ours whatever becomes of HER is up to us.
No one could have put it better than Mahatma Gandhi “Be the change you want to see in the World”
BE THE CHANGE, it begins with YOU.
GOD BLESS NIGERIA
GOD BLESS AFRICA
GOD BLESS THE WORLD
GOD BLESS YOU
Love Like God To Be With God 4
Finally, we need to be weary. In the end we will not stand together with our leaders and be judged according to what they have thought us.
The Bible is for us to read and understand on our own, we are in the end times and Christ said
in Matthew 24:10 – 12 (NLT), “And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will
grow cold.”
The key line we are looking at today is “ And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray”. There are many false prophets springing up everywhere, awarding people for doing things for God and creating an atmosphere of competition in their church. This award and this competition only rubs the
congregation of their rewards in heaven, and if you are part of such a congregation, please leave
and seek God in a place where, they leave the reward of your good deeds to the one who can truly reward you with eternal life.
It is paramount that we share these messages with you, so that you can fully understand what is important and remove from your thinking any knowledge of false teachings and also because we are in the end times.
Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to see where all these false prophets are hiding so that I can get out of their midst. And, Lord if You see me moving in a crowd of false doctrine teachers; lead me away from them, in Jesus mighty name.
Courtesy : http://www.rccgnca.blogspot.com
Love Like God To Be With God 3
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” – 1 John 4:8 (KJV)
If we have come to understand that love is what we need to make heaven, then what is it that we do that is not classified as love?
1. Self-glory : We have treated more than once that you should not seek glory for yourself, see all that you do as a gift to the soul that receives it. If you seek glory,
desiring to be patted on the back for the great job that you have done, then don’t expect that a
record or reward of what you have done is being recorded in heaven.
Matthew 6:1 “Take care!
Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” (NLT)
It may be hard to understand what has been said here because we as humans want to receive glory, but let me tell you, if you go on a soul
winning trip so as to get a reward in church, then you will lose your crowns in heaven. If you give
financially so that you can get noticed in church, you will lose your reward in heaven.
- Impatience and full of oneself: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.”
2 Corinthians 13:4 – 5 (NLT)
We need to love correctly, not the false adulterated love that the world gives for its glory, but the one that seeks the glory of the one and only creator.
Prayer: Lord, I ask again let me love like You,
work on me from now on to be more like Christ.
Courtesy : http://www.rccgnca.blogspot.com
Love Like God To Be With God 2
We shall continue, on who God is and what He expects from us.
To love is more than mere talk, James 2: 14 –17 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
Acts of faith, no matter how it comes out, if it is without love, then it is as good as dead. Yesterday we saw that even Christ rejected people who did acts of faith in the area of doing miracles, all because something was missing, here is what Christ is looking out for:
Matthew 25:32 – 45
All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats… Then the
King will say to those on the right ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you… For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’…And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and
sisters, you were doing it to me!’
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his
demons! For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me anything to drink. I was a stranger, and you
didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me no clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters,
you were refusing to help me.’
Note, the criteria that Christ used to separate these people, is not the amount they have given, or the miracles that they have done, it is the love that they have shown. These people cared for the people of God, they won souls, not winning them so as to get a reward here on earth, but winning them because they don’t want them to perish. They also visited them, clothed them and fed them.
That is what Christ is looking out for. The miracles that you are able to perform are secondary to the love you are expected to show.
Prayer: Jesus, all I want is to be more like You.
Courtesy : http://www.rccgnca.blogspot.com
Love Like God To Be With God 1
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is
love.” – 1 John 4:8 (KJV)
At the very end it is love that counts. I want to redirect your mind to who God is. God is love
and in the end what will be the final determining factor between a real Christian and a false one will be love.
Christ said in Matthew 24:10 – 12 (NLT), “And
many will turn away from me and betray and
hate each other. And many false prophets will
appear and will lead many people astray. Sin will
be rampant everywhere, and the love of many
will grow cold.”
It is not the amount that you have given, or the miracles you have done, or the people that you have raised from death or the sick that you have healed or the fact that you can speak in tongues “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass“ (1 Corinthians 13:1) . The factor
that will separate the sheep form the goats is love.
Christ said , “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
– Matthew 7: 21 – 23 (KJV)
Prayer: Lord, fill me with love, let me love like
You and fill my heart with the knowledge that
acts of faith (miracles) without love will not lead
me to heaven.
Courtesy : http://www.rccgnca.blogspot.com
Christ a poet 