Emmanuel Okoro (aka MrLift)

Examples of the believers Let me begin by saying Happy New Month to you . May it be better than the rest so far. May you enter into your own this month in Jesus' name. Amen  Examples have been one of the most excellent ways to replicate a lesson one intends to teach. It is no surprise, therefore, that teachers give several examples in class hoping the students would learn the principles behind the examples. Once that is gotten, the lesson is learned.  "Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you?" (1Thess.1.7 )  Who is looking up to you?  He says in all over the provinces believers look up the Thessalonians.  It was Timothy Paul told to be an example of believers in words, conversation, charity, spirit, faith, and purity  "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1Tim.4.12)  Once again, who ...

When you hear the expression, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptation, what comes to your mind?  I use to joke that the person who said that has not lived in Nigeria. But if the truth were to be told, the whole world is feeling this trouble but as people of the kingdom, we take trouble differently.  In Roman:5:3 the Apostle Paul has something important to say about trouble.  "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience". (Rom.5.3)  He says we glory in tribulation. Similar to what James said - count it all joy - but why should we rejoice in tribulation? He says, knowing... - hold it. Knowing what? What you know in trouble makes all the difference. He says knowing that the purpose of the tribulation is working into me the virtue of patience. So what do you know about the troubles that trouble you?  "and determined to live that way yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Alth...

Conviction is more important than knowledge, more important than skills, and more important than talent. A man with deep conviction and little knowledge can do more than a man with great knowledge and little conviction. Men with convictions of steel have been known to change the world. "When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn't just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions. You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you". (1Thess.1.5) What are your convictions? How do you develop deep conviction? A conviction is "full assurance, most certain confidence". To develop this kind of assurance, there is a place for constant and consistent thinking, meditating, and ruminating on the word that you have heard. Jesus in John 15:7 talks about abiding in the word and the word abiding in you. Paul in Col:3:16 talked about the word of God dwelling richly in you "What was sown on the good ground, t...

It was the Apostle Paul that told us that anything done without faith is sin. So we can understand why he mentioned here four very important factors: faith, service, love, and hope as the factors that make our work value-creating. We can write a book on each of these factors but here we will look at them briefly.  "Recalling unceasingly before our God and Father your work energized by faith and service motivated by love and unwavering hope in [the return of] our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)." (1Thess.1.3)  Your work is very important. It is only when we engage in productive ventures where value is created that our life has meaningful significance. If money is the only reason you work, you need to reexamine your priority.  Here Paul says their work was energized by faith and service. The motive behind his work was faith and provision of service. Learn to serve orders. You are happiest when you genuinely serve others.  But it did not stop there. He said ...

The Apostle Paul in most of his epistles always tries to sign off using his own hands, making it a bit more personal. So he will specify: "The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand" (1Cor.16.21) But when he does the same in the book of Colossians, he reminded them of his bonds.  "The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen". (Col.4.18) Yes, this is one of Paul's prison epistles, that is, a letter he wrote to the church from prison. But I find it strange that he closes the letter reminding them of his bonds. And then juxtaposes that with the grace of God.  He appears to be very proud of this bond. It is a badge of honour of some sort. We know this because, in another place, he had told to glory in tribulation.  "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience. " (Rom.5.3)  "Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am f...

Everyone will on that day be asked if they fulfilled the ministry that God has committed to their hands. There are many doctors today that are supposed to be preachers and there are many preachers that are supposed to be business people. Are you doing what God has committed into your hands?  "And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it". (Col.4.17)  Take heed, be sure, and see to it that you do your best regarding the ministry that you have received. A lot of people have left their ministry because they feel it is not glamorous enough, others believe it will not put food on the table. But whatsoever God commands, He sustains.  Many who are supposed to raise children are running helter-skelter working nine to five. I am not saying you can't do both. I believe that's why our text says, take heed to the ministry that you have received that you fulfill it. It is bad enough that some are not fulfilli...

"Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God". (Col.4.12)  The place of prayer is synonymous with the labour ward. The labour ward also known as the delivery ward is a place where babies are birthed. If physical babies are birthed in the labour ward, spiritual babies are birthed in the place of prayer.  The Apostle Paul told us in Gal.4.19 of how he travails in birth again until Christ is formed in them.  "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you" (Gal.4.19)  When you put this verse of scripture against our text, it is clear that the place of prayer is a place where things are birthed. Your dreams can come alive in the place of prayer. Your whole life can take a new shape when you learn to engage in the place of prayer.  Jesus, just before He embarked on the most important assignmen...

When people talk down at you in a conversation it is probably because that's where they are. So they hope to bring you down to their level to communicate with you. But that should never be your aim. Be gracious in your speech.  Choose your words wisely. Do not be facetious with your words. Once spoken, they cannot be retrieved. Words have the power to make or mar. Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can break your spirit. Because words are a spirit so be gracious with your words.  "Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out". (Col.4.6)  The goal of your speech should be to bring out the best in people. When you make that your goal, you may not get the result instantly, but over time even the person you are addressing would have a rethinking  "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger". (Prov.15.1)  The wise king Solomon opined tha...

There is so much connection between prayer and thanksgiving. It has been said that we enter into His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts and into His courts with praise. Jesus teaching his disciples to pray began with hallowing God's name. There is so much between prayer and thanksgiving.  "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me." (John.11.41)  When Jesus prayed at the entrance of the tomb of dead Lazarus, He thanked the Father for always hearing him. It was as though He always had a ready answer to Jesus’ request.  "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (Col.4.2)  Our prayer life is sustained in the place of thanksgiving. He says "and watch in the same with thanksgiving" watching in the same - in the same what? The same prayer. This means, that when I have asked the Father for what I need in faith, th...

This is somewhat of a conundrum that a master would be just and equitable to his servants. That there is a master and there is a servant in itself is already unjust and inequitable. But the reality of our system presupposes otherwise.  "Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven". (Col.4.1)  This brings to mind the golden rule. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Not as they have done to you but as you would have them do to you. So despite unjust and inequitable display on their part, you are expected to take the high road and do justly and equitably. Because you are expected to know better.  "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets". (Matt.7.12)  That you are the master over a servant, you are required by this verse to be just and equitable.  Why?  Because you too have a master in he...

There are two EDD in everyone's life. The first is the Estimated Date of Delivery but there is yet another EDD that we hardly talk about. It is indeed more important than the first. It is Earth Departure Date. Just as every product has an expiration date, so also every person has a date when they will depart this earth.  This is the reason everyone should take this verse to heart. It was Shakespeare that said, "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players". But this is not a drill, this is the real deal. What are you doing with your life?  "The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being Christian doesn't cover up bad work". (Col.3.2)  Bad and shoddy work will not be tolerated, you will be held accountable. Being a Christian doesn't cover up bad work. This is not a drill, put your best foot forward. Live your best life now. You do not have a second chance to make life worth the while. You have t...

I remember working as a marketer in a bank some years ago. I was new and zealous, trying to meet the set target. A colleague who was working there before I came and was my partner said to me, relax, you can't finish all the work in one day and besides, if you finish it today, what will be there for you to do tomorrow?  That is the mindset that most workers carry on. They want to barely get by and do the little they can but to excel, you have to do the maximum. And by that, I mean to do the very best you can.  "Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best". (Col.3.22)  Do your best... If this is your attitude to work, chances are when the minimum is required, you will go all out and outdo yourself and so stand out.  Nobody likes being told what to do. This may account for why some people do not put their best foot forward when asked to do something. The passage says, servants or ...

"Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or fret your children [do not be hard on them or harass them], lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated. [Do not break their spirit.]" (Col.3.21 Amp.)  The influence a father has over his child cannot be overemphasized. It is strong enough to make or mar the future of the growing child. Therefore, do not break their spirit.  The Apostle Paul instructed fathers to not provoke or irritate or fret their children. To provoke is one thing but to irritate is another level altogether. I could picture the insistent, annoying, irritating mosquitoes singing in one's ear. As bad as that is, he added, do not fret your child. That is the level where when the child thinks of the past actions of the father he quakes. Meaning that child has been scared.  He says do not be hard on them to the point where they are sullen or morose and feel inferior. Let them feel a sense of worth. To know what to do...

How does one raise children that are pleasing unto the Lord? The wise king Solomon reminded us to train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he would not depart from it (see Prov:22:6) So we can say to raise a child that is pleasing unto the Lord, the parents has a lot to do with it.  "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord". (Col.3.2)  But it is one thing to train, it is a different thing to adapt to the training received. The Apostle Paul tells us that to be pleasing to the Lord, children ought to obey their parents in all things.  And then again, obeying your parents is one thing but obeying them in all things is another. Our parents indeed know better than we do, even though this may be relative but in a matter of speaking, they do. But what needs to be understood is that our parents, most and generally, have our best interest at heart. Granted, sometimes they may appear selfish, but even at...

Almost twenty years ago when I was about to say I do, I had gone to introduce my fiancee to a pastor friend of mine and to intimate him of our plans. After congratulating us, he asked me a very simple question, which I am going to pose to every husband reading this today: 'Are you willing to lay your life down for her as Christ did for the church?  The Apostle Paul puts forth the essence of that question in this verse. He says husband go all out in love for your wife.  "Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don't take advantage of them". (Col.3.19)  All out means, all out, nothing held back. What my Pastor friend was alluding to was a similar passage of scripture "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" (Eph.5.25)  Christ gave himself for the church so husbands are meant to give not just of their substance and themselves but to give up themselves for their wives if it came to that.  If you...

To submit and to obey are not synonyms. A lot of wives have obeyed their husbands thinking they are submissive. To submit there must first be disagreement or at least differences of opinion.  If your husband wants you to do A and you agree with your husband you have obeyed but if your husband wants you to do B and you want to do A but then you abandon what you wanted to do, even though you have the capacity and everything it requires for you to do what you wanted but instead do He wants, you have submitted.  "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord". (Col.3.18)  The other point that needs to be made about submission is that a wife is to submit to her own husband, not to every man on the street. It appears as though some people have read this passage to mean women everywhere must submit to men everywhere. But it is to her own husband that a wife should submit. I am not advocating that women be rude to other men but it needed to...

The psalmist speaks of dwelling in the secret place of the Most High and abiding in the shadow of the Almighty. This gives us an inkling of the fact that this speaks to the vicinity of the presence of God.  "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty". (Ps.91.1)  And this comes with a lot of benefits. For example, we are told that in the presence of God there is fullness of joy. In fact, Psalm 91 speaks to some of the benefits of dwelling in God's presence: He shall deliver me (verse 3), He shall cover me (verse 4), A thousand shall by my side, ten thousand by the right side (verse 7) and with long life, he will satisfy me (verse 16) just to mention a few.  But in the New Testament we do not just dwell in the secret place of the Most High but the very essence of who God is, his word dwells in us "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms ...

After the instruction to be properly dressed in all the holy gab befitting the elect of God, attires such as bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearance, and forgiveness, (see Col: 3:12-14) we were further encouraged to cultivate thankfulness. Gratitude is truly the highest altitude. "Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness". (Col.3.15) That means we can practice the art of gratitude. Cultivate thankfulness. To do this we must first learn the art of seeing the good in every situation. When it seems like you can't find the good in a situation, be grateful that it is not worse than it is. "And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing". (Ps.107.22) Thanksgiving sometimes is a sacrifice and if you understand anything about sacrifices, you will ...

Picture a march passed where one of the participants is not in sync with the others. When everyone else raises their right leg he is raising his left leg. "Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness". (Col.3.15) The Bible enjoined us to be in sync with one another. It says 'in step with each other'. This speaks to the unity of purpose. This can only happen because the peace of God is keeping you in tune with each other. Imagine a radio frequency, it is not seen and is not heard but when you are in sync, you will be able to receive the broadcast from that radio station. If you are not in tune with Christ you cannot receive the peace and if you cannot receive the peace you cannot stay in step with each other. It is important that you stay in peace and "in step with" because that's where the blessings of God are commanded. Litt...

As the very elect of God, there are certain requirements expected of us. This is because we are not just elected but our election declared us holy and beloved of God. "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man has a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness". (Col.3.12-14) As the elect of God, these verses say we must 'put on therefore' meaning these are our code of conduct, these are our acceptable behaviour: the bowels of mercies - you must be full of mercy, kindness - you must be kind. Humbleness of mind, meaning your humility is not just an outward display but that your mind is truly humble. And that you are meek - meekness, and must know how to suffer long - long-suffering. Furthermore, it says we must l...

Names are used for labeling things and when you put a label on something, you define that thing. What it can do and not do, what it can be and not be. And definitions can be limiting. By saying what a thing is, you have by extension said what it is not. The Apostle Paul tells us here that when we came to Christ, all labeling was stripped off. Whatever people use to call you or are calling you, no longer matter and should no longer have any effect on you. "Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ". (Col.3.11) You may once have been called a cheat and a liar, a fornicator or a murderer, a success or a failure, these no longer define you. A new yardstick now applies to all. There is only one rule of measurement now and that is Christ. It says from now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone i...

It is very difficult sometimes to think that God sees us in our difficult moment and wonder why He isn't doing anything about it. But God is strategic, He is a God of plan, purpose, and design and He has you exactly where He wants you. "Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete". (Col.3.10) This verse says we are dressed in a new wardrobe and that every item is custom-made. That got me thinking. If every item is custom-made, that means He has me where He wants me. He dresses me up for each occasion. Where I am right now is not unknown to Him. "For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an ex...

"So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God). (Col.3.5) The Bible says we should kill the evil desires that are lurking in our members. How does one kill the evil desires lurking in our members? It says we have to deprive them of power. Said in another way, starve the evil desires until they die. But in that also is the paradox. If it is a desire, it means it is a craving. The normal tendency is to gravitate toward the things we desire. But here we are told to deprive them of power. To do that we have to find new desires. In every one of us, there are usually two sides. Somewhat like a twin in one body - siamese twin. Good and evil. The Apostle Paul says that evil is present in the pre...