OLUSEGUN ISAAC BLOG

  “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Exodus 33:19 NKJV) Many of my old friends with whom I frolicked in the past still can't believe my present stand with the Lord; in fact some think I'm just on 'sabbatical'! To test my claim, I was deliberately made to pray at our meetings so they could weigh my words. At such times, God always made His grace abound in me to pray like a true follower of Jesus Christ. Then I would thank God at such times for His grace. Grace has been defined as Unmerited favour and Enabling power from God. And again as the acronym G.R.A.C.E. meaning God’s Resources At Christ's Expense. Grace is both the empowerment and enablement given by God, through Jesus Christ, to those who believe in Him. It is given as resource for particular purposes in the Kingdom. Apostle Paul experienced the gracious nature of the Almighty God. Not only did he write most of the books of the New Test...

  When it became twenty five years I had been running my diagnostic center practice, I felt it was time to employ a younger Medical Laboratory Scientist who I would groom up to run the practice with me and perhaps direct the affairs when I retire. After a number of trials, I found one quite suitable so I poured my experience, knowledge and charisma into him. Exactly five years later, the young man felt not only had he learnt enough from me, he had also completed the five years the Nigerian government had directed that professional freshers should spend learning under another accomplished professional before venturing into their own practice. He left me and made me go back to square one! Who is mentoring you and who are you mentoring?  Hear what the Bible says,   Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak...and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he ask...

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV). Many of us make lofty new year resolutions at the beginning and strive hard for the first few months to accomplish, succeed and excel, but when the results appear not forthcoming we slow down and some even ultimately stop. This shows we need more strength to finish than we started.  Jamaican sprintstar  Usain Bolt was the fastest man on earth till 2016 Rio Olympic games when he ran the 100 meters sprint in 9.58 seconds. Hear what he said, "It doesn't matter where you start, as long as you finish strong. There are better starters than me but I am a strong finisher."  Other iconic sports stars like Novak Djokovic in tennis, Christian Ronaldo in football and Simone Biles the top female gymnast teac...

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  (I John 1:8)  One writer asked the pertinent question,  “We tend to focus on sins of commission—the wrong we do. But what about sins of omission—the good we fail to do?” [From TWFT/GSAF]. God’s Word reveals several categories of sin that we need to recognise.    Sins of Ommision   Omitting to do what's expected. e.g. Knowing what good to do and not doing it (James 4:17). Jesus told His listeners, “I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.” (Matt.25: 43-43).                                                                ...

  Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT).  The AMPLIFIED version says God has given us three eternal graces: Faith in God, Hope of heaven and the Love of Christ.  Love of Christ "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12 NKJV) In a dramatic account, the bible revealed to us the depth of love in Jesus’s heart for His followers: ‘Therefore, when Jesus saw her [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”  While we may describe this form of love Jesus showed His friends as what has been termed Philia [Brotherly, affectionate friendship love], there is a higher form of love – Agape [Unconditional, Unmerited love for others], the type that made God give His begotten Son...

  Reading: Job 32:1-10 NLT  ' But there is a spirit within people, (which is) the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent'. (Job 32:8 NLT ) God has given His people a device, the means by which to live. It is a threefold device named wisdom, knowledge and understanding. But understanding is the arm of the tool, the device that enlightens the other two in us. It is the forerunner among the three.        The dictionary defines Understanding as Ability to learn, reason, make decisions or judgments. Synonyms of Understanding include intelligence, comprehension, sensibility, reasoning capacity, insight. So our subject is saying that Understanding is the ability to acquire knowledge which when properly applied to our lives gives us wisdom. It is the bridge or pathway to acquiring knowledge which when properly applied begets wisdom. Thus the balanced statement would be: Wisdom is the application of knowledge acquired through understanding -...

  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  ( Matthew 17:4 ) One commentary says, ‘Infatuation is an intense, often irrational, short-lived, or fantasy-based attraction, whereas love is a conscious choice built on trust, vulnerability, and mutual respect over time. The transition requires moving from idealized attraction to accepting imperfections and building a deep emotional connection.’ [ Verywell Mind +3]  Simon Peter, who had earlier professed his unwavering affection to Jesus and His ministry on the Mount of Transfiguration, later reneged on his avowed commitment to his Lord. The Bible says, ‘Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out an...

  ' Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV).       Jamaican star Usain Bolt was the fastest man on earth, at least till the 2016 Rio Olympic games when he ran the 100 meters sprint in 9.58 seconds. Some call him 'lightning bolt'. At 32 years of age he was already worth $24 billion according to the Forbes Index. Many know him as a sprint star alone, but he is also a footballer, dancer, coach etc. When asked the secret of his success he made these statements among others: "Those seven guys behind you in that track want it much as you want it. So you have to want it more. This is why you train harder." And another statement by him: "It doesn't matter where you start, as long as you finish strong. There are better starters...

  Text:  1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Here’s my own story: My late wife suddenly took ill and ended up in intensive care. We had to order a pace maker from U.K. and the insertion procedure was successful. But later, for some unexplained cause she went into coma and remained in that state for many months. I spent all I had and all the help I was given, still I had to borrow money to meet the mounting and unending hospital expenses. Eventually my late wife passed away, but ever before she fell ill, she had been praying for my salvation. When I couldn’t pay the money I borrowed, the lender took away the collateral – my treasured car. After I fully recovered from my grief, God gave me another wife, a caring and diligent child of God. Together we built our l...