Archive for 2016

The Purpose of Christmas

THE WINNING SIDE
Published on December 24, 2016 By @kent_shot_it on ig
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What are you celebrating this Christmas?

 Many atimes we get too carried away with the hype surrounding Christmas that we forget exactly what we are celebrating, we forget the real reason for the season and it becomes an issue..

Christmas is a party. Specifically, it's a birthday party — for Jesus — and birthdays are meant to be celebrated. It's why we say "Merry Christmas!"

Ironically, at most Christmas parties the person whose birthday we're supposed to be celebrating is completely ignored. He's never even mentioned. Although Jesus is the reason for the season, he's often overlooked or merely mentioned along with Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus, the Grinch, elves, and a long list of celebrated fictional characters.

As I was writing this little book, I decided to take a survey of Christmas shoppers. I asked, "What are you celebrating this Christmas?" Most answers had nothing to do with Jesus:

"I'm celebrating that I made it through another year."
"I'm celebrating being home with my family."
"I got a Christmas bonus."
"My son is home from abroad."
"The candidate I voted for got elected."
"I'm celebrating that I've finished all my shopping."
"I'm not celebrating anything. I'm just trying to survive."

Preparing for Christmas can be a lot of work, especially for moms. With the pressure of buying gifts, sending greeting cards, decorating our homes, putting up lights, cooking, attending parties, and cleaning up afterward, we have little time to actually enjoy the meaning of Christmas.

The first purpose of Christmas is celebration! We learn this from the angel's opening statement to the shepherds of Bethlehem. God had wonderful news for us that would cause us all to rejoice, celebrate, and throw a party: "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10 (NIV)

The good news of Christmas is worth celebrating for three reasons. It is personal: "I bring YOU." It is positive: "GOOD news of great joy." And it is universal: "for ALL the people." It doesn't matter who you are, what you've done, where you've been, or where you're headed — this news is for you.

A national magazine used to carry a feature called "News You Can Use." I always read that section first. The angel brought us news we can use. It's the best news in the world:

God loves you!
God is with you!
God is for you!
Christmas is a time to celebrate that God loves you!

The most famous statement in the Bible is Jesus' explanation of why God sent him to earth: "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

The entire reason for Christmas is the love of God. God loves you so much that he came to earth as a human so you could get to know him and learn to trust him and love him back. Theologians call this the Incarnation. God became one of us, a human being, so we could understand what he is really like.

God has given us, as human beings, the capacity to know him in ways animals can't. He created us in his image, which includes the ability to enjoy a personal relationship with him. Then he took the initiative to send Jesus so we could understand his love and our need for him.

Of course, we know a little about God by simply observing his creation. For instance, by looking at nature we know that our Creator loves variety: he created an incredibly diverse universe. Think of the limitless array of plants, animals, rock formations, snowflakes, and people. No two human beings, even twins, are exactly alike. God doesn't make clones or copies. Every one of us is an original. After you were born, God broke the mold.

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DADDY AN IMPERSONATOR ON CHRISTMAS

OTHERS
Published on December 22, 2016 By @kent_shot_it on ig
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She has vowed to wait and meet Santa Claus this time – no going out, no sleeping, and no leaving the sitting room. Her dream must break forth into reality; she is tired of waiting. Since Odunwas two, she has been dreaming of meeting Santa Claus.

She has been awaiting the day she will look into Santa Claus's eyes to see the colour of his eyeballs. She wants to pass her fingers like a comb through his fluffy white beard. She also wants to put her ear on his stomach to know if there are coins jingling therein. Or maybe notes. She imagines he vomits money like an unbridled ATM for him to be able to purchase so manygifts that he distributes. She wants to feel the tenderness in his palms too.

She has waited for six years, but something always happened that would be the reason she could not see Santa Claus. Last year and the one before, she fell asleep. That was her parents' justification for her not seeing him. When she asked her parents why they did not wake her, they claimed Santa Claus restrained them, saying he does not like disturbing children sleeping on Christmas day. Why is Santa Claus avoiding me, she wonders.

Today, another Christmas day, she is determined to see Santa Claus. I must see him today, she keeps confessing to herself and anyone who cares to listen. After she had heard Aunty Ayo talking about a girl that was drugged and raped in a nightclub,Odun began to suspect her parents – she suspects they had given her sleeping pills last two Christmas. So, she has refused to eat or drink until she sees Santa Claus. This resolution has not just brought a great worry to her parents' faces and hearts,it has also brought their fingers to their hair, which they are giving a good scratch, thinking about how to resolve the issue on ground.

Odun sits on the gold-coloured settee, eyes glued to the TV, ears alert to any jingle from outside. Today na today, her parents rack their brain, wondering how to handle this starving, stubborn child of theirs. AndOdun is too innocent to pity them or understand their plight.
At about 11am, the Santa Claus she has been expecting appears. An average height clad in his Christmas attire with a bag of gifts appears at the doorpost. The only problem with this Santa Claus is that it has a chocolate-coloured skin unlike the ones she has been seeing in her storybooks and Christmas posters.

"Here comes your Santa Claus, sweetheart," her mum announces, bowing and pointing her two hands at him as if she wants to receive a gift from him.
"But why is he black, mum?"
"Oh, Santa Claus has the unique gift of a chameleon. That is, if he is in America, he is white; if he is in Africa, he is black; if he is in India, he is red. Like that, like that.  Am I right, Santa Claus?"
“Yes, ma’am,” Santa Claus bows as he replies her, still smiling like he does not know how to frown at all.
"Wow, that's amazing!" She runs towards the standing smiling Santa Claus, and gives him a big hug as if she wants to swallow him with her thin, tender hands.
"Welcome, my hero! At last, my dream has come true! I am now the happiest girl on earth!" She screams as she drags him to the settee. After sitting, Santa Claus brings out a gift and gives it to her.
"Merry Christmas, Odun." The words flow out of his mouth via the shiny canoe of the smile etched on his face.
"Thank you, Santa Claus, I love you! But how do you know my name?"
"Oh, your mum told me. She also told me you have refused to eat, and I would love you to eat now, and be a good girl. Do you understand?" He says, touching her cheeks.
"Now that I have seen you, I will eat. In fact, I can eat the whole food cooked by everyone celebrating Christmas today."
"Anyway, I have to leave now. I have other houses to go to." He says after glancing at the wall clock, ticking a few feet away, opposite them.
"Oh, not so fast! I have wanted to look into your eyes, touch your beard, put my ear on your stomach and give my hands to you so I can feel the tenderness in your palm. So can you please allow me to complete my dream?"
"No problem. You have sixty seconds, Odun."

She peeps into his eyes as if her eyes are a microscope searching for a tiny organism somewhere in the orbs of this Santa Claus.
"Your eyeballs have the same colour with those of my dad. And where is dad, mum?" She turns to face her mum, who has been struggling to stifle a sea of laughter surging in her.
"I think he must have gone out to get some Christmas decoration items. He will soon be back, sweetheart."

Odun then continues to fulfil her dream. She lifts her right hand until her palm touches Santa Claus's bushy cheeks. She feels as if she is waving her hand deep into the sky. She closes her eyes as she caresses his beard. Then somewhere deep inside of her, a naughty voice tells her to pull the beard to confirm how real her dream is. She grabs the beard firmly, and before Santa Claus can restrain her, she pulls the beard, and the beard obeys her gravitational pull. And the Santa Claus's face becomes that of her beloved father.
"Dad!?"


Her mum releases the laughter into the Christmas air. Her father becomes infected with the laughter flu, and his bass laughter creates a gentle vibration. Although, Odun seems surprised and annoyed, she cannot help it but to be infected with the laughter so thick in the air. She laughs too, louder than everyone does.

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SO, WHAT IS MY PROBLEM?

THIS IS ME GROWING
Published on November 28, 2016 By @kent_shot_it on ig
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Hay guys, I decided to write on this topic because I find it mostly ignored, I observed everyone suffers this problem at one point in their lives (myself included).Now, what if I told you that most of the things you called problems are not really the problem, it might just be a case that was caused by a problem, sounds complicated right? Well, you will be cleared once we begin. First we will talk about the cases, and then we link them all to one problem. And find a solution for it.


What are these Cases?

INFERIORITY COMPLEX -
                Yea I used to be here, and I must tell you it’s as bad it gets, it makes you feel almost like you don’t deserve to exist, like every other person knows this stuff apart from you and if you talk they might all laugh at your stupidity, according to Wikipedia, it is, “An inferiority complex is a lack of self-worth, a doubt and uncertainty, and feelings of not measuring up to standards. It is often subconscious, and is thought to drive afflicted individuals to overcompensate, resulting either in spectacular achievement or extreme asocial behavior. In modern literature, the preferred terminology is "lack of covert self-esteem".[1] For many, it is developed through a combination of genetic personality characteristics and personal experiences.”. Most people are experiencing this; it makes you feel you can’t do a certain thing, for example you are asked to speak in a group, and you just start having this feeling that you don’t have anything to offer.
According to the research I made, People in this bracket, tend to be the most brilliant, turns out they are actually thinking the opposite of the reality, they think they can’t do it, whereas they could do it better than everyone else.  Well that’s just one case.

SHYNESS -
                This is quite similar to inferiority complex, according to Wikipedia, it is,” Shyness (also called diffidence) is the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort, or awkwardness especially when a person is around other people. This commonly occurs in new situations or with unfamiliar people. Shyness can be a characteristic of people who have low self-esteem. Stronger forms of shyness are usually referred to as social anxiety or social phobia. The primary defining characteristic of shyness is a largely ego-driven fear of what other people will think of a person's behavior. This results in a person becoming scared of doing or saying what they want to out of fear of negative reactions, being laughed at, humiliated or patronised, criticism and/or rejection. A shy person may simply opt to avoid social situations instead.[1]”. I call it “the fear of eyes” because being shy is practically being afraid of people looking at you, this might occur when you consider others superior to you, being shy is really funny because sometimes, it’s not as if you don’t know what to say, you are just afraid of the looks. You do well in your training sessions but when it comes to presenting it to a group or congregation; you make a mess of the whole thing. So that’s another case


CHEATING -
                I know some of my friends who carried over courses simply because they depended on exam malpractice,  now according to science, we only use about 2% of our brain capacity in our life time, seriously 2%  so why don’t you trust yourself enough to pass an examination, I have this particular friend that puts all his hopes on cheating, he writes stuffs on paper, then folds and hide it, they even nicknamed it “bullet”, but this same guy has every Eminem’s rap in his head, he can almost totally emulate Eminem on every single move he made in every of his Videos, He has just agreed in his mind that if I don’t cheat, I don’t pass, without even noticing that all the potentials he needs to do even better in his education Is right inside of him..
                Now, there is nothing you will read that you don’t have the ability to comprehend, some people say schooling is for a specific set of people, this totally false, its true there are some people that understand everything just by being in the class but if you are not the type, you just have to read and you will definitely understand, well that’s another case.

REFUSAL TO GIVE SOME STUFFS A TRY -
                This is the final case am going to be talking about, I was in an Office one day and this man came to tell the guy with me that Shell in P.H was looking for workers and since he was looking for a job he could go and apply there to see if he would be employed, but my guy was like, “dude please, you want me to waste transport in going to  Porthacourth right, he just refused to go simply because he went to a Polytechnic.
 You might have passed by some other opportunities without knowing just because you refuse to give it a try, A friend of mine wrote that, “Cute people are the loneliest because everyone is thinking he/she is dating someone already”, am now talking about the dating aspect here, am just trying to bring out that point “Thinking”, You shouldn't let what you think stop you from what you want, Always say to yourself something like, ”Ok This might not work but I’ll still give it try”, after all if it didn't work, it doesn't mean you failed, it just means you have found another way that won’t work.

Alright, we have seen some of the cases that we encounter in our lives, so what is my Problem?
             
   The answer is simple, if we check the cases above, from the Inferiority complex, the shyness, the cheating aspect to the Refusal to give some stuff a try. We find out that in all of them we are TOO BUSY HOLDING ON TO OUR UNWORTHINESS. It’s obvious; if you don’t feel worthy then it changes the way you approach certain things you come across.
                Why do we feel unworthy? you want to propose to a girl, but she is too beautiful/brilliant you don’t think she will accept you, You want this job, but then you went to a Polytechnic so you don’t think you will be accepted, You want to talk to a group but because you see many knowledgeable persons among the group, you feel you can’t offer anything. You should know that you as Worthy as you think you are, remember that there is no other person like you on the planet.
The solution to the problem is simple, change your mindset, get rid of the “buts”, and start thinking big. You have always thought you are unworthy and it brought you all the negative cases, try thinking you are Worthy from today. You might be surprised just how much you will achieve just by changing your mindset. Your mind has the ability to Make you or break you.

CHOOSE TO BE MADE





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WHERE DO YOU BELONG ??

THIS IS ME GROWING
Published on November 18, 2016 By @kent_shot_it on ig
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This might sound as a cliché but it is one of the most important questions you have to answer for yourself, in order to make a more immense progress on your present life. Quite simple, it might seem but there way too many stuffs attached to it than we can actually see.

 I was chatting with a female  friend on whatsapp. and she was like, "Kent, how did it come to this, i never knew you where creative", now this friend of mine has known me for years, and it got me thinking, like what have i been doing with all the stuffs that have been going through my head, it was all a case of belonging, being with the wrong people might not do you a lot of good, now when i say wrong i don't mean criminals or armed robbers, am talking of being with those people that motivate you to get better. 

You might be a great writer or singer, a good football, comedian or perhaps you have some other stuff you are very good at, but being at the right places, you might end up not reaching the heights you always dreamed of. 

 Now finding out where you belong can be very easy, if you are really zealous, there are just a few things you need to do and you could just be unlocking the better parts of your potentials ..
DEFINE WHO YOU ARE?
                                      Yea, this is the first stage, you need to discover first of all, "who you are", those things that you think makes you different. There is always that special something that makes you special, something you do great on without stress. If you have not realized your you could read this article by "Audrey" . You might also need to listen to what people say you are good at, it kinda helps,

 The Pastor's wife once asked, "kent, are you in the media?" i was stirred. Bottom line listen.... 

WHAT MAKES MY HEART FEEL GOOD?

                                      Sometimes this can be a little bit tricky because, not all that makes your heart happy, decides where you belong, so here is the thing, you have to merge who you are with what makes your heart happy, sounds easy right, well it might be as easy as it seems,  now i love music, love dancing, but mehn thats not who i am, now for many years i kept on staying where i don't belong just because i felt good about it, and not because i was necessarily good at it. Now you should know that there is this extra energy you get when you do what you love to do, which is why you should make what you love to do to be who you are, thats more like maths right. i had this friend that could act for Hollywood but she kept on saying she doesnt like acting, anytime she acts you just know, that is who she is, now i told her until she loved acting she might find it difficult to achieve what she was supposed to.

LOOK FOR PEOPLE WITH SAME GOAL AS YOU.
                                    Its matters also too much, who you hang around with, the people around you can motivate, inspire or they could kill the zeal in you, and even make you feel very bad about yourself, they might even make you try to imitate there own identity, so you should pick who your pals are wisely, Make your friends according to your identity after all, we have all heard the saying,"tell me your friend and i will tell you who you are", ask your self who you are?, or is your friend making you who he is?  These are two very different situations.
Ok that is it, just in case you have other ideas, why not drop a comment, you could also contact me on my contact page, Hope this helps someone.


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HOW TO GENERATE NEW IDEAS

COMBINED
Published on November 15, 2016 By @kent_shot_it on ig
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Standard idea-generation techniques concentrate on combining or adapting existing ideas. This can certainly generate results. But here, my main focus is on equipping you with tools that help you leap onto a totally different plane. These approaches push your mind to forge new connections, think differently and consider new perspectives.


A word of caution – while these techniques are extremely effective, they will only succeed if they are backed by rich knowledge of the area you're working on. This means that if you are not prepared with adequate information about the issue, you are unlikely to come up with a great idea even by using the techniques listed here.
Incidentally, these techniques can be applied to spark creativity in groups and as for you alone as well.

Breaking Thought Patterns

All of us can tend to get stuck in certain thinking patterns. Breaking these thought patterns can help you get your mind unstuck and generate new ideas. There are several techniques you can use to break established thought patterns:
  • Challenge assumptions: For every situation, you have a set of key assumptions. Challenging these assumptions gives you a whole new spin on possibilities.
    You want to buy a house but can't since you assume you don't have the money to make a down payment on the loan. Challenge the assumption. Sure, you don't have cash in the bank but couldn't you sell some of your other assets to raise the money?
  • Reword the problem: Stating the problem differently often leads to different ideas. To reword the problem look at the issue from different angles. "Why do we need to solve the problem?", "What's the roadblock here?", "What will happen if we don't solve the problem?" These questions will give you new insights. You might come up with new ideas to solve your new problem.
  • Think in reverse : If you feel you cannot think of anything new, try turning things upside-down. Instead of focusing on how you could solve a problem/improve operations/enhance a product, consider how could you create the problem/worsen operations/downgrade the product. The reverse ideas will come flowing in. Consider these ideas – once you've reversed them again – as possible solutions for the original challenge.
  • Express yourself through different media: We have multiple intelligences but somehow, when faced with workplace challenges we just tend to use our verbal reasoning ability. How about expressing the challenge through different media? Clay, music, word association games, paint, there are several ways you can express the challenge. Don't bother about solving the challenge at this point. Just express it. Different expression might spark off different thought patterns. And these new thought patterns may yield new ideas.

Connect the Unconnected

    Some of the best ideas seem to occur just by chance. You see something or you hear someone, often totally unconnected to the situation you are trying to resolve, and the penny drops in place. Newton and the apple, Archimedes in the bath tub; examples abound.
    Why does this happen? The random element provides a new stimulus and gets our brain cells ticking. You can capitalize on this knowledge by consciously trying to connect the unconnected.

    Actively seek stimuli from unexpected places and then see if you can use these stimuli to build a connection with your situation. Some techniques you could use are:
    • Use random input : Choose a word from the dictionary and look for novel connections between the word and your problem.
    • Mind map  possible ideas: Put a key word or phrase in the middle of the page. Write whatever else comes in your mind on the same page. See if you can make any connections.
    • Pick up a picture. Consider how you can relate it to your situation.
    • Take an item. Ask yourself questions such as "How could this item help in addressing the challenge?", or "What attributes of this item could help us solve our challenge?"

Shift Perspective

    Over the years we all build a certain type of perspective and this perspective yields a certain type of idea. If you want different ideas, you will have to shift your perspective. To do so:
    • Get someone else's perspective: Ask different people what they would do if faced with your challenge. You could approach friends engaged in different kind of work, your spouse, a nine-year old child, customers, suppliers, senior citizens, someone from a different culture; in essence anyone who might see things differently.
    • Play the "If I were" game: Ask yourself "If I were ..." how would I address this challenge? You could be anyone: a millionaire, Tiger Woods, anyone.
      The idea is the person you decide to be has certain identifiable traits. And you have to use these traits to address the challenge. For instance, if you decide to play the millionaire, you might want to bring traits such as flamboyance, big thinking and risk-taking when formulating an idea. If you are Tiger Woods you would focus on things such as perfection, persistence and execution detail.

Employ Enablers

    Enablers are activities and actions that assist with, rather than directly provoke, idea generation. They create a positive atmosphere. Some of the enablers that can help you get your creative juices flowing are:
    • Belief in yourself: Believe that you are creative, believe that ideas will come to you; positive reinforcement helps you perform better.
    • Creative loafing time: Nap, go for a walk, listen to music, play with your child, take a break from formal idea-generating. Your mind needs the rest, and will often come up with connections precisely when it isn't trying to make them.
    • Change of environment: Sometimes changing the setting changes your thought process. Go to a nearby coffee shop instead of the conference room in your office, or hold your discussion while walking together round a local park.
    • Shutting out distractions: Keep your thinking space both literally and mentally clutter-free. Shut off the Blackberry, close the door, divert your phone calls and then think.
    • Fun and humor: These are essential ingredients, especially in team setting.

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What did Jesus come to do?

THE WINNING SIDE
Published on November 14, 2016 By @kent_shot_it on ig
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I keep hearing a lot of people saying different things about why Jesus came, some o them are funny, some are true according to Bible , but some are no true, Lets go through the Bible to see if what you and I have heard is the tuth.


 1.To reveal the Father (Matt. 11:27)1."All things have been committed to me by my Father.  No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

 2.To be a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28)1."just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 3.To serve (Matt. 20:28)1."just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 4.To save the world (John 3:17;Luke 19:10)1."For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

 5.To preach the good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43)1."But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."

6.To do the will of the Father (John 6:38)1."For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me."

 7.To give the Father's words (John 17:8)1."For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.  They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me."

 8.To testify to the truth (John 18:37)1."You are a king, then!" said Pilate.   Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king.  In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

 9.To die and destroy Satan's power (Heb. 2:14)1."Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is
, the devil."

 10.To destroy the devil's works (1 John 3:8)1."He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work."

 11.To fulfil the Law and the Prophets(Matt. 5:17)1."Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them."

 12.To give life (John 10:10,28)1."The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full . . . I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."

 13.To taste death for everyone (Heb. 2:9)1."But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and Honor because he suffered death,so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."

 14.To become a high priest (Heb. 2:17)1."For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."

 15.To atone for sin(Heb. 2:17)1."For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."

 16.To proclaim freedom for believers (Luke 4:18)1."The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed."18.To proclaim the year of the Lord's favour (Luke 4:19)1."to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."19.To bring judgment (John 9:39)1."Jesus said, "For judgement I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."20.To take away sin (1 John 3:5)1."But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin."21.To preach (Mark 1:38)1."Jesus replied, 'Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.'"22.To call sinners (Mark 2:17)1."On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous,but sinners.'"23.To know who is true (1 John 5:20)1."We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true.  And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ.  He is the true God and eternal life."

a

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Reasons why you shouldn't drink

HEALTH RELATED
Published on November 14, 2016 By @kent_shot_it on ig
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As research shows that one in six people has renounced alcohol, here is a sobering list of reasons why you (and I) really ought to join them.
Health
According to hundreds of studies reported in thousands of newspapers, Alcohol is bad for you. It might have some benefits, such as reducing your risk of coronary heart disease, but heavy drinking can lead to brain damage, liver cirrhosis, cancer, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, fertility problems, weight gain and various other complaints.
A report in 2015 estimated that alcohol is responsible for about 20,000 deaths.
Religion
The bible was specific when it said leave the alcohol to the poor, let them drink and forget there sorrows, i don't understand why some people keep saying that the bible didn't say drinking is bad, as a Christian you have the DNA of God, you cant be poor with that DNA, and you definitely can't drink with it.
Christianity may be permissive when it comes to alcohol, but many other religions are less receptive. It is forbidden by Islam, and in some countries drinking alcohol is illegal. Mormons, Methodists and Buddhists are also among those who commonly abstain from drinking.
Cost
Nigerians  spend a collective 80 billion naira on alcohol each year, equating to an average of 80 naira per household per week. That's enough to get a life, don't you think.
The one silver lining is that laws being proposed to introduce an effective minimum price will set the barrier so low that there will be virtually no change in the price of most drinks. Happy days.
Accidents
Alcohol has a numbing effect on our judgment, concentration, reactions, balance and vision, so it is hardly surprising it is the leading cause of accidents in the home, accounting for about 40 per cent of all most road accidents.
The risk increases dramatically if you are on the road – whether driver, passenger or pedestrian – and alcohol is thought to be a factor in one in five road deaths.
Environment
The production of ethanol requires a great deal of energy, including the planting, maintenance and harvest of crops, the production of beer, wine and spirits, and packaging and transporting the end product to the nation's pubs and supermarkets.
An analysis of Fat Tire Amber Ale reportedly found that producing and assembling the ingredients created 678g of carbon dioxide equivalent per bottled six pack – 21 per cent of its total footprint – while a further 33 per cent of its cost to the environment came through refrigeration, both in shops and at home.

Hangovers
If none of the above has convinced you to renounce booze, then you are still among the five sixths of Nigerians who may be perfectly aware of the disadvantages of alcohol but enjoy it too much to renounce it.
But regardless of the risk of deadly disease, fatal accidents and financial worries, the most persuasive argument may be to go out and drink as much as you like. Waking up with a thumping headache and a tongue like sandpaper might just do the trick.

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Why Many Fail as Christians

THE WINNING SIDE
Published on November 14, 2016 By @kent_shot_it on ig
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One of the great disappointments in the Lord's work is the number of members who decide they will no longer serve God. They just "drop out." They probably did not intend to, but they did. At one time they likely looked with wonderment on the departure of someone else. Now they are victims themselves. They have developed the same harmful attitudes and actions as others, and in the end, they depart the faith with all other apostates.In this article i will share some of the things, i learnt causes this failure. 

Some Christians Fail Because:
1. They forget what they heard. In becoming Christians we must hear the gospel, believe it, and obey it (Rom. 10:17; Mark 16:16; Heb. 5:9). We are taught that we must thereafter live a life of faithful service unto God. The process of edification informs us of varied duties we sustain as God's people. Through teaching, the blessings of faithful service are outlined, just as the punishment for disobedience is taught. Unfortunately, many Christians forget what they have heard. James talks about the man who looks in a mirror, but turns away, forgetting what he saw. This man is called "a forgetful hearer" (Jas. 1:24-25).
Jesus addressed this same subject. He spoke of the foolish man who "heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not," contrasting that man with the wise man who "heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them" (Matt. 7:24-27). Even our children are taught this lesson. They sing about the Wise Man and the Foolish Man. Do not allow yourself to forget what you have heard from the pages of God's word. If you do, you will fall from grace like others.
2. They will not consider. Isaiah wrote: "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel cloth not know, my people doth not consider" (Isa. 1:3). This is a shocking comparison! The ox and the ass know who owns them and where they belong, but the Jews did not! Actually, they would not acknowledge who they were, and where they belonged. Many today are doing the same, and that is why some fall away. They are thought-less they will not consider.
3. They yield to the world. When we obey the gospel, God separates us from the world, adding us to the church. Unfortunately, many look back longingly to the ways of the world. They will not remember the sadness and heart-ache of sin. They only remember the instant gratification and pleasure it brought. They forget the injunction, "love not the world" (1 John 2:15-17). They will not remember the teaching of God's word which says, "And be not con-formed to this world" (Rom. 12:2). Soon these are living again in the same old sinful way they were living, before they became Christians. "They are again entangled therein, and overcome" (2 Pet. 2:20). They are sin's victim again, and lost to the Lord.
4. They are unprepared for sudden temptation. One of the biggest mistakes we make is thinking "I'm a Christian, I can't be tempted to do evil again." This is the old false denominational doctrine which says "once saved, always saved." The idea of this heresy is that God takes control so that we cannot sin and be lost. Just remember, this is a false doctrine.
Christians are tempted, and sometimes we fail in living as we should. Paul used the word "overtaken" to describe this situation: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Gal. 6:1). Even the apostle Peter himself fell back into sin and was restored by Paul (Gal. 2:11-14). God does pro-vide us with "a way to escape" temptation, enabling us to bear it (1 Cor. 10:13). Sadly, many Christians will not pre-pare themselves by knowing the escape routes and they fail in the challenge of living the life of a Christian, re-turning to the world.
5. They fail to be watchful. One of the words frequently used in describing the life of the servant of the Lord is "watch." Jesus said, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41). Peter warned about the workings of the Devil, telling Christians to be sober or watchful: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). Many will lose their souls because they were not watchful, as they were taught to be.
6. They are indifferent. Many Christians are not fervently for the Lord, nor are they against him. They simply become indifferent toward him and his cause. They are called "lukewarm" by the Lord, and it is said God will spew them out of his mouth (Rev. 3:15-16). More Christians are in danger through this sin than perhaps any other. Life is regularly drained from the church because of membership indifference. Too many of us just simply will not listen to the admonition of the Lord. When Peter gave what we call "The Christian Graces" he concluded by warning, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall" (2 Pet. 1:10). The lack of diligence in serving God is a prescription for falling away from him.
7. They neglect their study and duty. One of the consistent messages of the Scripture is that we are to study to show ourselves approved unto God (2 Tim. 2:15); we are to give attendance to reading, exhortation, and doctrine (1 Tim. 4:13); we are to understand what the Lord's will is (Eph. 5:17); and this understanding comes by reading the word (Eph. 3:3-4). Through this study God describes our duty. He spells out exactly what he expects, and what he will not permit us to do. A failure to do our duty is sin (James 4:17). It is because many will not study God's word, and do their duty, that they fall.
Conclusion
How can we avoid this danger? What can we do which will prevent falling away? Let me suggest these things briefly:
Develop a stronger faith in the Lord and his work
be prompt or instant in your obedience to the things you learn you are to do
be devoted and dedicated to your mission going to heaven when you die
do the best you can do not settle for or accept any-thing less than the best you can give
help one another we need the strength that comes from others who are living the Christian life
be diligent in prayer the great avenue of prayer gives us access to the ear of God, and to the help that only he can provide, especially in forgiving us our sins, before we allow them to take us down. These things will keep us faithful and secure.
 Do you feel yourself in danger of falling away? Is it possible? Do you need to consider these things in your own life? Paul warned us to take heed, lest ye fall (1 Cor. 10:12). The Bible says "Save yourselves" (Acts 2:40). Are you doing that?


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Saturday 24 December 2016

The Purpose of Christmas

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What are you celebrating this Christmas?

 Many atimes we get too carried away with the hype surrounding Christmas that we forget exactly what we are celebrating, we forget the real reason for the season and it becomes an issue..

Christmas is a party. Specifically, it's a birthday party — for Jesus — and birthdays are meant to be celebrated. It's why we say "Merry Christmas!"

Ironically, at most Christmas parties the person whose birthday we're supposed to be celebrating is completely ignored. He's never even mentioned. Although Jesus is the reason for the season, he's often overlooked or merely mentioned along with Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus, the Grinch, elves, and a long list of celebrated fictional characters.

As I was writing this little book, I decided to take a survey of Christmas shoppers. I asked, "What are you celebrating this Christmas?" Most answers had nothing to do with Jesus:

"I'm celebrating that I made it through another year."
"I'm celebrating being home with my family."
"I got a Christmas bonus."
"My son is home from abroad."
"The candidate I voted for got elected."
"I'm celebrating that I've finished all my shopping."
"I'm not celebrating anything. I'm just trying to survive."

Preparing for Christmas can be a lot of work, especially for moms. With the pressure of buying gifts, sending greeting cards, decorating our homes, putting up lights, cooking, attending parties, and cleaning up afterward, we have little time to actually enjoy the meaning of Christmas.

The first purpose of Christmas is celebration! We learn this from the angel's opening statement to the shepherds of Bethlehem. God had wonderful news for us that would cause us all to rejoice, celebrate, and throw a party: "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10 (NIV)

The good news of Christmas is worth celebrating for three reasons. It is personal: "I bring YOU." It is positive: "GOOD news of great joy." And it is universal: "for ALL the people." It doesn't matter who you are, what you've done, where you've been, or where you're headed — this news is for you.

A national magazine used to carry a feature called "News You Can Use." I always read that section first. The angel brought us news we can use. It's the best news in the world:

God loves you!
God is with you!
God is for you!
Christmas is a time to celebrate that God loves you!

The most famous statement in the Bible is Jesus' explanation of why God sent him to earth: "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

The entire reason for Christmas is the love of God. God loves you so much that he came to earth as a human so you could get to know him and learn to trust him and love him back. Theologians call this the Incarnation. God became one of us, a human being, so we could understand what he is really like.

God has given us, as human beings, the capacity to know him in ways animals can't. He created us in his image, which includes the ability to enjoy a personal relationship with him. Then he took the initiative to send Jesus so we could understand his love and our need for him.

Of course, we know a little about God by simply observing his creation. For instance, by looking at nature we know that our Creator loves variety: he created an incredibly diverse universe. Think of the limitless array of plants, animals, rock formations, snowflakes, and people. No two human beings, even twins, are exactly alike. God doesn't make clones or copies. Every one of us is an original. After you were born, God broke the mold.

Thursday 22 December 2016

DADDY AN IMPERSONATOR ON CHRISTMAS

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She has vowed to wait and meet Santa Claus this time – no going out, no sleeping, and no leaving the sitting room. Her dream must break forth into reality; she is tired of waiting. Since Odunwas two, she has been dreaming of meeting Santa Claus.

She has been awaiting the day she will look into Santa Claus's eyes to see the colour of his eyeballs. She wants to pass her fingers like a comb through his fluffy white beard. She also wants to put her ear on his stomach to know if there are coins jingling therein. Or maybe notes. She imagines he vomits money like an unbridled ATM for him to be able to purchase so manygifts that he distributes. She wants to feel the tenderness in his palms too.

She has waited for six years, but something always happened that would be the reason she could not see Santa Claus. Last year and the one before, she fell asleep. That was her parents' justification for her not seeing him. When she asked her parents why they did not wake her, they claimed Santa Claus restrained them, saying he does not like disturbing children sleeping on Christmas day. Why is Santa Claus avoiding me, she wonders.

Today, another Christmas day, she is determined to see Santa Claus. I must see him today, she keeps confessing to herself and anyone who cares to listen. After she had heard Aunty Ayo talking about a girl that was drugged and raped in a nightclub,Odun began to suspect her parents – she suspects they had given her sleeping pills last two Christmas. So, she has refused to eat or drink until she sees Santa Claus. This resolution has not just brought a great worry to her parents' faces and hearts,it has also brought their fingers to their hair, which they are giving a good scratch, thinking about how to resolve the issue on ground.

Odun sits on the gold-coloured settee, eyes glued to the TV, ears alert to any jingle from outside. Today na today, her parents rack their brain, wondering how to handle this starving, stubborn child of theirs. AndOdun is too innocent to pity them or understand their plight.
At about 11am, the Santa Claus she has been expecting appears. An average height clad in his Christmas attire with a bag of gifts appears at the doorpost. The only problem with this Santa Claus is that it has a chocolate-coloured skin unlike the ones she has been seeing in her storybooks and Christmas posters.

"Here comes your Santa Claus, sweetheart," her mum announces, bowing and pointing her two hands at him as if she wants to receive a gift from him.
"But why is he black, mum?"
"Oh, Santa Claus has the unique gift of a chameleon. That is, if he is in America, he is white; if he is in Africa, he is black; if he is in India, he is red. Like that, like that.  Am I right, Santa Claus?"
“Yes, ma’am,” Santa Claus bows as he replies her, still smiling like he does not know how to frown at all.
"Wow, that's amazing!" She runs towards the standing smiling Santa Claus, and gives him a big hug as if she wants to swallow him with her thin, tender hands.
"Welcome, my hero! At last, my dream has come true! I am now the happiest girl on earth!" She screams as she drags him to the settee. After sitting, Santa Claus brings out a gift and gives it to her.
"Merry Christmas, Odun." The words flow out of his mouth via the shiny canoe of the smile etched on his face.
"Thank you, Santa Claus, I love you! But how do you know my name?"
"Oh, your mum told me. She also told me you have refused to eat, and I would love you to eat now, and be a good girl. Do you understand?" He says, touching her cheeks.
"Now that I have seen you, I will eat. In fact, I can eat the whole food cooked by everyone celebrating Christmas today."
"Anyway, I have to leave now. I have other houses to go to." He says after glancing at the wall clock, ticking a few feet away, opposite them.
"Oh, not so fast! I have wanted to look into your eyes, touch your beard, put my ear on your stomach and give my hands to you so I can feel the tenderness in your palm. So can you please allow me to complete my dream?"
"No problem. You have sixty seconds, Odun."

She peeps into his eyes as if her eyes are a microscope searching for a tiny organism somewhere in the orbs of this Santa Claus.
"Your eyeballs have the same colour with those of my dad. And where is dad, mum?" She turns to face her mum, who has been struggling to stifle a sea of laughter surging in her.
"I think he must have gone out to get some Christmas decoration items. He will soon be back, sweetheart."

Odun then continues to fulfil her dream. She lifts her right hand until her palm touches Santa Claus's bushy cheeks. She feels as if she is waving her hand deep into the sky. She closes her eyes as she caresses his beard. Then somewhere deep inside of her, a naughty voice tells her to pull the beard to confirm how real her dream is. She grabs the beard firmly, and before Santa Claus can restrain her, she pulls the beard, and the beard obeys her gravitational pull. And the Santa Claus's face becomes that of her beloved father.
"Dad!?"


Her mum releases the laughter into the Christmas air. Her father becomes infected with the laughter flu, and his bass laughter creates a gentle vibration. Although, Odun seems surprised and annoyed, she cannot help it but to be infected with the laughter so thick in the air. She laughs too, louder than everyone does.

Monday 28 November 2016

SO, WHAT IS MY PROBLEM?

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Hay guys, I decided to write on this topic because I find it mostly ignored, I observed everyone suffers this problem at one point in their lives (myself included).Now, what if I told you that most of the things you called problems are not really the problem, it might just be a case that was caused by a problem, sounds complicated right? Well, you will be cleared once we begin. First we will talk about the cases, and then we link them all to one problem. And find a solution for it.


What are these Cases?

INFERIORITY COMPLEX -
                Yea I used to be here, and I must tell you it’s as bad it gets, it makes you feel almost like you don’t deserve to exist, like every other person knows this stuff apart from you and if you talk they might all laugh at your stupidity, according to Wikipedia, it is, “An inferiority complex is a lack of self-worth, a doubt and uncertainty, and feelings of not measuring up to standards. It is often subconscious, and is thought to drive afflicted individuals to overcompensate, resulting either in spectacular achievement or extreme asocial behavior. In modern literature, the preferred terminology is "lack of covert self-esteem".[1] For many, it is developed through a combination of genetic personality characteristics and personal experiences.”. Most people are experiencing this; it makes you feel you can’t do a certain thing, for example you are asked to speak in a group, and you just start having this feeling that you don’t have anything to offer.
According to the research I made, People in this bracket, tend to be the most brilliant, turns out they are actually thinking the opposite of the reality, they think they can’t do it, whereas they could do it better than everyone else.  Well that’s just one case.

SHYNESS -
                This is quite similar to inferiority complex, according to Wikipedia, it is,” Shyness (also called diffidence) is the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort, or awkwardness especially when a person is around other people. This commonly occurs in new situations or with unfamiliar people. Shyness can be a characteristic of people who have low self-esteem. Stronger forms of shyness are usually referred to as social anxiety or social phobia. The primary defining characteristic of shyness is a largely ego-driven fear of what other people will think of a person's behavior. This results in a person becoming scared of doing or saying what they want to out of fear of negative reactions, being laughed at, humiliated or patronised, criticism and/or rejection. A shy person may simply opt to avoid social situations instead.[1]”. I call it “the fear of eyes” because being shy is practically being afraid of people looking at you, this might occur when you consider others superior to you, being shy is really funny because sometimes, it’s not as if you don’t know what to say, you are just afraid of the looks. You do well in your training sessions but when it comes to presenting it to a group or congregation; you make a mess of the whole thing. So that’s another case


CHEATING -
                I know some of my friends who carried over courses simply because they depended on exam malpractice,  now according to science, we only use about 2% of our brain capacity in our life time, seriously 2%  so why don’t you trust yourself enough to pass an examination, I have this particular friend that puts all his hopes on cheating, he writes stuffs on paper, then folds and hide it, they even nicknamed it “bullet”, but this same guy has every Eminem’s rap in his head, he can almost totally emulate Eminem on every single move he made in every of his Videos, He has just agreed in his mind that if I don’t cheat, I don’t pass, without even noticing that all the potentials he needs to do even better in his education Is right inside of him..
                Now, there is nothing you will read that you don’t have the ability to comprehend, some people say schooling is for a specific set of people, this totally false, its true there are some people that understand everything just by being in the class but if you are not the type, you just have to read and you will definitely understand, well that’s another case.

REFUSAL TO GIVE SOME STUFFS A TRY -
                This is the final case am going to be talking about, I was in an Office one day and this man came to tell the guy with me that Shell in P.H was looking for workers and since he was looking for a job he could go and apply there to see if he would be employed, but my guy was like, “dude please, you want me to waste transport in going to  Porthacourth right, he just refused to go simply because he went to a Polytechnic.
 You might have passed by some other opportunities without knowing just because you refuse to give it a try, A friend of mine wrote that, “Cute people are the loneliest because everyone is thinking he/she is dating someone already”, am now talking about the dating aspect here, am just trying to bring out that point “Thinking”, You shouldn't let what you think stop you from what you want, Always say to yourself something like, ”Ok This might not work but I’ll still give it try”, after all if it didn't work, it doesn't mean you failed, it just means you have found another way that won’t work.

Alright, we have seen some of the cases that we encounter in our lives, so what is my Problem?
             
   The answer is simple, if we check the cases above, from the Inferiority complex, the shyness, the cheating aspect to the Refusal to give some stuff a try. We find out that in all of them we are TOO BUSY HOLDING ON TO OUR UNWORTHINESS. It’s obvious; if you don’t feel worthy then it changes the way you approach certain things you come across.
                Why do we feel unworthy? you want to propose to a girl, but she is too beautiful/brilliant you don’t think she will accept you, You want this job, but then you went to a Polytechnic so you don’t think you will be accepted, You want to talk to a group but because you see many knowledgeable persons among the group, you feel you can’t offer anything. You should know that you as Worthy as you think you are, remember that there is no other person like you on the planet.
The solution to the problem is simple, change your mindset, get rid of the “buts”, and start thinking big. You have always thought you are unworthy and it brought you all the negative cases, try thinking you are Worthy from today. You might be surprised just how much you will achieve just by changing your mindset. Your mind has the ability to Make you or break you.

CHOOSE TO BE MADE





Friday 18 November 2016

WHERE DO YOU BELONG ??

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This might sound as a cliché but it is one of the most important questions you have to answer for yourself, in order to make a more immense progress on your present life. Quite simple, it might seem but there way too many stuffs attached to it than we can actually see.

 I was chatting with a female  friend on whatsapp. and she was like, "Kent, how did it come to this, i never knew you where creative", now this friend of mine has known me for years, and it got me thinking, like what have i been doing with all the stuffs that have been going through my head, it was all a case of belonging, being with the wrong people might not do you a lot of good, now when i say wrong i don't mean criminals or armed robbers, am talking of being with those people that motivate you to get better. 

You might be a great writer or singer, a good football, comedian or perhaps you have some other stuff you are very good at, but being at the right places, you might end up not reaching the heights you always dreamed of. 

 Now finding out where you belong can be very easy, if you are really zealous, there are just a few things you need to do and you could just be unlocking the better parts of your potentials ..
DEFINE WHO YOU ARE?
                                      Yea, this is the first stage, you need to discover first of all, "who you are", those things that you think makes you different. There is always that special something that makes you special, something you do great on without stress. If you have not realized your you could read this article by "Audrey" . You might also need to listen to what people say you are good at, it kinda helps,

 The Pastor's wife once asked, "kent, are you in the media?" i was stirred. Bottom line listen.... 

WHAT MAKES MY HEART FEEL GOOD?

                                      Sometimes this can be a little bit tricky because, not all that makes your heart happy, decides where you belong, so here is the thing, you have to merge who you are with what makes your heart happy, sounds easy right, well it might be as easy as it seems,  now i love music, love dancing, but mehn thats not who i am, now for many years i kept on staying where i don't belong just because i felt good about it, and not because i was necessarily good at it. Now you should know that there is this extra energy you get when you do what you love to do, which is why you should make what you love to do to be who you are, thats more like maths right. i had this friend that could act for Hollywood but she kept on saying she doesnt like acting, anytime she acts you just know, that is who she is, now i told her until she loved acting she might find it difficult to achieve what she was supposed to.

LOOK FOR PEOPLE WITH SAME GOAL AS YOU.
                                    Its matters also too much, who you hang around with, the people around you can motivate, inspire or they could kill the zeal in you, and even make you feel very bad about yourself, they might even make you try to imitate there own identity, so you should pick who your pals are wisely, Make your friends according to your identity after all, we have all heard the saying,"tell me your friend and i will tell you who you are", ask your self who you are?, or is your friend making you who he is?  These are two very different situations.
Ok that is it, just in case you have other ideas, why not drop a comment, you could also contact me on my contact page, Hope this helps someone.


Tuesday 15 November 2016

HOW TO GENERATE NEW IDEAS

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Standard idea-generation techniques concentrate on combining or adapting existing ideas. This can certainly generate results. But here, my main focus is on equipping you with tools that help you leap onto a totally different plane. These approaches push your mind to forge new connections, think differently and consider new perspectives.


A word of caution – while these techniques are extremely effective, they will only succeed if they are backed by rich knowledge of the area you're working on. This means that if you are not prepared with adequate information about the issue, you are unlikely to come up with a great idea even by using the techniques listed here.
Incidentally, these techniques can be applied to spark creativity in groups and as for you alone as well.

Breaking Thought Patterns

All of us can tend to get stuck in certain thinking patterns. Breaking these thought patterns can help you get your mind unstuck and generate new ideas. There are several techniques you can use to break established thought patterns:
  • Challenge assumptions: For every situation, you have a set of key assumptions. Challenging these assumptions gives you a whole new spin on possibilities.
    You want to buy a house but can't since you assume you don't have the money to make a down payment on the loan. Challenge the assumption. Sure, you don't have cash in the bank but couldn't you sell some of your other assets to raise the money?
  • Reword the problem: Stating the problem differently often leads to different ideas. To reword the problem look at the issue from different angles. "Why do we need to solve the problem?", "What's the roadblock here?", "What will happen if we don't solve the problem?" These questions will give you new insights. You might come up with new ideas to solve your new problem.
  • Think in reverse : If you feel you cannot think of anything new, try turning things upside-down. Instead of focusing on how you could solve a problem/improve operations/enhance a product, consider how could you create the problem/worsen operations/downgrade the product. The reverse ideas will come flowing in. Consider these ideas – once you've reversed them again – as possible solutions for the original challenge.
  • Express yourself through different media: We have multiple intelligences but somehow, when faced with workplace challenges we just tend to use our verbal reasoning ability. How about expressing the challenge through different media? Clay, music, word association games, paint, there are several ways you can express the challenge. Don't bother about solving the challenge at this point. Just express it. Different expression might spark off different thought patterns. And these new thought patterns may yield new ideas.

Connect the Unconnected

    Some of the best ideas seem to occur just by chance. You see something or you hear someone, often totally unconnected to the situation you are trying to resolve, and the penny drops in place. Newton and the apple, Archimedes in the bath tub; examples abound.
    Why does this happen? The random element provides a new stimulus and gets our brain cells ticking. You can capitalize on this knowledge by consciously trying to connect the unconnected.

    Actively seek stimuli from unexpected places and then see if you can use these stimuli to build a connection with your situation. Some techniques you could use are:
    • Use random input : Choose a word from the dictionary and look for novel connections between the word and your problem.
    • Mind map  possible ideas: Put a key word or phrase in the middle of the page. Write whatever else comes in your mind on the same page. See if you can make any connections.
    • Pick up a picture. Consider how you can relate it to your situation.
    • Take an item. Ask yourself questions such as "How could this item help in addressing the challenge?", or "What attributes of this item could help us solve our challenge?"

Shift Perspective

    Over the years we all build a certain type of perspective and this perspective yields a certain type of idea. If you want different ideas, you will have to shift your perspective. To do so:
    • Get someone else's perspective: Ask different people what they would do if faced with your challenge. You could approach friends engaged in different kind of work, your spouse, a nine-year old child, customers, suppliers, senior citizens, someone from a different culture; in essence anyone who might see things differently.
    • Play the "If I were" game: Ask yourself "If I were ..." how would I address this challenge? You could be anyone: a millionaire, Tiger Woods, anyone.
      The idea is the person you decide to be has certain identifiable traits. And you have to use these traits to address the challenge. For instance, if you decide to play the millionaire, you might want to bring traits such as flamboyance, big thinking and risk-taking when formulating an idea. If you are Tiger Woods you would focus on things such as perfection, persistence and execution detail.

Employ Enablers

    Enablers are activities and actions that assist with, rather than directly provoke, idea generation. They create a positive atmosphere. Some of the enablers that can help you get your creative juices flowing are:
    • Belief in yourself: Believe that you are creative, believe that ideas will come to you; positive reinforcement helps you perform better.
    • Creative loafing time: Nap, go for a walk, listen to music, play with your child, take a break from formal idea-generating. Your mind needs the rest, and will often come up with connections precisely when it isn't trying to make them.
    • Change of environment: Sometimes changing the setting changes your thought process. Go to a nearby coffee shop instead of the conference room in your office, or hold your discussion while walking together round a local park.
    • Shutting out distractions: Keep your thinking space both literally and mentally clutter-free. Shut off the Blackberry, close the door, divert your phone calls and then think.
    • Fun and humor: These are essential ingredients, especially in team setting.

Monday 14 November 2016

What did Jesus come to do?

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I keep hearing a lot of people saying different things about why Jesus came, some o them are funny, some are true according to Bible , but some are no true, Lets go through the Bible to see if what you and I have heard is the tuth.


 1.To reveal the Father (Matt. 11:27)1."All things have been committed to me by my Father.  No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

 2.To be a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28)1."just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 3.To serve (Matt. 20:28)1."just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 4.To save the world (John 3:17;Luke 19:10)1."For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

 5.To preach the good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43)1."But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."

6.To do the will of the Father (John 6:38)1."For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me."

 7.To give the Father's words (John 17:8)1."For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.  They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me."

 8.To testify to the truth (John 18:37)1."You are a king, then!" said Pilate.   Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king.  In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

 9.To die and destroy Satan's power (Heb. 2:14)1."Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is
, the devil."

 10.To destroy the devil's works (1 John 3:8)1."He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work."

 11.To fulfil the Law and the Prophets(Matt. 5:17)1."Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them."

 12.To give life (John 10:10,28)1."The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full . . . I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."

 13.To taste death for everyone (Heb. 2:9)1."But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and Honor because he suffered death,so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."

 14.To become a high priest (Heb. 2:17)1."For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."

 15.To atone for sin(Heb. 2:17)1."For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."

 16.To proclaim freedom for believers (Luke 4:18)1."The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed."18.To proclaim the year of the Lord's favour (Luke 4:19)1."to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."19.To bring judgment (John 9:39)1."Jesus said, "For judgement I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."20.To take away sin (1 John 3:5)1."But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin."21.To preach (Mark 1:38)1."Jesus replied, 'Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.'"22.To call sinners (Mark 2:17)1."On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous,but sinners.'"23.To know who is true (1 John 5:20)1."We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true.  And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ.  He is the true God and eternal life."

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Reasons why you shouldn't drink

Time
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As research shows that one in six people has renounced alcohol, here is a sobering list of reasons why you (and I) really ought to join them.
Health
According to hundreds of studies reported in thousands of newspapers, Alcohol is bad for you. It might have some benefits, such as reducing your risk of coronary heart disease, but heavy drinking can lead to brain damage, liver cirrhosis, cancer, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, fertility problems, weight gain and various other complaints.
A report in 2015 estimated that alcohol is responsible for about 20,000 deaths.
Religion
The bible was specific when it said leave the alcohol to the poor, let them drink and forget there sorrows, i don't understand why some people keep saying that the bible didn't say drinking is bad, as a Christian you have the DNA of God, you cant be poor with that DNA, and you definitely can't drink with it.
Christianity may be permissive when it comes to alcohol, but many other religions are less receptive. It is forbidden by Islam, and in some countries drinking alcohol is illegal. Mormons, Methodists and Buddhists are also among those who commonly abstain from drinking.
Cost
Nigerians  spend a collective 80 billion naira on alcohol each year, equating to an average of 80 naira per household per week. That's enough to get a life, don't you think.
The one silver lining is that laws being proposed to introduce an effective minimum price will set the barrier so low that there will be virtually no change in the price of most drinks. Happy days.
Accidents
Alcohol has a numbing effect on our judgment, concentration, reactions, balance and vision, so it is hardly surprising it is the leading cause of accidents in the home, accounting for about 40 per cent of all most road accidents.
The risk increases dramatically if you are on the road – whether driver, passenger or pedestrian – and alcohol is thought to be a factor in one in five road deaths.
Environment
The production of ethanol requires a great deal of energy, including the planting, maintenance and harvest of crops, the production of beer, wine and spirits, and packaging and transporting the end product to the nation's pubs and supermarkets.
An analysis of Fat Tire Amber Ale reportedly found that producing and assembling the ingredients created 678g of carbon dioxide equivalent per bottled six pack – 21 per cent of its total footprint – while a further 33 per cent of its cost to the environment came through refrigeration, both in shops and at home.

Hangovers
If none of the above has convinced you to renounce booze, then you are still among the five sixths of Nigerians who may be perfectly aware of the disadvantages of alcohol but enjoy it too much to renounce it.
But regardless of the risk of deadly disease, fatal accidents and financial worries, the most persuasive argument may be to go out and drink as much as you like. Waking up with a thumping headache and a tongue like sandpaper might just do the trick.

Why Many Fail as Christians

Time
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One of the great disappointments in the Lord's work is the number of members who decide they will no longer serve God. They just "drop out." They probably did not intend to, but they did. At one time they likely looked with wonderment on the departure of someone else. Now they are victims themselves. They have developed the same harmful attitudes and actions as others, and in the end, they depart the faith with all other apostates.In this article i will share some of the things, i learnt causes this failure. 

Some Christians Fail Because:
1. They forget what they heard. In becoming Christians we must hear the gospel, believe it, and obey it (Rom. 10:17; Mark 16:16; Heb. 5:9). We are taught that we must thereafter live a life of faithful service unto God. The process of edification informs us of varied duties we sustain as God's people. Through teaching, the blessings of faithful service are outlined, just as the punishment for disobedience is taught. Unfortunately, many Christians forget what they have heard. James talks about the man who looks in a mirror, but turns away, forgetting what he saw. This man is called "a forgetful hearer" (Jas. 1:24-25).
Jesus addressed this same subject. He spoke of the foolish man who "heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not," contrasting that man with the wise man who "heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them" (Matt. 7:24-27). Even our children are taught this lesson. They sing about the Wise Man and the Foolish Man. Do not allow yourself to forget what you have heard from the pages of God's word. If you do, you will fall from grace like others.
2. They will not consider. Isaiah wrote: "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel cloth not know, my people doth not consider" (Isa. 1:3). This is a shocking comparison! The ox and the ass know who owns them and where they belong, but the Jews did not! Actually, they would not acknowledge who they were, and where they belonged. Many today are doing the same, and that is why some fall away. They are thought-less they will not consider.
3. They yield to the world. When we obey the gospel, God separates us from the world, adding us to the church. Unfortunately, many look back longingly to the ways of the world. They will not remember the sadness and heart-ache of sin. They only remember the instant gratification and pleasure it brought. They forget the injunction, "love not the world" (1 John 2:15-17). They will not remember the teaching of God's word which says, "And be not con-formed to this world" (Rom. 12:2). Soon these are living again in the same old sinful way they were living, before they became Christians. "They are again entangled therein, and overcome" (2 Pet. 2:20). They are sin's victim again, and lost to the Lord.
4. They are unprepared for sudden temptation. One of the biggest mistakes we make is thinking "I'm a Christian, I can't be tempted to do evil again." This is the old false denominational doctrine which says "once saved, always saved." The idea of this heresy is that God takes control so that we cannot sin and be lost. Just remember, this is a false doctrine.
Christians are tempted, and sometimes we fail in living as we should. Paul used the word "overtaken" to describe this situation: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Gal. 6:1). Even the apostle Peter himself fell back into sin and was restored by Paul (Gal. 2:11-14). God does pro-vide us with "a way to escape" temptation, enabling us to bear it (1 Cor. 10:13). Sadly, many Christians will not pre-pare themselves by knowing the escape routes and they fail in the challenge of living the life of a Christian, re-turning to the world.
5. They fail to be watchful. One of the words frequently used in describing the life of the servant of the Lord is "watch." Jesus said, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41). Peter warned about the workings of the Devil, telling Christians to be sober or watchful: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). Many will lose their souls because they were not watchful, as they were taught to be.
6. They are indifferent. Many Christians are not fervently for the Lord, nor are they against him. They simply become indifferent toward him and his cause. They are called "lukewarm" by the Lord, and it is said God will spew them out of his mouth (Rev. 3:15-16). More Christians are in danger through this sin than perhaps any other. Life is regularly drained from the church because of membership indifference. Too many of us just simply will not listen to the admonition of the Lord. When Peter gave what we call "The Christian Graces" he concluded by warning, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall" (2 Pet. 1:10). The lack of diligence in serving God is a prescription for falling away from him.
7. They neglect their study and duty. One of the consistent messages of the Scripture is that we are to study to show ourselves approved unto God (2 Tim. 2:15); we are to give attendance to reading, exhortation, and doctrine (1 Tim. 4:13); we are to understand what the Lord's will is (Eph. 5:17); and this understanding comes by reading the word (Eph. 3:3-4). Through this study God describes our duty. He spells out exactly what he expects, and what he will not permit us to do. A failure to do our duty is sin (James 4:17). It is because many will not study God's word, and do their duty, that they fall.
Conclusion
How can we avoid this danger? What can we do which will prevent falling away? Let me suggest these things briefly:
Develop a stronger faith in the Lord and his work
be prompt or instant in your obedience to the things you learn you are to do
be devoted and dedicated to your mission going to heaven when you die
do the best you can do not settle for or accept any-thing less than the best you can give
help one another we need the strength that comes from others who are living the Christian life
be diligent in prayer the great avenue of prayer gives us access to the ear of God, and to the help that only he can provide, especially in forgiving us our sins, before we allow them to take us down. These things will keep us faithful and secure.
 Do you feel yourself in danger of falling away? Is it possible? Do you need to consider these things in your own life? Paul warned us to take heed, lest ye fall (1 Cor. 10:12). The Bible says "Save yourselves" (Acts 2:40). Are you doing that?


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