The Sweetest Revenge

 

Allow God to deal with the enemy.

 

By Ben Dankaka

There’s a saying that "revenge is a dish best served cold". This statement implies that revenge is more fulfilling when it’s carried out at an unexpected time. I strongly disagree because this statement opposes what the Bible teaches. To take revenge against your enemy is wrong, and the Bible condemns it.  In his letter to the Romans, Paul warns us “not to take revenge”, but “leave room for God’s wrath” (Romans 12:19). That is, we are expected to leave vengeance for God because whoever troubles us is actually fighting God, not us. Allow God to deal with the enemy.

Move on!

 

Commit to focusing on what you can change, rather than what’s already happened.

 

By Ben Dankaka 

When Peter told the brethren how the Lord had saved him from death, He said to them, “Tell James and the brothers about this,” and then he left for another place. The scriptures didn’t tell us where he headed to, but we know that Peter move on to another place. In other words, Peter didn’t to hold on to his past. He moved on. Clearly, the main thing on Peter’s mind was how to further his work of spreading the gospel. So he quickly moved out of the city, leaving his past behind.

Testify

 

You may not know who’s going to be inspired by your testimony.

 By Ben Dankaka

On the night that Peter was rescued by the angel, he went to the house of Mary where the people had gathered to pray for him. Immediately after the angel left him, Peter thought of these people who had been concerned about his situation.  Obviously, he knew they had been praying for him. And since he had been miraculously rescued, He went to them because he wanted to share the good news with them. Peter didn’t think of rushing home to celebrate alone. Instead, the first thing on his mind was to share his testimony with those who stood by him.

Just Follow

 

Why worry over something that is beyond your control?

 

 By Ben Dankaka

On the night that Peter that was rescued by the angel of the Lord, he was heavily guarded by armed men. Ordinarily, there was no way Peter could have escaped by his own effort. So he simply slept. Peter probably realized there was no need worrying over something that was beyond his control. As at that moment, Peter wasn’t thinking of freedom. He had resolved to make the best use of that moment by having a good sleep.  So when the angel suddenly struck Peter on the side and woke him up, Peter was dazed. He thought it was a vision.

Suddenly!

Prayer works!

 By Ben Dankaka

Prayer works. But it doesn’t always work like a clock. While you can easily predict the hands of a clock, you can’t predict how or when a prayer will be answered. You can glance at a clock and immediately know the exact minutes it will take the hands of the clock to reach the next hour. But you can’t say a prayer and then predict the exact way it will be answered. I’m sure you’ve had incidences where God answered your prayers almost immediately. But then, there must have been times when the answers to your prayers were delayed.

Use the key!

 

Ask God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

 

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

 

Shortly after Herod had James, the brother of John killed; he proceeded and arrested Peter. Herod had decided to kill Peter because he figured it would make the Jews happy. This became a big problem to the Church because Peter was their leader. If he is also executed, then there would be a big vacuum. Since the Church knew they couldn’t physically confront King Herod because of his authority and influence, they resorted to prayers. In other words, they decided to use the master key to overcoming crisis. The scripture says, “The church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

The Master Key

 

Often, we don’t pray according to God’s will.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

Prayer is the master key to a successful life. Among other benefits, prayer can solve problems that money cannot. If you disagree, please visit any hospital and ask some of the doctors and nurses. I find prayer very vital because it is the one way through which we can build our relationship with God. I got to know more about God and discovered my purpose, through prayers. While prayer has a lot of advantages, it is also important to note that not every prayer is effective. You and I know that we have said certain prayers that God didn’t answer. There are many reasons why some of our prayers turn out to be ineffective. Let me deal with one of them. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus tells us to begin our prayers by aligning God’s will with ours.

Becoming Powerful

 

God made the earth by His power.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

One thing that is common about every human is the desire to be powerful. Because we want to control others and our circumstances, we crave for power. The quest for power is what makes leaders dominate their followers. But power isn’t a negative thing. It is how we acquire and use power that either makes it good or evil. Actually, we don’t have to oppress people before becoming powerful. Real power comes when you are able to create something or do something new, especially when it has to do with your purpose. The Bible tells us that, “God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.”(Jeremiah 10:12). Again, this point is emphasized in Proverbs 3:19.

Do it yourself

 

Whatever you can overcome, God will let you handle it.

 

 By Benjamin Dankaka

Miracles were a vital part of Jesus’ ministry. As He preached the gospel, He often performed miracles. When He left and the Holy Spirit came, His disciples continued His work of performing miracles as they preached the good news. Up until this moment, Christians have been experiencing miracles in their lives. When you read the gospels carefully, you will realize that most of the miracles Jesus performed were caused by an urgent need. For instance, the first miracle – turning of water into wine was done to solve an urgent problem. Also, Christ often performed miracles because of sympathy. Whenever Jesus became sympathetic, know that He was going to perform a miracle.

The Best Seller

Don’t try to solve a problem that God has already solved.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

After the kingdom of Israel was divided, the people did more evil than the nations that God had destroyed for their sake. The people worshiped idols, created evil altars and even desecrated God’s temple. But it was obvious that the kings of Israel and Judah didn’t have a clear sense of direction. They only did what they felt was the right thing to do. But as things got from bad to worse, Josiah emerged as king of Judah. Unlike his predecessors, he sought God and introduced some reforms aimed at purifying his country. Under his leadership, the people destroyed the evil altars and began to repair God’s temple. While the repairs were on, Hilkiah, the priest found the Book of the Law. Prior to that time, the Book had been missing.

What Makes People Perish

 

Many people perish, not because they lack education.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

Self-education is one of the best ways that anyone can use to rise to the top. My emphasis is on anyone. Indeed, anyone, whether rich or poor can rise to the echelon of their careers through self-education. I discovered this a long time ago when I had to study for my senior school certificate examinations. Although, I never attended a class on Christian Religious Studies, I prepared for the exams by reading the recommended books at home. No one tutored me. When the results were out, I got an A1. Ever since, I have relied on self-education. I am not against formal education; I am only trying to say that self-education can benefit everyone, including those who do not have access to quality education.

Overcoming Fear

Fear not, for I have redeemed you.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

Whatever your challenges might be, I know that it can be scary. However, sometimes, it is the not the problems in our lives that hurts us but the fear of the unknown. I remember when my mum was sick and I had to abandon everything I was doing to take care of her, my health also begun to fail as my blood pressure became so high. My doctor warned me that I was going to have a struck if I didn’t work on myself. I discovered that what made me hypertensive overnight was the fear of losing my mother. I couldn’t stop worrying because her condition wasn’t improving despite the medication, and the prayers my siblings and I were saying on her behalf. So I know what fear can do to anyone in times of crisis.

The Things of God - Part Two

 

God wants us to enjoy all the nice things of life.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

When Jesus began to teach the disciples about his suffering and death, the disciples became troubled. They couldn’t believe their cherished leader would say such negative things about himself. Peter in particular, seemed deeply troubled. He was so disturbed that he missed the better part of that prophecy. Although Jesus had said He would rise after three days, Peter ignored that part and instead, focused on the rejection, suffering and death. He probably wondered how "pain" and "gain" could ever match up. Possibly, what Peter had expected to hear was that Jesus would be a king. He probably thought that Jesus would establish His kingdom and then appoint his disciples as ministers. Peter didn’t want his beloved master to suffer any pain and suffering. He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing his master in a tomb. What Peter wanted was for Jesus to enjoy a smooth ride to the top.

The Things of God - Part One

 

That pain will turn to gain.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

One day, Jesus began to teach His disciples that He would suffer many things and even be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law. Then He also told them He “must be killed and after three days rise again”. This didn’t go down well with the disciples. They probably wondered why Jesus would predict such a disaster on Himself. Here was a leader who had been doing great things before their very eyes. He had been preaching about this great kingdom of God that they believed will take them to a whole new level. Jesus had not only healed the sick but had raised the dead. Having been convinced that He was sent from God, Jesus was now telling them He would suffer many things and even be killed. Peter, the open minded disciple took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. But Jesus rebuked him also.

The Daily Cross

 

Don’t suffer for the wrong reasons.

 

By Ben Dankaka

 

One time, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Clearly, Jesus wasn’t referring to a physical cross. What He actually meant was the “suffering” He was about to go through. Moments before, Jesus had told his disciples that He would suffer many things, including rejection and death on the cross. But Jesus didn’t mean we would all have to live and die in the same way He did. He didn’t mean that everyone who followed Him would be rejected and be hung on the cross. Specifically, Jesus wanted us to know that we will all face our own troubles as Christians. Though we are bound to suffer, Christ assures us that our suffering will not be in vain. Just as He was raised to life, after His suffering, we too will be raised after our suffering.