Going Against the Tide

To overcome adversity, keep your mind focused on your work.

By Ben Dankaka 

As Jesus went about doing His work, He was often confronted by obstacles. Once, some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” Normally, that statement was enough to put fear into His heart. But Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox, I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.” In other words, Jesus made them realize He was

Responsible Leadership

It is largely our responsibility to help those who are troubled.

By Ben Dankaka 

Oftentimes, our failure to help others isn’t caused by a lack of concern. Generally, we often feel pity for the needy. We are all born with the ability to show empathy to our fellow humans. Although we naturally feel pity for those who are troubled, most times, we do not realize that it is our responsibility to help them. On the day that Jesus looked at a crowd and noticed they were “harassed” and “helpless”, the scripture likened the crowd to a

The Right Pain

 

Don’t suffer for the wrong reasons.

By Ben Dankaka 

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. He didn’t mean we would all have to live and die in the same way He did. 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

Your Passionate Purpose

 

To fulfill your purpose, you need the help of the One who created you.

 

By Ben Dankaka

Purpose and passion are not the same. While your passion is what you love doing, purpose is what you were created to do. Your passion isn’t peculiar to you. For instance, if you love writing, you should be aware that there are other people who also love writing. But your purpose is specific. It is what you’ve been set aside to do. Your passion can either be related to your purpose or completely unrelated. Even though what you love doing can be used to fulfill your purpose, it could also be

Be Purposeful

 Your life’s purpose is God’s ultimate plan for you.

 By Ben Dankaka

The first thing we learn from the Bible is that God is a Creator. That’s the dominant theme in the first two chapters of Genesis. But as God created the heavens and the earth, you would notice that everything He created was for a purpose. Light, which is the first thing that God created, was for the purpose of having times and seasons. Man, the last creation of God was also created for a purpose - to rule the earth. God didn’t create anything for nothing. Knowing why you were created is

Change Your Mind

Nothing changes until you change your thoughts.

 

By Ben Dankaka

In the parable of the lost son, Jesus shared a story of a man who had two sons. The younger one demanded for his share of inheritance and left home. After he had spent everything on reckless living, an economic recession hit his country. To survive, he had to work in a farm where he was assigned to feed pigs. Apparently, the money he earned from his boss wasn’t enough because he found himself longing to fill his stomach with the food of the pigs. This went on until one fateful day when he suddenly realized

God's Mind - Part 2

Change your mind on that matter.

By Ben Dankaka

 

Although God has an unchangeable nature, He changes his mind. While He doesn’t change His image, word and promises, God changes His mind anytime He forgives. The Psalmist says, “The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” Because our God is compassionate and merciful, He forgives. And forgiveness doesn’t take place until there’s a shift in the mind of the forgiver. You see, when we offend God; He gets angry. But God’s anger

God's Mind - Part 1

Do you act like God?

 

By Ben Dankaka

Does God change His mind? While there are Christians who believe that God changes His mind, there are those who disagree. Remarkably, each of these groups backup their claims with Scriptures. Those who believe that God doesn’t change His mind support their claims with the words of Balaam, “God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind,” (Numbers 23:19). But those with contrary views often refer to Jonah’s story (Jonah 3:10). Interestingly, each of these contrasting positions is correct but then,

Sarah's Intentions

As you walk with God, some of your closest allies might mislead you.

 By Ben Dankaka

When Sarah asked Abraham to have a child with her maidservant, she actually thought it would solve their problem. Sarah’s suggestion was a sincere plan, intended to help her and Abraham fulfill their dream. Sarah had said, “Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her” (Genesis 16:2). Apparently, Abraham wasn’t the only one that was concerned with having a family. As his wife, Sarah was also in need of children. For that reason, she presented a plan. Sarah couldn’t have had the kind of faith Abraham had because

Wait!

 

When things don’t work out as we expect, we allow other people’s opinion to get in the way.

By Ben Dankaka 

God did not only tell Abraham that he would be a father of many nations; He backed up His promise with a covenant. The covenant ensued when Abraham cried out to God and demanded to know how God’s promises will be fulfilled. In response, God had asked Abraham to present a heifer, a goat, a ram, a dove and a young pigeon for a sacrifice (Genesis 15:8-9). On that fateful day, God made a pact with Abraham. Obviously, the purpose of that covenant was to reaffirm God’s promise. Normally, Abraham should have

The Ishmael "Strategy"

If you’ve ever waited on God, you would understand what Abraham went through.

 

By Ben Dankaka

After God reassured Abraham that he would have a son, “Abraham believed the Lord” (Genesis 15:6). But despite Abraham’s faith, the child didn’t come. Abraham might have pondered why his wife didn’t have a child in spite of God’s promise. If you’ve ever waited on God to fulfill his promises to you, you would understand what Abraham went through. Abraham had done what God had asked him to do by leaving his own country to a foreign land. Now that he was becoming old, God was still

Backup Strategy

Are you trusting God and at the same time worried?

 

By Ben Dankaka

God had said to Abraham, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” Although Abraham heeded God’s call, He didn’t do exactly what God asked him to do because Lot, his nephew went with him. Recall that when God called Abraham, he didn’t have a child of his own. So, he didn’t have an heir even though he was wealthy. Maybe, Abraham took Lot along because he needed to feel safe that his wealth would at least go to his nephew if

Unlike his father

 

God will not ask you to do something that will not succeed in the end.

 

By Ben Dankaka

Terah (Abraham’s father) had initially desired to stay in Canaan; the Bible didn’t tell us that he got that idea from God. Unlike his father, Abraham’s decision to move to Canaan was inspired by God. In other words, it was God’s will. While Terah appeared to have followed his own will, Abraham, seemingly, was a man who depended on God’s will. For that reason, one can say that Terah represents people who often think their future is in their hands whereas Abraham represents those who

Motivation is Key

 

If God is asking you to embark on a journey with Him, comply.

By Ben Dankaka 

When God called Abraham, He said to him, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” Although, Abraham had to leave his country, he was consoled by the promises that God made to him. Abraham must have been motivated with the fact that God had chosen him to be the father of many nations. Recall that this was a man who didn’t have a child of his own. All of a sudden, God showed up and

By Faith

Whatever God tells you to do, do it in faith.

 

By Ben Dankaka

When God asked Abraham to leave his country and his father’s household to a land, He would show him, Abraham obeyed. He complied even though he was already doing well in Haran. Recall that Abraham wasn’t poor and wretched before God called him. According to the scriptures, “He (Abraham) took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran…” In other words, Abraham left Haran as a wealthy man and then set out on a journey to a land he didn’t know. No doubt, Abraham took