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The year has recently begun, and you might be wondering, when will we return to our ‘normal’ operations or way of doing things.  Well, let me rock your boat a bit; we can’t go back to ‘normal’ anymore. That boat has sailed, and we are in a new era, where we will need to ‘pivot’ to “adapt and thrive” in this new season. HOPE is reassuring. It is when you expect something to happen. What are you really hoping for? I hope that we are not limiting ourselves and thinking small.

If you feel that God is far away, remember that ‘the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor his ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1). Tell God your concerns at any time; ‘cast your cares and anxiety unto God for he cares for you”.

In 1 Samuel 30:1-8, we read that David was at the lowest point in his life after his enemies destroyed his dwelling place (Ziklag) and carted away his properties and those of his men. He wept uncontrollably and was so distraught but encouraged himself in the Lord (verse 6).  In verse 8, David then inquired of the Lord, asking ‘Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” God answered ‘pursue, for you shall overtake them and without fail recover all.’ “Just like David, we must strengthen ourselves in the Lord this year. We must also seek his direction for every area of our lives. As you HOPE and endeavor to adapt and thrive this year, make sure to seek the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus, the son of God, has given to us his children to guide us in all truth.

To help you get started with how to pivot your business, activities or life in 2021, I share Judit Lovas’ article- ‘Adapt & Thrive’ in another edition. She shares tips on how to adapt and thrive during a challenging time in our world. I wish you a year filled with HOPE for better days. Be sure to share additional tips or comments as well. I would love to hear from you…

My best regards, Clara Og.
You can reach me at cogunsemi@yahoo.com

Ever wondered what your assignment on earth is? Yes, there is a specific assignment for you and I and God will reveal it to us at some point in our lives. We only need to tune in to his voice. He speaks, he is speaking and he will speak again and again.

Jeremiah had a specific assignment and his was to stand against nations and kingdoms. “Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.” Jeremiah‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God had revealed to Jeremiah his purpose or assignment over a period of time, across the reigns of three kings. Jeremiah 1:
1-3. As Jeremiah resisted and complained that he was too young, “The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.” Jeremiah 1:7. God makes provision for his assignment so you don’t have to worry about the resources. He will provide them- the people that will support you in the assignment, the strategies and the tactics. You only need to find out or learn what that assignment is and take that first step of faith/action/obedience to carrying it out. The sure way to learn your purpose is to plug yourself into the holy book- the Bible and its reading consistently. God said in Jeremiah 1:5, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart lt.” This reminds us that you and I have been set apart for a specific assignment.

You also don’t need to fear. God was telling Jeremiah that he had put his words in his mouth and he wasn’t to be afraid and he would be with him and protect him (Jeremiah 1:8). How comforting is that? We only need to trust God but first we must listen for his voice to hear when he speaks.
Yes we will need to tune your ears to his voice today and obey him. Let your faith be rock solid and never be shaken and wait to see where he will take you…

Today is communion sharing at TPH but before we go ahead with it, it is important for us to understand what communion is and why we do it. 

WHAT IS COMMUNION?
In layman terms, it is ‘a common union with Christ.’ If you check the definition in the dictionary, it is ‘an act or instance of sharing.’ Typically, bread, which symbolizes the body of Christ and wine/juice, which symbolizes the blood of Jesus is shared amongst the congregants or a family unit during communion. 

Let’s go to first book of the Bible:

Gen 2:17; Gen 3:2
God gave a command that Adam and Eve could ‘eat of every tree in the garden but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat.’ God told them that the day that they ate of this tree, they will die. Once they broke this rule, they lost their position and authority in God- the God nature that they had in them died and they were separated from the realm of the spirit. And as we read on, sin began then and continued to propagate from there on. In the realm of the spirit, there are different levels of operation- the good and bad. We must connect to what operates for us positively and supernaturally and this we can get through communion. 

Communion is a spiritual action and there are many spiritual benefits to it.

WHY DO WE HAVE COMMUNION OR WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? 

First off, Jesus Christ said we should do it often it in remembrance of him (1 Corinthians 11:24). When we take communion, it signifies our blood covenant with the Lord and this was only made possible by the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only son, our high priest (Hebrews 9: 11-27). In doing so, we proclaim the death of Christ, which came about as a result of our blood covenant with God, which was made possible by his son, Jesus Christ, who willing agreed to
do a sin sacrifice and helped us to regain full reconciliation to God, since the fall of Adam and Eve. We thank God for the blood covenant – we do not have to rely on “the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer that could only cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity only. We have something more superior- the blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews‬ 9:13)

Communion not only helps us come to a place and reminder of our salvation (where are souls have been saved from sins, evil or its effects) but It helps to remind us that God can heal us, and we can have victory. We can break off from all limitations and we become whole because it  brings us to a place of oneness with Christ. God desires for us to be in a place of total victory. God desires for us to prosper and be in health as our soul prospers. This is why he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die in my place and your place (3 John 1:2).  God truly desires us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). Please never feel condemned or feel less than this. You are made to proposer and to be in health.

Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission or forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). Jesus Christ had to shed his blood and die so that we can regain the initial intimacy and direct access that Adam and Eve had with God when they were created and before they sinned. The significance of the shedding of Jesus’ blood and in essence that blood covenant that we have with God is activated when we take communion. 

THE BENEFITS OF COMMUNION
When you share communion, we are doing something seemingly mysterious, but we must not forget that Jesus’ death was the final victory, and he didn’t die in vain. Following are some benefits of partaking in communion:

1. Figuratively speaking, you lay hold of a life of God, who is sovereign and our only hope. Jesus Christ said, ‘unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink the blood, you have no life in you’ (John 6:35)
2. You receive deliverance and healing. When we take communion, we are reminded that we have deliverance from sickness and fear and are reminded of God’s power, love and sound mind that he has given to us and that we already possess. As your take communion today or anytime, it is a time again to take all your requests to God and believe that the blood of his son Jesus Christ has settled all your problems, weaknesses, delays, disappointments and short comings.
3. God’s grace abounds more as you take communion and more frequently.  The blood of Jesus is superior and is the most reliable than any other that has been shed (Hebrew 12:24). When we eat our bread and drink our wine, we are symbolically drinking his blood that was shed and eating of his body that was bruised for the remission of our sins. This action speaks of our faith in God that we have his favor, authority, grace and Hope, which are available for anyone in Christ. When you take communion, you can begin to have the grace to do those things that you couldn’t do-. This is why we do it often in remembrance of this significant act of God, who brought us salvation and redemption through his son, Jesus Christ

You and I are not ordinary beings but spiritual beings. We must begin to understand that life is fundamentally spiritual and therefore we must engage in realm of the spirit. When we share communion, we share in the body and blood of Christ and become one with him. We share in the life of God and we do it often to remind us of why we must continually do this. 

One thing to note though, you must take communion in a worthy manner. The Bible tells us that “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord; you ought to be discerning so that you are not guilty of eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died” (1 Corinthians 11:27-30). 

Today just like Jesus did in 1 Corinthians 11: 24, ‘give thanks for the communion first off and understand the spiritual significance and benefits of communion.  Paul said “…  on the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. “Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.”

Are you wondering: why are the protests in Nigeria still ongoing? They are ongoing because the youths are deeply aggressed- they feel victimized, marginalized, and trampled on.. they are very hurt and are not backing down.

End Special Anti-Robbery Squad (End SARS) or #EndSARS is a movement in Nigeria that was started on Twitter and kicked off a few days after Nigeria’s 60th year independence anniversary on October 1 2020. The aim of the movement is a call to end the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigerian Police Force, which has promoted police oppression and brutality in Nigeria. According to Wikipedia, within the past weekend, October 9-11, 2020, the movement #EndSARS has garnered over 28 million tweets and support across the country and the world, including religious organizations and celebrities, who have posted the hashtag as a clarion call to end the injustice (unlawful arrests, torture, killings etc) that has primarily been experienced by Nigerian youths, who are a growing group (ages 18-35) in the approximately 200 million people population.

You may not have personally experienced police brutality but you can empathize with them or can appreciate their pain; you join in solidarity because you have heard their stories; this resulting event is a familiar narrative that mirrors the sad and deploring decadence of the various facets of Nigeria’s economy, our public educational system and governance. These protests have encouraged more people to speak up about their dissatisfaction with the continued scarcity, unavailability, or inaffordability of the basic human needs (food, water, shelter and even clothing) by the masses in Nigeria and the ‘laid back’ or ‘back seat’ approach of our current government to improving the citizens and residents’ living conditions. The anti-SARS movement is a starting point and sparks an inflection point in Nigeria’s history.

May our prayers of many decades (oh yes, my parents, my generation, and the youths of today are still on our knees praying for Nigeria’s rise from its lowly state) and the protests of this 60th anniversary month eventually birth the ‘New and Better’ Nigeria that we desperately seek.