SIMPLE SOLUTIONS HAPPY LIFE by Jamesboy Imani.

 

PREFACE
I would love to use this opportunity, to thank everyone, who has stood by me, from day one, up to this juncture; family, friends, and everyone else in their respective capacity.

I would like to appreciate, the different organizations, that have seen me reach this far, ranging from church

organizations, and all the other forms of organizations.

My greatest thanks, go to our Heavenly FATHER, who knew me, even before I was born. HE has stood by me, all throughout the different life stages. I mostly thank HIM, for the salvation, that HE has granted me, and every other believer, through HIS son JESUS CHRIST.

I thank the HOLY SPIRIT, for inspiring me, to write this book.

Be blessed!
Yours Faithfully,
Jamesboy Imani.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION
James Imani Amanyire Cuthbert, is a Ugandan citizen, living in Kampala, Uganda and born in Nairobi, Kenya where he spent, his early childhood years. James Imani, completed his primary school education, in Kenya also known, as the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (K.C.P.E).

He moved to Uganda, to join high school level, at Mengo Senior School in Kampala. He later Joined, Aptech Computer school, where he studied, and successfully completed, a course in Software Engineering.

He has done classes in Leadership, and has been recognized and awarded, at the Global Leadership Summit.

He is a founder, and director of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), which is fully registered, and fully operational in Uganda.

"My Beautifier Community Youth Uganda”, is a Christian based organization, which focuses, on helping the youth struggling with addiction; The aim, is to raise, awareness and sensitization, against substance abuse. The other objectives are, youth mentoring, preaching the Love of CHRIST, and advocacy, for healthy lifestyle choices.

James Imani, does public speaking, biblical counseling and consultancy, on alcohol and drug addiction.

EARLY LIFE
I was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and it is where, I did my elementary, and primary school education. I was lucky to be raised by my biological parents, with fellow siblings. My dad is Ugandan, a mutooro by tribe, born and raised, in Kabarole district. My mother, is Ugandan by birth, of Rwandan descent.

I moved to several schools in primary school, due to the nature of my father's work. He was a teacher, and whenever he got better opportunities, he would move with me. He worked with private schools, which entitled him to some benefits.

Growing up, I believe, I was exposed to two extremes of life. I had an experience, with the not so well to do in society, and also the wealthy and influential.
In my standard four, I attended Ndurarua Primary School, which was a government school, that accommodated kids from all walks of life; majority were from the slum setting. This gave me a great challenge, because each kid had their own different character.

Most kids, loved fighting and bullying. It is easy to say now, when I look back, that most of those kids came from broken families. I remember the misery on their faces, their personal appearances and the dirty torn uniforms. The classrooms were fully packed, about eighty pupils per class and we sat three per desk.

The class teacher would decide the sitting arrangement, I believe based on character.

I remember, sitting between two chubby twin sisters, and whenever we had break time, they would hold conversations as I kept silent; I was very reserved.
After two terms in this school, I was transferred to a private school, that my dad was working as a teacher, called "St Ann's Junior Academy”.

This school was multi-racial, with Arabs, Indians, Whites and African kids from different tribes and nations, like Somalis and Ethiopians. I was still shy at this stage, and I got bullied a lot.

I remember, one Arab girl, that used to sit behind me, called Rahat, she used to bully me on a daily basis. She sometimes, confiscated my break time snacks, and I would never say a single word. Later though, we became friends somehow.

I did not last at St Ann's academy, as my dad received, yet another better opportunity. After one term, I moved to Kilimani Junior Academy, in Langata, Nairobi.

This was a totally different atmosphere; It was a place for the rich and affluent. The environment was enough, to tell, that I was now rubbing shoulders, with kids that came from high echelons of society.

I remember, the tasty meals, that were served at the school diner, ranging from hot dogs, sausages, chips, spaghetti, meat balls and more. Shockingly, some kids packed homemade lunch, claiming that food at the diner, was not good enough. Anyway, as for me, I enjoyed every meal, though once in a while, I packed homemade lunch too.

 

Apart from the rich lifestyle, this school, was among the best two performing schools in Kenya; Privately owned schools, are usually the best performing schools, academically in Kenya. I had the challenge, of catching up with the syllabus, due to the constant movement from school to school, and the fact that, I was studying with the cream de la cream in the nation. Here, classes had a maximum of twenty pupils. The school founder was a white lady called Mrs. Motion. (Rest in Peace)

Unfortunately, due to technicalities, I did not register to sit my final year at Kilimani Junior Academy. I did my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (K.C.P.E), in a government school. All in all, I thank GOD, for I performed well, and I was to be admitted, to a good private boy's school, for my secondary level.

My dad, made up his mind, that I should move back to Uganda, for my high school. I believe one of his reasons for this, was for me to become acquainted and accustomed, to my roots. He was worried, that the Kenyan culture was taking a toll on us, together with my siblings, and we would fail to connect totally with our homeland culture.

Honestly speaking, I was not happy with the decision, though I had no choice. I had so many friends in Kenya, both at school and church, and many of us had planned to reunite in the same secondary School.

 

MY MIGRATION EXPERIENCE
The transition, from my early childhood environment, to my new environment in Uganda, was quite challenging.

My first problem, was the communication barrier, where almost everyone in Kampala city, spoke in the luganda dialect; the traditional language of the baganda people.

I was mostly conversant, with English and Swahili; the languages I grew up speaking, but many of my peers, and people around me, could not speak Swahili, including the family members, that I found in Uganda.

Another big challenge that I faced, was living far, away from my immediate biological family. As a family, we were raised, in so much love and a very tight bond. Due to this transition, I was the first of my siblings, to move back to Uganda. The rest, remained in Nairobi, to continue studying, including my mum and dad, who were also working that side. Everything was so new to me; the environment, the food, the culture and the lifestyle.

I believe, Uganda gave me exposure to a lot of things, though some of them were negative. As a child, I had been raised in a strict Christian family, and everything in my growing up was controlled; from the TV programs we watched, the friends we had and even the places we went to. It was either home, school or church for me. In my new environment however, church was not emphasized.

There was less supervision in many things, since my Uncle and Auntie, were always busy with work. As serious business people, they were always absent due to work commitments.

I arrived towards the end of the year, in the month of December. We were many kids at home, and at the time, the mood was more of festive and a lot was happening.

In summary, the new exposure I got, brought both good and bad. In the end, realizing I no longer had an option of turning back events, I made up my mind to adjust and fit in, at all costs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEEDS OF ALCOHOL ADDICTION PLANTED

The terrible alcohol addiction journey, began with simple curiosity in the mind. This was because, on several occasions, we had family parties at my uncle's place, I would always see my uncles and the invited guests, sipping on beer and spirits. It seemed a special drink for the older people, and I perceived it as an honorable kind of drink, that displayed maturity and respect, for the person consuming it.

My biggest curiosity, was how alcohol tasted like, and often I would see some people smoking too. This was the festive holiday season, and I was in my primary school vacation awaiting my results, to apply for admission, to a Ugandan secondary school. It was a period of massive merry making, and at most times, with little supervision on us, the children.

One time as we played in the house as kids, we landed on the house store keys, where the left-over alcohol was kept. This was a period after our Auntie's wedding, so there was surplus alcohol. We decided to pull out, one key from the key holder, since they were about three, of the same copy. My cousin brother and I, opened the store, and locked ourselves inside; it was about three in the afternoon.

We both had a stubborn nature, and liked to experiment with everything, probably, due to the adolescent stage; I was thirteen years at the time.
Shocking to our eyes, the store was filled up with all kinds of alcohol, ranging from beer crates, spirits, brandy and wines. It was too much, that we were almost out of choice. We decided to start with the bottles, that looked more appealing to the eye. These were 'King Fisher' bottles; the first alcohol I ever tasted.

It had a sweet taste, which encouraged us to drink more and more of it, at high speed. Honestly speaking, I cannot remember how the day ended. We woke up, sometime in the afternoon, of the next day.
All we could hear, were people looking for us, wondering where we had disappeared to. The search seemed to be very serious, so we planned and sneaked out, with no one noticing, and went to our room. I cannot remember, the excuse we came up with, for our disappearance.

From the time we had the spare key, this habit became our daily routine, for approximately two months, until all the alcohol got done. By this time, we had gotten used to the taste, of all the types of alcohol, and no longer faced any difficulty, drinking the bitter spirits.

It was a shock after sometime, when the house help opened the store, in order to take out the alcohol, on the orders of my Uncle, for use, on an upcoming event. She came out screaming, that the room had been broken into, and nothing was left.

I can confess now, that my elder cousins got a beating of their life, since they were the main suspects due to age. We walked away free, because no one could suspect, that a thirteen-year-old, could do something, of that magnitude.

 

MY HIGH SCHOOL LIFE / O' LEVEL
In the mid-January of the next year, my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education results were out, and I had performed well. My dad brought them to Uganda, to the ministry of education, for conversion, to the Ugandan system of grading, so that I could secure a place in secondary school, in the opening school term.

I was awarded aggregate eight, and later my uncle got me a place in Gombe secondary School, a Muslim school located in Mpigi district. This was the same school, that my other cousin brothers and sisters were attending, but in higher classes. This was my first time to a boarding school. It was even my first time to handle money; I remember, my uncle handing me pocket money, and asked me to use it judiciously. Later, he drove away, and left me in the hands of my cousin brothers.

Life was extremely different this time; It was now all about self-initiative and survival. I had to look out for myself, in many things, because my elder cousin brother, could not always be available to protect me.

Here, I went through a lot of changes; fetching water, washing clothes, attending preps and living with so many people, from different backgrounds, tribes, religions and classes and so many new things. There were so many great experiences though, especially making new friends and learning opportunities.

The tough challenges I faced, were; stealing of uniforms and food snacks, the lining up for porridge, the cold weather, the early morning preps, the strict school regulations, which sometimes, called for serious beating known as 'Kiboko'.

All in all, when I look back now, it was all fun memories. The funny story, that I can never forget, happened in my first week, where I lost all my school uniforms, my basins and many other things. I would watch people use, my things, but would not say a word, for fear of getting a beating. We had some notorious big bullies, and since I was a tiny, young senior one student, silence was my best tool of survival.

I also got sick often, and I believe it was due to change of environment, and also because of my history of asthma. I always moved around with inhalers, and I was admitted a lot at the sick bay, due to different occurring allergies, but I was very bright in class, and I loved reading.

In both the first and second school term, I was among the top ten, best performing students in my class; my major problem, being in the Arabic subject, since it was new to me, but I still tried my best to learn from my peers.

After two terms, at Gombe Secondary School, I was moved to day school, for closer monitoring. I made several friends at Gombe, both Ugandan and foreign, whom, am still in touch with to date. I missed third term, since no school would admit me at that time of year.

So, I had to wait till the next coming year, to do an interview, in order to join the Senior two level. After successfully passing the interview exams, I got admitted to Mengo Senior School and in no time, I made new friends.

My biggest problem at this juncture, was mastering the national currency. I was not yet used to the Ugandan shilling, its value, and the pricing of things; and most times, some of my friends, would cheat me, especially, when I sent someone to the school canteen, on my behalf.

THE DEPRESSION AND WILD BEHAVIOR

I got bullied at first, in the beginning by the big boys, in the class; My packed snacks would be confiscated, and eaten by them. They would also remove, and keep my shoes, just to make my life uncomfortable.

My other major challenge, in my new class, was the compulsory subjects, which included, Luganda and German; I also did not like, the technical drawing subject. But at least, I enjoyed the home economics subject.

Whereas most boys, in my class, chose to do woodwork or metal work, I chose to join the girls, to do home economics. I remember being teased a lot, because of this choice. We were only three boys, offering home economics in all the streams combined.

At this particular time, I was living with my Auntie, in Nansana, who had requested, for the responsibility of taking care of me, in the absence of my parents. Being a good friend to my mother, there was no objection whatsoever. I believe, that she played one of the major roles, to the person, that I am today.
She was so strict, and though I did not like it at the time, I see now, what she was trying to mold me to.

 

She was on my case full time, and was always pushing me to do house chores, which I was not used to. We always had disagreements, because I felt that, she was making my life intolerable.
She would always emphasize revision, and we would always sit together, with my cousins to read, at the dining table; every evening after dinner. May her soul, rest in eternal peace.

With time, I began falling in deep depression, because deep down, no one could really understand, what I was going through; I was not open to talking to anyone. I had learned to contain, all the heavy challenges, that I faced within myself. This is what led me, to seek a way out.

I got close with my Auntie's driver, and whenever he dropped me from school, I would change from my uniform, and go meet him afterwards, since he lived nearby. He used to drink, and later introduced me to beer. He lived a very reckless lifestyle.

This became my new way of living, and I no longer had time for reading or academics. I became wild and aggressive, and no longer felt answerable to my Auntie, about my whereabouts. I was always involved in fights, both at school and the places nearby home.

 

My Auntie, later discovered what the driver and I, had in common, and he was fired immediately. A new driver was hired, who seemed tough at the beginning, but later we also got close. I believe, that he was worse of a drinker than the previous one.

He introduced me to cheap local liquor, known as 'waragi’. It was very affordable, and I used most of my resources to drink it, every evening, after school. My eyes became, blood shot red, and students at school thought I was using opium, or a very strong drug.

This is how, I came in contact, with notorious school gangs, made up of boys and girls in higher classes. Some of these people, are popular figures and celebrities in the country.

Things went to a higher level this time; we would escape from school, at daytime and go to the slum places, around Nakulabye, Kiyaye zone, to drink. I also learnt to smoke cigarettes, and officially became a bad boy, according to the peers that knew me.

I became so popular at school, as an outlaw, and I was hated, by the school disciplinarians; They promised to find a way, to expel me. I was always lucky, to escape, all the traps set for me, till I completed my O' level at the school.

Most of my group members, were expelled and only two of us, managed to complete, since there was no substantial evidence, to pin us on any crime. We recruited, many other kids to our group, and some joined us willingly; we were the 'cool' kids on the block.

Towards the end of my senior four level, I was the leader of all the bad boys and girls in the school including the students in A' level; I was simply untouchable. My drinking got worse, as my grades continued to decline, but I no longer really cared; school was no longer my priority.

I was more interested, in secular music; I loved rap and hip-hop music, and dance. I used to follow, the trendy wild fashion and dress code. I was a very good dancer, and I even invented, my own dance moves. I would always attend trans-day clubs; One common one, was called 'Sparks club' along Kampala Road.

I was also common at bars, around Kampala Road for example, rooftop and four seasons, where we would go smoking and drinking; These places, were closed down on orders, of the Minister of Ethics and Integrity, at the time; Mrs. Miria Matembe. She realized, that these spots, had become dangerous hubs, that were destroying teenagers.

These were popular, holiday makers’ hangouts, where kids from different schools, used to meet and interact; even popular celebrities, were a common sight, either to play pool table games or to drink. Some nights, I would escape from home, to go out dancing, at a popular night club known, as 'Club Silk.' It is where, I would meet my other friends, both boys and girls, to drink and dance, the night away.

After my senior four level, I continued with my wild lifestyle, as I awaited my Uganda Certificate of Education results. My performance was average, below the expectations, of everyone, since I was known to be bright, academically.

Though I got enough marks, to go back to Mengo for the A' level, on grounds of indiscipline, I was denied readmission. The names of all the stubborn students, were pinned on the notice board, and I was among them; which meant I had to look for another school elsewhere.

 

 

 

MY HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE / A' LEVEL
This time round, I really felt I hated strict schools, and since my performance was average. I could not easily, be admitted to the best government schools, in the country.

By this time, the rest of my family, had moved to Uganda; I was now living, with my biological parents and siblings. My dad was always busy with work hustles, so he took me to a simple day school, known as 'Highway College Makerere', located near the main gate, of Makerere University.

At the beginning, life was hard. Most of the kids, knew each other because, they had attended O' level together, in the same school. I would notice, that some did not like me, but no one dared to bully me; I had an attitude of my own.

It took about two months, without talking to anyone in class. I would attend class, then leave the school, immediately after; I would reconnect, with some of my former school friends, to catch up and drink.

At this time, I used to hang out at another popular place, alongside Wilson Street, after the ban of our former hangout. It was known as ‘DV8’, a popular place, for holiday makers, musicians, sports personalities, fashionistas, Rastafarians and even drug dealers. Talent shows and Karaoke were common.

Basically, everyone had an individual reason, why they were there. As for me it was an ambient place, to drink and meditate, away from the usual school crowds. Here, I met different kind of personalities, with different characters; Most friends I had, were more mature.

I had Rastafarian friends, who influenced me to use 'ganja', commonly known as marijuana. I was a common face at the spot, so even when I was broke, I would still hustle my way out, and get alcohol and cigarettes to smoke. I used to spend on my bar friends, whenever I had some money on me.

Back to the school life, many foreign students, started pouring in the school. Students from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, Congo and even Somalia changed the environment. I felt more at home, because everything felt more balanced.

I was fluent in Swahili, and this easily connected me, with the Kenyans, Tanzanians, Congolese; It was easy to integrate. I also mixed with the Rwandan students, because I understood, everything they spoke.

I sometimes made some cash, by dealing in trendy shoes and fashion, selling to my fellow school mates. I also used to buy, and sell phones, so I always had some money, in my pocket, to sustain my lifestyle; I paid no attention to books, until it was almost late.

I was among, the best dancers at the school, being called upon, whenever there were entertainment parties. We even received invites, on several occasions, to go and perform in other schools; Especially popular single girl schools, where I became so popular.

It was rare, to find me in school uniform; It was even more rare, to find me in class. I spent most of my time, at the hostel. We had hostels around the school, so we spent most of the usual day, drinking and listening to loud music; especially with the Tanzanians and Kenyans. We even organized our own parties, and invited students from other schools, for the alcohol drink up parties; all the crazy boys and girls, never missed.

I remembered to revise my books, in the third term; Though it was impossible, to cover all topics, that I had missed, from senior five. I tried my best, but in the end my performance, was not good enough. It was more disappointing, than my previous O' level results; No one could really comprehend, the reason for my declining academic performance. This was because, I always kept my habits on the low, but personally, I knew the cause.

Nevertheless, I thank GOD that at least I scored enough, to earn me an opportunity, at a higher level of learning.

 

 

 

 

SENIOR SIX VACATION

My Senior six vacation, was a totally different experience. Most of my group friends, had returned to their countries of origin; I had to start all over again. This time, I mostly moved alone, and drank solo.

 

My popular drinking spot, was known as 'Steak Out', just near Wandegeya street. I used to drink every night, especially Tuesdays and Thursdays. On the other days, I was either in 'Ange noir club’, on first Street, or bar hopping. My list of bars was endless: Hi table, Mateos, 9 degrees, Indigo, BBQ lounge, Blu haze, cayenne, Isabella etc. I drank in almost every bar, that existed in Kampala city, and beyond, stretching to Entebbe and Jinja.

At this point, I drank indiscriminately. I later reunited, with an older friend from Mengo Senior School, who saw me as her role model. She had learned drinking from me, but when we met in my Vacation, she was now a "pro" as many would call it, at the time. She introduced me, to many different people, including Sudanese friends, who were also heavy drinkers. I also hooked up, with some new friends, near my home area, who always hosted drinking binges.

My life, was moving on a very fast lane; no time to sleep, except for the heavy hangovers, that I experienced. Each bar I went to, I made newer friends, so my drinking circle expanded rapidly. I was always on the move; Some friends would pick and drop me, in cars; In case we were too high, we would sleep in hotels.

This was the period, when my drinking, was still a bit more organized; With time, things started falling out of hand slowly. It reached a point; I could not spend a day without tasting alcohol.

I had become dependent, on alcohol to cover up the depression, that I believe had been developing, all the way, from my early years in high school.

 

 

 

 

 

LIFE AT COLLEGE

I was not ready, for the hustle of admission, at Makerere University, so with advice from a good friend, I joined Aptech Computer School Worldwide, studying by correspondence. We had physical classes, at Conrad Plaza, Entebbe Road; Our exams were online. Here, I did two diplomas; Diploma in Information Systems Management, and Higher Diploma in software Engineering.

Life was not so bad for me, at this level, because I was able to balance everything easily; We had only three classes, a week and two hours per class.
Our tutors minded their business; all they did was teach and leave. They were mostly Indians, so the level of interaction was strictly professional; I would never be questioned, even when, I came to class on a hangover.

The school schedule, made it easy for me, to balance my party lifestyle with my academics. This time round, to a greater extent, I tried my best to read my books, on my own. I did not attend class much, but I tried to make it up, by private reading. Whenever I was in class, I tried my best to master, what was taught, since everything was practical.

I remember, leaving home many times, during this season; This was to avoid, the stress of being criticized, by my mother all the time, concerning my lifestyle.

There is a time, I moved in with a friend, who had a whole house to himself; He was overall controller of everything. His mother, was living abroad and she entrusted him with everything, including money. This was the meeting point, for many of his friends and close circles. I met him through my brother, who was also his close friend.

Life here was freestyle, and anyone would do whatever, he/she wanted. People would drink throughout the day, and some would even smoke weed. At the beginning, I drank little as I also tried to read my books, but after a while, I joined in on the fast lifestyle. We drank all types of alcohol, including the local liquor "waragi", which was very cheap.

This indiscriminate drinking, made me become a hard drinker; I started enjoying the waragi, and we would now drink in heavy quantities, all day. In the night hours, we would gather, as a group and head to club, especially on Tuesdays; It was always "Campus night." We always had complementaries, so we never really paid.

My friend, would hire a car and about six of us, would squeeze in and he would drive drunk; He did not have a driving permit. I thank GOD to be alive today, because I remember the several occasions, we escaped death narrowly, but at that particular time, it was more of adventure to us.

I used to write music, but I had never got chance, to step in a music studio. On realizing this, my friend organized with some music producers and I got a song recorded. On the same day, I recorded the song, and performed it at the club, and people loved it; It was a Swahili rap song.

I became popular in the club, because my song, was always played on Tuesdays; and also due to the performances. This friend of mine, helped me record my first two songs, and regardless of every negativity we went through, I will forever be grateful.

At the club, we would buy a crate of beer, and drink it while mixing it with some waragi; We bought waragi, from some guy called Baguma, who some knew, as "Bagzy."

He was a popular guy, among the party going crowd, especially the teenagers; He was a waragi seller, stationed, just opposite Club Silk, at the time; Many would crowd his spot, since it had cheap drinks.
During this time, I managed to finish my first year, and earned myself a diploma in Information Systems Management. I performed well, that my father, agreed to sponsor me for another year, as long I promised to perform even better.

This was my lifestyle, all through college. I was in college for two years, then threw in the towel, after successfully getting my diploma in software engineering. My two diplomas, were awarded from India and United States respectively; Equated to the Ugandan system, I would qualify at the same level of a degree holder, or even more. This made me very happy, because at least I had made my parents happy unlike my high school results.

I decided to put my focus on pursuing music, which I was very passionate about. This is how I ended up, in serious drug use and alcohol abuse. During studio sessions, I would meet different types of musicians, including the already established ones; They would offer me advice, on how to be successful.

Using weed, before singing, was one of the suggestions I received. So, I was high at all times. I was either in a bar, a music studio, a slum smoking, or nursing a hangover at home. That became my new lifestyle, after college; I did not believe in searching for jobs; I believed, in creating a career in music.

 

TOTALLY LOSING IT
After college, is when things got worse. Firstly, due to family pressure to get a job, which was hard. I believe, that this is something that many parents do ignorantly, pushing their children to find work, without being fully aware, of the conditions we operate it in, because unemployment, is actually a global problem.
So due to the reason above, I no longer received any sort of financial facilitations for any of my needs; I had to hustle my way out. The other big challenge I faced, was the opposition I received against doing music at home; in fact, I was told that music was for losers and thugs in community.

One way or another, I was able to survive through it all, by creating new friends and using my skills where necessary to earn something small; am proud to say that, I have never involved myself in anything illegal in order to earn money. I don't believe in stealing or cheating.

I later got an opportunity, through some French teacher, to be a home tutor especially to Indian and Korean families. I used to teach computer classes, but also the other major subjects, under the Cambridge and American education system. All my home students, excelled highly and this increased my demand.

I home tutored, kids from many international schools, like Aga Khan Primary and Nursery school, Rainbow International, Kampala International school Uganda (KISU), Indian International School Uganda (ISU) and many more. However, most of my money ended up in bars.

 

This time, I was facing grave effects of addiction, because I had indulged for some good years. I used to get sudden black outs, which would put my life in a lot of risk; I used to wake up in different places, wondering how I got there. I also started becoming very aggressive, and would do many dangerous things as a result.

I was always involved in physical fights in clubs, some of which am very lucky to have come out alive. I would get attacked with groups of guys, armed with knives and bottles; one time my face was almost disfigured, all my teeth were loose and almost dropping out, bleeding all over.

The other dangerous effect, was careless behavior I developed. I would to cross the road anyhow, without really caring of the outcome, and on many occasions, I got knocked by motorcycles; Many times, I survived death narrowly with cars, buses and trucks, brushing just next to my skin.

The false confidence I had when high, made me do so many unbelievable things. One time, I broke through a door of thick glass, using my arms and feet. This was a time when, my mum refused to open for me at night, as I returned from my drinking sprees. After hitting the glass, one of my legs got stuck in the metal rails, so the top glass fell on me, slicing the top part of my thigh on the right leg; doctors said it was a miracle I was alive, for it missed the main vein narrowly.

The bleeding was abnormal from both the arm and leg, as I slept in a pool of blood for some good time; I was so high, I did not feel the pain immediately, though, I believe I passed out. It is a long story, how I survived through that incident.

One time, as I was drinking on a bar counter, on a tall stool, I blacked out and fell backwards, smashing my head on the tile floor and lay still. I was later told, that many clients ran out of the bar, fearing that I was dead. I was told that my pulse had stopped beating at the time; how I survived this incident is a story for another day.

One of the riskiest things, I remember doing, under alcohol influence, was jumping over a fence, of a popular mall in town, known as "Pioneer Mall”. It was late at night, and I was very high from, a popular bar called "Hi Table "on Kampala Road. I was headed, towards the old taxi park, to get a vehicle back home; it was about three, in the morning. I don't know how, my mind played tricks on me, but I assumed, it would be a shorter distance, to pass through the mall; It was the worst mistake ever.

First and foremost, the walls were too high, I survived breaking all my bones. I landed so badly, and lay motionless on the floor. To add salt to injury, the guards thought it was a break in. I was attacked violently, they hit me with the butt of their guns.

I remember, the debate they had, whether to shoot me dead, or not. They were three mean looking guards; I was lucky, that one of them was sensible enough, to talk the rest out of it. They instead, called the police, which picked me with a patrol pick up, straight to the Central Police Station.

 

Kikoni area in Makerere, is one of the places I frequented a lot, and it is where I survived so many life-threatening incidents. One time, I had to jump over a wide ditch, to secure my life from a group of foreign students, who were determined to kill me, because of a particular Kenyan girl, that was seated next to me in a bar.

With no questions asked, I was immediately pulled outside the bar, and a serious fight broke lose. They were about ten men, so they over powered me; I was defenseless, adding to the fact, that I was very drunk. I sustained serious back injuries from the incident, but by GOD'S grace I lived to see another day.

The bad events in my life, were too many, and people close to me, predicted death anytime. My family members especially, were very worried not knowing, what next to expect. Later, I was taken to ‘Butabika National Mental Referral Hospital' at the 'Alcohol and Drug Unit' for three months.

It was a good break, for I got a chance to taste sobriety after years. I used to attend interactive sessions, where I learned the dangers of substance abuse; I also received counseling. All these things, were useful to me later in life, on my journey to recovery. Here, I gained weight, my eyes cleared totally from red to normal, my appetite went up and my mood was cheerful.

Unfortunately, after leaving hospital, I relapsed back to my 'high' life, and this time the latter effects were worse than the former.

I was in and out of jail cells, either for moving late at night, or violence. I was also in and out of hospital, either for accidents, or depression. I fell into coma twice, and was admitted at Nsambya Hospital, where it was discovered, that I was suffering from severe depression. I believe, that no one around me was equipped with enough skills to help me; no one considered depression as a serious health problem.
Each day, I was getting worse, and I even attempted suicide, three times. One of my Aunties, later came in the picture, to try and help, by introducing me, to a herbal medicinal doctor.

This herbalist, had helped so many addicts recover according to testimonies, but for my case, it did not work and I slipped back to my usual life.
At this stage, everyone had given up on me, including all my family members. They hatched a plan to get rid of me by getting me arrested and dumped in a prison facility. The plan was well executed, and I was arrested, but just before they could complete their plan, GOD made a way out, for me.

All in all, after all these events, I sat down and started pondering about my life. I really wanted to change, but I did not have the power to. I remember one time, while very drunk, I prayed, and asked GOD to help me.

 

 

 QUITTING AND RECOVERY

After saying a prayer, the night, I was drunk, something happened immediately. For the very first time in my entire life, I felt an internal peace, that I had never experienced before. I felt a silent voice tell me, "You have won the battle."

Some few days after, some close friends invited me, to attend an overnight church fellowship, and for the first time, I agreed. Deep inside of me, I felt, I really needed to experience GOD, first hand; and my life has never been the same again, after that first night of fellowship.

I felt a strong presence, of something new and different; it was the HOLY SPIRIT. Coincidentally, the Pastor called out, to people who were struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, to go forward for a prayer. That was a confirmation to me, that GOD was with me, in the struggle to overcome the vice that was taking a toll on me.

In about one month time, I had lost appetite for alcohol, cigarettes or any kind of drug. I tried experimenting a few times after, but this time round it was no longer fun. The alcohol began tasting abnormally bitter, and I was no longer interested in cigarette smoking; in fact, I became so allergic, that just a simple smell of cigarette, would cause me to become very sick. I also quit chewing, the Indian tobacco.

I was no longer interested, in my usual secular rap and dancehall music; I deleted all the secular songs, from my phone playlist, and replaced them with gospel songs, mainly worship songs. My new pass time, was singing worship songs. This, spiritually gave me strength, and day by day, I was more determined. I completely cut myself off, from all negative circles, and kept in isolation.

The alone time, was really a blessing to me. I kept in my bedroom, for almost a year, and many thought, I had traveled somewhere. I switched off my phone; This period, gave me time, to bond with GOD, one on one.

I learned so many things, under the guidance of the HOLY SPIRIT. I started writing gospel songs. Everyone around me, could not believe the new me; Some even thought, I was up to something, or I had upgraded to a new type of drug. After one full year, it was clear to those around me, that I had quit.

I began counseling my brother, who we drank with, most of the time, to also quit. I began reaching out, to substance abusers in the nearby home areas, with the message of sobriety. Some took the message positively, while others were angry at me, for quitting and instead hated me.

Later, I began recording, some of the songs, that I had written in my isolation period; I was lucky to perform on some few big Christian platforms. Through this, I was invited to Nairobi, Kenya for a music mentoring program, by some Christian music producers. I learnt how to use music, to express my story, of my previous real-life experiences, in order to, inspire and encourage others; those who were going through, the same problems, I went through.

 

I thank GOD, that most people who listened to my songs, were touched; Others totally reformed due to them. This is the same period, I felt the Spirit of GOD, tell me to return to Uganda, and help the youth and young people struggling with addiction, and addiction related problems; that is how, and when, the idea of starting an NGO was conceived.

It was not an easy process, starting and registering the company; I lacked the necessary support, because not many people, were willing to be of assistance, towards my cause. Some, despised me, basing on the past bad things, they knew about me. Others, simply could not believe, that someone like me, could even imagine of taking on such a huge responsibility, and jealousy developed.

I was shocked, to see some people openly fighting my efforts, with no fear nor shame. I received great opposition, but I was determined. I was passionate, about my purpose. I knew, GOD, was by my side.

I thank GOD, for HE always makes a way, where there seems, to be no way. HE brought in my way, divine helpers. After a year of struggle, I was able to, successfully process the permit, which officially, allowed me to operate countrywide, all over Uganda; This was in December, 2019.

Even before receiving the permit, I had already begun my operations. I did school out-reaches, church youth program out-reaches, people living with disability out-reaches, general community out-reaches, rehabilitation centers, and even orphanages.
Due to the determination, our team was invited to Nairobi, Kenya, to speak and inspire, the slum youth, on many occasions. We also received invitations, to different parts of Uganda, alongside some other organizations, to empower the youth population.

We have been in operation for a short time, but by the Grace of GOD, we have seen tremendous results, and positive feedback. I am forever thankful to GOD, for granting me a second chance at life, to do the things that build communities, and the people around me. Am very optimistic, as a believer, that the best is yet to come, and the sky is the limit.

I am a true living testimony, that it is possible to overcome any addiction, or any challenge in your life, as long as you pursue the right things, through the right avenues. JESUS CHRIST, is the only solution, to all the problems, facing this world today. If HE, did it for me, HE can do it for you too; Nothing is impossible with GOD.

 

 

 TESTIMONY FROM JANE BALINDA (MOTHER)

James' life was not easy; He began drinking alcohol, gradually, until it got to a level, that was out of control. He used to drink, all through the day, and night nonstop. He risked his life a lot, when drunk, for alcohol made him fearless.

He would command me, to open for him the door, late at night, about three, in the morning; to go and continue drinking. As a mother, it would cause me a lot of worry, and panic. I would always try to plead with him, but in vain; he would threaten to break the door, if I refused to open for him.

Knowing him well, he was capable of doing what he had threatened to do. Most times, I was left with no choice, but to open for him worrying, that anything bad could happen to him.

People often got killed, during this time, because of the dangerous gangs, that were in our area at the time, and each morning, there was always bad news, that someone had been attacked or killed.

 

All I had to do, was kneel down and pray, for GOD to protect his life, and for sure, GOD protected James. If it was not for the power of GOD, he would not be alive to testify. James drank abnormally, and we expected him to die anytime. I surrendered his life to GOD; for HIS will to be done.

He was taken to police many times, and I was always bailing him out. I also tried, to seek help, from the local police station but all efforts were futile. James, got many problems from drinking, I cannot explain them all. We later, decided to take him to "Butabika National Mental Referral Hospital" when things really bad.

He was admitted at the hospital, for three months and he really showed great improvement; Everyone at the hospital, liked him, both the patients and staff. I was really happy, because his situation looked encouraging, but unfortunately, after leaving the hospital, he began to drink all over again. It reached an extent, I decided to give up on him.

GOD met James, in a special way, that am still unable to explain. No one, can explain, how James changed. All I saw was, he was no longer taking alcohol. I kept quiet for a while, and asked the brothers and sisters about it, but everyone was wondering, what had happened to him; we could not bring ourselves to ask him.

GOD totally changed him, and his life has been a testimony, to all that knew him. Many doubted him at first, for it seemed impossible. I received many phone calls, all inquiring, about his recovery.

He later told me, that he had decided to do GOD'S work, to help the fellow youth, who are struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. From then onwards, he has helped many people, among them are his brothers and close friends.

Our prayer as parents, is for GOD to continue using James mightily, and I believe, that with GOD, nothing is impossible. I thank GOD so much, for James' life. My message to anyone out there, is, "When GOD decides to do something new, no one can stop it."

GOD bless you.

 

 

 

 

 

TESTIMONY FROM SENIOR NURSING OFFICER
Alice Kabakwenuzi, is a senior nursing officer, I/C Alcohol Drug Unit (ADU), at Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, located in Kampala, Uganda.

She got her training, from, the Commonwealth Fellowship, in East London-Addiction Units. She has developed, under the mentorship of Mr. David K. Basangwa.

Mr. David K. Basangwa MD, M. MED, is a Government Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, and Executive Director, of Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, situated in Kampala, Uganda.

Alice Kabakwenuzi, commonly known as 'Sister Alice', began working in this facility, in June 2006, up to the present date. She has overseen so many addiction cases, at the hospital and she speaks so highly of James. She is so happy with his progress, and the work he does, of helping, the people struggling with addiction.

This is what Sister Alice has to say:
"Am so proud of my son, for the tremendous steps, that he took, to face and overcome, the giant of addiction. Am so proud of his organization, 'My Beautifier Community Youth Uganda’. They do such great work, of reaching out to people, and transforming them.

He has brought in, so many patients in critical condition, at the hospital, and he follows them through, until they are better. I always call him, once in a while to come and share his experiences, in addiction sessions, and the response, is always very positive; I believe, he has managed to impact so many, here at the facility.

I pray to GOD, to bless the work of his hands, for him to continue helping, the broken and hopeless youth out there; for them, to find purpose and meaning, in this life. I believe, that so many great testimonies are yet to come.

 

 

 TESTIMONY FROM BENJAMIN KATUMBA.

(Best friend for over 20 years)
Benjamin KATUMBA, is a professional, Ugandan, operatic musician. He is a skilled, bass baritone singer, pianist and vocal trainer, associated with the Kampala Music School, Uganda. He was a member of Bunamwaya Church Choir, from the age of eight years, and later, a member of Namirembe Cathedral Choir, while at high school, at Mengo Secondary School.

He graduated, with a Bachelor's degree of Arts, in music, from Makerere University. He is also a graduate, from the UK-based, "Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music" - (ABRSM). Ben, is part of the opera music trio, known as "Sauti Ya Afrika."

He has performed, on several international stages, alongside big acts like; Mezzo Soprano and Katherine Jenkins. He has also had the privilege, to perform for world leaders, including Rothschild family, Rockefeller family, President Obasanjo of Nigeria, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Bill Clinton, and was once invited, by the Mayor of London, to perform, for the British Royal family. He is now a Commonwealth Music Ambassador.

This is what he has to say, about James Imani Amanyire, his childhood best friend, who is now more of a brother and family:

‘’School was superb, and I was really’, what you would call, the general kid in school, the "not so cool and famous." James, on the other hand, was a popular kid at school. The true reality though, deep within him, later as I came to find out, he was a timid kid, with low esteem problems; only someone close to him could tell. Through his chatty behavior, deep down, he was a broken boy.

He was a good, loyal friend, who was struggling, with all sorts of teenage related behavior. I was first introduced to alcohol, when with him. I remember vividly, saying to myself, "For me to help him out of this habit, I have to move in his footsteps, so that, I could later, talk to him from an informed point of view." That was how I ended up drinking alcohol. It was my first, and last time, taking alcohol; the effects were not pleasant.

Trying to help transform James, was a challenge, like a huge mountain; it was more than, I could fix. A couple of years down the road, I came to the conclusion, that it was impossible for me; I lacked the expertise to deal with such a person. I felt like, the boring friend, because, he always had unruly guys around him. I also felt that being around him, was a way of condoning his behavior.

Several calls, after he had been found in a ditch somewhere, kept coming in, in the wee hours of the night. At times, he would call me, confessing his undying love for me, after he had gone missing for months. His calls always came in, in the deep of the night, until I stopped picking them up. It seemed to me then, that all I did to help him, was not working. I am sorry to say, but I had given up on him totally, everyone close to him gave up, which I believe was a mistake.

I had my disappointments, I was mad at him; because, that was not how, I saw our future as friends. We always talked, about the future, and we knew, it was within our grasp. I personally, tried hard as I could, but it just could not work.

I tried engaging him in singing, because I was good at music, and I thought I would absolutely help, but his voice could not cut it right; he had an absolutely deaf ear, and I knew, it would be an uphill task, for him to sing, until I had him rap.

I did not know much about Hip hop, apart from thinking, that it was a useless excuse, for people, who could not do real music; but he loved it. At the time, I was producing a famous duo called, "Goodlyfe", that was made up, of the late Moze Radio and Weasal, and Washington, was their sound engineer. Washington, had done, many successful hit songs, for another hip-hop artist, called Navio, and many other guys.

James and I, went to the recording studio, where, I paid Washington, to do the engineering and post production. Due to lack of exposure, to the hip-hop genre, I did not produce James' song "Zainabu". I was unable, to get the harmonies and melodic passages, quite right.

Washington, did a good job and the song, sounded, just like one of P Diddy’s songs. P Diddy, is an American rapper, and music producer, who was James' icon. The song “Zainabu”, had some success in Kenya, since it was a Swahili song. He made several songs after that, which I listened to, and they were really nice but I don't think they got any promotion; he was drinking too much, and did not keep on.

The iron arm of the house, his father, had left to the United Kingdom, and being the first boy, he had many challenges, like any of us. He sank really bad, and the next time I met him, he said he was from rehab. I knew, it was not going to be successful, and not long after that, he went back, to his dangerous lifestyle. I knew without a doubt, that a phone call, about his demise, would soon come in. Either found in a ditch, somewhere in the streets overdosed, or killed by diseases, which come, with reckless substance usage.

Later, I started seeing his public posts, about a Non-Governmental Organization, and I thought to myself, "If he is not dead yet, then there is a higher purpose for HIM in this world." It was definite then, to me, that GOD was not done with James. I continue to watch the space, but it is obvious, that he is consistent, with what he is doing. I know, it is not an easy road he has taken, but I give my prayers and support, to his chosen path. Who better to help, those who are in the same need? I am confident, that he will do a wonderful job, with his divine calling.

 

 

MYEAUTIFIER COMMUNITY YOUTH UGANDA

"My Beautifier Community Youth Uganda", is a registered, indigenous, Christian based, Non-Governmental Organization, located in Lugala, Kampala, Uganda. Our aim, is to restore hope, to the hopeless, and help people find purpose in life.

The main target group, are the youth and young people; Who through the years, have lost focus, and are struggling with so many challenges. These challenges, in most times, go unnoticed in our general communities.

This has seen a sudden rise, of dangerous outcomes e.g., crime, violence, high numbers of school drop outs, teenage pregnancy, family related complications, and mainly substance abuse. (Addiction)

MAIN GOAL: To create awareness, and offer practical solutions, to addiction, and addiction related problems; for total recovery, and transformation, through GODLY values.

You can follow us, on our Facebook page, and You Tube channel, for more details;
“My Beautifier Community Youth Uganda.”

 

 

WHAT IS ADDICTION?
This is a condition, where a person, continuously, indulges in an activity, regardless, of the negative effects he/she faces; one lacks the power, to get rid of the bad habit. The negative effects, not only affect the victim, but also the family and community in the long run, which can hinder achievement, of set goals.
There are many types of addictions e.g., alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, computer games, social media and more. Everything done in excessiveness, amounts to addiction, for example food, and drinks like coffee.

Whatever the type of addiction, the extreme end result, is usually death. Even food misused, can lead to death, due to, diet related complications.

Addiction, makes a person useless, regardless of the caliber, and status in society. Because of addiction, we see a lot of problems; people lose jobs, high rise in school drop outs, increased rape, increase of dangerous diseases like HIV, increased accidents and high crime rate.

Addiction is so bad, that it affects, a country's economy too. Victims usually become redundant, and less productive. In the end, governments, have to spend lots of money, to maintain people, with such habits e.g., rehabilitation centers, hospitals and prisons.

In general, addiction, affects the victim, the family, the community and the country at large. However, it is wrong, to stigmatize anyone struggling, with a particular bad behavior. It is also very wise, to do a self-assessment, just to be sure, that you are not a victim too, now that we have realized, that addiction comes in many forms.

QUESTION: Is it possible to overcome any type of Addiction?
ANSWER: Yes, it is 100% possible to overcome any type of addiction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DISCOVERING PURPOSE
Purpose, is an aim, target or intention, that someone is to achieve. In this context, we are speaking, about divine purpose, which then means, the GOD given mandate or assignment, to every individual, to accomplish in their lifetime.

In 2 Timothy 1:9 it says, " For GOD saved us, and called us to live a holy life. HE did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was HIS plan, from before the beginning of time; to show us HIS grace, through CHRIST JESUS." The word “plan” also means purpose. GOD had a purpose, for us and through us, from the very start, even before our existence.
In the story of Paul, in the Bible, we see how Paul, was transformed by GOD, to discover HIS divine purpose. Immediately after his conversion, he began witnessing for JESUS, tirelessly. Once a persecutor of GOD'S people, Paul later became the persecuted; He suffered a lot for the cause of JESUS, and was in prison for a long time.

Because Paul found his purpose, it is the reason, he is still relevant today, many thousand years later. He wrote many books, or letters in the New Testament, and he stood for GOD till the end.

Paul knew his purpose, and he took it seriously. His purpose, was to take the good news, of CHRIST, to the gentiles, who also represent, the Non-believers; or people who do not know JESUS. Galatians 1:15 -16 says, "But even before I was born, GOD chose me, and called me, by HIS marvelous grace. Then it pleased HIM, to reveal HIS son to me, so that, I would proclaim the good news, about JESUS to the gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out, to consult with any human being." These words were spoken by Paul.

QUESTION: What is GOD'S plan through HIS believers?

ANSWER: GOD'S main purpose, is for us to serve HIM, and the best way to do It, is by serving fellow man and woman, just as JESUS illustrated, in the New Testament. JESUS, washed HIS disciple's feet.

1 Peter 4:10 says, "GOD has given each of you, a gift from HIS great variety of Spiritual gifts; Use them well to serve one another."

FACT: GOD will judge everyone according to the purpose assigned to them.

How do we serve others?
Isaiah 58:10 says, "Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light, will shine out, from the darkness. And the darkness around you, will be bright as noon.” Proverbs 19:17 says, "If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD, and HE will repay you."
It is important to serve other people, whenever, and wherever we can. There are many ways we can serve people:

•Volunteering in church or community
•Visiting the sick and praying with them
•Visiting prisons and encouraging inmates
•Donating clothes, food, money and more
•Be a friend, support others, show love
•Use your gifts and talents to bless people by showing them GOD
•Listening and counseling.
•Praying for others and with others
Everyone, has a unique assignment. There is no need, to copy someone else, or even be envious of other people's talents.

To find your divine purpose, you must first seek GOD, and spend ample time with HIM; HE will reveal it to you. It is never too late to find your purpose; GOD will meet you where you are, in order to take you, where HE wants you to be.

Read Romans 12:5 - 21

LESSON: When you find your divine purpose, you find the reason for your existence.

 

 

 

 

 

DEFEATING DEPRESSION
More than 100 million people in the world, go through depression. Depression, is a state of living, without hope. It is a condition, in which a person feels very sad, and anxious, which often results, in serious negative effects. Depression, is classified, as a medical condition, which requires clinical intervention.

SOME CAUSES OF DEPRESSION.
•Loneliness
•Physical, sexual or emotional abuse in the past
•Family disputes and disagreements
•Death of loved one
•Genetics
•Divorce or separation
•Rejection
•Family pressure e.g., in academics, marriage etc.
•Peer pressure.
• Unachieved personal goals or targets

 

SOME OF THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION.
•Consistent bad mood
•Reduced interest in activities once enjoyed
•Loss of sexual desire in married couples
•Loss of appetite
•Unintentional weight loss or gain
•Sleeping too much or too little
•Restlessness
•Slowed speech and movement
•Fatigue or loss of energy
•Difficulty in concentration
•Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
•Attempted suicide
•Withdrawal from family and friends i.e., isolation
•Rebellious or defiant behavior
•Addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling etc.

 

 

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT DEPRESSION.
Philippians 4:6-8 says, "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell GOD what you need, and thank HIM for all HE has done. Then you will experience GOD'S peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. HIS peace will guard your hearts and minds, as you live in CHRIST JESUS. And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing; fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent, and worthy of praise."

There are some major points in this verse to note:
Firstly, we are told not to worry, but instead, we should thank GOD, for what HE has already done; Gratitude should be a quality of every believer. We, ought to be grateful, and thankful to GOD, for all the things, HE has done for us in the past; this, brings peace and confidence, of a better, brighter future.
The second major point, is about controlling thoughts. Negative thoughts, always end in negative results. That is why in this verse GOD, is calling upon us, to shift our focus, from bad thoughts, to the right kind of thinking; thoughts that are true, honorable, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise.

In Matthew 6:25-34, it tells us, of how GOD takes care of the birds, that do not store food, and how HE makes beautiful, the flowers in the wild. It also reminds us, of how we are more valuable, than the birds and the flowers. This is all because, we are created in GOD'S image.

If GOD, can take care of the birds and flowers in the wild, then, we should expect better from HIM; in HIS eyes, we are more precious. Worry, is therefore, not a nice thing, and is a sign, of little Faith in GOD.

We should not, put focus on the bad situations, but on GOD instead; who is bigger than every bad situation. GOD calls us, to seek after HIS kingdom, live righteously, and HE will give us, everything that we need. Righteous living means, living a life, that aligns to GOD'S word; doing things that are right by GOD.

Most times, we get stressed, about things that we do not really need. This is because, the intentions behind what we want are not good. Remember, GOD knows, your hidden thoughts and motives, and it is the reason, HE does not answer certain prayers; GOD knows the future. Because of HIS unlimited love for us, GOD will intentionally, keep us away, from the things, that would destroy us in the end.

You should invest your time in GOD, through prayer and communion, and HE will make HIS will known to you. Once you get to know the purpose, that GOD has for your life, the devil, will no longer be able, to control your mind, with worry, doubt, fear and anxiety.

 

The Word of GOD, calls us to live by Faith and not by sight. You need to read the Bible, for daily encouragement; it will speak to your life. Do not fear the future, but instead, put your trust in the person who knows the future, who is GOD.

Do not let people's words bother you; people do not define you. Focus on what GOD says about you, because HE has the final say. Forget, and let go of the past bad memories, and choose to connect, with a family of people that love GOD.

LESSON: Pray, believe and be healed. May GOD destroy that depression in your life.

FAITH OVER FEAR
Fear, is a feeling that something bad, might have happened in the past, or something bad, might happen in the future. Fear, can be based, on actual facts, but many times it is imaginary.

Fear is broken up, into two types, in the Bible; The fear of GOD, and the fear of the unknown. The fear of GOD, is good, because it is a sign of respect and recognition, of HIS divine power and existence; it is reverential awe. The fear of the unknown, on the other hand, is negative, and is highly discouraged, because it is from the devil. (Read Psalms 111:10, Proverbs 14:26-27).

In 2 Timothy 1:7 it says, "For GOD has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind." To overcome fear, we need to put all our trust in GOD, by loving HIM fully. 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love, drives out fear." GOD continuously reminds us to "fear not".
There are many types of fear, that people experience e.g., fear of death, fear of rejection, fear of poverty, fear of sickness, fear of witchcraft and more. Fear causes many bad effects, like loneliness, depression, anxiety, addictions, sleeping difficulty, eating disorder, diseases, suicide, abortion, crime, divorce and division.

Faith, is a good thing, for all believers. Hebrews 11:1, defines Faith clearly. “Faith, is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence, of things not seen. Hebrews 11:6, also emphasizes the fact that, it is impossible to please GOD, without Faith; For it is through Faith, that GOD rewards those who sincerely seek HIM. Isaiah 41:10 says, "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be afraid, for I am your GOD; I will strengthen and help you. I will hold you up, with my victorious hand."

The Bible, is made up of many people, that conquered fear with Faith e.g., Abraham, Esther, Moses, Meshach, Shadrach, Abednego and many more. All these people, depended, on GOD'S strength, when faced with great challenges.

When you put your full trust in GOD, you lose interest in the unknown, because you are sure, HE has everything, under HIS control. GOD has never, and will never, put HIS people, to shame. Trials, challenges and opposition, may arise from time to time, but they are only temporary, in order, to increase our Faith in GOD. Problems, teach us, to rely on GOD fully.

 

Through problems, GOD always, displays HIS mighty power, by coming to our rescue; Everyone has a testimony.

If GOD, was able to save you from serious trouble in the past, then you have no reason, to fear now. It is the same GOD, who will take care of you, through the present life, and HE will see you, through your future.

 

The book of Romans 8:28 says, "And we know, that all things, work together for good, to them that love GOD, to them, that are called, according to HIS purpose.

It does not matter, what you are going through right now, it does not even matter, what you went through, in the past. What matters most, is the choice you make now; either to choose Faith in GOD, or remain in the fear, brought by the devil.

Due to fear, many people, have failed to achieve their divine assignments. Fear, is an obstacle to many people, and because of this, many, have failed to make progress in life. This later, leads to a life of regret, sadness and misery.

 

Faith brings purpose, and freedom. With Faith, you find happiness, peace and fulfillment. Faith in GOD, is the only solution, to overcoming, all carnal fears.

 

What experts may offer, will always be temporary; what doctors and psychologists offer, only makes up, of a small percentage, of the complete solution. The permanent solution, to overcoming fear, is choosing to believe GOD, through HIS Word.

Avoid environments, that encourage fear, and negativity. Keep away, from people who are controlled by fear, until you are strong enough, to help them. Do not listen, or watch programs, that are used by the devil, to instill fear in you. Instead, choose to move, with people, that believe in GOD.

Find peace today; Find comfort and hope. Find the strength to move forward, strength to push through the storm, strength to undertake great risks, strength to make, tough and important decisions. Faith in GOD, will never disappoint you.

 

LESSON: Fear keeps you down, Faith raises you up.

 

 

THE POWER IN YOU
John 14:12-14 says, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me, will do, the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask for anything in my name and I will do it."

Matthew 17:20 says, "Truly I tell you, if you have Faith as small as a Mustard Seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there and it will move’. Nothing will be impossible for you."

All these words in the above verses, were spoken by JESUS. HE was opening up our eyes, to the fact that, we have great potential deep inside ourselves, but most times we fail to achieve our full potential, because of lack of Faith.

As we can see clearly, once we make a choice to follow JESUS, we have an opportunity, to receive greater power, to command situations. Through Faith, by the power of JESUS CHRIST, nothing is impossible. In Mark 10:27, JESUS looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible but not with GOD. Everything is possible with GOD."
This therefore, is a call for everyone, to exploit their full capabilities in CHRIST JESUS; Nothing should keep you down. Whatever external challenge, obstacle or opposition you face today, there is a greater power within you, to counter and overcome.

Remember, the HOLY SPIRIT lives in the inside of you, and so you have the authority, to command events in your life. By our own human efforts and abilities, we are unable to defeat the devil; but by the power of GOD, through JESUS CHRIST, we are able to destroy Satan, completely.

The choice lies in your hands; you can choose to follow JESUS CHRIST, claim HIS power, and live a victorious life. You can also choose reject HIS message, and live a life of misery. Nothing, has power over you; if you believe in GOD, you can disown things like poverty, sicknesses, depression, barrenness, witchcraft, curses and more.

Do not be afraid, to believe in the possibility, of defeating the impossible looking challenges; as Christians, we move by Faith and not by sight.

 

Miracles, are as a result of strong Faith. There are several testimonies of people, who healed from cancer, and other complicated diseases, that doctors deemed impossible. Many people, have overcome serious addictions, like alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, pornography, prostitution and more.

By the power of GOD, many lives, have been transformed; from hopelessness to inspirational. In the Bible itself, we see great miracles; By Faith, Abraham and Sarah got a child, at a very old age, past child bearing time. By Faith, Peter walked on water. By Faith, Noah and his family were preserved in the ark. By Faith, David destroyed Goliath. By Faith, the lame man, at the pool of Bethesda, walked. By Faith, Daniel was saved in the lion's den. By Faith, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego were saved, in the blazing furnace.

By Faith, you will also overcome, that difficult situation, you are going through currently. All you have to do, is believe in the name of JESUS CHRIST, and you will be saved. Decree, that you will no longer be the tail but the head, decree that you will no longer be sad but happy. Decree, that you will no longer be a slave to addiction, but free to serve GOD. Whatever situation you are going through now, decree in the name of JESUS CHRIST, and it will be no more.

Read the word of GOD, to grow your Faith. Through bible study, you will learn how to be resilient, against the devil and his attacks. The Word of GOD, will set your mind and body, free. You will become just like Job, who praised GOD amidst tough times.

JESUS is waiting for you to claim, what is already yours. You have, everything good at your disposal, after JESUS said "it is finished" at the cross. Every bad thing, was nailed with HIM, at the cross. By Grace, we receive, the reserved blessings. All we need to do, is to call on HIS name. Luke 11:9 says, "Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door shall be opened for you."

LESSON: You have the Power to do anything in CHRIST JESUS.

 

 

 

 

 

LEARNING TO FORGIVE
The word forgive, means to stop feeling angry with someone, who did something to harm, annoy or upset you; to stop being angry with yourself. Matthew 6:14-15 says, "If you forgive those who sin against you, your Heavenly Father will forgive you." Here we realize that forgiveness is a divine obligation.

As believers, GOD expects us to let go, of the wrong, that was done to us. GOD, does not look at how bad, someone treated you, but HE instead focuses, on how you react towards it. So many bad things, in this world, have happened because of lack of forgiveness.

We have seen some terrible wars, between nations, where lives and property, have been destroyed. We have witnessed, murders, bloodshed, division, tribalism, racism, family break ups, divorce and more. Most unforgiving people, cannot find peace, until they seek revenge; they are happy when they see their enemies suffering.

Unforgiveness, is not a Christian habit; GOD cannot forgive you, if you do not forgive others. Another important aspect, is the forgiveness of self. You need to forgive yourself, for the mistakes, you made in the past; let go of the regrets and anger, that you have been keeping. You need to let go, in order to find peace.

There is a parable told by JESUS, about the unforgiving servant, in Matthew 18:21-35. We see, a man who owed his master, millions of dollars but was unable to pay back. Due to this, his master wanted the servant and his family sold, to recover his money back. The servant, fell to the ground, and pleaded with his master, who decided to forgive him, and cancelled the whole debt.

 

Ironically, this same servant, was demanding some few thousand dollars, from a fellow servant; but instead of having sympathy upon him, he had him thrown in prison. The other servants who witnessed this, got angry and reported this incident to the King.

 

The King was so furious, with this unforgiving servant. He called in the servant, and reminded him, of how he had forgiven him, of a big debt before. He wondered, why the servant, could not have mercy on his fellow servant. As a result, the King sent this man to prison, until he had paid, the entire debt, that he had earlier forgiven him for.

Mathew 11:25 says, "But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in Heaven will forgive your sins too."

 

This does not mean, that those who wronged you intentionally, will get away with it; it is GOD, who will be responsible, for avenging you, because HE is always fair. Jeremiah 51:36 says, "I will be your lawyer, to plead your case, and I will avenge you."

There is a real-life story, of a Rwandan woman, names withheld, who made a choice to forgive a man, who killed her baby, during the 1994 genocide. She lost both her baby daughter, and her right hand, which was cut off by a machete. A heartless Hutu man did this to her, as she was hiding in a swamp.

Some years later, she decided to forgive him, and they are now friends. They even work together, in a group, that builds simple brick houses for genocide survivors; She is the treasurer, and the man is the vice president. She says, that whenever she looks at her sliced right hand, the memories come back; but she opted to forgive, because of what the bible says, "Forgive, and you will also be forgiven."

When you forgive, you receive peace of mind; unforgiveness, keeps you in a cage. When you refuse to forgive, then two people remain in prison; you and the offender. By the blood of JESUS CHRIST, we were all forgiven, yet we were undeserving. HIS Grace, was extended to us, therefore, we are mandated to do the same, if we claim to be HIS followers. It is not easy, but as GOD'S children, we ought to practice forgiveness.

LESSON: Forgive yourself and forgive others for a healthy Spirit, Soul and body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAME YOUR TONGUE
The tongue, is a soft organ, in a person's mouth. It moves around in the mouth, and it performs several tasks e.g., swallowing, speaking and more. In the bible, we learn that, when used wrongly, the tongue can be very dangerous.

James 3:5 says, "In the same way, the tongue is a small thing, that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark, can set a great forest on fire. It, is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life, on fire, for it is set on fire, by hell itself.

Here in the above verses, we see that the tongue, is a very small part, but has the ability, to cause great harm. The simple words we say, can cause massive destruction. Most of the world's biggest problems, have been caused by simple words; whether written or spoken, words have huge impact.

Because of words, we have seen married couples divorce, we have seen people kill each other, we have seen nations go to war. Meanwhile, the words, might not necessarily to be true. There are stories, of many lives, that were destroyed, by false words, spread with an evil agenda. No one, has survived the attacks of an evil tongue; even powerful men of GOD have been victims.

The devil's deceptive tongue, started all the troubles, that we see in the world today. We can trace this in the bible, in Genesis chapter 3. Here we see, the serpent approaching Eve, and challenging GOD'S authority, by enticing Eve, to eat of the forbidden fruit. GOD had prohibited Eve, and her husband Adam, from touching the fruits to the tree.

 

She was convinced, and she ate of the forbidden fruit, and later, she persuaded her husband Adam, who also partook of it; suddenly, they realized, that they were naked. This resulted, in serious punishment from GOD; It is through Adam and Eve, our fore parents, that we inherited sin. This is because, GOD cursed them, and all their offspring. The world, now faces pain, sickness and death; all because, of the devil's evil tongue.

The above story, shows us how the tongue, can be lethal, both to you as a person, and to others people as well. Therefore, it is wise, for everyone to learn, to control their tongue. We have to carefully watch, the words that we speak. A tongue, can cut; and is compared, to a sword and razor, in the bible. (Read Psalms 52:2, Psalms 64:3)

The Word of GOD, encourages us, to use our tongue, for good purpose. (Read Proverbs 15:2). Words, should not be used, to discourage, or put others down. The tongue, should not be used, to disrespect others or to boast. The tongue, should not be used, to bring division and hate. Psalms 34:13 says, "Keep your tongue from speaking evil, and your lips from telling lies."

The tongue, should be used to build yourself, others and to glorify GOD. Acts 2:26 says, "No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts HIS praises." The tongue, should be used to pray for the sick, encourage the broken hearted, counsel the confused, and to prophecy good things. When the tongue is put to good use, great results manifest always.

LESSON: Gentle words, are a tree of life.

GET BACK WHAT YOU LOST
In Joel chapter 2:25, the LORD says, "I will give you back what you lost." This is a promise from GOD, to you; It is a message of restoration, and hope.

Job, is the best example in the bible, of someone who lost everything, but later got everything back; Twice as much, as what he had before. All this happened, when the "Accuser" who is Satan, approached GOD, on the issue concerning Job. This was after realizing, that GOD was pleased, with Job's faithfulness to HIM. Job lived, a life of integrity and truth, and it was hard to find fault with him.

He was the wealthiest man in the land of Uz; He owned 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, 500 female donkeys and many servants. Job, was also blessed with ten children; Seven sons, and three daughters.

After Satan accused Job, of being faithful to GOD, just because he was prosperous, he requested to put Job to test. This was to see, if Job, would remain just as faithful, to GOD, as before. On hearing this, GOD permitted the devil to test Job.

As a result, Job lost all his property, including all his children. In one single day, he received four bad messages, from four messengers, one after the other. Just imagine, how tough it must have been, for him. Nevertheless, he did not curse GOD. On receiving the news, he instead praised GOD, the more, saying, "The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away, praise the name of the LORD."

 

The devil did not stop; he decided to attack his health. He struck Job's skin, with terrible boils, from head to toe; he had to use a broken piece of pottery, to scratch himself. His own wife, saw his sorry state, and asked him to curse GOD, and die; His own friends, mocked and judged him. Regardless, of all his suffering, Job refused to give in, but instead, stood firm for GOD.

GOD was really pleased with Job's Faith, and in the end, HE restored him back to full health. GOD blessed Job with other children; Seven more sons and three more daughters. Everything Job owned previously; GOD gave him back in double. He now owned, 14000 sheep, 6000 camels, 1000 teams of oxen, and 1000 female donkeys. Job lived, a long, full life, and died as a happy man, at the age of 140 years.

Most of the troubles we are facing, in our present situations, are just tests. As believers, this is an opportunity, to show GOD our Faith; How much, we love and trust HIM. The devil, enjoys to see people suffering, by taking away what belongs to them; GOD in the end, restores everything back, for all the faithful believers.

1 Peter 5: 8-11 says, "Stay alert! watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your Faith.

 

Remember, that your family of believers, all over the world, is going through the same kind of suffering you are. In HIS kindness, GOD called you to share, in HIS eternal glory, by means of CHRIST JESUS. So, after you have suffered a little while, HE will restore, support, and strengthen you, and HE will place you on a firm foundation. All power belongs to HIM forever! Amen."

 

You might have lost your job, you might have failed to complete school, your business might have collapsed, your fiancée might have dumped you, your husband or wife might have run away from you, you might have lost a loved one, you might have been crippled in an accident, you might have been deported, you might have lost your money fraudulently and more; It does not really matter, what hell, you have been through; GOD is asking you today, to put your eyes on HIM, and not on the problem.

GOD is bigger, than the challenges in your way; GOD is bigger, than all your problems, combined. It is never too late for GOD, for HE does not operate, on human timing. GOD, has the power, to restore you, to full capacity. GOD, can lift you up, to a higher-level, than before.

All it takes, is Faith and trust in HIM. Develop an attitude, of gratitude, even in hard times; Praise GOD, in all circumstances, be it good or bad. This, will break the devil's power, on your life, and attract GOD'S mighty hand, to your rescue.

Some people, might laugh at you, when you choose Faith; Some will even call you mad; but the LORD in Heaven, will reward you, for your unshaken faithfulness. There is light at the end of the tunnel, for those who believe in GOD.

LESSON: There is hope, at the end of your troubles.

 

CHARACTER IN YOU
The word character, means behavior, or attitude towards GOD, and other people. It is a person's reputation, or image, as perceived by others. Your conduct, determines, the kind of recommendations, that you receive, from other people; either positively or negatively.

Many people, have succeeded to greater heights, due to good character whereas, many others, have failed to make it in life, due to bad character. In fact, many people, have been brought down, from high positions of authority, to nothing, due to bad character.

 

Proverbs 24:8 says, "A person who plans evil, will get a reputation, as a schemer, or troublemaker."
Character, will promote you, both to GOD, and before men. It is important, to create a good reputation. It is never too late, to change the perception, that people have of you; Genuine transformation, can never hide. You can turn your life around, from the most untrusted person, to the shrewdest, and trusted person.

In Philippians 1:11 it says, "May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation, the righteous character, produced in your life, by JESUS CHRIST, for this will bring much glory and praise to GOD." To have a righteous character, produced by JESUS CHRIST, we must be willing to repent, of all our past negative life. You should confess, JESUS CHRIST, as your LORD, and Savior. You should not stop, at just confessing, but also make solid efforts, to change your lifestyle.

 

When you choose to follow the desires of your sinful nature, it will cause you to have bad character. Examples of bad characters, according to Galatians 5:19-21 are, sexual immorality, impunity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, anger, selfishness, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties and orgies. It ends by saying, that anyone living, in these kinds of lifestyles, will not inherit the kingdom of GOD.

We all have an option, to choose a better way of living; a better life, of good morals and character. Everyone, ought to live a life, that bears good fruit. Galatians 5:22 says, "The fruits of the HOLY SPIRIT are love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

The fruits of the Christian character, can be broken down to three categories:
•Inward character - love, joy, peace.
•Outward character towards man - long suffering, gentleness and goodness.
•Character towards GOD - Faith, meekness, temperance.
Choose to have a good character, by emulating CHRIST JESUS, and praying for the Grace, to possess all the fruits, of the HOLY SPIRIT.

LESSON: Emulate JESUS CHRIST, for a good character.

 

REPENTENCE
Acts 3:19 says, "Now repent your sins, and turn to GOD, so that your sins may be wiped away."

 

Somewhere in the bible, in Romans 6:23, it says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of GOD, is eternal life; through CHRIST JESUS, our LORD.

Sin, is an offense against GOD; and the only way, to renew our relationship with GOD, is to repent from our sins. The word repent means, “change of mind." This implies, change, in way of thinking.

In Romans 12:1- 2 it says, "And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you, to give your bodies, to GOD, because of all HE has done for you, let them be a living holy sacrifice, the kind HE will find acceptable.

 

This is truly the way to worship HIM. Do not copy, the behavior and customs of this world, but let GOD transform you, into a new person, by changing the way you think. Then you will learn, to know GOD'S will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

If you critically take note, you will realize, that the things you think about the most, determine the actions you take. Before you do something with the body, it always begins in your mind first; What is decided in your mind, is what manifests in your body.
This means, that for someone to commit sin against GOD, it begins with the harboring, of evil thoughts in the mind. Sin, is disobeying GOD'S Commandments. The devil, has specialized, in controlling people's minds, in order to get them to do wrong.

Most people's minds, are filled with evil thoughts e.g., sexual lust, stealing, lies, jealousy, anger, revenge, murder etc. In the end, it is why, we see, so many evil reports, on media channels all over the world. The mind, is the most powerful organ, that controls human actions.

Repentance, is the renewal of the mind, which involves, replacing negative thoughts, with positive, GODLY thoughts e.g., love, integrity, peace, generosity, praise, worship and more. Through mind transformation, good actions will manifest.

 

 

In Matthew 3:8 it says, "Prove by the way you live, that you have repented, of your sins, and turned to GOD."

Everyone, has an opportunity, to become a better person. All it takes, to turn a life around, is accepting JESUS CHRIST, as LORD and Savior, and obeying all HIS Commandments. Through HIS word, which is the bible, we get to know, what HE loves, and what HE hates. As children of GOD, we should endeavor, to do, what GOD expects of us; with the help of the HOLY SPIRIT.

Every day, is a second chance, and you have the opportunity, to turn your life around today; You can do this, by changing, the way you think.

LESSON: Repent and come to GOD, for a better life.

 

 

 

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
In most stories of the bible, we see, great men start from humble beginnings. GOD, most times, sought out, for the most despised people, who HE used for great things. Most of these individuals, did not even trust their own potential, and doubted their abilities, for example Moses and Gideon.

GOD called people, from funny backgrounds, to positions of authority and power, for HIS purposes e.g., King David, Daniel, Esther, Joseph and more. GOD revealed to them, their greatest strengths, which they used to achieve big things. Judging by circumstances, most of these people, thought they were born to be ordinary.

Moses, was not a good orator, yet GOD, chose him to mediate talks, with the Pharaoh in Egypt; This on the issue, of releasing the Israelites, from captivity. David, was despised by his own family, yet, we see GOD, using him, to save the entire nation, of Israel.

 

GOD blessed Daniel, who was a captive in Babylon, with divine wisdom, which gained him favor with the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel, was made ruler, over the whole province of Babylon; He was also chief, of all the wise men as well.

In 1 Samuel 2:8 it reads, "HE lifts the poor from the dust, and the needy from the garbage dump. HE sets them among princes, placing them in seats of Honor; for all the earth is the LORD'S, and HE has set the world in order." Here we learn, that GOD can pick anyone, from dust to grace.

It does not matter where you were born, it does not matter the kind of parents you have, it does not matter whether you failed to complete formal education, it does not matter whether they say you are not good looking enough, it does not matter whether you lack proper networks and connections, it does not matter whether everyone despises you, it does not even matter the physical surroundings that affect you; All that matters, is what GOD says, about you.

In Mark 10: 27 it says, "Nothing is impossible with GOD", and HE has nothing but the best plans for you. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know, the plans I have for you; Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

All it takes, is faith, courage, hard work and determination. In everything we do, we should always put GOD first, for HIS guidance and Wisdom. All those who put GOD first, can never be last. GOD will reveal your hidden strengths, and purpose, which will be your starting point, in pursuing your dreams. In Jeremiah 33:3 it says, "Call to me, and I will answer you, and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

Never let anyone, tell you, that you cannot; If GOD says go, keep moving. GOD told Moses, and the Israelites to keep moving, yet a head of them was a dead end; The sea was ahead of them, and behind them, was a ruthless Egyptian army, chasing after them. GOD displayed his magnificent power, later on, by dividing the sea, and making way, for them to pass through; HE destroyed, the entire Egyptian army, which perished in the sea.

 

It does not matter, what obstacles stand in your way; GOD will break down, all the walls, and remove all the mountains, for you to achieve, your divine purpose and destiny. All you have to do, is to make GOD, your first, in everything you do. Psalms 22:26 says, "The poor will eat, and be satisfied; all who seek the LORD, will praise HIM. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy."

Keep focused, on what you are doing; Do not despise your dreams. Always make the necessary sacrifices, because nothing comes on a silver plate. Most of all, pray about everything, dedicating all your plans, to the LORD. Patience and persistence, are also key. With good guiding principles, based on the Word of GOD, you are guaranteed, to a successful end; Never despise your humble beginnings.

LESSON: Trust GOD in the small things, and HE will entrust you with the big things.

 

 

 

 

HOW TO BE WISE
When you speak about Wisdom, in the bible, one cannot forget, to bring up, King Solomon, believed to be, the wisest man, that ever lived. He was son to King David. In 1 Kings 3:5-15, we see the LORD, appear to King Solomon, in a dream. HE asked him, to make a request, and Solomon asked for Wisdom. This pleased GOD, that on top of Wisdom, HE added him, riches and fame. He was also promised, a long life, if he continued, to obey GOD’S commandments.

We therefore realize, that Wisdom, is really a precious quality, that everyone, should desire and pray for. Wisdom, attracts great things, like wealth, fame and long life. He who has Wisdom, becomes an attraction, for other good things. Later in Solomon’s story, we see, many important people, coming to see him, including the Queen of Sheba. These people, brought him beautiful expensive gifts. This was because of the fame he had earned, as a wise man; Wisdom attracts favor on your life.

Wisdom, is simply the ability, to judge between right and wrong; Choosing to do the right thing. Therefore, Wisdom can be defined as, making decisions, based on the Word of GOD. Matthew 7:24 says, “Anyone who listens to my teaching, and follows it, is wise, like a person, who build a house on a solid rock.” In Matthew 7:26 it says, “But anyone who hears my teaching, and doesn't obey, it is foolish, like a person, who builds a house, on sand.”

 

The first step to Wisdom, is acceptance of JESUS CHRIST, in your life as LORD and SAVIOUR, and rejecting, the past sinful nature. The second step, is reading, and listening, to the Word of GOD; The bible, will help you find out, GOD’S will for your life. This will help you know, what HE loves, and help you walk in righteousness; By choosing to do, the things that please GOD.

Ephesians 5:8-11 says, “For once, you were full of darkness, but now you have light, from the LORD, so live as people of light. For this Light within you, produces only, what is good and right, and true.”

Carefully determine, what pleases the LORD. Avoid deeds of evil and darkness; Instead, expose them. Wise people, do not live, according to sinful passions, and desires, but by the Will of GOD, through CHRIST JESUS.

LESSON: Wisdom, comes from GOD.

 

 

 

 

FINDING CONFIDENCE
We see many people in the bible, who lacked confidence, but later were able to do great things. These people gained courage, by power, of the HOLY SPIRIT.

The story of Moses, and the burning bush, is found in Exodus Chapter 3. GOD, called him, from the middle of the bush, and told him, that he was chosen, to go and face the Pharaoh in Egypt; His responsibility, was to lead the Israelites, out of captivity, to Canaan. But Moses, immediately protested, by saying “Who am I to appear before the Pharaoh? Who am l to lead the people of Israel, out of Egypt?” Regardless of the signs that GOD showed him, Moses still tried to come up with excuses.

In Exodus 4:10, Moses, tries to point out, his weakness to GOD. He tells GOD, of how he was not good with words, and his stammering problem. Nevertheless, GOD still used him mightily, by performing, powerful miracles through him. Moses, was successful in his mission, of saving the Israelites, from Egypt.

We have a story of Gideon, in Judges Chapter 6: An Angel of GOD appears to him, and calls him, a mighty hero. He assigns him, the responsibility, to rescue the Israelites, from the midianites. Immediately, Gideon’s self-esteem, was evident, as he rose up in defense, saying, “But LORD, how can I rescue Israel? My clan, is the weakest, in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” He did not see himself, worthy of anything good, but GOD managed to use him; He achieved great victory over the midianites.

We have the story of Esther, where she was requested by her cousin and guardian, Mordecai, to go and beg King Xerxes, to spare the lives of the Jews. This story, is found in the Book of Esther.
An evil man, called Haman, the most powerful official, in King Xerxes' Empire, had hatched a plan, to exterminate, all the Jews in the Empire. This was because, Mordecai, had refused to bow down for him, just like everyone else did; As the system was, in the Kingdom. As a result, he decided to take revenge, by convincing the King, to pass a decree, to kill every Jew.

Esther, was the only person, in position to help, since she was Queen; But it was not going to be an easy task. First and foremost, she had kept her identity secret. To save the Jews, meant, she had to reveal her true identity, that she was Jewish too. Secondly, she was afraid, to approach the King. Going before the King, had to be at his request, otherwise, one risked getting killed; Unless, he held out his golden scepter.

Later, due to the emergency of the situation, Esther, asked Mordecai, to tell every Jew to fast and pray. This was done, for GOD, to grant have her favor, before the king. Esther was able to save all the Jews, and the evil official Haman, was put to death by the King.

In all the above stories, we see, how weak we really are, without GOD. Our human nature, is weak by default, and the devil, uses this to his advantage. He continuously, points to our weaknesses, to stop us from advancing forth. Due to fear, doubt and low self-esteem, we are unable to stand up, and do what is right. We thank GOD, because of HIM, we are made perfect. Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one offering, HE forever made perfect, those who are being sanctified.” In our weakness, GOD is our strength, and in our foolishness, HE is our Wisdom.

Beneath our imperfections, GOD can see great potential; Only GOD can, and should define us. We should not let, circumstances and people around us, to define us. Some people, are made to feel inferior, ugly, poor, and useless; but GOD loves to use, the useless things of this world, for HIS glory. GOD does not use, those that think, they know, and have it all; HE always chooses the least in society.

Through our weakness, HE makes HIS strength known, and through our foolishness, HE makes HIS Wisdom, manifest. HE does this as proof, to the unbelievers, that nothing is impossible with HIM. HE can change, that which was rejected, to become, the source of answers. GOD, can save an alcohol and drug addict, for everyone to believe, that it is possible, to overcome addiction by HIS power. Through miracles and testimonies, GOD brings unbelievers, to HIMSELF.

Never despise yourself; Never underestimate your potential. If GOD says you can, simply believe it, and act. If GOD says go, nothing can stop you, from reaching your destiny. Power and victory, belong to GOD. To achieve the impossible, we need to tap, into HIS unlimited resources. Faith in GOD, destroys all fear.

Choose to win, by confessing JESUS CHRIST, as your LORD and SAVIOUR. HIS mighty power, will be transferred to you, and you will be Unstoppable. You were born, for a great purpose, for GOD; Do not let anything, stand in your way.

LESSON: God uses imperfect people, for great things.

SELF IDENTITY
Many people, move in this world, feeling unworthy and unimportant; Many have lived, hopeless lives, from childhood to adulthood. The lack of proper self-identity, has led, to issues of low self-esteem, and degrading behavior.

Without proper definition of self, we lack direction. Due to this, we let others define who we are, by living according to standards, set by the world; A person does things, to impress, or for approval. This in the end, results in distress, as it is very hard, to keep up, with false, or artificial appearances. Because of trying so much, to get others to appreciate you, you end up doing things, you don't want to do, for example; prostitution, robbery, substance abuse, forced marriage, pornography and more. For fear of criticism, you fail to stand up, for what you believe in.
Being forced, or influenced to do what you don't want to do, ends you up in depression; Which in return, has grave consequences, for example; early sex, unprotected sex, unwanted pregnancies, abortion, addictions, suicide homicide, rape, defilement and more.

It is therefore, very important, for everyone to know their identity; It is very crucial, for you to be able, to defend yourself. True identity, is found in CHRIST JESUS. You don't need people, to tell you how special you are, for you to feel special. When you stand up, for what you believe is right, most times, you will face opposition, and isolation; You should never let, such things demoralize you. As long as you do the right thing by GOD, expect fruitful results, in the end.

 

Never, let anyone, make you feel ugly, poor and unworthy; Instead focus, on what GOD thinks of you. (Read Genesis 1:27).

You do not need approval from people, to make you feel loved; You are already loved, by a special love of GOD. John 3:16 Says, "For GOD so loved the world, that HE gave HIS only Son, that whoever believes in HIM, should not perish but have eternal life."

GOD loves you so much, that HE gave his only Son, to death; That is how important you are. JESUS left HIS seat of Glory, in Heaven, to come here on Earth, in human form, to suffer; In order to save you, from perishing. You are very special, in the eyes of GOD; HE loved you, even before you came into existence. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you."

GOD made you, for a special purpose; Which is, to live a life, that gives HIM glory. The way we live our lives, can bring Glory or shame, to GOD. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know, that your bodies are the temples, of the HOLY SPIRIT, who is in you, whom you have received, from GOD? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, Honor GOD with your bodies."

Do not let anyone, push you to doing, what you do not want to do. If anything is against GOD'S will, be courageous enough, to stand up, and say no, regardless of the consequences you may face; GOD will always vindicate you, in the end. (Read the story of Joseph in Genesis chapter 39).

Find your identity today, by reading and studying the word of GOD; In order to learn, and find out, the appropriate description of self. No one, will be able to confuse you, or influence you negatively, when you are equipped, with scripture. In the bible, GOD continuously reminds us, of HIS love for us, and whatever HE does, is for our good in the end. (Read Jeremiah 29:11).

LESSON: GOD Loves you; You are special to HIM.

NEW BEGINNINGS

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says, “Therefore, if anyone is in CHRIST, he is a new creation, the old things have passed away, behold all things, have become new.” This means, that anyone who belongs to CHRIST, has become a new person; The old life is gone, and a new life, has begun.

Many people today, struggle to leave the bad memories behind; So much guilt and self-condemnation, for mistakes, done in the past. Many people regret, previous choices made, and cannot find it, in themselves, to let go. This sometimes, results in self-rejection, addiction and sometimes suicide.

In reality, it is very difficult, to just forget the bad experiences, of the past. However, the biggest disadvantage with this, is that, our present and future lives, are affected. It is impossible to do anything constructive, in the present, with the mind, still stuck in the past. Un-erased bad memories, affect hope, for the future.

People live with so many bad memories, and regrets, for example; abortion, prostitution, adultery, rape, witchcraft etc. The bad things, that we did to others, or the bad things that were done to us, have kept our hearts, and minds in bondage. The devil, loves to put us down, by constantly reminding us, of the bad past, through flashbacks; This often, brings back the sense of guilt, and anger.

One thing is for sure, we can never travel back in time, to undo bad things; But by the Grace of GOD, we still, have the opportunity to change our present life circumstances, and dictate the future. We have the opportunity, to be better people, and make better choices.

 

We can take advantage, of the “not so good” past, as a learning experience. This helps us, not to repeat, the same mistakes. The devil, wants you to feel, like there is no hope, and it is too late. GOD on the other hand, loves to give Second Chances. Nothing, is too late, with GOD; Nothing is too bad, for GOD to forgive. All HE needs, is a genuine, repentant, heart.

Everything we do in life, is spiritual. Evil Deeds, are guided by evil spirits, from the devil; Righteous deeds, are guided by the HOLY SPIRIT. If we want to change, from the evil past, we must change, our spiritual environments. We have the choice, to shift from the darkness, to the light. The light of the world, is JESUS CHRIST.

JESUS CHRIST, left his throne in Heaven, to come and die, and secure your freedom, from the chains, of the devil. GOD sent HIS son, JESUS CHRIST, as a sacrifice, for our sins, so that, we could have a second chance, at life. By the death of JESUS CHRIST at the cross, the old things, were nailed with HIM at the cross; When HE said, “It is finished”, by Grace, everything good, and new, was extended to all, that believe in HIM.

If you accept JESUS CHRIST today, as your LORD and SAVIOR, HE has the power, to transform your life, completely. The power of GOD, has ability, to make you, a brand-new person. The blood of JESUS, will erase away, all your tears, worries, sorrows, fear, doubt and guilt. You will receive, a new peace, deep within you; A new kind of joy, and satisfaction. GOD, will help you create, new beautiful memories, that you will be proud about, in the days to come.

Apostle Paul, who was once a prosecutor of believers, transformed, the moment, he had an encounter, with GOD; His life was never the same again, thereafter. From a mind of darkness, GOD changed him completely; He began to preach, the message of the light, to the gentiles. Apostle Paul, is still relevant in our times, as believers, because of his distinguished, service to GOD. He is one of the pillars, of the Faith, in CHRIST JESUS.

GOD, can do the same thing to everyone; GOD, can do the same thing, for you. Do you still wish to live in the kingdom of darkness, that is full of fear and regrets? Or will you choose, to join the kingdom, of the light, of Faith and new beginnings?

1 Peter 1:23 says, “For you have been born again, but not to life that will quickly end. Your new life, will last forever, because it comes from the Eternal, living Word of GOD.

LESSON: Choose JESUS CHRIST, for a new happy beginning.

 

 

 

OVERCOMING DISAPPOINTMENTS

Romans 5:5 says, "And this new hope, will not lead to disappointment, for we know how clearly, GOD loves us; because HE has given us, the HOLY SPIRIT, to fill our hearts, with HIS love."

Everyone, has experienced disappointments, in many ways; Disappointments, are part of life. Sometimes, things do not go, as anticipated, breaking our hearts, miserably. For example, every parent gives birth to children, expecting them go to school, and have a fantastic future. Unfortunately, the children's fate, might not go as planned. Some of the children could die, others could become alcohol and drug addicts, while others could drop out of school; In the end, none of the children complete school, wasting all resources, invested in them, by the parent.

We have people, that have been heartbroken, in romantic relationships; Where, one partner suddenly cancels an engagement, breaking the other partner's heart. Some partners, have cheated on their spouses, whereas, others have produced children, outside wedlock. Some couples, have experienced, the misfortune of miscarriage. The most common type of heart break, is the death of a loved one.

Disappointments, can be caused by other people's actions, towards us or, by uncontrollable events, for example, economic factors, political factors, weather and more. It does not really matter the cause, in the end, the feeling is always the same. People feel sad, hopeless and depressed. This can result to very many bad things like alcoholism, drug use, isolation, suicide, loss of trust in everyone, mental illness and more. If not managed well, some negative effects of disappointment, are irreversible.

Psychotherapy sessions, are good but not sustainable enough. We need something concrete; Something we can rely on from time to time, since disappointments are limitless, and are likely to occur, from time to time.

The best source of comfort, is the Word of GOD, which is the bible. Through HIS Word, GOD gives us hope, as a solution to the troubles we face; GOD'S kind of hope is reliable. Hope, is to believe, that something good, will happen in the coming days. As believers, everything begins with Faith, which brings peace. As we go through suffering, we acquire perseverance.

The Hope of CHRIST brings strength and peace. GOD will restore you; There is a better, brighter future, waiting ahead for you. All you need, is to make steps of Faith, and move forward. What is meant to be yours, will be provided by GOD. It is wise, to live by GOD’S will; We should therefore, avoid setting our happiness, based on our own human understanding.

1 Corinthians 1:25 says, "The foolish plan of GOD, is wiser than the wisest plan of human plans, and GOD'S weakness, is stronger, than the greatest, of human strength."

LESSON: Overcome disappointments, with Hope, in GOD.

 

 

EYES AND EARS ARE POWERFUL

Proverbs 23:26 says, "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes keep in my ways." Proverbs 23:12 says, "Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears, to the words of knowledge."

The verses above, are words of King Solomon, in the Old Testament; GOD expects us to use our physical eyes and ears wisely. Our eyes are to be used, to keep or follow GOD'S ways, and our ears, are to listen to the words of knowledge or wisdom. The eyes and ears, are very powerful human sensory organs; They can build you up, or destroy you completely, depending on how you choose to use them.

2 Peter 2:14, shows, how adultery can be committed, through the eyes; We clearly see, that sexual lust begins in the eyes, and their desire for sin, is never satisfied. In Proverbs 23:31-32, we see that eyes when misused, can lead to drunkenness. It says, "Don't gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smooth it goes down. For in the end, it bites like a venomous snake; It stings like a viper."

There are so many wrong things, that we get involved in, just because we let our eyes wonder carelessly. There are so many troubles, we find ourselves in, just because we could not control what we listened to, through our ears. The things we watch on television and social media, the things we read in newspapers and magazines, and the people we look at while moving in public, all highly, influence our decisions later on. The radio programs we tune into, and everything we listen to, around us, will impact our actions eventually.

 

The devil, through the serpent, exploited the sense of hearing to tempt Eve, in the garden of Eden. When Eve entertained the devil, with her ears, it resulted in great sin committed, against GOD, and we still suffer because of what Adam and Eve did. These were the first words, of the serpent to Eve, "Did GOD really say, you must not eat of the fruit, from any of the trees in the garden?" The devil used his words, to cause confusion, and doubt in the mind of Eve, and he was successful in the end.

Satan, was also able to tempt the great King David, by the sense of sight. David's eyes, caused him to commit great sin, before GOD. A simple glance, ended up, in him killing an innocent man, known as Uriah.

In 2 Samuel 11:2, we see how David got out of bed, and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a beautiful woman taking a bath. Later, because of what he had seen, he sent someone to find out, who she was.
He ended up sleeping with her, and she became pregnant, yet she was a married woman. This is the reason, that led him to kill her husband; To try, and conceal the secret.

Many people, have ended up in trouble, because of these two powerful body organs, which are, the eyes and ears. Many powerful people, have been shamed, in acts of adultery and fornication. Many people have perished, because of listening, to misleading information. There is an increase, in sinful acts, and addictions, due to the misuse, of eyes and ears. Habits like masturbation, drug abuse, prostitution, robberies, homosexuality, bestiality, killings, public riots, tribalism, racism, wars and more, have all been stimulated, by these two sensory organs.

Matthew 18:9 says, "And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better to enter eternal life with only one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell." Here we clearly see, that if misused, these organs we have, that were meant for good, could instead lead to eternal destruction.

GOD wants us to be very careful, on how we use our eyes and ears, because it is through these two avenues, that the devil causes us to sin. We need to be blind, and deaf, to everything, that is not right; For us to be able, to live a righteous life. We need to strictly guide our environments, to avoid getting polluted. We need to eliminate anything, that is inappropriate to see, or listen to. Parents need to control, what the children watch or listen to, because in the end, these things will affect the children's character; They could destroy, their morals completely.

Romans 6:13 says, "Do not let any part of your body, become an instrument of evil, to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to GOD; For you were dead, but now you have a new life. So, use your whole body, as an instrument, to do what is right, for the glory of GOD."

LESSON: Choose to see what is good, and to listen to what is constructive, for a blessed life.

 

 

FACING CHALLENGES

Most people, know the story of JESUS; How HE came on Earth and suffered, to free, us from the power of darkness. The story of JESUS, ends with HIM overcoming sin, at the cross and resurrecting from the grave. HE later, ascended to Heaven, to go and prepare a place for all the saints, who HE will come back for, on HIS second return.

If you choose to look closely, at the story of JESUS, you will realize, that HE faced, so many types of challenges. Nevertheless, HE never let the troubles, overcome HIM. First and foremost, JESUS was rejected by HIS own people. HE suffered with rejection, up to the end. Secondly, HE was despised a lot, because, many did not believe, that HE was GOD. They saw HIM, merely as a carpenter, and nothing more. HIS messages, were rejected by many, because of HIS humble beginning.

In mark 6:3, we see, how much JESUS was despised, "Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't HIS sisters here with us?" They were offended by HIM, and many times, HE was opposed, by the religious leaders, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees.

JESUS was betrayed, by one of HIS own disciples. Judas Iscariot, dealt with the leading priests, and betrayed HIM, for thirty pieces of silver.
JESUS was mocked a lot, and underwent difficult times, in HIS ministry here on Earth. The leading priests, teachers of religious law, elders, and all sorts of people, threw insults at HIM, spit on HIM, flogged filled HIM with a whip, slapped HIM and many other bad things.

 

JESUS was tempted one on one, by the devil in the wildness, for forty days. HE was tempted three times; Though, HE did not succumb, to any of the temptations. After the failed attempts, the devil fled away from HIS presence.

The worst challenge, that JESUS had to put up with, to fulfil HIS divine mission, was the crucifixion; And all the humiliation, that HE had to endure, before HIS death. JESUS was stripped naked, and a crown made of thorns, was put over HIS head.

JESUS went through it all, for you and me. HE knew HIS purpose on Earth, so this gave HIM strength to endure, through the worst pain and suffering; To be able to accomplish, HIS work.

JESUS felt weak, from time to time, but HE never at one single time, gave up. HE instead, prayed to GOD for renewed strength, and the HOLY SPIRIT was always there to comfort HIM. After the temptations in the desert, we see JESUS return, full of the HOLY SPIRIT, in Luke 4:14. JESUS was able to overcome, all HIS challenges, by Faith and prayer. In the bible, we see HIM taking time off, to pray at Gethsemane.

The story of JESUS, should be the best reference, for anyone going through, great trials and tribulations. Everyone, is faced with great challenges, from time to time, but we need to know, the proper way to handle these challenges. We should not let, the challenges break us down, but instead, we should come out of them, stronger and victorious, just like JESUS did.

JESUS committed HIMSELF, in prayer, which kept HIM strong. Prayer backed by Faith, equals to power; Faith, attracts GOD'S power, through the HOLY SPIRIT. Prayer, keeps your Spirit strong, even when your body is weak. Matthew 26:41 says, "Keep watch, and pray, so that you will not give into temptation. For the Spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

We should not get scared, of facing challenges, but instead, we should face them boldly, with Faith in GOD; Every challenge that you overcome, will bring you, to new promotion. Matthew 10:28 says, "Don't be afraid, of those who want to kill your body; They cannot touch your soul. Fear only GOD, who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

GOD is with you, and HE will grant you victory, in whatever tough situation, you are facing currently. All you have to do, is to put your full trust, in HIM. These are HIS words to you, from the book of Deuteronomy 3:16, "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid, and do not panic, before them. For the LORD your GOD, will personally go ahead of you. HE will never fail you, nor abandon you."

LESSON: Face your challenges, with Faith in GOD.

 

 

HANDLING MONEY

1 Timothy 6:10 says, "For the love of money, is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the Faith, in their greed, and have pierced themselves through, with many sorrows." Ecclesiastes 7:11-12 says, "Wisdom is even better, when you have money. Both are a benefit, as you go through life. Wisdom and money can get you anything, but only wisdom can save your life."

In both of the above verses, we see that money can be dangerous, if misused, and beneficial, if used wisely. Having money, requires us to apply Wisdom, on how to use it, to achieve great results. Having love for money, implies, treating money as an idol. This is called "money worship" where, people worship money.

Greed for money, causes people to do anything to get it, even if it means, acquiring it, through bad ways. Negative habits, develop as a result, of greed for money, such as; stealing, fornication, adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, pornography and killings.

 

The end results, of all evil acts done to achieve money, are bad. Some die in the process, others contract harmful diseases like HIV AIDS, serious depression, suicide, unwanted pregnancies, abortions, and more. The effects, lead to mental, physical and spiritual damage.

In the end, these people are very unhappy, and full of guilt. Most of such people, always end up with nothing, and go back to zero. This is especially, for those, who acquire money through witchcraft, blood sacrifices, demonic practices and devil worshipping; Such money never lasts. Ecclesiastes 5-10 says, "Those who love money, will never have enough, how foolish to think, that wealth brings true happiness."
We learn that, it is foolish to think, that wealth brings true happiness; Money, does not guarantee happiness.

 

Happiness, is derived, from doing the right thing by GOD. Firstly, money should be received, or earned from good sources. We see many youths today, bribed with little money do wrong things, by the rich men, with evil agendas; In times of trouble, no one is there, to rescue them. It is good, to work hard and honestly, to earn money. Expecting to use shortcuts, to get money, will lead you to trouble, and regret in the end.

The money earned, should be spent wisely for growth, and to give GOD glory. Impulse spending, leads to poverty; Using money extravagantly, to have fun, is not wise.

Money, should not be used, on things like buying alcohol, drugs, prostitutes, and to harm other people. GOD is not pleased, by people who use their money, to mistreat other people; HE always punishes them, harshly in the end.

Money should be used, to give GOD glory, through feeding the hungry, helping the poor and supporting evangelism, to enhance GOD'S work. It is also important, to learn, the saving and investment culture.

 

Through saving and investment, money is able to increase gradually, to serve you better.
GOD requires of us, to use our resources, to bring happiness to people around us, by solving the problems in community; This will bring joy and happiness, to you, and please GOD, at the same time.

 

1 Timothy 6:18 says, "Tell them to use their money to do good, they should be rich in good works, and generous to those in need, ready to share with others."

LESSON: Pray for Wisdom, on how to use money.

 

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

Friendship is a relationship, between two or more people, who care, about each other. It can be platonic or romantic relationship. Proverbs 13:20 says, "He who walks with the wise, grows wise, but a companion of fools, suffers harm."

Examples of good friendships in the Bible
•Naomi and Ruth (Read the book of Ruth)
•Moses and Aaron (Read the book of Exodus)
•David and Jonathan (Read 1st & 2nd Samuel)
•Elijah and Elisha (Read 1st & 2nd Kings)
•JESUS and Mankind (Read the first five books of the New Testament).

All good friendships, produce good results. In all the bible friendships above, the bonds, were created for a good purpose. GOD was the center of everything, and HIS purposes, were fulfilled through these great friendships.

The bond of Naomi and Ruth, resulted in the generation, through which JESUS was born; the bond between Moses and Aaron, resulted in the salvation of the Israelites, from captivity in Egypt; through David and Jonathan, we see the redemption of Israel, back to GOD; Elijah and Elisha, were GOD'S powerful mouth pieces, in the times, of much evil; JESUS' love for mankind, led to our freedom from sin, by HIS death on the cross.

 

We also have examples of wrong friendships in the Bible

•Samson and Delilah (Read the book of Judges)
•King Ahab and Jezebel (Read 1st & 2nd Kings)
•Eve and the serpent (Read the beginning of the book of Genesis)
•Brothers of Joseph (Read from the book of Genesis 37 onwards)

In bond with Delilah, Samson fell to humiliation, when Delilah betrayed him, by revealing, the secret of his strength, to the philistines. King Ahab and Jezebel, focused on idol worship, and persecution of GOD'S prophets. Eve's association with the serpent, led to the fall of man, from GOD'S glory. Joseph's brothers' evil association, led to his being sold, to slavery in Egypt.

All wrong companionships end up in bad results. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Do not be deceived, evil companionships, corrupt good morals.

Qualities of a good friend
•Honest
•Accepting
•Non-judgmental
•Loyal
•Respectful
•Supportive
•Listening
•Makes time
•Has best interests at heart
•Similar good interests
•Available in tough times
Signs of a wrong friend
•Does not know GOD
•Talks badly about you to others
•Puts pressure on you to do wrong
•Takes advantage
•Spills secrets
•Constantly judgmental
•Gives wrong advice intentionally
•Undermining
•Tells lies
•Holds grudges / unforgiving
•Never available in times of need
Choosing the right friendships, will bring happiness to your life, and have a positive impact on your mental, physical and spiritual health.

LESSON: Be a good friend to others, and choose, the right friends for yourself.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Time, is the greatest resource, that every living human being has. Time, is a gift from GOD, to man. However, time has a beginning and an end. This therefore, requires an individual, to use time wisely; Time should be spent judiciously.

Time cannot be reminded; Time spent, can never be recovered. A person's life, is measured, in units of time. From the day a person is born, to the day he/she dies, the period between these two, is the time that GOD gives as a gift, to fulfill a purpose; It can also be known as lifetime.

GOD gives us, the responsibility of being stewards, of the gift of time, for it very precious. Time used well, is of great benefit, but time wasted, is a big loss. Everyone, will be accountable, to GOD, of how they used the time, allocated to them, while here on Earth.
For time to be valuable, it goes hand in hand with purpose. A person who has not yet realized their purpose, can never put time to good use, however much they try. Purpose, is a GOD given assignment, and to find it, you must seek GOD first, for HIM to reveal it to you.

Many people unfortunately, find themselves, wasting the world's most important resource, doing useless things, like gossiping, gambling, engaging in substance abuse, watching less constructive programs on television, wasting time on social media, following events that are not edifying and more. Wasting of time, leads to slow, or no progress made in life.

Procrastination, is one form of time wastage. Many people, have the habit, of always postponing important things, for later. This is usually, due to laziness, distraction or fear. In the end, whatever is done, is substandard output.

The most successful people on Earth, have learned the discipline of managing time. In fact, most successful people, have become rich, as a result of investing, in time wasters. They make a lot of money, by creating interesting activities, to entertain the time wasters; For example, play station games, music, pornography, betting companies, casinos, social media and more.

In the end, so many people are caught in the trap; Many people, are victims, of time-wasting activities, without even knowing it. At the end of the day, an individual has nothing good to show, for what they used, their time. Instead, they find themselves, feeling drained of money, energy and creative ability.

The sad news is, no one knows, the number of days, they still have left, before they die; Though this thought rarely, comes up in many people's minds. Many people, take life, for granted, as if tomorrow was guaranteed.

The great question is; What legacy would you wish to leave behind when your time comes? Would you wish to be remembered, as that person who added no value while here on Earth, or would you wish to be remembered, as the person who was a blessing to both GOD and man?

Ecclesiastes 7:4 says, "A wise person, thinks a lot about death, while a fool, thinks only, about having a good time." Everyone, deserves, to leave behind a good mark; We ought to touch lives, and change Earth, for the better, with the little time we have left.

JESUS, knew HIS purpose on Earth, so HE never wasted any single second, of HIS time. In just three years, of HIS ministry, HE has been able to impact, the whole world; HIS work, is still touching, and transforming many generations, to come; We ought, to emulate HIS example.

It is never too late though; it is possible to redeem, the time lost. As long as you are still breathing, you have a second chance, to make everything right, with GOD. You can repent, and turn away, from your sinful life, of no purpose, to a meaningful life, that will give GOD glory. Once you reform to GOD, HE will make HIS purpose, known to you; HE will equip you, with all the necessary requirements, to fulfill it. GOD is kind and merciful; HE is a GOD of second chances.

You are not sure, if you will be breathing tomorrow, so the best time to make the right choices, is now. Learn to live a time table life, intentionally writing down, your priorities and knowing them, off head. Do not let anything, or anyone, interfere with your life purpose, and goals. Everyone, has a unique purpose on Earth; Do not let someone, exploit your ignorance, to further his/her own, purpose. Know your purpose, and spend all the days of your life, pushing towards it.

Always engage, in important and constructive activities, and when you take time off to rest, do it wisely. Recreation, is important, and it is advisable to take time off, to relax, by engaging, in positive fun activities. However, you should remember, to balance the fun activities; Not letting them, take away, most of your time. It is important to know, when to, and when not to play.

 

Time well spent, brings satisfaction, happiness, success and great opportunities. A responsible person, is judged, by the way he/she spends time. You should bring meaning to your life today, by valuing the most expensive gift, given to you by GOD, which is time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity, under Heaven."

LESSON: Time is GOD'S grace, towards humanity, to run a good race, called life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DREAMS DO COME TRUE

In the book of 1 Samuel Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, a story is told, of a man named Elkanah, who had two wives; One was called Hannah, and the other was Peninah.

Peninah, used, to make Hannah's life unbearable, by always making fun of her, because she was unable, to conceive children. This happened for many years, and on many occasions, Hannah would end up in tears, and would even go hungry.

Elkanah the husband, loved Hannah more, regardless of her failure to have children. It disturbed him, to see Hannah troubled all the time. He always tried his best to comfort her, but this could not stop Hannah from being miserable; her greatest dream was to have a child.

One time, during a sacrificial meal at a place called Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. She was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD. She even made a vow to GOD, "Oh LORD, if you look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer, and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime." She cried a lot, to the extent that the priest at the Tabernacle, thought she was drunk. Eli the priest, later realized she was just discouraged and sorrowful, so he blessed her.

In a very short time, GOD answered her prayer and she was able to conceive, and give birth to a son whom she named Samuel, which meant, "I asked for him". And true to her promise, after the child was weaned, she took him to the Tabernacle at Shiloh and gave him to the LORD, to serve HIM for his entire life. Samuel later became a powerful priest.

In this story, we learn that nothing is impossible for GOD. From a barren state, HE enabled Hannah to celebrate, by granting her a son. Many people have good dreams and ambitions, but sometimes give up, just because of how impossible circumstances seem. Many people, choose to put their dreams aside, when things don't seem to work out, after a long time.

There are so many people, who will laugh and mock you, because of your present bad conditions, but it is wise to ignore them. However much they mock and scoff at you, keep focused and continue dreaming big. Dedicate all your plans to the LORD, and HE will grant you break through in the end, no matter how long it takes.

Do not lose your Faith, just because your prayer is not getting answered immediately. Seek GOD in prayer, and continue to believe, that HE will answer your situation, as long as your dream or request is in line with HIS will.

Just like Hannah, you will be happy, when GOD finally answers your prayer. This was Hannah's prayer of praise found in 1 Samuel 2:1, "My heart rejoices in the LORD! The LORD has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me."

LESSON: GOD turns dreams to reality; Put your trust in HIM.

 

 

PARTNER WITH US TODAY

You can choose to be a blessing to our ministry “My Beautifier Community Youth Uganda”, by contributing towards our cause. This can be mostly, through financial contributions, recommendations, and whatever, that GOD puts at your heart, to support HIS work.

We need to do, more reach out programs, countrywide, especially in the teenage and youth population; Which requires a lot of education, and direction towards life challenges. There is also need, to sensitize the general population, including the adult community, about embarking on healthier lifestyle choices, based on GODLY principles.

 

Throughmind empowering activities, we hope to see a transformed generation, of young people and community at large.

We plan to do reach outs, through all possible avenues, but mostly through ground out-reaches, which require physical traveling, to schools, prisons, rehabilitation centers and general communities. We also plan to target, influential television and radio programs, for mass delivery of our messages, to the right audience, which requires financial facilitations.

Another avenue, is social media, where we do video podcasts, and share them to large numbers of people, through paid advertisements. We plan to do joint partnership ventures, with popular influential figures, especially in the entertainment industry, to push the sensitization messages through music, and any other form of creative art. All the programs above, including other strategies, call for financial input.

I believe, that GOD will provide, all the necessary provisions, by convicting the generous hearts, to offer us, a hand of support, towards fulfilling HIS mandate.

GOD will highly bless you, as you contribute, towards saving and empowering lives. Everyone is free to give, as the heart wills, and through this, we will be able to reach out, to the people, going through hard times. Every generous hand, receives great blessings from GOD; HIS greatest commandment, emphasizes love, for one another.

Matthew 25:34 says, "The King will say to those on HIS right hand, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the World. For I was hungry you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'
"Then these righteous ones will reply, 'LORD, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?'

"And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'

 

Yours Faithful,
James Imani Amanyire (Jamesboy Imani)
Director, My Beautifier Community Youth Uganda.

For financial support and partnership in anyway, reach us on the following contacts:
Telephone: +256 785 202419 / +256 755 202419
Email: mybeautifiercommunityyouthug@gmail.com

 

GOD BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY.