Video: Confession of Nanny who kidnapped Orekoya children

The Nanny, known as Mary Akinloye but whose real name is Funmilayo Adeyemi, narrates how she executed the kidnap of the Orekoya children which was planned by her husband and four kids, her brother-in-law and wife as well as her mother-in-law. Courtesy Channels TV. Watch Below.. 

How to Be God's Friend

 Greg Laurie

I heard the story of two friends who were camping in the woods. As they were having their morning coffee, they heard rustling in the bushes. Coming toward them at full speed was a very large grizzly bear with a very hungry look on his face. One of them started pulling on his running shoes. His buddy turned to him and said, "You don't think you can outrun that grizzly bear, do you?"

"No," the man said. "I don't need to. All I have to do is outrun you."

That is how a lot of so-called friends are. They run away at the first sign of difficulty. It has been said, "A friend is one who walks in when others walk out." I wonder how many friends we truly have. And I wonder what kind of friends we are to others. Time will tell.

Socrates once said, "Friend? There is no friend." But Socrates didn't know about the one whom the Bible describes as "a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). Of course, I am speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the greatest friend that any of us ever will have. To say, "Jesus is my best friend," almost sounds like a cliché, but when you think about it, it really is true. You can have a close friendship with God.

Clearly Jesus Christ has offered His friendship to all of humanity. The question is, how many of us really want to be friends with God? He cannot be our friend if we don't respond to His offer. I can't decide to become someone's best friend unless he wants to reciprocate and be my friend as well. I can't just choose him. He has to choose me in return, and thus a relationship begins to develop.

Jesus offers the hand of friendship to us. He wants to be our friend. Jesus was called "the friend of sinners" because He would actually sit down and have a conversation with a prostitute or a tax collector or even a Samaritan woman. He extended His friendship to anyone who wanted it. Of course, He ultimately proved the legitimacy of His offer by laying His life down for us. The Bible says, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13).

So what is required of us to call ourselves true friends of Jesus Christ?

First, true friends of Jesus will obey Him. Jesus said, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you" (John 15:14). If you are not obeying Him, then you have no right to claim that you are His friend. God is looking for consistency and regularity in your life. If you are really a friend of Jesus, then you will obey Him.

Second, the obedience Jesus requires is an active obedience. Some people think it is enough to merely avoid what God forbids. They might say, "I am not a thief, an adulterer, or an alcoholic." That would be like saying to someone, "I am your friend because I don't rob you or cheat you or insult you or beat you up." Granted, your friend will appreciate the fact you don't do these things. But maybe you can go a little further in the friendship than that. It is not just a matter of refusing to do the wrong things. It is also a matter of doing the right things. That is what God wants. That is what it means to be His friend.

Third, true friends of Jesus obey Him because they want to. Obedience comes as a desire and not a duty if we really have a friendship with Jesus. We don't say, "Read the Bible? Again?" or "Pray? I don’t really feel like praying right now." When Jesus is your friend, you look forward to Bible study. You look forward to prayer. You look forward to your time with Him.

Certainly our Lord had a lot of fair-weather friends when He walked this earth. Jesus was popular when He was handing out free lunch. When He fed the 5,000, He was the most popular guy in town. But when He started challenging that fickle crowd and telling them they needed to love Him and obey Him and do what was right, many of them turned away. They were fair-weather friends.

Don't be a fair-weather friend. Be a true friend to others. More importantly, be a true friend to God.

25 Scriptural Reasons Not to Give Up

1. God loves me. I John 4:10 This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

2. My sins are definitely forgiven. Eph. 1:7 He is so rich in kindness that He purchased our freedom through the blood of His Son, and our sins are forgiven.

3. I possess His peace and His righteousness. Rom. 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in Gods sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. I Cor. 1:30 God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the One who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and He gave Himself to purchase our freedom.

4. I am holy and blameless in Gods sight. Col. 1:22 Yet now He has brought you back as His friends. He has done this through His death on the cross in His own human body. As a result, He has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault. Eph. 1:4 Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.

5. He considers me clean, whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us argue this out," says the Lord. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool." I John 1:7 But if we are living in the light of Gods presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from every sin.

 6. No one can accuse me. Rom. 8:33,34 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? Will God? No! He is the One who has given us right standing with Himself. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for He is the One who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us.

7. God has forgotten my sins, even tomorrows sins. Heb. 8:12 "And I will forgive their wrongdoings, and I will never again remember their sins." Psalm 103:12 He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west. I John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.

8. The record of my sins and their requirements have been torn up and destroyed. Col. 2:14He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christs cross.

9. I am a complete, whole person. Col. 2:10 ...and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe. Col. 4:12 Epaphras, from your city, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident of the whole will of God.

10. I am Gods handiwork. He did not make a mistake. Eph. 2:10 For we are Gods masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

11. God is for me! Rom. 8:31 What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

12. God will never give me up or abandon me. Heb. 13:5 Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never forsake you."

13. God rescues and protects me from all harm. Psalm 91:9,10 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your dwelling.

14. God has given his angels orders to protect His own. Psalm 91:11 For He orders His angels to protect you wherever you go.

15. Nothing and no one is able to separate me from Gods love. Romans 8:38,39 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death cant, and life cant. The angels cant, and the demons cant. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell cant keep Gods love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

16. God will supply all my needs. Phil. 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given us in Christ Jesus.

17. I have freedom from the slavery to sin. Rom. 6:22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.

18. I have eternal life. I John 5:13 I write this to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.

19. I am freely given Gods grace. Eph. 1:6 So we praise God for the wonderful kindness He has poured out on us because we belong to His dearly loved Son.

20. I have been given sufficient faith as a gift from God. Eph. 2:8,9 God saved you by His special favor when you believed. And you cant take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

21. I have an advocate, a defense attorney before the Father. I John 2:1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One who pleases God completely.

22. I have the very life of God in me. Rom. 8:9-11 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.) Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, you spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as He raised Christ from the dead, He will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you.

23. God will not allow me to be shaken. Psalm 55:22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

24. I have strength for every situation. Phil. 4:13 For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.

25. I am a part of Gods family. Gal. 4:4,5 But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children.

10 Encouraging Bible Verses About God’s Promises

What are some encouraging Bible verses that can encourage you?  What are your favorites?  Add a comment below with one of yours.

Here are 10 of my most encouraging Bible verses about God’s Promises

Encouragement

You likely have your own favorite Bible verses and these may naturally differ from mine and for different reasons.  We all need the encouragement of our family, our friends, or our co-workers but encouragement from God is always sincere, without hypocrisy, and always genuine.

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

In a world where family betrays family member, spouses cheat on one another and people it is encouraging to know that God never leaves us or forsakes us. We sometimes forsake God but He never every does us and His love never fails and He never gives up on us.  We do…He doesn’t. That’s strong encouragement.

John 6:37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

This promise sounds very reassuring to me because Jesus will never, ever cast or turn anyone away that comes to Him.  This “whoever” means that anyone can come to Him and also tells us that God is no respecter of persons.  When people come to Jesus for eternal life, He turns no one away…regardless of social status.

Romans 8: 38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I need to be persuaded at times by the Holy Spirit and by Scripture that we cannot be separated from God by any created thing and that includes my own doubt.  When a person is saved and even for a longtime Christian, doubt can creep in and make them and me have doubts about my salvation.  This is the work of the enemy for God gives us peace through Jesus’ death (Rom 5:1) and I need to trust God for what He has said.

First John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

God is always faithful and I am not but when I sin, and it’s only a matter of time when I do, I must claim the promise that God forgives us when we confess our sins.  He not only forgives us but also purifies “us from all unrighteousness.”  Then I must learn to forgive myself and sometimes my standard of forgiving myself is higher than God’s is.  If my children ask me to forgiven them, why wouldn’t I?  I know God is even more forgiving than I am since He is faithful.  That is so encouraging to know that no matter how many times I sin, He will always forgive me if I confess it to Him.  To sin is to literally “miss the mark” but Jesus’ own death enables us to hit the bulls eye for absolution (2 Cor 5:21).

Second Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

If we do ask for forgiveness (1 John 1:9) then I know that I can be forgiven but more importantly, when we repent and trust in Christ, He declares us to be righteous.  We are declared righteous in His sight because Jesus became sin for us so that we “might become the righteousness of God.”  It’s not a matter of if I sin but when and if I say I don’t have sin, then I make God out to be a liar (1 John 1:10) which of course He is not…but I am.  May I repent every time I do sin and confess it to Him because when we are born again (John 3:3) we are new creatures in Christ and God sees us as He does His own son!

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

No matter what is presently going on or will happen in the future, we can know that all things will work out for our best.  It is not saying that all things will be good but even bad things can work out for our ultimate best.  He will not keep us from going through storms or take us out of the storms but promises us to be with us in the storms.  This verse applies only for those who are Christ’s because the opposite is true for non-believers…all things will not work out for their best because they have not been “called according to His purpose.”  If we are called, we will be called to go through some painful experiences but even these are “according to his purpose.”

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Imagine someone dying for you while you were their enemy.  God’s love is no better demonstrated than on the cross because He died for believers before they were saved.  To die for someone who is your enemy is the most powerful demonstration of unconditional love that there is.  When still enemies of God and sinning before Him, Jesus Christ died and this death of His on our behalf, reconciled us to God and we are made to be His children.

First Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

We often try to carry our burdens alone and this weight is too heavy for us so Peter is telling us to cast all anxieties…that is every one of them…onto the broad shoulders of Jesus Christ.  Why?  Because He cares for us.  He cares enough to carry what we cannot carry on our own.  If someone wants to help us carry something, why don’t we?  Especially if it is He Who is the God of the universe.  What is too heavy for Him to bear?  The answer is nothing.  It is like a sorrow shared is halved but a joy shared is doubled.  When I cast my cares upon Him, that means that I don’t have possession of them anymore.

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

The anxiety I just mentioned can sometimes lead to fear it is isn’t disposed of so God tells us that we need not fear because God is our God and He Himself will strengthen us.  Not only that, God will uphold us (hold us up) in His righteous right hand.  It is His right hand meaning that is His primary hand and most people being right handed means that this is the strongest sense of His strength, being in His right hand. No dismay is necessary, no fear need encumber us.  He is there to strengthen us and hold us up.  If God is holding us up, there should be no need to fear, right?

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus is the giver of eternal life.  If a person believes in Him, when they die, they can die with the assurance of living again with Him.  It is not so much if we die, for all will (1 Cor 5:22), but when we die in Christ, we will be resurrected again to eternal life.  The older I get, the more this promise has richer meaning.

Conclusion

Jesus reassures everyone who comes to Him in faith to “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt 11:29-30).  If we review all of these Bible verses on encouragement, consider all that they tell us.  We can be strong and courageous because He will never leave because He will not forsake us; whoever comes to Him He will n not cast or turn away; there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love; He forgives us of every sin we confess; we are declared righteous in Christ; everything will work out for our best whether good or bad; He died for us while we were still His enemy and His love was demonstrated on the cross; and we can cast every fear and anxiety away because we have believed on Him and even when we die, we know that we will live again.  Jesus asks, “Do you believe this?”  My prayer is that you do. Now, post your own encouraging Bible verse and tell us why it is encouraging to you.

Source:

by Jack Wellman