FINISHED!

When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. - John 19:30

The cross was the goal of Jesus from the very beginning. His birth was significant and so was His death.

The incarnation was for our atonement. He was born to die so that we might live. And when He had accomplished the purpose He had come to fulfil, He summed it up with a single word: "finished."

In the original Greek, it was a common word. Jesus probably used it after He finished a project that He and Joseph might have been working on together in the carpentry shop.

Jesus might have turned to Joseph and said, "Finished. Now let's go have lunch." It is finished. Mission accomplished. It is done.
So what was finished? Finished and completed were the horrendous sufferings of Christ.

Never again would He experience pain at the hands of wicked men. Never again would He have to bear the sins of the world. Never again would He, even for a moment, be forsaken of God. That was completed. That was taken care of.

Also finished was Satan's stronghold on humanity. Jesus came to deal a decisive blow against the devil and his demons at the cross of Calvary.

Hebrews 2:14 says. "Only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death."

This means that you no longer have to be under the power of sin. Because of Jesus' accomplishment at the cross, finished was the stronghold of Satan on humanity.

And lastly, finished was our salvation. It is completed. It is done. All of our sins were transferred to Jesus when He hung on the cross.

His righteousness was transferred to our account. So Jesus cried out the words, "It is finished!" It was God's deliberate and well-thought-out plan. It is finished-so rejoice!

Prayer: Lord, let Your finished work of redemption manifest in me.

Scriptural Reading: John 19:28-30

Happy New Month of April

Happy New Month of April, this new month will bring new change to our situations. All is well in this new month, stay clam and fresh in this month.....

Happy new month of April from us all Adenike Salako Blog's World :)

ASB-World: Congratulations to Nigeria President elect Gen Buhari

Congratulations to the new Nigeria President elect Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, we ASB-World pray that God Almighty will grant you wisdom and knowledge  to direct the country right. Congratulations once again.

HEAVEN

The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 

- 2 Peter 3:9

Heaven is not for good people; it is for forgiven people. Case in point: the thief on the cross. He was a murderer, most likely, but he was forgiven. And anyone can be forgiven if they will turn to Christ. And just as heaven is a real place, hell is real too. We can't deny it.

The Bible teaches on it many, many times. C. S. Lewis said, "There are only two kinds of people in the end: Those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, `Thy will be done.' All who are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice, there could be no hell."

So let's get over the notion that God is so cruel in sending people to hell. God poured out His wrath on His own dear Son so we wouldn't have to go to hell.

The last thing God wants is for anyone to perish. But if we are bound and determined to reject His offer of forgiveness, then it is really on us. So we can't change the script, and we can't rewrite the story.

As R. Albert Mohler, Jr wrote, "We have no right to determine which 'story' of the gospel we prefer or think is most compelling. We must deal with the gospel that we received from Christ and the Apostles, the faith once for all delivered to the church."

Heaven and hell are very real places - do you believe that?

Prayer: Thank You Lord, that because of my faith in You, my destination is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Scriptural Reading: 2 Peter 3:1-10

The Reason You Have An Apple-Shaped (Or Pear-Shaped) Body

If you’ve ever read a women’s magazine, you’re familiar with the concept of “apple” versus “pear” body shapes. They’re the two most common presentations of the human body — in the first case, fat gathers around the midsection, in the latter, fat accumulates around the hips, thighs, and rear.

Now, researchers from Duke University have pinpointed a gene, called Plexin D1, which determines the body type you’ll have with a great deal more certainty than any magazine quiz ever could.

Now, for those who think that your body shape is only a barometer of the style of jeans you choose, or if you should opt for the A-line vs. the empire waist wedding dress, take heed: Your body shape has everything to do with your health. 

An apple shaped body, which has greater fat accumulation in the belly, carries with it the risk of heart disease. Fat concentration in the midsection is also thought to induce inflammation and trigger metabolic diseases including high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes. 

A pear body shape, on the other hand, is considered to be pretty healthy. This shape accumulates fat in the hips and thighs, which is associated with increased fertility and a decreased risk of metabolic diseases like diabetes. 

Now let’s get back to that study.

All humans have the Plexin D1 gene. But to simplify their research, the Duke researchers chose to study the gene’s effects in zebrafish. Since the fish are transparent, you can actually see where the fat cells are accumulating to easily determine their body shape. John F. Rawls, PhD, and an associate professor of molecular genetics and microbiology at Duke, and James E. Minchin, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in Rawls’ lab, engineered zebrafish without the Plexin D1 gene, and compared them with normal zebrafish who carried the gene. 

The fish without the Plexin D1 gene had less visceral fat tissue than their “apple-shaped” counterparts with the gene. Visceral fat is the type of fat that causes an apple-shaped body. It lies deep within the midsection, wedged between organs including the heart, liver, intestine, and lungs. From there, the tissue emits hormones and other chemicals that cause inflammation, triggering high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

Instead, these “pear shaped” fish displayed more subcutaneous fat, which is the type of fat that sits beneath the skin of the hips, thighs, and rear of pear-shaped individuals. This type of fat tissue decreases insulin resistance in humans — which protects us from getting diabetes. 

So should we all try to get rid of our Plexin D1 gene? Not so fast. Michin tells Yahoo Health, that while “to have such an extreme effect is surprising,” it’s important to remember that their research also involved an extreme amount of genetic manipulation, wholly eliminating the Plexin D1 gene in the mutant zebrafish in a way that is unlikely to ever occur in real life. 

All humans carry the Plexin D1 gene, but we express the gene in different ways. “Body fat distribution is a complex trait that is governed by interactions between multiple genes, says Michin. “We expect that more subtle regulation of Plexin D1 in human populations is likely to occur.”

Despite the clear health implications of body fat distribution, little is known about the genetics of body shape. A large international study that appeared in Nature in February began to fill in this gap by looking for genes associated with waist-to-hip ratio. The researchers found some association with Plexin D1 in their study. read here

In the future, this information could lead to understanding how to genetically manipulate our body types — and, more importantly, improve our health in the process.  

CALLED TO DO THEIR PART

All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27

We also find in the book of Acts of the Apostles three vital ingredients in the way that God worked.

It was the Spirit of God working through the Word of God in the hearts of the people of God.

On the Day of Pentecost, there were only 120 believers gathered at the time the Holy Spirit was poured out. Their world was as bad as ours and, in some ways, maybe worse. They lived under the jurisdiction of the godless Roman Empire.

Immorality was rampant. In cities like Corinth, prostitutes openly walked the streets. The religious establishment was corrupt.

Idolatry and spiritism and demon worship were openly practiced. 

Everywhere the first-century Christians went, they were ridiculed, opposed, persecuted, and physically assaulted for their beliefs.

Yet within 30 years, the original 120 believers and their converts changed a good part of the world.

Also, they did this without a lot of the things that we lean on today. They didn't have magnificent mega church buildings or modern technology at their disposal.

The apostle John did not have a television show. Thomas did not have a Facebook page. Peter never Tweeted. Yet somehow, they were able to impact their world for the better. So what was their secret?

Every Christian believed they were called to do their part. And I think that is still the secret today. You have a part to play. I have a part to play.

So we need to ask ourselves, what is my place in the church? If we start thinking that way, it will make a huge difference.

Prayer: Lord, show me my place in the body of Christ and help me play my role in the church.

Scriptural Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:21-30

Relationship: 5 More Things Men Should Do to Protect Their Marriage

I want to challenge you with five more things every married man should do to protect their marriage.

And keep in mind with these five more things, that these are not meant to show disrespect to women that are not your wife, they are methods for you to use when you feel the situation is necessary for them. As a mature man actively growing in his walk with Christ, you will know when these moments arrive.

1. Imagine your wife is in the room with you. Take a moment to think about recent conversations or encounters with other women. When you were alone, were you more likely to give her that second look? Were you more likely to engage in conversation that one would say was more than professional or friendly? When you think back on those times, would your wife had approved of your actions? Would Jesus?

Early in my own marriage I struggled with this concept. I mean it wasn't too long ago that I was single and free to do and say as I pleased, but now I was married. As my wife and I were together much more often, I started to realize my wife's responses when I engaged in conversation with other women. She started to let me know when I was coming across "flirty" rather than "friendly." At first I didn't understand and was even offended, but I came to realize that if the way I acted towards other women made her feel uncomfortable, then I needed to change.

I have come to learn after almost 10 years of marriage that the way I act around other women when I am with my wife is the way I need to act around them all the time.

2. Strive not to meet alone. I am fully aware that this step may not always be possible in a professional type setting, but even in this type of setting certain precautions can be taken to protect the integrity of both you and your co-worker. For example, you could leave your door open. You could attempt to meet in a place that is quiet but is still open to the public. You could invite a trusted colleague to join the conversation. There are always options, so don't make excuses that there are none.

Have you ever had an experience where you and your friends were supposed to all meet up and hang out, and you find out quickly that only you and a female friend showed up? What did you do or would you do? I honestly can't think of any good reason to stay there and " hang out" with her. Even if she is a trusted friend who knows your wife, both she and you should respect each other enough to say your good byes and reschedule with the group. I don't call this type of situation dishonoring to the friend, I call this honoring her and my marriage.

And if this does happen, I would still let my wife know about the situation. 

3. Call your wife to ask/confirm details. Guys, I personally feel that this is one of the most important things to remember when encountering other women. I look at this point in two ways. One, you may be put in a situation where you don't have a choice in the matter. In terms of work, you may need to be in a particular meeting with another woman or you may be told to take a long ride or trip with another woman. In these cases, you need to be honest about the details and the activities and you need to man up in terms of staying professional and friendly only. And second, there may be those moments when you have a choice in the matter. A woman asks you for a ride, what do you do? Well, it's pretty simple, you either explain that you're uncomfortable with the situation and explain why and she is mature enough to understand or you call your wife and review her feelings on the situation. What would you do?

Here's a good question to keep in mind. "Is what I am about to do or where I am about to go something I feel comfortable sharing with my wife?"

4. Guard your online/texting activity. In all of the other points, we have really discussed actual, physical occurrences like what to do when you're with your wife, how to handle actual situations at work or with friends. But what we can't miss is the online or texting activity. As smart devices and social media get bigger, this will only become a larger area of concern in our marriages.

Here are a few ways I've chosen to handle online activity. One, I have chosen to not accept certain friend requests by women that I have known very well or use to be attracted to in the past. Even if they are married or single, I honestly don't need to know what there up to these days or hear about any issues they might be experiencing. Another option is to accept the requests, but to be very cautious in the way you approach the relationship. Earlier in my marriage, I had an old female friend hit me up online.

At first it was just about the past, but as things went on in the conversation, she started to tell me more personal and up to date issues in her life. STOP! Yes, this is where my wife stopped me. From then on, if I am approached via message or text, my wife gets alerted first. And if it does need a response, I include my wife's opinions and thoughts in my response.

Online activity and texting may make it easier to cheat, but it also makes it easier to get caught.

5. View the relationship similar to your mother, sister or daughter. Wow, every time I think about this point, God really makes me consider my actions towards other women. As I was the youngest child with two older sisters, I can really relate to this idea. And I don't think this point applies to the points mentioned above, but deals more with the heart of the situation. As I say we, as married men, should be careful and take certain precautions around recently separated or single women; I also know there is a heart aspect to it all.

My relationships with my mother and two sisters are not really of close friendship anymore (as I've moved away years ago), but instead is one of love and grace. No matter what happens or no matter how long it's been since I've seen them, I still strive to show them love and grace in the moments we are together. The only person I can relate to with that is Jesus Christ. It didn't matter whom he came into contact with, the blind, the crazy, the prostitutes, etc. He always chose to show love and give grace. We can do the same in these relationships.

All the women you encounter are daughters of God and should be treated as such. If thinking about them in terms of sister, mother or daughter helps; then pursue that option. As you pursue to honor God and your marriage first, and engage in the nine points listed, always do it under the umbrella of love and grace.

As I said before, I challenge every man to consider each point and take the necessary steps to strengthen his marriage!

source: charismamag.com