Thursday 5 December 2013

WHY CHRISTIANS NEED TO TALK ABOUT SEX

Let’s talk about sex.

If you come from a Christian community or family, that’s probably not a phrase you often hear. In fact, I've heard from too many young men and women who feel sex is not talked about often enough within the context of faith and spirituality. It’s a conversation that’s missing from the Christian community—as though not talking about it will magically make it go away. But that underlying belief is a huge part of the problem.
By not saying anything about sex, we’re actually saying something. We’re saying it’s a topic that’s not supposed to be talked about. And in the silence, our views of sex and sexuality begin to be shaped and molded—yet with no gauge of what’s healthy or good.
It’s time to talk about sex. Here are four reasons why:

Because if we don’t talk, others will (and already are)

All around us we are getting spoken to about sex. Turn on any TV station, tune in to any radio station or open any magazine and you’ll be bombarded by images and messages that speak to you about what sex is.
The world tells us sex is about pleasure, power and passion. It’s a tool, used to get what you want in life. It’s a sedative, to make you feel good. It's an instrument, selfishly used to get love and to feel intimacy.
By not saying anything about sex ... We’re saying it’s a topic that’s not supposed to be talked about.
Our concept of sex is being distorted by lust rather than love; by casual rather than commitment. It’s time to speak up about sex because our silence is allowing others to speak for us.

Because the topic of sex needs to be redeemed from feelings of guilt and shame

One of the biggest problems with the dialogue we've created around sex is that it is rooted in so much guilt and shame.
All throughout our lives, we’re inadvertently (sometimes not so inadvertently) told that sex is bad, wrong and shameful. We’re bombarded by the harm of sex before marriage, without being told enough of its beauty within marriage.In my new book, True Love Dates, I start one chapter with the phrase “Say Yes to Sex,” because you know what? Sex is awesome! It’s time for Christians to stop treating sex like a “say no to drugs campaign” but rather take the time to bring balance to the truth that sex done in God’s way is totally worth saying yes to. It’s time to hear less about why it’s wrong and more about why it’s right.

Because our understanding and expectations of sex have become skewed in the silence

I've heard from a lot of men and women who are going into marriage a little confused about what to expect when it comes to sex. They are having a hard time shifting their thinking from seeing sex through a negative lens their entire lives, to all of a sudden seeing it as good, holy and special.
This shift in thinking doesn't always come easily, especially when no one is talking much about it. Our silence has allowed for false expectations to develop, and has left many men and women to try and figure it all out on their own. As a professional counselor, I work with so many couples who are struggling with sex in their marriage and feel like they have nowhere to turn. It’s time for the Church to become a safe place where we can bring all our struggles and be welcomed with open arms—sex and all.

Because it’s God’s gift to us and talking about it brings Him glory

It’s important to talk more about sex because it is God’s precious gift to men and women. Our world has done so much harm to this gift by using it and abusing it through the pornography industry, sex trafficking, abuse, addictions and the like. Our media has misconstrued it to reflect lust and selfishness.
God is longing to redeem sex, because it belongs to Him.
God's design for sex has been misused, degraded and perverted. But God is longing to redeem sex, because it belongs to Him. It was His idea, and it’s something He created to bring Himself glory. God delights in His children, and He longs for us to experience this gift as best as it was made to be enjoyed. It’s time to speak up about sex, rescuing it from the darkness of sin and into the light of joy.For those who are in a covenant marriage relationship, God wants you to revel in the gift of sex without a hint of shame and to see it as the lavish gift that it was meant to be.
It’s time to talk about sex, because our expectations, understanding and views of this sacred act begin taking shape long before we say “I do.” May God give us the wisdom, the courage and the strength to speak.


http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/relationships/why-christians-need-talk-more-about-sex

Saturday 30 November 2013

You Crown The Year (Psalm 65:11) - Hillsong Glorious Ruins


 You crown the year with Your goodness
You answer us with awesome deeds
Your hope resounds God our Saviour
To distant lands and farthest seas

O paint the fields bright and golden
Drench the harvest with Your rain
God's river filled with living water
That flows to all as You ordained

CHORUS
Praise the Name of the Lord
O my soul sing His worth
All of life join the song
Come and lift up our King

Now let the earth join the dancing
Deck her out in showers of spring
The dusk and dawn forever relay
The call to come and worship Him

Holy holy
Worthy are You Lord
All the glory
To Your Name forever

Thursday 28 November 2013

Enemy Within; FAMILIARITY



The biggest threat to Your Potentials is Familiarity. One of the most dangerous statements you can ever hear as an individual is when a close friend or relative boldly and emphatically declares; "I Know You". Because, they don't!
If You allow people to Define You, You have indirectly allowed them to subconsciously Confine you. I dare say that any Classification whatsoever is a Limitation!
Familiarity is when familiar people from the past and even those in the present Think they can somehow determine what you can or cannot do in the future based on the actions and in-actions of the Past. But no one Knows what you could achieve or become in the future. Except God!
It is most dangerous when you tell your future dreams to Familiar People. To be Precise, Familiar people are Peers, Parents, or Partners, who cannot overlook the weakness of your past, and therefore cannot perceive the possibility of a better and different Future. Familiar people are always at familiar places; family house, old neighbourhood, Mother churches, Old School Reunion, Alumni meetings.
The family is however the biggest culprit.
Family; No wonder familiarity is derived from the word family. Family is often good for everything except the achievement of a Vision. The biggest deception of Family members is that they believe they know you more than you know yourself. But since Potential is always hidden, this mindset of the family often becomes a great threat to its manifestation. That is why God had to take Joseph from his family; the family sometimes becomes poisonous to your future because they still interpret your future from your past. 



Harland David Sander, started his famous Kentucky Fried Chicken in his
60's, I guess most familiar friends had written him off. What a person has done in the past should not necessarily correlate to what He can do in the Future. Remember! Every Dream has Only One Believer initially, Yourself.
Disclaimer; Old friends and families are the best, but when they don't appreciate your dreams or potentials you have, forgive them, because they might be too focused on your Past that they cannot see Your Bright Future.


Wednesday 27 November 2013


How To Succeed at Being Yourself

by Joyce Meyer
It's tough to enjoy life when you don't like yourself. People who haven't learned to accept and get along with themselves tend to have more difficulty accepting and getting along with others. Yet, the Bible repeatedly tells us to "love your neighbor as yourself." I personally spent years having a hard time getting along with people, until I finally realized through the Word of God how my difficulty with other people was actually "rooted" in my difficulties with myself.
The Bible says a good tree will bear good fruit, and a rotten tree will bear rotten fruit. Likewise, the "fruit" of our lives comes from the "root" within us. If you're rooted in shame, guilt, inferiority, rejection, lack of love and acceptance, etc., the fruit of your relationships will suffer. However, once you have a revelation of God's unconditional love for you and begin to accept yourself and others, eventually these new roots will produce good fruit, and your relationships will thrive.
Here are a few tips I believe will help you succeed at being yourself.
1. Never say or think negative things about yourself, such as, "I never do anything right." "I'll never change." "I'm ugly." "I look terrible." "I'm dumb." "Who could ever love me?" Matthew 12:37 says, ...by your words you will be justified..., and by your words you will be condemned…. Proverbs 23:7 says, …as [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he. In other words, the way we talk and think about ourselves reveals how we feel about ourselves.
2. Speak good things about yourself (as private confessions) in line with what the Word says about you. For example: "I am the righteousness of God in Christ." "I am made acceptable in the Beloved." "God created me and formed me with His own hands, and God doesn't make mistakes." I like starting the day making good confessions. Perhaps you can do this while you're driving to work or cleaning house. I also encourage you to look in the mirror and say out loud, "God loves and accepts you, and so do I." You may even try hugging yourself. This is beneficial to people who have lacked love and acceptance in their lives.
3. Never compare yourself with other people. God must love variety or He wouldn't have created us all differently—even down to our fingerprints. You'll never succeed at being yourself if you're trying to be like someone else. Other people can be a good example to you, but duplicating even their good traits will manifest differently through your individual personality.
4. Focus on your potential instead of your limitations. Actress Helen Hayes was told early in her career that if she were four inches taller she'd be the greatest actress of her time. Her coaches tried various methods of stretching her, but nothing increased her height. She refused to concentrate on the supposed limitation of being five feet tall and decided to concentrate on her potential. As a result, she was eventually cast as Mary, Queen of Scotland—one of the tallest queens who ever lived.
5. Find something you like to do that you do well, and do it over and over. If you spend your time doing things you're not good at, it'll frustrate you and cause you to feel defeated and unsuccessful.
6. Have the courage to be different and deal with criticism. Be a God-pleaser, not a man-pleaser (see Galatians 1:10). If you dare to be different, you'll have to expect some criticism. Going along with the crowd—when you know in your heart God's leading you a different way—is one reason people don't succeed at being themselves. You won't like yourself very much if you go against your own convictions.
7. Don't let the way another person treats you determine your worth.
8. Keep your flaws in perspective. People with a high level of confidence have just as many weaknesses as people without confidence, but they concentrate on their strengths—not their flaws or weaknesses.
In conclusion, let me remind you of my opening statement: It's tough to enjoy life when you don't like yourself. When you learn to succeed at being yourself, you'll be well on your way to enjoying life more fully.

http://www.joycemeyer.org/articles/ea.aspx?article=how_to_succeed_at_being_yourself

Tuesday 26 November 2013

ALWAYS; CHECK!...



Eavesdrop a conversation between two young ladies, and you might suspect they are talking about GUINNESS; tall, dark, strong, rich in taste.

But you will be Shocked that this is just the description of their IDEAL man.

Ladies please, apart from the special qualities you are looking for, be sure to add these qualities. Before you accept, ALWAYS check! ...the 3L's....

LISTENING EARS; communication is the lifeblood of any human relationship. The ability to listen is a major tool in communication. If he is not ATTENTIVE enough to listen to your needs, he will not be SENSITIVE enough to meet those needs.

LEARNING MIND;
A man who is NOT passionate about LEARNING is hardly fortunate in EARNINGS. Apart from his lack of money, he is likely to lack love. He should be willing to understudy his subject till death do you part. He should learn about your personality, preferences and even perceptions. Because no one can truly Love in ignorance. If he will NOT LEARN, he should NOT EARN your love.

LOVING HEART;
Love is a product of value. If he does not esteem you highly, he doesn't love you highly. When a product of value gets a LITTLE problem, we give it HUGE attention. Out of the abundance of heart the mouth speaks, if what he usually says does not suggest that he VALUES you. Run for your Life!

You don't need a perfect Man, but you need to perfectly CHECK the Man you want to submit to for the rest of your life, ALWAYS CHECK if he is a WORTHY Mister.

ALWAYS....Check Check!

Nana Sapho Asante
#TodayMatterz#

Friday 22 November 2013

Corrupt! Corrupt! Corrupt !


An unknown number Whatsapped me. He Introduced himself as a young man who has been reading my posts. During the conversation he asked a question I cannot forget.
He asked me, "Sir, do you organise seminars? Because I'm still searching for ME and I need some great minds to help me through..."
Though I was humbled by the question yet I was troubled by the answer.

Apparently, God laid a BURDEN on my heart to reach out to the youth with the message of PURPOSE AND POTENTIAL after my first degree. But I wanted to do it LATER in life.

God wanted me to become their MIDWIFE, He wanted me to help them BRING FORTH the dreams they were carrying. But I just wanted TO WAIT A LITTLE to do some business, and other things first.

God told me today, "Nana Ghana's future is not in the discovery of its NATURAL RESOURCE, but the discovery of its HUMAN RESOURCE". It is not the OIL in the land that matters but the OIL in the People that will Develop the country.

He further said, "the destiny of Ghana is in the destiny of Ghanaians, there is a divine reason for being born a Ghanaian". When every Ghanaian discovers his purpose and Potential; when every Ghanaian becomes all that he was created to become, then Ghana can also become all that it can ever become.

Then He said to me, "Nana use your gift to help Ghana, help the youth to discover THEMSELVES.

Now I have come to the conclusion that the MOST CORRUPT individuals in GHANA is not the Politicians who MISUSE Ghana's NATURAL RESOURCES but the ordinary Ghanaian who often under-USE, MISUSE and ABUSE his/her own NATURAL RESOURCES.

  Until


you use all the Potential God has deposited in you, YOU ARE CORRUPT! Because your Potential is Essential to Ghana's Future!

Nana Sapho Asante
#start#today#

LOCKED UP !




Times may change His Procedures but Nothing can change God's Principles. His method of PREPARATION is still by SEPARATION.

I couldn't go to work today because the burden of reaching to the youth won't let me step out of my room; have had no food, no drink, no bath, not even a glass of water,(knowing my love for food). Its like I had to LOCK UP myself to Be FREE.

Lord I need Your Wisdom to Plan, I prayed. Afterwards, I took my laptop to type, it began to flow, knowing it could ONLY be the Holy Spirit, I felt blessed and listened. I wrote down HIS 7P's of PLANNING.

But it was on 5th "P" that really caught my attention. For every one with a DREAM, PLEASE check this 5th 'P'-PEOPLE...He said, You will meet;

DRAINERS... These are Vampires. They LIVE on what KILLS you. They only SUCCEED when You FAIL; they will ONLY be PROMOTED when you are DEMOTED. He added, " Nana anyone who hates your GOD and your GIFT is a candidate".

STRAINERS... They are the unhealthy competitors. They are like WEEDS. He continued, "when anyone sees you as a THREAT rather than a member of the TEAM".Beware!

SUSTAINERS... Sustainers are Supporters, It could just be their word of appreciation or encouragement. Without these ONES, the road would be very ROUGH.

BRAINERS... He told me, "You need those who can challenge your thinking" These are healthy Competitors. Their Competition should become a Stepping Stone and not a Stumbling Block. Their gift should not make you feel LESS but it should make you LEARN MORE.

TRAINERS... Trainers are not waited for, they are pursued after." "Trainers know the WAY, have gone the WAY and can show you the WAY". He concluded, "Nana, without a trainer, you would become a Mediocre".

He said always remember that "There can be NO ACCOMPLISHMENT without an ASSIGNMENT, and though every ASSIGNMENT has its OWN REQUIREMENTS, PREPARATION is an indispensable requirement for EVERY assignment.

Please if you have a DREAM like myself, then STOP "COMPARING" with Others and START "PREPARING" yourself.

Nana Sapho Asante

Friday 15 November 2013

"Deaf & Dumb"

 "I am in no mood to talk or let alone motivate anybody, I have problems of my own", I thought.

"God must do something"! I muttered desperately. "God I am tired, you know I have tried", I tried to justify my frustrations because I well know that I should not be frustrated. God do something! I said angrily.

But before I could finish my sentence, someone knocked on my door. Who is it? I asked impatiently, there was no response. Please who is it? I asked, a little shaken and frightened. Then I got up to open the door, the door swung open almost immediately. Heh! I screamed, as if I had seen a ghost.

Aaaaah! I said with some relief,upon seeing it was an old friend of mine.
In no mood for conversations, we began exchanging pleasantries Then he proceeded to tell me why he had come.

Apparently, he had gained admission into a training college but after paying the fees in the bank, he didn't take the receipt back to the school. When school reopened and he went, his admission had been given to another person. This year he applied but he was not admitted because tertiary institutions don't take D7 again, and the remedial registration has also ended.

If he can ever get admission, he has to wait for the next 2 years. He has also been searching for a job in order make ends meet but to no avail, and now he is thinking of learning a trade to help cater for his tuition before he goes back to school.
Ironically, he came for me to encourage him. He told me he wants motivation and direction because he CANNOT fail in life.


This story
is unique because this friend of mine is both "DEAF & DUMB".
After he told me all this, using written and sign language, I became ashamed of myself. Aaaaah! I was discouraged because a certain funding for a certain heavenly project is yet to be released from the "Heavenly Coffers". OMG!

My friend spoke no words but I heard God speak, he didn't try to motivate me but his approach to his problems have made mine infinitesimal. God still works in mysterious ways; he helped me through a man feeling helpless.

My Friend! You think you have issues? The problem you have IS someones prayer request. If they could JUST have your PROBLEM, they would need no SOLUTION. Be Patient, Grateful and Joyful!
Because Daddy upstairs is still at WORK!
Nana Sapho Asante

Thursday 14 November 2013

MARRIAGE!





For the youth out there, you might have no idea why deciding to spend the rest of your life with a man or woman of your choice is called MARRIAGE...

Its simple; MARRIAGE has the ability to MAR your AGE, marriage can make you look far OLDER than your ACTUAL AGE.
A lot of these seemingly old "tired of life" men whom you see in the streets are actually young men who have grown tired of a Bad marriage. For women, its quite obvious, some of them are very ATTRACTIVE until they marry a Man INSENSITIVE and IRRESPONSIVE to her emotional needs.
No wonder You cannot recognize some of your married "old school" mates, its due to "MARRIAGEING"

For the records, there is nothing as Stressful as a bad marriage! Painfully, some married women prefer the hospital to their marital home; they actually fake and fall sick in order to have a little care.

Living with people is MORE DANGEROUS than Fighting with them in a war. Living in a Bad Marriage is even RISKIER than living in a barracks in "war zone" Syria. STD's and stress-related diseases like cancer, stroke, hypertension and the likes,have killed more MEN than both World war 1&2.

A decision made is always as good as the decision maker. If you want to choose a matured spouse, then you have to Mature!
An Informed decision can ONLY be made by a Transformed Person.

The Life Partner you choose is always a Reflection of your "Conception and Perception" of the Spirit Life.
Wait and Spiritually MATURE! You wouldn't want Marriage to mar that Great FUTURE!
Nana Sapho Asante

Baby, Why Do You Love Me?



Women please ask your Men, "Baby why do you love me"?

If your man gave you a Reason why he LOVES you Today, he has just given you an Excuse when he LEAVES you Tomorrow. Because any present reason for doing something can always become the future excuse for not doing it.
Love that has many REASONS, also has many EXCUSES...

One of the universal laws in life is the Law of Change; everything changes. The proof of life is change, nothing with or in life remains the same. People change; our Interest, our Priorities, our Goals, our Friends and our Spouse will inevitably CHANGE.

Any "Good or Spiritual" reason he gives you for LOVING You will have to be forever Maintained and Sustained, Or else he has every "Good or Spiritual" Excuse to STOP LOVING you.

This is why the Ancient Book is precise and concise; MEN LOVE YOUR WIVES AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH...
The ONLY reason given for Men to Love their wives is not how good she looks or how good she even Is, but BECAUSE Christ loved His bride, the Church. This condition can never be CHANGED, because an activity done in the past is not subject to the Law of Change.

Therefore women, HE should love you not because of what you are DOING or WILL DO but ONLY because of what JESUS DID. Women capish?
So then ladies ask your man again, "Baby what did you say was the Reason for loving me"?
Nana Sapho Asante

Marriage Certificate...



Certificates are generally awarded after a successful Completion of a Course.

Every academic Certificate is awarded ONLY after COMPLETION whereas marriage Certificate is awarded at the INCEPTION. Put differently, Marriage awards you before you COMMENCE at the wedding ceremony whereas School awards You after you COMPLETE at the graduating Ceremony.

I am most certain and without doubt, agree to the notion that Marriage degree is of a higher Pedigree than any academic pursuit...

#1 School teaches a lot of DISCIPLINES; Marriage teaches only SELF DISCIPLINE. Without a basic understanding of Self Discipline, you are more likely to fail than succeed.

#2 In School, You work to OBTAIN the Certificate; In Marriage, You work to MAINTAIN the Certificate.
When you fail; school refuses you the certificate, marriage however confuses you with another certificate, "the Divorce Certificate"

#3 School is TIME-BOUND; Marriage is LIFE-BOUND.
Marriage has neither a Timeline nor a Deadline!

Marriage is Painfully different! There are no Resits! No Vacation! No part times! no distant learning! And no external Attachments*.

Marriage affords you ONLY one Permanent Course Mate, Who will directly or indirectly determine the Course of your Life; whether Progressive or Retrogressive.

So please be overly cautious before you ENROLL in the School of Marriage or before you CHOOSE a #courseMATE!
Nana Sapho Asante