MY AVOCADO TREE

MY AVOCADO TREE

(A FRIEND STORY)

Avocados are one of my favorite fruits—delicious and nutritious. I have various herbs growing on my kitchen windowsill, and decided to use the little remaining space to try to grow an avocado plant.

Following the tips I found online at wikihow.com, I held the seed pointed side up and stuck four toothpicks into the middle section of the seed at even intervals so it could rest half-submerged on the mouth of a small jar filled to the brim with water—and waited. Weeks went by, and there was no sign of life. By all appearances, it could have been a stone rather than a seed! When a month had gone by I considered giving up. Perhaps there was no life in this dull brown seed.

Then a tiny crack appeared at its base. I thought at this point that the seed might simply be drying out, but I was willing to wait a little longer. I changed the water, and a few more weeks passed. Finally a tiny root emerged from the crack. Then another crack appeared, this time at the top of the seed. Slowly but surely a small shoot peeked out hopefully.

Transplanted to a pot of soil, the seed that had appeared lifeless is now growing into a small but healthy plant. Tender green leaves sprout day by day, each growing to several times the size of the seed. This baby tree is proof that there was life inside the seed, despite outward appearances.

As Easter approaches, I am reminded of my avocado-growing experience. How hopeless Jesus’ followers must have felt when they saw Him die on the cross! They watched His lifeless body be carried off and sealed in a stone-cold tomb. They must have felt as though their hopes and dreams were being buried too. I can picture them now, forlorn and seemingly forsaken. Yet hope was not dead! Three days later Jesus would rise triumphant, the victor over death and the grave.

The miracle of Jesus’ resurrection is of course a far greater miracle than my little avocado plant, but what an example that plant is. Even when the outlook seems hopeless, wait on the Lord, and He will work miracles—new life, new hope, new beginnings!

Life after life
What reason have atheists for saying that we cannot rise again? Which is the more difficult, to be born or to rise again? That what has never been, should be, or that what has been, should be again?—Blaise Pascal

—

John 11:25 ESV / Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

1 Thessalonians 4:14 ESV / For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

John 6:40 ESV / For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Onyedikachi Kingsley Ogbonna (Surv.)

Question: "What is the origin of the Roman Catholic Church?"

Question: "What is the origin of the Roman
Catholic Church?"

Answer: The Roman Catholic Church contends
that its origin is the death, resurrection, and
ascension of Jesus Christ in approximately AD
30. The Catholic Church proclaims itself to be
the church that Jesus Christ died for, the
church that was established and built by the
apostles. Is that the true origin of the Catholic
Church? On the contrary. Even a cursory reading
of the New Testament will reveal that the
Catholic Church does not have its origin in the
teachings of Jesus or His apostles. In the New
Testament, there is no mention of the papacy,
worship/adoration of Mary (or the immaculate
conception of Mary, the perpetual virginity of
Mary, the assumption of Mary, or Mary as co-
redemptrix and mediatrix), petitioning saints in
heaven for their prayers, apostolic succession,
the ordinances of the church functioning as
sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to
a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal
authority of church tradition and Scripture. So, if
the origin of the Catholic Church is not in the
teachings of Jesus and His apostles, as
recorded in the New Testament, what is the true
origin of the Catholic Church?
For the first 280 years of Christian history,
Christianity was banned by the Roman Empire,
and Christians were terribly persecuted. This
changed after the “conversion” of the Roman
Emperor Constantine. Constantine provided
religious toleration with the Edict of Milan in AD
313, effectively lifting the ban on Christianity.
Later, in AD 325, Constantine called the Council
of Nicea in an attempt to unify Christianity.
Constantine envisioned Christianity as a religion
that could unite the Roman Empire, which at
that time was beginning to fragment and divide.
While this may have seemed to be a positive
development for the Christian church, the
results were anything but positive. Just as
Constantine refused to fully embrace the
Christian faith, but continued many of his pagan
beliefs and practices, so the Christian church
that Constantine promoted was a mixture of
true Christianity and Roman paganism.
Constantine found that, with the Roman Empire
being so vast, expansive, and diverse, not
everyone would agree to forsake his or her
religious beliefs to embrace Christianity. So,
Constantine allowed, and even promoted, the
“Christianization” of pagan beliefs. Completely
pagan and utterly unbiblical beliefs were given
new “Christian” identities. Some clear examples
of this are as follows:
(1) The Cult of Isis, an Egyptian mother-goddess
religion, was absorbed into Christianity by
replacing Isis with Mary. Many of the titles that
were used for Isis, such as “Queen of Heaven,”
“Mother of God,” and theotokos (“God-bearer”)
were attached to Mary. Mary was given an
exalted role in the Christian faith, far beyond
what the Bible ascribes to her, in order to
attract Isis worshippers to a faith they would
not otherwise embrace. Many temples to Isis
were, in fact, converted into temples dedicated
to Mary. The first clear hints of Catholic
Mariology occur in the writings of Origen, who
lived in Alexandria, Egypt, which happened to be
the focal point of Isis worship.
(2) Mithraism was a religion in the Roman
Empire in the 1st through 5th centuries AD. It
was very popular among the Romans, especially
among Roman soldiers, and was possibly the
religion of several Roman emperors. While
Mithraism was never given “official” status in
the Roman Empire, it was the de facto official
religion until Constantine and succeeding
Roman emperors replaced Mithraism with
Christianity. One of the key features of
Mithraism was a sacrificial meal, which involved
eating the flesh and drinking the blood of a bull.
Mithras, the god of Mithraism, was “present” in
the flesh and blood of the bull, and when
consumed, granted salvation to those who
partook of the sacrificial meal (this is known as
theophagy, the eating of one’s god). Mithraism
also had seven “sacraments,” making the
similarities between Mithraism and Roman
Catholicism too many to ignore. Church leaders
after Constantine found an easy substitute for
the sacrificial meal of Mithraism in the concept
of the Lord’s Supper/Christian communion. Even
before Constantine, some early Christians had
begun to attach mysticism to the Lord’s Supper,
rejecting the biblical concept of a simple and
worshipful remembrance of Christ’s death and
shed blood. The Romanization of the Lord’s
Supper made the transition to a sacrificial
consumption of Jesus Christ, now known as the
Catholic Mass/Eucharist, complete.
(3) Most Roman emperors (and citizens) were
henotheists. A henotheist is one who believes in
the existence of many gods, but focuses
primarily on one particular god or considers one
particular god supreme over the other gods. For
example, the Roman god Jupiter was supreme
over the Roman pantheon of gods. Roman
sailors were often worshippers of Neptune, the
god of the oceans. When the Catholic Church
absorbed Roman paganism, it simply replaced
the pantheon of gods with the saints. Just as
the Roman pantheon of gods had a god of love,
a god of peace, a god of war, a god of strength,
a god of wisdom, etc., so the Catholic Church
has a saint who is “in charge” over each of
these, and many other categories. Just as many
Roman cities had a god specific to the city, so
the Catholic Church provided “patron saints” for
the cities.
(4) The supremacy of the Roman bishop (the
papacy) was created with the support of the
Roman emperors. With the city of Rome being
the center of government for the Roman
Empire, and with the Roman emperors living in
Rome, the city of Rome rose to prominence in
all facets of life. Constantine (AD 272–337) and
his successors gave their support to the bishop
of Rome as the supreme ruler of the church. Of
course, it is best for the unity of the Roman
Empire that the government and state religion
be centralized. While most other bishops (and
Christians) resisted the idea of the Roman
bishop being supreme, the Roman bishop
eventually rose to supremacy, due to the power
and influence of the Roman emperors. When
the Western half of the Roman Empire
collapsed in 476, the popes took on the title that
had previously belonged to the Roman emperors
—Pontifex Maximus . Pope Gregory I, ruling from
590–604, is usually considered the first bishop
to truly wield papal authority.
Many more examples could be given. These four
should suffice in demonstrating the origin of the
Catholic Church. Of course, the Roman Catholic
Church denies the pagan origin of its beliefs and
practices. The Catholic Church disguises its
pagan beliefs under layers of complicated
theology and “church tradition.” Recognizing
that many of its beliefs and practices are utterly
foreign to Scripture, the Catholic Church is
forced to deny the authority and sufficiency of
Scripture.
The origin of the Catholic Church is the tragic
compromise of Christianity with the pagan
religions that surrounded it. Instead of
proclaiming the gospel and converting the
pagans, the Catholic Church “Christianized” the
pagan religions, and “paganized” Christianity. By
blurring the differences and erasing the
distinctions, yes, the Catholic Church made
itself attractive to the people of the Roman
Empire. One result was the Catholic Church
becoming the supreme religion in the Roman
world for centuries. However, another result was
the most dominant form of Christianity
apostatizing from the true gospel of Jesus
Christ and the true proclamation of God’s Word.
Second Timothy 4:3–4 declares, “For the time
will come when men will not put up with sound
doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they
will gather around them a great number of
teachers to say what their itching ears want to
hear. They will turn their ears away from the
truth and turn aside to myths.”

Question: "What is The City of God ?

Question: "What is The City of God ?"

Answer: The City of God is a book written by St.
Augustine of Hippo between the years 413 and
426. Also known as De Civitate Dei, The City of
God is widely considered Augustine’s greatest
work. He wrote the book in response to the
charge by the Romans that the sack of Rome
by the Visigoth Alaric in AD 410 was due to the
city’s inhabitants having forsaken the classical
Roman religion and adopting Christianity.
Augustine set out to answer this allegation at
the request of his friend Marcellinus.
In Books 1–5 of The City of God, Augustine
demonstrates that the prosperity of the state
was not due to its adherence to the old
polytheistic worship, since the Romans had
suffered disasters long before the birth of
Christianity. He also reminds the Romans that
whatever success they had achieved was due to
the providence of God, even though they were
ignorant of Him. In Books 6–10, Augustine
argues that the worship of the Roman gods was
not necessary in order to attain eternal
blessing. The Roman gods could not aid their
devotees in either the temporal or the spiritual
realms; in fact, it was the God of Christianity
who had given them what temporal blessings
they enjoyed.
Augustine’s philosophy of history is found in
Books 11–22, in which Augustine sets forth his
idea of two contrasting cities, the City of God
and the City of Earth. The City of God,
according to Augustine, consists of all human
and celestial beings united in their love for God
and their seeking to glorify Him. The City of
Earth is comprised of those beings who love
only themselves and seek their own glory and
good.
In Books 15–18 Augustine traces the progress
of the two cities through biblical and secular
history. The remaining books of The City of God
present the destiny of the two cities: judgment
comes, and those who dwell in the City of God
will enjoy eternal happiness and those of the
City of Earth will be consigned to everlasting
punishment. The City of God does not address
the role of the Jewish people in prophecy; in
fact, Augustine believed that the church age is
actually the millennium .
The City of God is widely accepted as one of the
most important apologetic works of all time. Its
message is clearly biblical in presenting the
struggle between the spiritual and secular
realms. For those who live in the City of God,
their story is the story of Christianity—their
redemption and salvation from sin through the
grace of God. For those in the City of Earth,
their story is one of judgment and damnation.
These two destinies are clearly presented in the
Bible (see Daniel 12:2 ; Matthew 7:13– 14 ;
25:46 ).
It should be noted that The City of God may
seem, at least to the modern reader, very long
(1,184 pages in the paperback edition), and the
language difficult to understand at times. Those
who are familiar with the history of Rome and
the Middle Ages will have an easier time with it.
That said, the fact that the book is still being
published and read today is testimony to its
timeless themes and applications.

Question: "Are there angels among us?

Question: "Are there angels among us?"

Answer: Throughout Scripture, we see numerous instances in which angels were an integral part of God’s plan. One verse alludes to the possibility of angels walking among us today: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2). The obvious reference is to Abraham, whose angelic visitors appeared to him as men (Genesis 18). This verse may or may not confirm that angels are indeed walking among us unawares; “have shown” is past tense, so present-day encounters are not explicitly mentioned.

There are dozens of scriptural examples of angelic encounters, so we know that God can and does use angels to accomplish certain things. What we don’t know for sure is how often angels allow themselves to be seen by people. Here are the basics about angels from the Bible: angels can instruct people (Genesis 16:9), help people (Daniel 6:22), deliver messages to people (Luke 1:35), appear in visions and dreams (Daniel 10:13), protect people (Exodus 23:20), and help carry out God’s plans.

We know that God created angels, and He uses angels in His plan. Angels have a sense of individuality, as some have names (such as Gabriel and Michael) and all have different responsibilities within the angelic hierarchy.

But do they walk among us? If God so chooses to use them in His custom-made plans for us, yes, they absolutely can walk among us doing God’s will. Angels are mentioned in Genesis and in Revelation and witnessed the creation of the world (Job 38:7). God has used His heavenly host from the beginning of time and will still use them at the end of time, according to Scripture. It is quite possible that many people today have met or seen an angel without realizing it.

If angels do walk among us, it is because they are serving a God-ordained purpose. The Bible mentions demons who wander the earth with no purpose other than to destroy (Matthew 12:43–45). Satan and his demonic force can probably appear physically, much like holy angels can. Satan’s purpose is to deceive and kill. Satan “masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

An important note: angels are not to be glorified or worshiped (Colossians 2:18). They are entities who carry out God’s will, and they refer to themselves as “fellow servants” with us (Revelation 22:9).

Regardless of whether we actually experience angelic encounters, the most important thing is that we experience salvation through Jesus Christ. He is beyond all angels and all humans, and He alone is worthy of worship. “You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you” (Nehemiah 9:6).

How to Cultivate Your Very Particular Set of Skills

How to Cultivate Your
Very Particular Set
of Skills

Knowledge is not skill.
Knowledge plus ten thousand
times is skill. — 
Shinichi Suzuki

I’ll admit it — I’m a sucker for the
movie, Taken. Growing up in the
golden age of vigilante films, I can
spot a good one when I see one.

Taken was a fine exhibition of this
genre. One-man wrecking crews like
Steven Seagal, Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Sylvester
Stallone were once all the rage,
seemingly armed with a never-
ending arsenal of skills that enabled
them to take down entire villages
and cities.
These warriors always had a crime to
avenge and often very personal ones,
at that. This post is not meant to laud
action films but rather to help you
tap into that indescribable greatness
that’s inside of you. Or as Liam
Neeson’s character, Bryan Mills
would say, “Your very particular set
of skills.”
We’ve all acquired our own,
“particular set of skills”, from a
variety of personal, educational and
professional experiences. Bryan
Mills’ skills were acquired through — 
we can only imagine — what was a
long, brutal career working for the
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Chances are, like me, you’re not a
spy. We’re fighting less strenuous
battles, but hardly less consequential.
In our pursuits, we’re developing
skills. We’re thinking deeply about
who we want to be and what values
that will give to our life and to those
we love. We should concentrate
maximum energy and effort toward
building these skills so they become
strengths.
Life Tests Us
There is no innovation and
creativity without failure.
Period. — Brene Brown
Life isn’t easy, in fact, life often
presents us with significant physical,
mental, spiritual and emotional
challenges. On the spiritual side,
we’re tempted in a multitude of ways
to live a life that wars with the inner
core — the true self —  of who we
really are.
On the mental, emotional and even
physical side, all of us will lose loved
ones, and deal with the awful pain
that accompanies those losses. We
endure painful break-ups with
boyfriends or girlfriends, fights that
test our mental resolve and we meet
temporary failure pursuing our
dreams.
As we keep progressing through life,
it only becomes easier to let these
difficult experiences define who we
are. The path of least resistance
emerges as a simple choice for many
people. We find ourselves unhappy
with our circumstances, and we’re
beaten down from setbacks that
weaken our willpower and lead to
complacency. It becomes easy to give
in.
But we must never give in to that
which we know is not right for us.
We need to rise above mediocrity
and disappointment, and come
through the fire, knocking adversity
to the ground. This takes resolve,
courage and self-awareness. We have
to live with self-awareness in order
to avoid repeating previous mistakes.
Once we have gained the value from
our mistakes, triumphs and all
experiences, we’re better equipped
for anything the future will throw at
us.
Complacency is the enemy of
achievement. Adversity will stare all
of us down, time and time again
throughout our lives. The question we
continually face will be: “How do we
respond?” A wise person once said,
“Your desire to change must
be greater than your desire to
stay the same.”
Examine Yourself
“Don’t waste life in doubts
and fears; spend yourself on
the work before you, well
assured that the right
performance of this hour’s
duties will be the best
preparation for the hours and
ages that will follow it.” — 
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The way to continue evolving and
developing your unique, particular
set of skills is to strive for
improvement every day. You have to
have goals in mind for what you
want to accomplish. It’s best to view
your picture in a holistic manner,
taking into account your professional
ambitions and skills, as well as the
interpersonal and life skills you use
each day.
Do you have an idea of what that
picture looks like for your life?
Our personal and professional skills
can always use a boost. Difficult
times test us and shape who we are.
Make sure that you let them shape
you for the better. I encourage you to
write out your current state in the
following four areas of your life:
1) Mental
2) Spiritual
3) Emotional
4) Physical
You’ll be amazed at what you put
down on paper when you’re honest
with yourself. Once you have written
your current state, your mission is to
bridge the gap between where you
and where you desire to be in the
future state.
When I haven’t been happy with my
spiritual life, I’ve made it a plan to
turn to search my soul and ask
myself the difficult questions to
understand why there is a lack of
peace and harmony in my life. I have
turned to my faith, relied on the help
of others, but I have also sought time
alone in solitude for reflection and
contemplation.
When I felt like I was in a rut in my
career, I reached out to trusted
friends and mentors for advice. I
improved my resume, networked
‘like a boss’ and determined what I
needed in order to improve my
skills. When I was having
relationship difficulties or hurting
emotionally, I turned to my family
and friends for comfort and refuge.
Fortunately, they have always had
my back.
The Hunger For More
“Hope is like the sun, which,
as we journey toward it,
casts the shadow of our
burden behind us.” — 
Samuel Smiles
I’ve watched too many successful
people become content with their
own arsenal of skills — regardless of
comparative depth — and then trudge
on, for better or worse, finding
whatever satisfaction and success
they can. This is no way to live. We
should always strive for greater
things and empower ourselves
through inspiration and the desire to
seek greater meaning.
I’ve increasingly developed a
burning desire to challenge my
experiential status quo and hunger
for more. Something more soothing
to the soul — more in line with what
moves me inside and feels like home.
This desire is visualized in my mind 
— imagined and obsessed over and
then put into plan so it will become
my reality.
Connecting this bridge between what
is imagined and what is actionable
will lead to a flourish of excitement
and a horizon of new opportunities.
It’s a matter of you taking your
current state, reconciling it with
where you want to be, and
determining how to do the work to
help you get there in the most
efficient way possible.
Along the way, fears and the voice
inside our heads will occasionally
remind us that we can’t do it. Just
remember that you have your
current and future state analysis to
serve as your guide. When you put in
writing what you need to do to find
self-fulfillment and happiness, you’ll
have a road map that guides and
plots your path, when doubts arise.
We were all born with a particular
set of skills that we are meant to
share with the world. What are
yours?
Live Boldly!
Thank you for reading! Please
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2017. Feel free to contact me for more
details. Keep Going on your journey!

THANK YOU, DAD

THANK YOU, DAD

AN OPEN LETTER BY ANGIE FROUMAN

Dear Dad,
These are some of the thoughts that come to mind as I sit down to write you for Father’s Day. I hope you know how much I love, admire, and appreciate you.
For showing me through your example of giving your life in service to others for the past 37 years, that every sacrifice we make for Jesus and others is worth it—thank you.
For all those times when the outlook was bleak, but you held on and kept trusting Jesus to pull us through—thank you.
For making time, despite your work deadline that day, to help me finish my project for Bible class when I was in the 2nd grade (I still have that booklet!)—thank you.
For not getting impatient over my childish questions and nonsensical conversation starters—thank you.
For all the memorable trips you took us on and for lugging all our extra baggage—thank you.
For the tasty little healthful treats you brought home for us kids, which we always looked forward to and enjoyed so much—thank you.
For being the one to take me shoe shopping and for not stopping till we found the perfect pair—thank you.
For doctoring all those scraped knees, splinters, and maladies of every sort, and for dispensing all that extra attention and moral support in the process—thank you.
For all the amusing and animated tales of your childhood—thank you.
For the bedtime stories, which were always a high point of my day—thank you.
For making me feel safe and secure no matter where in the world we were, just because you were there—thank you.
For all the great basketball and softball games we played together when those were my passion—thank you.
For the times when you had to put your foot down and make me toe the line and abide by our family rules (now that I have kids of my own, I know how tough that is, and how important)—thank you.
For believing in me when it was time for me to spread my wings and fly, but I was sure I’d bungle it—thank you.
For teaching me how to negotiate the rental contract on my first place away from home—thank you.
For being a fun and adventurous grandpa to my kids—thank you.
For those one-on-one times you spent with me, in spite of your busy schedule and long to-do lists, which always meant the world to me—thank you.
Your daughter

—

1 John 1:9 ESV / If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 Peter 2:11 ESV / Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Philemon 1:15 ESV / For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever,

#HappyWeekend

Onyedikachi Kingsley Ogbonna (Surv.)

REAL FATHERS

REAL FATHERS

Every child needs a father or father figure. Especially as he grows older, he needs a father even more than a mother. A father comes into the picture in a big way during adolescence, when the child needs discipline and strength more than ever. Fathers are usually the disciplinarian of the family, whereas mothers are inclined to be a lot more easygoing and lenient, especially if they have to handle the job alone.

A man can start being a good father by taking good care of the mother, even before the child is born. Then he needs to learn to help her with the baby. He needs to realize how taxing it is for her, and he should share the load as much as possible.

Childrearing is not always easy or fun, but if you have real love for each other and the child, you will do whatever is needed. It also becomes easier when you remind yourself what an amazing thing has happened: God has created a new immortal soul and placed him or her in your hands. With His help it is now your responsibility to see that child through this world.

(A FRIEND STORY)

I loved being a parent, and I spent hours at it every day. I fixed bottles during the night when my children were babies, and I fixed them breakfast when they got older. I taught them how to eat and how to dress themselves—all kinds of things. I got a lot of satisfaction out of it and a lot of reward.

I tried to spend at least an hour or two with my kids every day. I started reading them Bible stories as soon as they could understand speech. Of course when they were very small they couldn’t follow all of it, so the youngest usually dropped off to sleep first. I’d read from the King James Version and translate it into the Daddy Version, explaining almost every phrase. Then I’d act it out, and they were just fascinated.

Someday you’re going to be thankful that you had a part in those children’s care and training. You will have helped form another human being. That’s thrilling!
Are you equal to the task? No, but God is, and He will help you if you try!

A Parent’s Prayer
May we so live that all our children will be able to acquire our best virtues and to leave behind our worst failings. May we pass on the light of courage and compassion, and the questing spirit; and may that light burn more brightly in these our children than it has in us.—Robert Marshall

 —

Ephesians 6:4 ESV / Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Colossians 3:21 ESV / Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Malachi 4:6 ESV / And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

Onyedikachi Kingsley Ogbonna (Surv.)