Welcome to Benjamin Oshoffa's Blog.

Have you ever been in a fight and felt like giving up? I’m not talking about a literal fight, but a fight for your peace of mind, or an inner struggle that challenged you?  The saying, “You don’t get what you want, you get what you fight for” was all I could think of as I made the decision to flip over on my back and start swimming toward my goal. I was halfway through my first half Ironman swim, and I was determined to not make the mistake of stopping and treading water when I got tired. No matter what happened, I would fight forward! It’s amazing the things we can accomplish when we are properly motivated. For me, my motivation was a shirt—the Ironman shirt that I would wear only if I completed the event. When I needed motivation to keep going, I just had to think about that shirt, unwearable forbidden fruit, unless I finished! I would get a surge of adrenaline every time I remembered what I was fighting for. By making the choice to fight forward, continually moving in the di

Pick your pain” is something I say to myself every day. On this side of eternity, we all suffer from some form of pain, exercise induced or non-exercise induced. For me, the aching feet and sore muscles after a long run are a small price to pay for the health benefits gained from exercising.

The King waits for you. He holds His plans for you in His hands. He tenderly speaks to you, but He will not push you out of complacency. Your God, the lover of your soul, waits for you to want Him. We will not find our souls panting feverishly for anything other than ourselves in a rushed fifteen-minute “quiet time,” in a frantic completion of our group studies, or in a prayer life consisting of our own concerns and the concerns of the ones we cherish. The glorious enlightenment experienced by those whose souls pant for God (the kind that illuminated the very face of Moses) resulted from the discovery that God does not have to conform to our fractured understandings resulting from our limited engagement. In the movie  Galaxy Quest , Tim Allen plays an actor in a TV series mimicking our  Star Trek . Allen portrays a character similar to Captain Kirk. The movie opens with Allen and his co-stars attending a Galaxy Quest convention crowded with people dressed in costumes associated

While Jeroboam heard God’s plan for his life, he seemed to want to help Him accomplish the plan  right then , putting his cart before his horse. I know someone else who does that too:  me . I know all too well how this works: I think I have received a specific word…so I begin working all the angles to bring it to pass. Loving God with our whole hearts requires having patience to wait for God to move. We submit to His timing. Scripture contains the memo in 2 Peter 3:9 I always miss: Although it feels like He’s late, God is always on time. The choice to rebel against God’s timing is a heart issue. We want God’s promise now. We fear that if we wait we might miss the blessing, or maybe this great thing will never happen. We think,  I’d better act now, before it’s too late . The truth is, just as for Barak, our fear of forfeiting our blessing while we wait on God’s timing is misplaced. God will not give your hero-making moment to another unless you refuse to believe Him. Even then

Did Jesus suffer? Was he sometimes lonely? Was he tempted to be discouraged? Was he misunderstood, maligned, and criticized unjustly?  Of course! None of us are exempt from suffering, loneliness, discouragement, or unjust criticism, because God is developing within us the character of Christ, and, in order to do this, he must take us through all of the circumstances in life through which he took Christ.  Does this mean God causes tragedies? No. God is good, and he will not cause evil or do evil. But God can use dark and stressful times for good. He'll use them to teach us to trust him, to show us how to help others, and to draw us closer to other believers. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:8b-9, “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead” (NLT).  So, what should you do when you’re go

Let’s say you’re a gardener. You’ve learned that you can take the exact same seed and plant it in three different locations and get three different results. In one spot, you’ll get giant tomatoes. In another, you’ll get small tomatoes. And in a third, you’ll get nothing. What’s the difference? It’s not the seed; it’s the soil. The soil must be prepared for the seed.  The same is true when you hear God’s Word. It’s why you can take two people to church, set them side-by-side, and one will walk out thinking God really spoke to him and the other won’t get anything out of the service. The heart of one person was prepared; the other’s heart wasn’t. Your heart has to be prepared for the Word. If you get up late, have trouble finding a parking spot, and are irritated as you rush into church, you’re probably not going to hear God’s voice! You’re not in a receptive mood.  The Bible says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not

How do we know God? How do we understand and see the world we live in? How do we grasp where we came from and why we are here? How do we know where this story is ultimately heading? The answer is profound—God reveals himself and his grand plan to us. Our Role is to listen and believe. The Bible repeatedly records that God communicated to his people at specific times with specific messages. In some cases, such as with Moses at the burning bush, he spoke audibly. In other instances he spoke through dreams or visions or less direct impressions. But the words of the Lord were always given to his people to reveal his plan for them and for all humanity. God revealed his story because he loves us. The Lord spoke mostly through prophets in the Old Testament and through Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament. Throughout the Bible the writers warned readers that they should not add or take away from God’s Word. God has given and preserved his Word for us so we can rely on it to gu

Jeremiah steadfastly recognized that the Lord had not abandoned his people, despite the pain of their situation. Rather, God’s people had abandoned him. Jeremiah, the  weeping prophet , is also called the  prophet of hope , because he foresaw a day when the Lord would reign in the midst of a restored, renewed and reconciled people — people who had finally returned to him. Jesus knew this paradox between abandonment and hope. In the midst of his suffering and death on the cross, he cried,  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  (Mt 27:46). Yet Jesus also knew that he would be resurrected on the third day, opening the gate of eternal life to all believers. The despair of the cross has now become the gift of life to perishing sinners. Abandonment, sorrow, struggle and pain — all these are transitory. Wholeness, healing, joy and peace are permanent, for they are part of the very nature of God. That is what sustains the believer through difficult times. Although Jeremiah grieved

We all have seen many who have fallen. Jesus warned that the love of many would grow cold. Do not presume it cannot happen to you. Our enemy has been deceiving mankind for thousands of years. Our experience, on the other hand, spans for but a brief moment. It is wisdom to recognize that we do not know all there is to know concerning warfare. Therefore, be bold, but never brash or arrogant in your prayer life. Use your spiritual authority administratively, compassionately, but never presumptuously. Multitudes of well-meaning but ignorant Christians have approached the field of spiritual battle with flippant attitudes and have suffered greatly for it. Study and seek confirmation from the Lord for your strategies. Gracious and loving heavenly Father, be my companion always. May I know You as You have revealed Yourself in the Scriptures. Daily illuminate my mind with Your wisdom. Strengthen me that I may stand on the day of battle, confident in the One who defeated all evil. Halleluj

The psalmist contrasted, in these few verses, that which perishes with that which is imperishable. In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth. The rationale follows that if the uncreated God preceded and made the heavens, then clearly he need not perish or change as they do. All the promises of God depend upon the truth that God is unchanging. The apostle Peter used language similar to the psalmist to assure believers of the finality of God’s Word. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, he wrote, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (1Pe 1:24 – 25). Each autumn, yards are covered with the evidence of the world’s perishable nature. Yet, in the midst of this earthly fading, God does not change. The author of Hebrews quoted Ps 102:25 – 27 and applied it specifically to the Son of God (Heb 1:10 – 12), going on to argue that Jesus remains the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). Because of this — an unchanging God making unchangi

Have you ever heard that before?  I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard that. Not from other people. Not from outside opinions. But from myself. It’s the one phrase that will throw my endeavors, creations, and purpose into the fiery furnace of defeat, never to see the light of day ever again. To be honest with you, I’m sometimes afraid of hearing that voice, because that voice has said some pretty damaging stuff in the past. Sometimes, the voice sounds like:  “They are better than you can ever be.” “That number on the scale will never go down.” “You’re not as attractive as them.” “You’ll never find love.” “You are broken beyond repair.” For all of us, there has been a time when the inner critic inside of us has crept out of the dark corners of our hearts to tell you something that has brought insecurity, lies, and falsehood to your calling. Your biggest struggles can stem from the deepest, darkest corners of your insecurity. Simply put,  you are your w

We are living in days of tremendous crisis and turmoil. The Lord has set the stage where no one with a carnal mind can discern what is happening in our society socially, economically, or militarily. If there was ever a time when God’s people needed an advantage, it is now. The Lord in His mercy is releasing revelation knowledge through His prophets that will empower the people of God with wisdom, direction, and insight into the council of His will. Israel had an advantage over the other nations because they possessed the oracles of God. The prophetic Scriptures gave Israel an advantage in preparing them for the coming Messiah. The Lord is empowering the church with an anointing to communicate His heart and mind accurately. The church will speak as an oracle of God. When we speak prophetically, we are speaking as the oracles of God. This will give us an advantage in all things pertaining to our lives. We have an advantage, just as Israel had an advantage. This is called the pr

It is sad and unfortunate to observe the lack of unity, the divisions, and the splits in many churches. This lack of unity is directly opposed to the word of God and yet many believers justify their divisiveness and lack of unity. Jesus' prayer for his disciples was 'that they may be one even as we are one'. God commands a blessing when brothers dwell in unity. And what are the keys to having unity in the church - humility, submission, willingness to forgive. Let us take heed to these words and ensure that we, in humility, promote unity in the church through our submission and willingness to accept others and go along with the vision that the leadership has. Then, the Bible tells us, we will be blessed by God. Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray for unity in our churches. Let us contribute to this unity through our humility, our willingness to accept and forgive others. Let us be submissive to leaders and let us accept the vision of the church as our vision and help in its imple

What happens when we die is a question many ask and this is true even of believers in Christ. Apostle Paul was very clear as to what the answer to this question is - he was confident that on his death he would be with Christ. In his letter to the Philippians, he actually states that it would be to his gain to die and be with Christ, but he knew he would live a little longer as he had more to complete for God's purposes in building Christ's kingdom. Let us be encouraged by this: Death is not something into the unknown but only into the presence of Jesus our Lord and savior, the one who loves us. And like Paul, let us live the life God gives us in serving Christ so that we can say with Paul - for me to live is Christ, to die is gain! Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the encouragement in the Bible, your word to us. We do not need to fear death knowing that we will be with you. Keeping this in front of us, let us use the life you give us to serve you with all our hearts. In Jesus&#

No matter what you are going through, remember God comes through on time in your victories! Despite the setbacks, holdups, waiting periods, or seasons of perceived stagnations, trust that God is working everything out for your good and has positioned you for greatness for His divine purpose and plan. One promise that God has given us is that He cannot be mocked, so remember that as you live your life for Jesus Christ and walk obediently in His will, word, and way.  As you pursue a God-honoring life, you will experience naysaying ridiculers who doubt God’s promises for you and will even laugh at you because you elect to actively trust God in the challenging times and refuse to operate apart from His glorious plan for your life. God won’t allow people to have the last laugh when they attempt to mock your obedience in following His will, word, and way. They won’t be laughing too long because God will come through on time in your victory, and your Vindicating Protective Refuge will show

God comes through on time in providing wisdom during situations in life that appear confusing. Throughout God’s word we read several accounts when individuals faced situations when timely wisdom was vital. They needed the timely wisdom of God to enforce God-honoring solutions to the present problem.   For example, Solomon asked God for wisdom on how to govern his people effectively, and God came through in timely wisdom when a dispute took place between two mothers and their children. Daniel replied with discretion and wisdom to Nebuchadnezzar’s bodyguard when a decree went out to put him and his friends to death. God came through in timely wisdom for Daniel to not only communicate and function in times of turmoil, but God granted Daniel wisdom for the interpretation of the king’s dream.  Esther sought wisdom when she learned about the evil attempt of Haman regarding the annihilation of her people. Ananias sought wisdom from God when called to follow God’s will and purpose when co

God gives timely instructions that not only affect or benefit you but others whom you know and don’t know. When God instructs you to do something, it is wise to be obedient to what the Father is telling you because there is a purpose in his timing and plan. Rahab serves as a dynamic example of God coming through on time in timely instructions. 

God has a plan, purpose, and will for your life. Before your existence in history, God appointed your days before one of them came to be! How amazing and all knowing is our God! 

Life’s challenging obstacles can cause us to feel overwhelmed with heartache, sadness, and despair. During these challenging experiences in our lives, it is vital that we draw close to God so He will draw close to us. Although you face troubles, remember that God, our heavenly, all-knowing Father, knew what you would encounter before the foundations of the earth were laid.  That unpleasant, life-changing experience you faced might’ve been a shock to you, but God knew about that before He created you and He already set up an internal encouragement system within you to assist you during difficult times, when you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal LORD and Savior. Despite the setbacks, detours, and pit stops you face, remember that God has a purpose for you that will be fulfilled.  In scripture, David experienced a devastating, overwhelming event. David returned home with his men only to find that the Amalekites raided and burned his land with fire and took captive the women and chil

An eager anticipation of the Lord’s return keeps us living productively. Throughout Scripture, we find three admonitions given to us about the Lord’s return: 1. We’re to watch faithfully.  The Word of God encourages us to stand fast in the faith with courage and strength (1 Cor. 16:13), watching soberly and arming ourselves with faith, love, and salvation (1 Thess. 5:8). As we watch, we’re to remain especially aware of false prophets, discerning the spirits and rejecting all who do not confess that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh (2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 4:1-2). Jesus spoke to John in a vision and gave this great promise to those who remain watchful: “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake” (Rev. 16:15). 2. We’re to work diligently.  Why does Jesus leave us here on earth after He saves us? Why aren’t we born again, then immediately taken into the Lord’s presence? Simply because we still have work to do! We’re to be the Lord’s witnesses, telling

The Lagos state commissioner of police, Imohimi Edgal has advised parents to warn their children to desist from the use of illicit drugs, cultism, unlawfully possessing and using firearms.  In a statement signed by the PRO, Chike Oti, the command revealed that youths who challenge law enforcement officers with firearms would be met with proportionate force.  In view of the recent development in the state whereby some youths in Aguda Surulere, Itire and Akala-Mushin areas of Lagos State engaged in acts of brigandage, sell and use of illicit drugs, cultism, unlawfully possessing and using firearms  to fight rival cult groups, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Edgal Imohimi today Wednesday, 28th  February, 2018,  met with stakeholders, traditional rulers and opinion leaders of Itire community,  in Itire/Ikate  LCDA. At the meeting, attended by the Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Hon. Muslim  Olohunde Salami, SSA to the Governor o

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), through its director-general, Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the abduction of the Dapchi school girls - Azoulay, in an international conference, said that the attack on the girls is a violation of their right to freedom and education - He said that the organisation will partner with the federal government to ensure the safe release and recovery of the missing girls The director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the abduction of schoolgirls from the Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe. Azoulay, who was speaking at the ongoing international conference on saving the Lake Chad in Abuja on Wednesday, February 28, said the organisation would support Nigeria in ensuring the girls' safe return, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports. Newsmen reported that the conference is attended by Presidents Muhammadu Buhar

Speaker, House of Representatives,  Honourable Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday asked security agencies to take responsibility for failing to stop the abduction of 110 school girls in Dapchi, Yobe State, adding that the buck-passing between the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force is unacceptable.   In a press statement, issued by his spokesperson, Mr Turaki Hassan, Honourable Dogara said rather than trading blames, the various security agencies should strengthen inter-agency collaboration and intensify efforts towards rescuing the girls. The statement read: “The statements credited to the Army and the Police in which they tried to exonerate themselves from any culpability in the unfortunate and embarrassing abduction of innocent girls from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State, is highly condemnable. “This is unacceptable and the House of Representatives, and indeed Nigerians, will hold the security agencies responsible. They all bear responsibility for this unfortunate incident.

We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops. Adversity, anguish, trials, tribulations, and heartaches operate as lessons in the school of experience. They bring us to a place of new insight and understanding. They can alter our perceptions of the world, our views of God, and lead us to change our behaviors. The Lord, of course, is the ultimate Teacher. He’s the One to whom we must look for the meaning of any lesson related to adversity. God allows adversity for at least three reasons: 1. To Get Our Attention The Lord uses a wide variety of methods to gain our attention when necessary—and adversity is one of them. Don’t delay in responding to the Lord when He moves to get your attention. Respond quickly and humbly. Hear what He has to say to you. 2.   For Examination At times, God allows adversity to motivate us to self-examination. The winds of adversity blow away the surface issues and force us to cope with things on a deeper level. Nothing has the

No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith. In Hebrews 10:25, the author makes it clear that believers should not stop meeting together. God wants us to regularly meet with other believers—He wants His people in church! There are those, however, who don’t take this admonition seriously.

Change is never easy, especially when our choices affect other people. Change means important decisions will be made—which introduces the possibility of terrible mistakes and ongoing consequences. When we make those choices without seeking the Lord’s leadership, we are headed for disaster. But when we pray to God, requesting His guidance and committing ourselves to His will, He moves in astounding ways to help us. Prayer is always life’s greatest time saver. The Lord knows exactly what you need, and He will always answer your prayers as is absolutely best for you. Therefore, spend time listening to Him, receiving His wisdom and direction, and drinking in His presence and power. Be quiet before Him, rest in Him, and allow Him to order your steps. He will keep you from moving in the wrong direction or from wasting your time doing useless things. Are you willing to stop and listen to Him? Are you ready for Him to make you the most fruitful you can possibly be? Then no matter what

Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God. What is God’s goal in adversity? His basic objective is to draw us closer to Himself. He does not glory in pain or sorrow, but He uses these things to teach us about His love and faithfulness. The moment adversity comes our vulnerability increases, and we may find ourselves wondering why God has allowed us to face such difficulty. Pain, disappointment, and trial are effective tools He uses to drive us to Himself and to the cross where we discover our personal need for a Savior. We're struck with a defining thought:  I need God.  We need His strength, wisdom, and forgiveness. Whenever you’re confronted by adversity, always remember God has a purpose for allowing it to touch your life. He’s never out of control. He has a plan and a goal, not just for this situation alone, but also for your entire life. In times of difficulty, He is your immovable strength (Prov. 18:10), and He has promised never to abandon you. When a

God blesses us so that we might bless others. God saved you and me so that we would serve as examples to others of His love and mercy at work in and through a human life. Many people seem to think the only reason for salvation is so that a person will go to heaven when he dies. Eternal life is part of God’s plan of forgiveness, but that’s not the sole reason for our salvation. God saved us so that we each might reflect His nature—that we might be His people on this earth, doing the kinds of works that Jesus Himself would do if He were walking in our shoes, through our world, during our lifetimes. He desires to manifest His character through our personalities and giftedness. When we allow His Holy Spirit to work in us and through us to others, we become vessels of His love in action. We begin to reflect His compassion, love, and mercy to others. And in so doing, we become His witnesses. God calls us to serve one another just as Jesus did. He didn’t save you or call you to serv

St. Peter writes few practical suggestions for Christian growth. Faith is the basic foundation on which the whole edifice of a Christian spiritual life is built upon. In fact, faith is like a crown decorated with seven jewels. The life journey of a disciple of Christ begins with faith. Indeed faith is a gracious gift of God. It is based on the knowledge revealed through the Holy Scripture. The object of faith is the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is not possible to please God without faith. (Hebrews 11:6) Whatsoever that does not originate with faith is sin. (Romans 14:23) Goodness or virtue or moral excellence is the natural divine quality that should be expressed in a Christian lifestyle. This is not an external appearance but an inner quality. In fact, St. Peter places virtue or moral excellence before knowledge. The world may prefer the other way around. Moral excellence is beyond legal and courteous requirements. For example, as required by Law, Pharisees paid tithe

To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us. Many Christians seem content to live what they think is an  adequate  Christian life. They believe if they go to church, read their Bibles from time to time, and say their prayers once in a while, they’ll be all right with God. Though they go through the motions of being a “good Christian,” they simply don’t enjoy the power, peace, and joy that should come with the abundant life Jesus promised (John 10:10). Eventually, the counterfeit Christian life they’re living becomes a burden that doesn’t comfort them when the storms of adversity assail. This was not what you were created for. God doesn’t call you or any believer to a marginal, Christian life characterized by chores and rituals. He desires to have a daily relationship with you where you experience His presence and trust Him for wisdom, courage, and strength in all situations. With every step you take, decision you make, conversation you have, an

You can never out give God. It’s just a fact: You can never out give God. The Old Testament prophet, Malachi, certainly believed this principle. Through him, God instructed the people to bring Him the full tithe and said, “‘Test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows’” (Mal. 3:10). To tithe is to give a percentage of our income to God for His work. All that we have is a gift from God; therefore, a tithe is a mere portion of what He’s already given to us. If we obey God’s Word and cheerfully give the portion He’s requested, He’ll bless us and the work of His kingdom. Years ago, God led us to purchase property for the expansion of First Baptist Atlanta. We began to pray He would provide the funds we needed. I also prayed specifically that He would show me what He wanted  me  to give. I’d given financially but sensed there was something more He was requiring. It wasn’t long b

To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit. To whom do you turn for daily guidance on how to live or what decisions to make? Scripture tells us the only Guide worth trusting is the Holy Spirit. He’s the One who knows our pasts completely and our futures, from this day to eternity. He knows God’s plan and purpose for each of us, and He knows what’s good and right for us. Jesus repeatedly referred to the Spirit as the “Spirit of truth” and told us, “He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:13). It’s the Spirit of truth that’s always pointing us toward what Jesus would be, say, or do in any given moment. God wants us to know what to do and when to do it, and we can truly trust His Spirit to be our Guide. But there are conditions placed upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. First, we must stay

“See, understand something my brothers and my sisters, men are, they are projectors and women are receptive. They – men, they release and women, they get an impartation. You know why there is more pain for women that are single than it is for men? Men, after they project themselves and they get a release, what they’ve lost are strength. So, every time they sleep with a woman and that woman is not their wife, they’re losing strength. But see, every time a man sleeps with us, we’re getting a deposit. Now let me help you with something. If in fact, that the Scripture lets us know, that marriage is not going to the courthouse and standing in front of the altar, [then] our mates are chosen in the spirit realm. And I don’t know about ya’ll, but when I got my divorce, I went to court and the judge said to me, he said, “Was this marriage consummated?” And, you know, me being slow and from the ghetto, I leaned over to my lawyer, I said, “That’s a big word. What does that mean?” He said, “It m