We CAN be Holy and perfect

Friday, August 8 2014

One thing I am learning doing the Lord's work on this blog, while sharing the gospel and my own life experiences, is the Lord will not allow His words to be preahed, while His vessel is not totally anchored in Him. When I say this, I don't mean I tossed out my saved, sancitifed christian life in the waters and went having a ball at the club drinking and all that, its that the Lord was growing me in the most painful  part of my life, my very own ministry. The place where I had the world's biggest waves hit me in the world and now He wants to show me that in Christ, there are many ways one can go about courtship and prepearing for marriage but God has a high calling for the approach that men takes and the respect the woman are to have for themselves. He keeps his most valuablechildren from making mistakes and keeps them hidden when they don't want to for something greater. With that being said, God is allowing me the strength to write about His call for us to be holy as he is holy and perfect as he is perfect. 

Matthew 5:48

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

1 Peter 1:15-17

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

All too often, I hear in the Christian faith from Christians who have identified in their life a day or time they decided to follow Christ, that they are still sinners, they can never be perfect, and that being holy is unattainable on earth.......

If these stories were in the bible I would believe them, but they are not. The bible, which has been given authority states we are to be holy and perfect just like God is in heaven. 

"But Janet how can I be holy in this perverse crooked world!???" you may ask.

Let's first define what holy and perfect are together. When people think of these words in the Christian faith, their images automatically go to angles and heaven. They totally remove the context of the verses above and other verses where the term "holy" and "perfect" are mentioned in the bible . 

Let's break it down. 

When God calls his children to be perfect and holy here on earth, He is speaking of the measure of holiness and perfection one is given on this earth . A verse in Romans 12:3 talks about the measure of faith God gives each of us according to to how humble we are. This is the kind of mentality we should have when God is calling for us to meet these standards. It's very attainable. We aren't angels. We are still in the flesh that feels one thing although the spirit of God through His Word the Bible tells us to act another way. The more consecrated and committed we are unto the Lord, the same measure of holiness and perfection He gives us. We are growing in this act of being holy and perfect. It must be an intentional act because if not, the kingdom of heaven won't be yours. 

Hebrews 12:14King James Version (KJV)

1 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Holiness and perfection are one in the same. When God says He is holy what does this mean?

When we talk about the holiness of God, we’re talking about his separateness. That is, God is set apart from this world. He is set apart from the evil acts of a sinful people. As God’s children, meaning New Testament believers, on this side of the cross, we have been cleansed from our sin. The sacrifice of Jesus has made us clean in the sight of God. We have been made holy through Jesus therefore We can interact with God because of this great gift.

So, practically how do we live a holy life daily?

Living holy again is simple by God's grace. One must seek sanctification, which is an experience for all believers after salvation. Seeing that we have been made Holy through the blood, on the cross of Jesus we need to act like we’re holy.

We are to be set apart from the world. 

We are to stop acting like sinful, unsaved people. Which encompasses everything in these verses and more:

Ephesians 4:31

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice

Ephesians 5:3

 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

Just think about things you wouldn't want Jesus seeing when He comes back to take you, His child, back to heaven.

We are to hate sin and steer clear of sinful situations. We are to honour God with our bodies, our every breath and our every thought. That’s what it means to be holy.

Being holy means being set apart for God.

• For me being holy is watching what I say, I don't curse, and I pray to God to not only speak with grace but also listen and respond with Grace. 
• For me it means NOT dating the worlds way. Not pressuring a guy to commit to me, but allowing God to lead him, while maintaining purity(no sex) and keeping it open, while my church family and friends know. 
• For me being Holy means being intentional about reading my bible everyday and letting it's raw words pierce my hearts.
•  For me being Holy is serving my family first, then my church by attending church services, joining ministries and asking about the well being of my other members, and finally serving my friends. 
• For me it means watching what I watch on tv and listen to as music..if they aren'ttalking about Jesus, salvation and my finally resting place in Heaven, I ain't listening to it. 
• Being holy means keeping my eyes on heaven, always checking in that I am growing in faith daily, repenting of any wrong doing,  so heaven is my goal and that I make it. 

Sometimes I don't FEEL holy and perfect. Sometimes I feel so broken, but ALL the time I am praying, asking God, help me identify my weakest moments,keep me in this time of doubt in the flesh. God counts me holy and perfect, because I am not sinning, my flesh just wants to bring me down.

God will teach you very practical ways on how to be Holy as you grow in him. We must remember, to be perfect and holy starts from the inside but will manifest on the outside! There is no "its only about the heart"!

Being holy and perfect is truly truly an act of love for your self and love for others.

Matthew 22:36-40

36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

I love you all. Praying for you.<3

(2014 Graduation Gala at my church)

CHIME IN: In what ways can you be holy in your everyday life?

From your Sister in Christ ,

Are you Sanctified?

Sunday, April 20th 2014

Let's start with this scenario:

You woke up this morning. You could have felt better, but you praised God non the less. Read a quick verse on your Bible app, prayed a little prayer and went about your day. Oh! And today it seems like every single person and situation wants to push your  buttons so in turn they all get on your nerves! A car passes you by, you don't curse but you start thinking evil things, when you tell your friend later it's when a curse word slips out. Later you realize your sibling or roommate may have taken something you needed, you totally blow UP just for the small thing that you'll probably eventually get back later. On facebook, instagram, twitter you post an encouraging verse but yet you are so discouraged, have extreme disbelief and ready to punch the next person that comes at you wrong.

Are you sanctified?

The above situation speaks about a brother or sister who may have given their life to Jesus Christ, but they are babies in Christ and are not yet Sanctified.

Sanctification is an experience, a gift given by God after one has received Salvation. Salvation is simply explained in Mark 16:16 which states:

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved

Salvation is receiving, believing in Jesus and then putting on a new man by becoming Born Again. Jesus explains salvation is just the beginning of a journey that is to be ran steadily till ones physical death or His return to earth. 

Sanctification is an act where ones heart is purified and made holy. God takes your filthy heart that you've given to Christ at salvation and replaces it with a new heart to not have you continue to struggle with pleasing God and spitting out the customs you've adopted from family or the world. Salvation gives you entrance into God's family but Sanctification brings you to the table of holiness.

Sanctification gives you an undeniable peace, that will hold you together in situations when it seems the world will end, but because of God's grace you stand. If you have purposed in your heart to follow the Lord but it seems sins like anger and sins against your body like sexual sin and blasphemy keep rising, sanctification is an experience that will help rid those sins forever.

In Scripture we find many explanations of sanctification. Here are some:

1 Thessalonians 5:22,23,24

22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

1 Thessalonians 4:3

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:26

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Hebrews 13:12

12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

1 John 1:7

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Yes alot of scripture, but from reading you'll see God yearns and desires for each and everyone of his followers to be sanctified. Salvation is not enough to keep you in this now sin saturated world you've had your eyes open up to. We need God's increased grace and our hearts to be changed

Towards the end of the scriptures stated above, what's described is the after effect of sanctification. Temptations that may not have been so hard to roll and walk away from are now incredibly easy to leave when sanctified.  You have increased power to now walk in the light and stay in the light. Sanctification also helps you be separate from the things of the world. You see as a changed person, a new man there must be a clear difference.At Salvation you may still go to the club,bar, sports games and maybe not partake in the drinking with no real heavy conviction. But it reads in

1 Peter 1:14-16

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 

That taste to go to these places will be removed. Secret sins that protrude even after you've poured your heart out unto God in church like lying, stealing,porn watching masturbation, homosexuality, and keeping a fictitious husband or wife from novels movies or TV shows will be no more! For females and men the dressing that you start getting convicted off to not wear, you'll be given the grace to truly let it go and really embrace modesty..a very lost virtue!

Sanctification is essential to receive. Due to it's result of bringing holiness of life and purity of heart these makes for the center of Christian living. 

A key difference to note is salvation is a one time experience! Yes one can receive Christ and backslide, but they just come to God for forgiveness not re-receive salvation. Sanctification is also a one time experience however it's   an experience that deepens and grows. So if you are dealing with anger and you've received sanctification by God's grace,and still lash out, don't feel condemned, go before the name of the Lord, pray and he'll give you more wisdom and self control for the next time.

By God's grace I prayed and sought the Lord and was sanctified in 2013. Believe me, I didn't know I had it because it seemed the littlest things would get on my nerves. The undeniable peace that comes with sanctification wasn't consistent. When I knew I received it, I felt an overwhelming peace. I could tell you my life right now and you would say why aren't you far away somewhere, it is because the peace of God resides in my heart. I am sanctified and lean totally on our Lord and savior Jesus Christ and know everything will work out for good. 

When you grow spiritually everything else encompassing your life improves for the better!

God is calling you to this experience if you've received him into your life. If you have't received him, he is calling you home. Just seek him, wait upon the Lord for him and by God's grace sanctification will be yours too.I am praying for you. I love you.

Lets Connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

So, I ask you to share your comments below are you sanctified?

From your Sister in Christ with a Heart of Friend,

Janet Adeola Songonuga

P.S When you come into faith it's very important that you stay faithful to what God has asked you to do. For me it was to start this blog and upkeep it. I sincerely apologize for how long it has taken for a new blog to come out. By God's grace I will go back to being more consistent. May God bless you as you read and share it <3

(There is a new Name Written down in Glory! Me and my newly Born Again cousin that just gave her life to Jesus< 3 SO excited for her journey. I love you!)

(Each year my Church has an annual Easter Retreat on Easter Weekend.
Since you missed it you can check out some messages HERE)

So you want to Get Married? (Marriage Committee: What is that?!)

Thursday August 15th, 2013

Ok, so I met this guy. He is really really good looking..Oh God help me he is FYNE. He is Born Again, like he is a genuine Born Again Christian, so you know how I love men of GOD...they are the Leaders of our future home. Ok so he has his bills together, he is educated and so smart! Girl he has everything on my LIST. He loves to work out, eat nice food, pray, plus he is a member of my church! And bonus the conversations are so good! God have mercy, I feel something, I need to start praying, help me pray sis.

PAUSE

This is a typical conversation of many of us Christian Girls when we first meet a guy and some of us even say OH, "I def saw the will of God", "he is my Husband", I mean ok you may have seen the will of God but then you question if he really is the will because based on your feelings ALONE he qualifies.

GIRL SLOW DOWN, SLOW YOUR ROLL. Let's talk a bit:

I totally understand, this has happened to me. Maybe it's even happening to me now lol. Difference is though I am laying my feelings totally at the feet of Jesus are you?

Sis, I understand marriage is a big desire of yours, even though you are pursing the things of Christ wholeheartedly like (Matthew 6:33), you still pray for God to protect your husband till he finds you. Although you may desire marriage, sis it's not to be taken lightly by ANY-MEANS. It's not to be labeled and thrown on any guy that may meet all your checks and check nots. It's not a thing to enter if you haven't gotten certain things done and completed.

So you want to be married? Let me share with you some biblical principles on what you need to do before you should think about marriage and to entertain a guy as more than a church friend or brother in Christ...because if you and this "church brother in Christ" are really enjoying talking and looking at each other, if he says God saw the will of God in marrying  are you ready to drop your entire SINGLE life to marry him, submit to him and really die of your flesh, wants and needs daily?! 

       1. You MUST be a Born Again Christian: 

Galatians 2:20

 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Once you become a  born again Christian you allow God to be your everything. He starts plucking and weeding out the bad in your life and replacing it with the Good. He starts to show you submission you'll need to submit to your husband, as you submit to God's will and commandments. There are things God may show you that your husband may not show you when you get into an argument in courtship and marriage. You must be really in tune with your spirit.  A couple that stays together PRAYS together. Prayer only can be done effectively when you have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. 

       2. You must be be able to hear God's voice:

John 5:30

 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Now we are living for Jesus, our old life is done away with and now we are new creatures. We must now understand, nothing including mere friendship, courting and marriage must not be done without Gods consent. You have to be able to clearly hear from God. I am not saying look for a thunderstorm a burning bush, or something real DRAMATIC to know it's God. God simply works in subtle ways. Not having peace when God is the king of peace is a sign something is not right and needs to be looked into. Whatever God has used in your life to show you something, God can and will use that. Just remember though, God asks you to listen and obey him in little things before he will trust you with bigger things.

       3. GET your education and purpose as a SINGLE person right:

Proverbs 31: 13

 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

Proverbs 31:24 

She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

Listen this was me; I knew I wanted to finish college before marrying. But I am thinking ok I can meet my husband now in college and then by the time I finish college, we'll have courted gotten to know each other and marry. THIS IS not entirely wrong but ladies you need to understand God does not encourage a long courtship period, examples of people dating for 5,6 years before marrying  may be done because of unforeseen circumstances. Courtship, getting to know each other is done with the intention of marrying soon because you are working towards it. Sexual temptation will come and it's REAL. Look at the world now, so many people lose their virginity before High School! So in saying that to be an increase not a deficit but an asset to your marriage you must endeavor to finish part of education before entertaining a guy. You must understand what God has called you to do in your single life besides pursuing motherhood and tending a lovely home when married. FORGET that marriage where one spouse dropped his schooling because God called him to preach. Forget that example of that wife that dropped out of college and now is blessed to be a stay at home wife. Those people had their own calling on their lives. You are different. Understand God wants the best for you, to be a proverbs 31 woman, a woman who uses her hands to work and makes wealth, you do just that and finish your education. If you are no where near complete with school, sis your boy of interest and person you most contact should be JESUS CHRIST ONLY.

Those are the three critical things you really need to ask yourself sis. Have you done all 3? If so, do you feel ready for God to bring your husband to you? If so, you may then meet someone that God ministers to you and matches God's will for you, then God knew the time is perfect. Go ahead and start courtship to lead into marriage;  Then start to share you heart and intimate moments with him. Start to pray, do bible study, and talk about the future together. I want to share with you this really awesome process my Church uses to help guide you once you may have found the will of marriage for you. It's called the Marriage Committee. 

So basically you don't come to the marriage committee when this person has proposed to you and you already skipped the intent of this committee. This committee helps you, by praying with you about the will of God, God has revealed to you in your private prayer. Once you hear God minister to you about a person, feelings spiritually and not only physical have been birthed you approach the marriage committee at my church and they start to pray with you! They intercede to God on your behalf because, listen SIS marriage is FOR LIFE, so prayers from righteous people are important! Once the marriage committee has also confirmed with you he is the one, they let the pastor know and he also prays.The committee discourages brother and sister relations before the marriage committee process is over. Listen at this point sis, if that man is for you, what God has for you will be for you, so don't fear if the committee or Pastor say no. After all these confirmations they approach the guy and let him know the will of God for him concerning you, and then he also prays about it. I have heard many stories in which the Guy also heard Gods will for you sis. So truly when you do things GOD's way, God will truly bless you!

Sister rest in Jesus. Cherish your single years. Have your butterflies and heart flutters come from Jesus. Your husband in Christ will find you without all the temporary theatrics the world uses. 

Psalm 37:7

 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: 

(Me street evangelizing this past Wednesday!)

From your Sister in Christ with a Servants Heart,

Janet Adeola Songonuga

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COMMISSIONED TO PREACH THE GOSPEL

   Wednesday August 14th, 2013. 

Hello everyone. I wanted to blog about this on Monday, August 12th. But I was consumed with reading the word and fell asleep from my Occupy Earth bible study(I will be blogging on Biblical Fellowship a little later).

Anyway all day, this past Monday I was feeling a sort of heartache. A strong pull in my heart, and chest. This was not something physical but spiritual. So I did what I knew to do which was to kneel, sit in front of my bible and start reading. I also needed and did start praying. I read the chapters of Mark I had intended to read and really study. I then attempted to read the assigned reading for my Monday night Occupy Earth Bible Study, it was on Acts 8. I read through it and I knew it was about preaching and Phillip preaching. Honestly I remembered from when I had read it two weeks ago when I was praying to be baptized by the Holy Ghost & Tongues and received it. I couldn't really focus on the Acts 8 reading because my heart was really aching and I knew God was really trying to tell me something.

Anyway, I was also abstaining from a couple things, therefore dying of my flesh  so I was really in tune with the spirit. At the usual time, my sisters and I headed out to our Occupy Earth bible study. We get there and those who had arrived were already singing songs, so I joined in. I started to feel a little ease but the ache was still there. After songs our group leader Ebenezer starts to lead prayers, so I naturally start praying, he then starts to sing this hymn that goes :

Where he leads me, I will follow

Or

Where he calls me, I will follow

Something like that...and I IMMEDIATELY started CRYING, I could no longer contain my emotions. It was around 7:30PM and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ finally revealed to me, I needed to take his calling and take up the cross from just behind Social Media and on the school campus but to now preach the gospel unashamed on the streets. I immediately started thanking God and letting him know I will follow!

Funny enough a couple things happened before this day:

• I had been having vision/dreams about me preaching in a particular park for some while now, but never went. (This happened to be the first Park I went to go preach the word, you'll see in the video)
• A lovely brother of mine, a member of my church, blessed with the gift of Prophetic and Visions saw a vision of me in a picture being pointed to by a famous preacher. So essentially I will be used by God to preach his word(something I have been praying since I became born again in November 2012)

God is truly amazing! I am just in awe of him. I am so blessed to know him, be saved by  him, and to be  used for his awesome work and glory!

HERE IS A RECAP OF DAY 1(Aug. 13th) on the mission field to win souls for JESUS!!!!!!

A few Pictures

Blessed my younger sister wanted to join!

(My sister Bernice)

(How we drew attention towards Jesus)

I will be keeping you all updated. Easiest way to stay up the date on all my evangelism adventures is following me on Facebook and Twitter. 

I will be out sharing the Gospel, today Wednesday and Friday of this week. Same place in Spiotta Park, in South Orange, NJ from 1PM-3PM. Hope to see you!

From your Sister in Christ with a Servants Heart,

Janet Adeola Songonuga

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College Chronicles: Dear College Freshmen/Students

   Wednesday, August 6th, 2013

A note to College Freshmen (or anyone in college):

Dear son/daughter,

I feel I'm qualified to write you because I have a freshman myself, I'm an author and speaker on relationships teaching couples to be light in a dark world, I especially care about the your generation, based on Judges 2: 10. My prayer is that your generation would be like Josiah, king of Judah, son of Amon - who saw evil but chose to do what is right before God.

In case you don't know, statistically over 70% of college students (in America) abandon the faith - become secular or atheistic in worldview). The reasons are simple, we your parents are too pre-occupied with our own stuff (getting rich or fighting each other) that we've neglected being godly parents, we think two-days (2 hours) of youth church would straighten you out, unfortunately - you are being entertained in your youth groups too. Some parent think going to a Christian middle/high school would help ease their guilt?

Many of you are ill equipped spiritually and intellectually, because your faith have been emotion based, so when atheistic teachers present you with so-called reality, and tell you Faith is stupid, you tend to believe it, of course there is bullying going on too.

Please allow me to share what I’ve already shared with my own freshman.

You are Tripartite in nature; you are a spirit, a Soul (mind, will and emotion), and body (aka flesh), while these natures are different they function together. To worship or serve God, your spirit-man must be born-again, your soul is where information that goes into you is processed and stored, it is also where your emotion is, many would want you high on emotion to get you to do things. Many of you are very smart, that is a function of your flesh, the DNA of your parents coming together.

When your spirit-man is re-birthed and connects with the Holy Spirit, it is the best form of smart (linked to God), the smart of the brain is limited to capacity to analyze data. Let me challenge you to study the lives of Moses and apostle Paul in the bible, they were both highly educated (many think post-PhD level) - yet they both realized when intellect stop and Holy Spirit leading starts.

Some of your teachers might even want to redefine your Christianity, they might say; Christianity is about service, it says don't Judge, or it is not to be brought into your daily life but simply an aspect of your life. Please don't believe these lies.

So, my recommendation:
* Have a daily Bible reading tool and have an accountability person that you discuss with daily
* Join a bible study group on campus and make sure you attend church service weekly
* Keep in-touch and chose new friends with similar worldview (not religious, but born-again friends)
* If a professor is being too aggressive in selling his/her worldview, respectfully disagree and inform your parents and discuss further action.

God is counting on your generation to be like King Josiah, son of Amon, so He can shelve or postpone the wrath brought on by the sins of my generation, I’m rooting for you guys.

Uncle Femi

BONUS/EXTRA/VERY IMPORTANT

I would like to add College gives you so much idle time and you are expected to use it to participate in something, you are encouraged to use it to talk to your teachers and study. Another thing this idle time can do to a person is it exposes a lot of your long standing problems. Long standing problems include sins like mine, which were stealing and sexual perversion, secret sins, or an example like procrastination is also a good one. If anyone has or ever faces these long standing sins and secret sins these problems will increases. If it hasn't been dealt with, you must tell someone. Tell your parents if comfortable, counselors at school and include God because it can really set you back if not redeemed from.

This is an open letter from my Uncle Femi Awodele. He is the Executive Director and founder at Christian Couples Fellowship International Inc. The mission is to reduce the incidences of divorce in Marriages. 

If I had read this as a freshmen I would have been more successful at college the first time around. I pray this helps you!

Lets Connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram 

From your Sister in Christ with a Servants Heart,

Janet Adeola Songonuga

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