Thought Nuggets

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Thought Nuggets

DON’T HATE LOVE

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable…. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like ‘maybe we should be just friends’ turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love” (Neil Gaiman). To avoid hating love, “do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires” (Song of Songs 2:7; 3:5; 8:4; NIV). Instead, first commit your heart to the One Who is “the Chiefest among ten thousand… Altogether lovely…my Beloved…my Friend” (5:10, 16; KJV). You can either hate love or love love. Love love by choosing Love. God is love (1 John 4:8, 16).—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim

Thought Nuggets

FEAR NOT!

It is said that whenever God says, “Fear not,” you must start worrying; for He’ll be asking you to do the impossible! (Think of Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, or Mary). Yet, God's “Fear not” commands are also His promises. An estimated 365 “fear not” promises are in the Bible—at least one for each day’s need. Therefore, when it seems like you're finished or it’s over and there's no point going on, Jesus says “Fear not; it’s not the end, just the beginning.” (cf. Mark 5: 35, 36). "The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else” (Oswald Chambers). God has power to intervene, even in your most hopeless situations. Fear not!—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim

Thought Nuggets

FEAR NOT!

It is said that whenever God says, “Fear not,” you must start worrying; for He’ll be asking you to do the impossible! (Think of Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, or Mary). Yet, God's “Fear not” commands are also His promises. An estimated 365 “fear not” promises are in the Bible—at least one for each day’s need. Therefore, when it seems like you're finished or it’s over and there's no point going on, Jesus says “Fear not; it’s not the end, just the beginning.” (cf. Mark 5: 35, 36). "The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else” (Oswald Chambers). God has power to intervene, even in your most hopeless situations. Fear not!—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim

Thought Nuggets

THE VALUE OF VALUES

Are there unchangeable, universal moral values to guide human conduct? Today, “everything is relative,” including values. Moral relativism is the crisis of our times. The crisis is not the violation of morally-accepted standards of conduct (every age has had its share of this). Rather, the crisis is the questioning of the existence of universal moral values to define what’s right and wrong. But if “everything is relative,” then that statement itself is relative and, hence, self-refuting. Worse, “a world without values quickly becomes a world without value” (Jonathan Sacks). It’s why for our ethics we must value what God values. (Micah 6:8; Matthew 7:12; Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14;  Exodus 20:1-3; Romans 2:14-15; James 2:8-13; John 14:15).—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim

Thought Nuggets

GROW IN THE STORM

Character develops in the storms—when trials and afflictions test our strength, stability, and resilience. The Apostle Paul lists some of the storms as tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword, and states emphatically that "in all these things"—i.e., in all these storms—"we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:35, 37). So, when life seems hard to bear, when it’s full of sorrow, trouble, and woe, let’s remind ourselves that it's in these storms we grow. While thankful for the fragrant and gentle breezes in life, let’s not decry the pungent blasts of turbulent tides. Storms ought not to break you. You’re more than a conqueror. Grow—and BLOOM—in your storms (see, Proverbs 24:10).—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim

Thought Nuggets

LEAVE A LEGACY 

None was ever honored for breezing through life; they are remembered for weathering the storms. Do you seek to leave your mark? Then, find your calling and run with it. Don’t settle for the status quo, but put some quo in the status: “Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible. Work more than others think is necessary” (Unknown). And when threatened or rewarded with stabs in the back, shackles on the feet, or shots to the heart, say with the Apostle Paul, “None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, that I may finish my race with joy” (Acts 20:24). Brave the storm. Leave a legacy.—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim

Thought Nuggets

JUMP IN!

Success begins when you start. An old riddle illustrates: One hot afternoon, seven frogs sat on a log at the edge of a pond. To cool off, four decided to jump into the pond. How many frogs were left on the log? The answer is seven. Why? The four only “decided” to jump.  And there’s a big difference between merely deciding and actually doing. Here’s the point: Dreams, intentions, resolutions, and even best plans are not worth much, unless we act on them. Act upon your decisions—whether in your personal, professional, or spiritual life! Don't wait till all doubts, uncertainties, and obstacles have been removed. The best way to start is to start. Without action, a dream is a daydream (Matthew 21:28-32). Jump off the log now!—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim.

Thought Nuggets

HAPPY NEW YEAR!?

“Happy New Year” is an overrated phrase, if not, sometimes, a meaningless wish. 1) How can we wish it to anyone when HAPPINESS means different things to different people? 2) What is really NEW about the year? Chances are we’re going to live and do the same old things. The new YEAR is only new when there’s a new PERSON—one with a new spirit and a new set of values. “Happy New Year” should not be a wish; it must be a will. Not a change on a calendar date, but a change from within. Not a new year, but a new YOU! “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Matthew 5:1-10). Is it "Happy New Year!" yet for you?—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim

Thought Nuggets

ON LOOKING BACK

“We ought not to look back, unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors and for the purpose of profiting by dear-bought experience” (George Washington). Here’s how to benefit from regretful experiences of the past: Graciously accept your defeats; humbly admit your failures; willingly accept the consequences of your mistakes; ardently learn from your missteps; courageously ignore your adversaries and distractors; freely forgive those who have hurt you; and fully surrender your hopes to God’s will. You cannot undo nor ignore the past. But you can make sure you don't repeat what you did or failed to do.  Setbacks shouldn’t set you back. They are stepping-stones. Step on the stones and you’ll move upward and forward. Look back, but don’t dwell there. (Philippians 3:13, 14; Isaiah 43:18, 19.)—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim

Thought Nuggets

UNMERRY CHRISTMAS

If you think Christmas is all jingle bells, jollity, and unwrapping gifts…think again! To millions around the world, the festive season is full of pain, tears, and disillusionment. Thankfully, the Biblical accounts of Christ’s birth speak forcefully to the harsh realities of life, and even to the ubiquitous headline news: The massacre of the innocent (whether by sword, bullet, bombs, or suicide bombers), the floods of refugees seeking asylum in other countries, the plight of the homeless, the dilemma of couples contemplating breakups or divorce, the challenge of teenage pregnancies and adoption, and the struggles with poverty and guilt (Matthew 1:18-2:23; Luke 1& 2; Isaiah 9:6, 7). Christ’s birth whispers hope to the disheartened, for Jesus identifies with all for whom Christmas is UNMERRY. Unto us a Son is given: Counselor, Prince of Peace, Savior, and Emmanuel.—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim.

Thought Nuggets

OUR GREATEST NEED

What is it? An unknown author has aptly stated: “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so He sent us a Savior.” So true! “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOUR, which is Christ the Lord. …You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Our greatest need is to experience the reality of being forgiven and forgiving (Luke 2:11; Matthew 1:21; cf. 1 John 1:9; Ephesians 4:31, 32; Colossians 3:12, 13).—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim

  1. Tell Your Story
  2. Giving & Receiving
  3. Be Thankful
  4. A Deadly Disease

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