Tag: Christian

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Why Am I A Christian ?

I love comics, manga, anime, video games and basically anything that has to do with animation and superheroes (This includes Star Wars)

As a man living in Ghana one would think this would have been left behind in high school or university. Rather I patronize these things with a passion and love that my sons are learning about my super hero characters and Dragon Ball Z.

I am proud of that.

I am not phased when anyone sees my passion as childish. I love the memorabilia and if I can get any, I do.

This is similar to my passion as a Christian. I am a proud Christian and not ashamed of it one bit. Unlike my comics and video games. Christianity requires me to share the good news about Christ and His love for us.

The world we live in however is filled with a lot of people twisting the words in the bible to make Christianity seem as a space where once you get in suffering ceases.

This is not entirely true.

“However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don’t be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ’s name.”

1 Peter 4:16 GNT

First off I want to point out that suffering is a constant in our lives as humans. Everybody goes through some kind of suffering. For some it’s physical and for others it’s emotional. The bottom line is that we all go through it.

In becoming a Christian we start the process of not feeling guilty. That’s a suffering I personally went through before I became a Christian. Even after I became born again, this suffering did not immediately go as I continued to live a life of sin.

“For “ WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD [in prayer] WILL BE SAVED.””

Romans 10:13 AMP

It was until I truly let Jesus in that the suffering went away. I had to realize the hard way that I could not solve my problems and had to let my Maker do it for me.

“because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9 AMP

The simple gesture of letting someone into your personal space is difficult. Difficult because you have to accept that you are weak, not capable, inefficient and most importantly need help. As a male, that is tough.

Until you come to that realization you won’t begin to benefit truly from a relationship with Christ because that relationship will be fake (on your part).

All that is a suffering you must go through. Once that is over it doesn’t mean that you are suddenly out of the woods. There is usually a sense that you will have everything going for you MATERIALLY. I stress on the material because usually that’s what people think the relationship is all about. I need to be rich so God is going to give me money now. I need a man/woman so God is going to get me that now.

Sorry to burst your bubble again but that isn’t what Christianity is all about.

What you need to understand about being a true Christian is that you have to prepare your self to accept both good and bad news and believe they are working for the good of you and everyone. Once you accept this, you’ll begin to appreciate and trust the role of God in your life.

“And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.”

Romans 8:28 AMP

Pain is a constant in life. So is suffering. The only difference here is this; you can suffer in gain or you can suffer in vain either way there is going to be pain.

Just because you became a Christian doesn’t mean life or success is now on autopilot. You have to come to the party and play your part. God will do his bit but you have to do yours as well. If you don’t, well He is not going to be able to heal or transform you into what you are supposed to be.

In the book of 2 Kings there is a story about a soldier named Naaman who had leprousy and was looking to be healed. He was asked by the Prophet Elisha to bathe in the Jordan seven times. Naaman found the instructions insulting and almost ignored until his servant encouraged him to do as Elisha has instructed. By following the instructions given he was healed.

This is similar to the saying:

“ You can take a horse to the river but you can’t force it to drink”

The same goes for Christians. If we listen and follow the word in the Bible and what our Lord ministers to us personally we will see the growth in our lives.

If you looking at achieving something without putting in work and thinking because you are Christian and go to church and pray, that things are going to work out, you’ve got the wrong idea of God’s purpose.

“Indeed, we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined and inappropriate life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies [meddling in other people’s business]. Now such people we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work quietly and earn their own food and other necessities [supporting themselves instead of depending on the hospitality of others]. And as for [the rest of] you, believers, do not grow tired or lose heart in doing good [but continue doing what is right without weakening].”

2 Thessalonians 3:11-13 AMP

“If anyone fails to provide for his own, and especially for those of his own family, he has denied the faith [by disregarding its precepts] and is worse than an unbeliever [who fulfills his obligation in these matters].”

1 Timothy 5:8 AMP

This is why some people who don’t believe in God but work hard reap the benefits of their work. God is not going to deny them the fruits of their labor because they don’t subscribe to Christianity. Remember, we are all God’s children and He is working hard for us all to come to Him.

So why be a Christian?

It’s the best way of living life and having peace of mind. Think of Christianity as having a friend who is going to help you make better decisions. One that will guide you into becoming the best version of yourself. One that will help you find your true self and live fulfilled. A friend who forgives you if you make mistakes and helps you back on your feet.

Let’s face it. There is only so much that each of us individually can do. It’s only God that can achieve the impossible. As a Christian it gives me a sense of peace because I know and trust that He is in control and all that is happening is happening for a reason.

I just have to do my part and listen to Him as He directs me towards happiness and love. Sometimes that will mean me going through some storms or being uncomfortable but in the end it will be worth it. Sometimes I may do my own thing and fail. He will be there to pick me up. Discipline me if needed but all to put me on track and teach me a lesson.

It’s all about faith in Him and accepting that we know no better. This however can only be achieved if one is broken and comes to Him in sincerity to change, depend on Him and love.

If this message has touched you and you want to give your life to Christ, pray this simple prayer in honesty.

Father, I am a sinner before you looking for peace. My past and lifestyle are underserving of your mercy. I am at a place where I am not proud of myself and feel worthless.

Deep down though I know that’s not the plan you have for me.

So I come to you accepting my flaws and accepting that I need to change.

I recognize your authority and the life of you Son Jesus Christ who died for us.

I believe in His sacrifice and want Him to be my Lord and personal savior.

I know I am not perfect but seek perfection through Jesus. Let Him live in me as I accept Him and Let Him change my life and make me the person you destined me to be.

Amen!

Let me know if you need to talk about this and any other thing regarding being a Christian. I am always ready to help.

Keep it One Hondred!

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Are you Salt or Sugar?

“Be the salt of the earth”

Its funny how when one speaks of salt, sugar comes to mind. Maybe it’s because they share similar physical attributes such as their colour and the fact that both dissolve in water. Taste is where the two differ and thus the need for distinction between the two in the kitchen or table setting, to prevent disturbing facial expressions.

(A great April Fools prank though)

More disturbing recently, has been a popular statement by Jesus, “You are the salt of the earth“, found in Matthew 5:13:

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste (purpose), how can it be made salty? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and walked on by people [when the walkways are wet and slippery].”

‭‭MATTHEW‬ ‭5:13‬ ‭AMP‬‬

As a Christian I have always wondered why Jesus refers to believers as the salt of the earth and not sugar.

I mean, salt is good but if given a preference I would go with sugar. So why did Jesus say otherwise?

To be fair Jesus refers to believers as light, fishers of men and other terms in his sermons and discussions with his disciples.

I just find it interesting that water, salt and fish, all have a connection with salvation. (I don’t think it’s a coincidence either)

I however want us to realize that as Christians we sometimes tend to be sugar and not salt. We lean towards an assumption that the life of a Christian is easy going and stress free and no challenges; just smiles and laughter everyday.

How could it be?

Look at the problems in the world. Christians are challenged to take a stand, be merciful and forgiving, kind towards strangers, comfort the broken hearted and many more.

God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit provides peace, grace and strength to those who believe to do all these things with a smile but it’s not easy.

It’s kind of similar to raising children. It’s a blessing but has its moments that test you. Children getting sick, disciplining them, helping them with homework and teaching them life lessons cannot be compared to sharing an ice cream with them. It is challenging but parents love their job.

The same goes for believers. We have to be careful to not go the route of being sugar. Sugar makes things sweet but doesn’t have antiseptic properties. It’s like raising kids and not disciplining them.

In Matthew 5, Jesus didn’t use salt to describe us in connection to taste alone. If that were the case I am sure he would have made reference to sugar. (No one after all wants to be called a salty Christian, you feel me?)

I believe Jesus used salt because of the many uses of salt in our lives including that of adding flavor or taste to food.

It is also worth noting that there is salt in all food and that Jesus’s statement didn’t ask us to BECOME salt but rather REVEALED that we ARE salt.

Salt has antiseptic abilities and is also used to preserve food. Quite a versatile spice if you ask me.

So let’s ask ourselves, what does it mean to be salt?

With the little that has been shared, I believe we are being called to preserve morality and keep the peace. As salt we also help clean up situations by allowing God to take out the trouble and bring in the calm. This is done by sharing the good news and living with Christ. The two are inseparable.

Sharing the good news means that you believe in the ways of God. It means one having interaction with Him through prayer and reading of the bible to understand Him better.

It means distinguishing right and wrong and being able to identify sin. It does not mean judging. It means living a life that others wish to emulate. People should be around you and know that you stand for Good, Peace and Truth.

In case my discussion of salt has not been helpful or one requires clarity on the subject, here is a link that helped me answer why God calls us salt and not sugar. I hope it helps you see the truth.

https://www.wisdomonline.org/devotionals/devotion_detail.html?id=811

Keep it One Hondred!

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Bible vs GOT – Reality or Fiction?

Last Friday, I posted a clip featuring a conversation between Ria Bossman and me relating to Game of Thrones and its sex scenes. It was based of an interview at Oxford between two of the shows male cast and a student audience. Kit Harington who plays the part of Jon Snow in the series commented on the sex scenes and their necessity in telling the Game of Thrones story.

I for one do not know how the show will have progressed without the sex scenes depicting the nature of the characters and its impact on the narrative. It is clear that the show though graphic has a greater goal than pornography with its raw images of sex and nudity that are displayed.

Interestingly enough I read an article on the internet that suggested that the Bible and Game of Thrones share a commonality especially with regards with the raw blunt nature of each script.

As a Christian, it is difficult to deny that the Bible is a very graphic text containing evidence of sexual immorality from the beginning of time. The sexual immorality and violence is comparable to that of Game of Thrones and begs the question, “is this reality or fiction?”

I guess the Internet and Social Media have to be given credit for exposing our true nature. We seem hypocritical in our assessment of reality and are unwilling to accept that our morality as a race has been in a constant state of decay. Though the Bible reflects this more accurately, many do not view the Word as a reflection of man but just of his past.

Its a shame Game of Thrones is not an African story (I can imagine how that will play out with African countries). Nevertheless, it strikes parallels globally because of familiar themes that reflect the true nature of man. The greed, violence, sex, immorality, wisdom, kindness and other colors of the human behavioral spectrum are similar to what we find in the Bible. (With the exception of dragons of course)

The Bible, however, is more than a story of fiction. For many, it is history and inspiration. Game of Thrones, however, is a fantasy novel. Within it lies no prophecies relating to the real world. Both touch on the nature of man and relationships and should be seriously considered for the reflection on reality both throw at the human race.

If the content of the Bible is similar to that of the Game of Thrones narrative then why is it not consumed with such fanfare? After all, what difference is there in Meschach, Shadrach, and Abednego surviving the furnace of fire to that of Daenerys Targaryen aka Khaleesi being immune to fire?

Budget and Hollywood is surely part of the reasons for the fanfare but it also seems to mask the idea that the events told in the story are closer to reality than meets the eye. Winter is coming is about terrifying a term as global warming.

The Bible and Game of Thrones serve a purpose in the world today. Be sure to take away wisdom and lessons from the words these documents provide than just awe and entertainment.

Keep it One Hondred!

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How I Celebrated My Birthday

So last Wednesday I celebrated my birthday and as I write this I realize its been about a year since I launched the hondredpercent.com website. A lot has happened since September 2016. My writing has increased, I released an album, I experienced fatherhood, my beard grew, I fell in love with green tea etc.
When I was younger birthdays felt like a giant spotlight was on you for the whole day. I woke up to my mother’s love. The living room was decorated with birthday stuff to make me feel special. I got a card and always wanted a badge to showcase my age. There was special breakfast, lunch, supper, a cake, a song, presents and a whole lot of other interesting things scheduled for the day.This year though I toned the expectation of the giant spotlight. I didn’t wake up to all that I was used to when I was younger. I woke up to my phone buzzing, my picture as the display picture which is still up on my school whatsapp group page and my active son who has no idea that it’s my birthday demanding his father’s attention.
The day was like any other day with my phone buzzing a lot with birthday messages and me saying thank you. In the future though I need to get a personal assistant to aid in replying to birthday messages.
I had interesting gifts too. I had a beautiful smile as a gift from a friend whose smile truly lights up my day; a digital portrait of me from a high school friend and a kiss on the head from my son. 
The best gift of all was from the Lord. I was given an opportunity to witness that beautiful day and all it had to offer. I take it for granted sometimes but on my birthday I realized that God has been by my side all this while and still continues to believe in me. That’s amazing!
Earlier that day as I drove around town, I heard on BBC that some people suffer from prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness. Apparently there is a part of our brain responsible solely for remembering peoples faces and some people suffer from not being able to remember who people are a few minutes after they leave their sight and return. In worse cases they can’t even recognize themselves in a mirror.
I was in awe of the magnificence of the architecture of what lay in my skull and made me appreciate the gift of life given to me by the Lord.
It was a beautiful day not with the bells and whistles I was used to but a day that made me reflect and treasure the important things in life.
God and love.
Keep it One HONDRED!

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Are You A Winner Or A Loser?

Just because you win doesn’t mean you are a winner. 
In life one gets faced with competition. Whether it’s sports, debates, fighting for that cute guy or girl or to become the President of a country, there is a competition that ensues that chews opponents and subjects them to the beauty and ugliness of battle and spits out a victor.
However just because you win doesn’t mean you are a winner. Same goes for those who lose.
In my poem “The Pursuit of Happiness” the concluding lines say this:
“You are not born to be a winner
You are not born to be a loser
If you think about it carefully
You are born to be a chooser
If you end up being a loser, it’s because you chose not to win
And that my friends is my definition of sin”
Winning is more than coming in first, aquiring the most votes and picking that trophy. It’s a choice, a state of mind and a life style.
Winners choose to enter competitions to grow and evolve their skill set. They do it ultimately because it makes them better. If they win that’s an achievement, an accolade to showcase their success. 
Coming in second, third or at the bottom for that matter doesn’t mean you are a loser. It could mean so many things. It could mean you need to get better in a certain area, need better strategy, you need to start from scratch, health is getting in the way, whatever it means you wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t participated in the challenge.
That’s knowledge. Knowledge about yourself and your abilities that could be capitalized on to bring victory. You only learn this by pushing yourself into competitions.
The only time you become a loser is when you choose not to learn anything from the battle. The value gained from this is far greater than being called the winner. If you won that’s awesome but if you won and didn’t learn from it then that’s sad. Equally sad is losing and not learning a thing from the loss. That’s the ultimate loser mentality. That lack of knowledge is detrimental.

For Lack of Knowledge My People Perish. Hosea 4:6
Hosea 4:6

Your desire to become a better person is why you push yourself. You do it because you believe in yourself and your abilities. You do it because you feel the cause or reason for you fighting is worthwhile. As long as you believe in that fight, go hard and make it count.
Hillary Clinton in her speech after the recent American elections touched on the point of fighting for what you believe in.
“And to the young people in particular, I hope you will hear this. I have, as Tim said, spent my entire adult life fighting for what I believe in. I’ve had successes and I’ve had setbacks, sometimes really painful ones. Many of you are at the beginning of your professional, public, and political careers.
You will have successes and setbacks, too. This loss hurts, but please, never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it. Nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion.”
That’s a winner mentality. Keep your head up no matter what comes. There will be pain and there will be joy. In both cases always remember to be a winner.
A winner mentality is a decision. A decision to become better. As long as you are becoming better you are winning. Win at your own pace and be sure your goals for pushing yourself are worthwhile. 
A true winner understands that winning is not everything. 
As a Christian I know Jesus had to die in order to win my soul. I became a Christian not by doing something glorious but by acknowledging that I was losing and that I needed help. I was losing before I started winning. Sometimes I lose but I don’t allow it to set me back. I am loading my perfection and due to that I can relate to others who I believe go through challenges and setbacks.
We are all champions in the making. You just have to go out there and grab what’s yours.
Stay winning and keep it One HONDRED!☝️ 

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Trump-Anything Is Possible

Never say never.
Who would have thought that Donald Trump would make it this far? Definitely not me. His character and statements are a scary glimpse of a future with him as president.
Is he the right president for the United States? That’s not for me to say.
 As I strap my sons diaper on him after cleaning up green funk, I can’t help but see the solution starring at me in the face.

My Son After a Diaper Change
My Son After a Diaper Change

Education is the key. Each one of us was a blank canvas filled with concepts by our parents and environments. From our religion and perceptions we were moulded. Parents have a lot of control on the process and it’s their responsibility to ensure that their children turn out right. 
But what does that mean?
Does it mean I must raise them Christian? Must I teach them how to bully they’re way out of things? Teach them how to not respect others? What does “right” mean exactly?
I stare at my son wondering if my ideals of peace, love and respect will help him succeed in the future. He knows no better as I change his diaper but appreciates the comfort that the change provides. Am I helping him succeed or fail? I believe in those values (peace,love and respect) but will the world accept him for believing the same?
It’s come clear to me that the concept of education in our institutions has to change. Simultaneous equations, calculus and subject verb agreement don’t teach people humanity and love. There is seldom a discussion or a lesson on humanity, race and equality. Subjects which many grow learning little about and subject others to their ideals which sometimes go as far as killing and discriminating against others.
A look into the last five years on earth has shown that we are doing something wrong. Discrimination and war have risen to unimaginable heights with little done to minimize its effects. A presidential candidate believes climate change is a hoax and people actually believe him? What world have I brought my son into?
As a Christian, I will love and raise him to do good. I will need to supplement this with other teachings and concepts. Most importantly I need him to understand that perceptions can be very deceiving. This year’s election is a perfect example. 
Trump was a candidate that the world mocked. Today he is the President of the USA. 
That’s admirable no matter how you look at it. It’s inspiring to know that even though the odds are against you, you can rise and be victorious. I like to believe that can happen to my son. The moral of the story is inspiring. The process of how he got there however is a story for another day. 
It’s obvious that a lot more people in America see things Trump’s way than Hillary’s. What does this mean for Blacks, Hispanics and others like them? Does this mean white supremacists and chauvinists will rule? I am not sure but the way things are going now, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
As you keep it One HONDRED, what are your thoughts on Trump as president?