Welcome to Prof. Emmanuel Kolawole's Blog: April 2023

Learn to Listen

''Listening is an important gift we can give others.'' Anne Peterson

Have you ever been in a conversation with others and realized you had checked out? You see their mouths moving, but aren't engaged? Situations like this make me ask:

Why is it so difficult to stay in the present?

How can we remain engaged when we are in conversation?

How can we become better listeners?

We live in a technological age where people rarely do just one thing at a time. For instance, I found out the other day that it's possible for a person to be on the phone with you while texting someone else. No wonder I sometimes have to repeat things in phone conversations. Our world moves fast, and we're tempted to hold on while riding at breakneck speed, but at what cost?

People Need to Connect

We live in an age where people are meeting together less and less. Isolation, depression, and loneliness abound. We long for human connection, but we're finding poor substitutes for community online. So we need to make a concerted effort to make connections when given the opportunity.

Have you noticed that when you are at a register, the cashier sometimes doesn't even make eye contact? When you're in stores, ask cashiers how their day is, looking directly into their eyes. It's possible to engage someone even when you have just a few moments. Your engagement will help people feel that they matter. Sometimes all it takes is asking simple question, "So, has it been busy today?" People are dying to talk. The problem is that no one is really listening.

There Are No Chance Meetings

Sometimes it's easy to go about our days thinking they are insignificant—that each encounter we have with someone is simply a chance encounter. But Psalm 139:2-3 says, "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways." The God of the universe is aware of what you do in your day-to-day existence. You make your plans, but God knows how it will all turn out. We sometimes forget that when we make plans. We get the false sense that we are in control, and then we try to retain that control when in reality, God is the one in control.

We should keep this in mind as we meet people during the day. God places opportunities to engage with others, and we must learn to recognize them. Listening matters because the person before us is someone God loves, someone God values. And we can ask God for his eyes to see people as he sees them. If my focus is on the person before me, and I see that he or she is of value to God, I will be less tempted to make every conversation about me.

A perfect example of this is when my dryer stopped working. Initially this surprise irritated me. Eventually the repairman arrived, and I watched as he checked for the problem. Then I remembered that God knew all about the dryer and who would be fixing it. That reminder prompted me to start a conversation with him. Eventually it led to a conversation about God. I realized later it wasn't about my dryer at all. God had provided me with an opportunity to share him with the repairman.

Stay in Step with the Spirit

Those who know God personally are filled with the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:25 says, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." We may not know what the person before us is going through in his or her life, but God knows. If we are in step with the Spirit, God can lead our conversation. And when you remember that God is with you every step you take, you talk to God as you listen to others. God will tell you what to ask, what to say, and when to keep silent. Being in step with the Spirit means you are open to his leading, therefore you are not in the driver's seat. When we are controlling things, we are calling the shots and are tempted to make each conversation about us and our experiences. Even as the other person shares, we get our next point ready, formulating our thoughts so they come out just right.

When we are in step with the Spirit, we wait patiently for the other person to communicate. When we are in tune with the Spirit we realize we are not the reason our listener was blessed, refreshed, or encouraged. God is the source, and sometimes we get the privilege of being used in the process.

Learn to Listen

God tells us in James 1:19, "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." We apply this verse when we learn to listen well. Everyone has the basic need to be heard. God provides opportunities to practice listening every day. Seeing these opportunities as from God helps us have the right perspective.

How different our interactions would be if we were quick to listen instead of quick to speak. Growing up in a family of five children, I fought to be heard. It's still difficult when we all get together as some habits are hard to break. But to become a better listener, I prayed, waited patiently, and learned to respond with grace.

Too often in conversations, we respond prematurely, frustrating our conversation partners because their message was not heard. Pray that God will help you be quick to listen—that he will give you patience to hear others. And when you respond, pray for God's words—words that are drenched in grace and let the person know that someone is actually listening.

Anne Peterson is a poet, speaker, and freelance author. If she isn't writing she's having fun with grandsons, Jude and Charlie. Visit Anne on Facebook or at annepeterson.com, where you can read her blog and listen to her poetry.

Think Before You Post on Social Media

Before You Post on Social Media …

by Kevin Scarbrough

Edited by: Biblical University Press #BiblicalUniversity @biblicaluniversity

What we say on the Internet says a lot about us. Do our social media messages reflect things God likes—or things He hates?

The Internet has carried the torch for instant gratification. With one click of a button, we can buy the latest video game, download the hottest album or purchase a stylish new pair of shoes.

We can have whatever we like!

And, even faster than buying a product online, we can also share our personal opinions in an instant. Social media users share images and articles that reveal opinions about politics, marriage, dating, raising children and many other facets of life. Social media can be a good way to have a laugh, encourage others or discuss current issues. However, many times posts can be distasteful and mean-spirited.

As Christians, we should be careful and thoughtful in posting and liking articles and memes. It says something about you!

Psychologist Michal Kosinski’s research has shown that your “likes” on Facebook can tell what kind of person you are. Kosinski argues that “likes” give Facebook a picture of who you really are.

Commenting about the study, Sam Gosling, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin, says, “You ‘Like’ something. You leave a comment on somebody’s wall. They are now recorded in a way that machines can calibrate and measure them with great accuracy. Together, they add up to substantially more information from which you can make quite reasonably accurate predictions.”

Facebook spokesman Fred Wolens agrees. “No matter the vehicle for information—a bumper sticker, yard sign, logos on clothing, or other data found online—it has already been proven that it is possible for social scientists to draw conclusions about personal attributes based on these characteristics.”

What does God like?

When deciding what kind of article or meme to like or share, what better question for a Christian to ask than “What does God like?” In the Bible, you won’t find any dos and don’ts for using social media. However, there are some principles we can use to make wise choices when sharing or liking stories.

Let’s take a look at what God is in favor of.

God “likes” righteousness (right ways)

If God were a Facebook user, would He approve of the article you just posted? Would He and Jesus Christ “like” the same meme you just liked?

King David gave us a look into what God likes: “For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12). Jesus Christ also pointed out the importance of righteousness to God (Matthew 5:6; 25:46).

Have you ever stopped and considered what righteousness means? It sounds like a fancy theological word. But, if God blesses the righteous, wouldn’t we want to strive for that blessing?

The Bible tells us what righteousness is: “My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness” (Psalm 119:172). Since God’s commandments are righteousness, it is obvious that Christians should follow and support His instructions. Furthermore, if we, like Abraham, faithfully do as God commands, our actions will also be accounted for righteousness (James 2:21-23).

Clearly, it is not only about thinking what is right—it’s also about doing what is right. In other words, righteousness is the application of right ways.

Putting this into the context of our activity on social media, what we like and share as Christians should coincide with these right ways defined by God.

What God does not like

Hate is a strong word. Some people would even be surprised that a loving God could hate anything, but the Bible tells us He does. The Hebrew word translated hate is sane, and it implies having an enemy.

God loves to see human beings who show respect and love for one another. Below are behaviors that God opposes. Obviously God hates all sin and evil. But here are some scriptures that give us a clearer picture of some of the things that need to be removed from our conduct so God can “like” us.

Pride

Pride has been around for a long time in the history of mankind. Cain’s jealousy of Abel’s offering was a major factor in the first murder. From then on, pride came in many shapes and forms—and it still exists!

As Christians, we must be active in stomping out pride in our lives—including our social media. Almost unknowingly, people can get involved in heated debates because of a post, a meme or an article. Have you ever been in this situation? Remember that angry feeling you had while typing frantically, hitting the “Enter” key and sending off your point of view? What was that “puffed up” feeling you felt?

Jesus Christ got to the heart of the matter: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man” (Mark 7:21-23, emphasis added).

Quite possibly, what you may have felt was pride. Posting or liking anything on social media that degrades another human being or makes you feel more intelligent than others is prideful. Don’t be fooled. Pride is not a good quality. As Christians, we should steer clear of these destructive attitudes.

A perverse mouth

Scrolling through Facebook or other types of social media can be like navigating through a minefield. For many, cursing is just a means of communicating, and it’s hard not to notice. Those of us striving to live God’s way of life must clean up the words that we say or write.

The wise King Solomon wrote, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate” (Proverbs 8:13). Though we may know we personally should not curse and use profanity, we may think that does not apply to what we like and share on social media. Is this true?

James, Jesus’ half-brother, wrote about the human tongue, saying, “It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:8-10).

As an extension of our tongue, what we type should reflect our words in face-to-face godly conversations. We should think twice before sharing and liking something that reflects perversity or profanity of any kind.

Lies

God commands us not to lie (Exodus 20:16). He even goes so far as to say He hates lying (Proverbs 6:16-17; Zechariah 8:17). Again, this is an easily understood commandment. However, all too often a web article or meme is shared in which the information is twisted or blatantly false. For whatever reason, authors of these kinds of posts attract the attention of thousands of uninformed social media users. The result is a lie being spread around the Internet like wildfire.

To protect ourselves from being part of lies and false reports, consider what King Solomon wrote: “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him” (Proverbs 18:13). It can be really embarrassing to share an article that turns out to be hoax or a lie. Inspired by God, Solomon tells us to use wisdom and discernment before jumping to conclusions.

Such articles are usually hearsay and gossip. Throughout the Scriptures, there are warnings about partaking in this kind of activity (Proverbs 16:28; Matthew 12:36; Ephesians 5:4). Unfortunately, social media gives abundant opportunities for such things.

God does want us to share good stories and enjoy friendships directly and via social media. There are ways to have a better experience online by following godly principles and avoiding the common pitfalls mentioned above. The key is to put God first—even when it comes to social media.

What God loves …

God doesn’t just “like”—He loves. And His love is so much more than we can imagine (John 3:16). God wants us to follow His instructions in every aspect of our lives. God wrote the laws that guide us to happiness (Proverbs 29:18).

THINK before you post! Is it:

True?

Helpful?

Inspiring?

Necessary?

Kind?

We want people to like us. We especially want God to like us. And, if we want God to love us, we should be doing what He “likes.”

Do you know Jesus? If not, let us tell you about Him.

Do you know Jesus? If not, let us tell you about Him

You’re not here by accident. God loves you. He wants you to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus, His Son. There is just one thing that separates you from God. That one thing is sin.

The Bible describes sin in many ways. Most simply, sin is our failure to measure up to God’s holiness and His righteous standards. We sin by things we do, choices we make, attitudes we show, and thoughts we entertain. We also sin when we fail to do right things. The Bible affirms our own experience – “there is none righteous, not even one.” No matter how good we try to be, none of us does right things all the time.

People tend to divide themselves into groups – good people and bad people. But God says that every person who has ever lived is a sinner, and that any sin separates us from God. No matter how we might classify ourselves, this includes you and me. We are all sinners.

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

You’re not here by accident. God loves you. He wants you to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus, His Son.

Many people are confused about the way to God. Some think they will be punished or rewarded according to how good they are. Some think they should make things right in their lives before they try to come to God. Others find it hard to understand how Jesus could love them when other people don’t seem to. But I have great news for you! God DOES love you! More than you can ever imagine! And there’s nothing you can do to make Him stop! Yes, our sins demand punishment – the punishment of death and separation from God. But, because of His great love, God sent His only Son Jesus to die for our sins.

“God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

For you to come to God you have to get rid of your sin problem. But, in our own strength, not one of us can do this! You can’t make yourself right with God by being a better person. Only God can rescue us from our sins. He is willing to do this not because of anything you can offer Him, but JUST BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU!

“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” Titus 3:5

It’s God’s grace that allows you to come to Him – not your efforts to “clean up your life” or work your way to Heaven. You can’t earn it. It’s a free gift.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

For you to come to God, the penalty for your sin must be paid. God’s gift to you is His son, Jesus, who paid the debt for you when He died on the Cross.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Jesus paid the price for your sin and mine by giving His life on a cross at a place called Calvary, just outside of the city walls of Jerusalem in ancient Israel. God brought Jesus back from the dead. He provided the way for you to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus. When we realize how deeply our sin grieves the heart of God and how desperately we need a Savior, we are ready to receive God’s offer of salvation. To admit we are sinners means turning away from our sin and selfishness and turning to follow Jesus. The Bible word for this is “repentance” – to change our thinking about how grievous sin is, so our thinking is in line with God’s.

All that’s left for you to do is to accept the gift that Jesus is holding out for you right now.

“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10

God says that if you believe in His son, Jesus, you can live forever with Him in glory.

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Are you ready to accept the gift of eternal life that Jesus is offering you right now? Let’s review what this commitment involves:

I acknowledge I am a sinner in need of a Savior – this is to repent or turn away from sin

I believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead – this is to trust that Jesus paid the full penalty for my sins

I confess Jesus as my Lord and my God – this is to surrender control of my life to Jesus

I receive Jesus as my Savior forever – this is to accept that God has done for me and in me what He promised

If it is your sincere desire to receive Jesus into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior, then talk to God from your heart:

Here’s a Suggested Prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I do not deserve eternal life. But, I believe You died and rose from the grave to make me a new creation and to prepare me to dwell in your presence forever. Jesus, come into my life, take control of my life, forgive my sins and save me. I am now placing my trust in You alone for my salvation and I accept your free gift of eternal life.”

If you have trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please let us know. We want to rejoice in what God has done in your life and help you to grow spiritually.

If you have questions or concerns you would like help with, please call or write and let us know. We’re here to help you understand the love that Jesus is offering you for free, no matter who or where you are. E-mail us at info.biblicaluniversity@gmail.com, Hello @BU 07033128658 WhatsApp, call 0-815-JESUS86 (0-815-934-6786), send message www.facebook/BiblicalUniversityHome, @profemmanuelkolawole, www.instagram@biblicaluniversity, @profemmanuelkolawole or visit our websites www.biblicaluniversity.org.ng, www.profemmanuelkolawole.com.ng, www.blog.profemmanuelkolawole.com.ng for directions to office

Think Before You Post on Social Media

Before You Post on Social Media …

by Kevin Scarbrough

Edited by: Biblical University Press #BiblicalUniversity @biblicaluniversity

What we say on the Internet says a lot about us. Do our social media messages reflect things God likes—or things He hates?

The Internet has carried the torch for instant gratification. With one click of a button, we can buy the latest video game, download the hottest album or purchase a stylish new pair of shoes.

We can have whatever we like!

As Christians, we should be careful and thoughtful in posting and liking articles and memes. It says something about you!

What does God like?

Let’s take a look at what God is in favor of.

God “likes” righteousness (right ways)

If God were a Facebook user, would He approve of the article you just posted? Would He and Jesus Christ “like” the same meme you just liked?

Have you ever stopped and considered what righteousness means? It sounds like a fancy theological word. But, if God blesses the righteous, wouldn’t we want to strive for that blessing?

Clearly, it is not only about thinking what is right—it’s also about doing what is right. In other words, righteousness is the application of right ways.

Putting this into the context of our activity on social media, what we like and share as Christians should coincide with these right ways defined by God.

What God does not like

Pride

A perverse mouth

Lies

What God loves …

THINK before you post! Is it:

True?

Helpful?

Inspiring?

Necessary?

Kind?

We want people to like us. We especially want God to like us. And, if we want God to love us, we should be doing what He “likes.”

Do you know Jesus? If not, let us tell you about Him.

Do you know Jesus? If not, let us tell you about Him. View details in my blog https://emmanuelkolawole.blogspot.com/2023/04/do-you-know-jesus-if-not-let-us-tell.html?m=1 Or www.blog.profemmanuelkolawole.com.ng Jesus Loves You!

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Thoughts on Purpose

"When you know your specific purpose for ministry and make plans to fulfill that purpose, then you can lead others." An excerpt from Leadership, Management & Self Assessment Course Book, 2023

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