THE TRUE VALENTINE STORY?

It's a great day! I wish everyone a wonderful Valentine day. Whether you choose to celebrate or not. I believe it's a special day for showing love and spreading affection. God is love and true Love is pure. This ought to guide everyone today.
Many factions of stories attempt to trace the origin of Valentine, but which of these is the true valentine story? No matter which faction you believe, love is still the underlying factor. True love is giving and truly forgiving; this is demonstrated by God giving the world His only son for our salvation.
I share an interesting valentine story I read earlier today.
I hope you enjoy it.
Story of St. Valentine
"The story of Valentine's Day begins in the third century with an oppressive Roman emperor and a humble Christian Martyr.   The emperor was Claudius II.   The Christian was Valentinus.
Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship twelve gods, and had made it a crime punishable by death to associate with Christians.   But Valentinus was dedicated to the ideals of Christ; not even the threat of death could keep him from practicing his beliefs.   He was arrested and imprisoned.
During the last weeks of Valentinus's life a remarkable thing happened.   Seeing that he was a man of learning, the jailer asked whether his daughter, Julia, might be brought to Valentinus for lessons.   She had been blind since birth.   Julia was a pretty young girl with a quick mind.   Valentinus read stories of Rome's history to her.   He described the world of nature to her.   He taught her arithmetic and told her about God.  She saw the world through his eyes, trusted his wisdom, and found comfort in his quiet strength.
"Valentinus, does God really hear our prayers?" Julia asked one day.
"Yes, my child, He hears each one."
"Do you know what I pray for every morning and every night?  I pray that I might see.   I want so much to see everything you've told me about!"
"God does what is best for us if we will only believe in Him," Valentinus said.
"Oh, Valentinus, I do believe! I do!"  She knelt and grasped his hand.
They sat quietly together, each praying.   Suddenly there was a brilliant light in the prison cell.   Radiant, Julia screamed, "Valentinus, I can see!  I can see!"
"Praise be to God!"  Valentinus exclaimed, and he knelt in prayer.
On the eve of his death Valentinus wrote a last note to Julia, urging her to stay close to God.   He signed it, "From your Valentine."  His sentence was carried out the next day, February 14, 270 A.D., near a gate that was later named Porta Valentini in his memory.   He was buried at what is now the Church of Praxedes in Rome.   It is said that Julia planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave.   Today, the almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and friendship.   On each February 14, Saint Valentine's Day, messages of affection, love, and devotion are exchanged around the world."

Credit: www.olrl.org/lives/

Let love reign in the world and happy Valentine.

Lots of Love

Emmanuel Ayeni

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL
BY Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Date: - Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Topic: - Sound of Abundant Rain

Memorise: Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. - Zechariah 10:1

Read: (1 Kings 18:41-45 KJV)
41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, there is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
45 And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 43-44 and Acts 24:1-21

MESSAGE:
There is a point in the life of every child of God when the appointed time for the fulfilment of a divine promise arrives. We know as a matter of fact that the word of God is yea and amen. We believe that His word is settled in heaven. We are also certain that heaven and earth may pass away but a dot in His word will not pass away unfulfilled. Nevertheless, as the time of fulfilment of a major prophecy approaches, we may become overwhelmed with suspense and anxiety.
This seems to the case of Elijah in today's reading. Three years before,the prophet had authoritatively declared to king Ahab that there will be no dew nor rain in the land of Israel, except by his word (1 Kings 17:1). Within the three years following that event, God had answered his various requests, and the victory over the prophets of Baal was still fresh in his mind. Yet he knew that if God should send rain at his word, It would be a great accomplishment and the crowning point of his life. It was with this feeling that Elijah approached Mount Carmel for the manifestation of the power of God on the back of God's promise.
There are important lessons to be learnt from the way the prophet handled the situation. First, he exhibited his faith in the Word of God by confidently giving Ahab the assurance to go and start celebrating the coming of the rain. Next is the prophet's attitude to prayer. He decided to put his faith into action through fervent prayers. He was not tempted to leave God to fulfil His own promise.
Thirdly, the sound of abundant rain must have been a sign from God to the prophet, because others could not hear it. He received it with joy as a token that his prayer would be answered, and he announced it to the world by faith. The fourth lesson is that, even though his servant told him "there is nothing" six times, he did not allow discouragement to set in. He knew what God told him, and he held onto it tenaciously. Finally, Prophet Elijah persevered in the place of prayer. He said to his servant "go again", seven times. He continued to watch and pray and finally, there was a great rain. As you tarry in the place of prayer this year, the Lord will answer all your request by fire in Jesus' Name. Always remember this:
"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Habakkuk 2:3.

Prayer Point: Father, please let every prophecy and divine promise for my life begin to find fulfilment now in the Name of Jesus.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL
BY Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Date: - Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Topic: - Sound of Abundant Rain

Memorise: Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. - Zechariah 10:1

Read: (1 Kings 18:41-45 KJV)
41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, there is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
45 And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 43-44 and Acts 24:1-21

MESSAGE:
There is a point in the life of every child of God when the appointed time for the fulfilment of a divine promise arrives. We know as a matter of fact that the word of God is yea and amen. We believe that His word is settled in heaven. We are also certain that heaven and earth may pass away but a dot in His word will not pass away unfulfilled. Nevertheless, as the time of fulfilment of a major prophecy approaches, we may become overwhelmed with suspense and anxiety.
This seems to the case of Elijah in today's reading. Three years before,the prophet had authoritatively declared to king Ahab that there will be no dew nor rain in the land of Israel, except by his word (1 Kings 17:1). Within the three years following that event, God had answered his various requests, and the victory over the prophets of Baal was still fresh in his mind. Yet he knew that if God should send rain at his word, It would be a great accomplishment and the crowning point of his life. It was with this feeling that Elijah approached Mount Carmel for the manifestation of the power of God on the back of God's promise.
There are important lessons to be learnt from the way the prophet handled the situation. First, he exhibited his faith in the Word of God by confidently giving Ahab the assurance to go and start celebrating the coming of the rain. Next is the prophet's attitude to prayer. He decided to put his faith into action through fervent prayers. He was not tempted to leave God to fulfil His own promise.
Thirdly, the sound of abundant rain must have been a sign from God to the prophet, because others could not hear it. He received it with joy as a token that his prayer would be answered, and he announced it to the world by faith. The fourth lesson is that, even though his servant told him "there is nothing" six times, he did not allow discouragement to set in. He knew what God told him, and he held onto it tenaciously. Finally, Prophet Elijah persevered in the place of prayer. He said to his servant "go again", seven times. He continued to watch and pray and finally, there was a great rain. As you tarry in the place of prayer this year, the Lord will answer all your request by fire in Jesus' Name. Always remember this:
"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Habakkuk 2:3.

Prayer Point: Father, please let every prophecy and divine promise for my life begin to find fulfilment now in the Name of Jesus.

RISE TO GREATNESS

So I like to share key points from my twitter timeline on @emmandus

E. Ayeni|#LIFE Coach ‏@Emmandus


It's a great day at The House of #Emmandus It's a Marvelous Monday.Welcome to a new edition of #RiseToGreatness with Emmanuel Ayeni
Keep moving, it helps you gather momentum. Slowing down only helps if you need to gather your breath.. #RiseToGreatness

Nothing beats your undying resolve to succeed above all odds. #RiseToGreatness

Man's greatness endowment next to his living spirit, is his mind this is the seat of #Greatness #RiseToGreatness

The gold of greatness is MINED in the raw grounds of your #MIND #RiseToGreatness

You will either fall or rise in the direction of your MIND. #RiseToGreatness

If you can see it, you can seize it! #RiseToGreatness

Light travels at a speed of 300 millions metres per second & sound at about 400 metres per second ! #RiseToGreatness

You can get there first by seeing it first! Your mind is the canvass where it's drawn. Light travels faster than sound #RiseToGreatness
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If you look for #Greatness you will find it! It's in you! #RiseToGreatness

The Seeds of Greatness have been planted in you by God.Nurture It! #RiseToGreatness

Same seeds different grounds. You determine what grows on the grounds of your #MIND #RiseToGreatness

Mine the Treasures of Greatness in Your Mind. Read. Learn.Think.Pray. Meditate. Ask! Act. Fail,Succeed! Listen.Share. #RiseToGreatness

It's been great today on #RiseToGreatness I hope to see you at one of our live events this week, http://goo.gl/forms/RKMGF9ZwyP …

DECIDE TO SUCCEED

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing. "
-- Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

It's a great day and today I like to encourage you on your journey to success.
Your starting point in the achievement of any worthwhile goal is a strong resolution.
If you have a strong determination and resolve to succeed;You will make it; you  will succeed above all odds.
It's the strong will to succeed that makes you try again until success smiles at you at last.
This strong will to such is what counts at last.

Go for it!
Emmanuel Ayeni

A LITTLE STORY ....

I like to tell a little story that shows how important the value of understanding is.
A man made a journey to a big village and after walking in the hot sun entered the gate and saw different houses,However he saw one which stood out so he asked a man 'who owns this big house?" 'ban fahimce ka' the man replied
In his own language
Wow he must be a rich man the stranger said to himself. So he continued on his journey
When he got to another part of the village, he saw different beautiful women going to stream and asked a woman "whose wives are these. And the woman replied " ban fahimce ka"
Wow! This man must be very great
And after a while he saw many cattle and asked a small boy "who owns this herds of cattle?"
'ban fahimce ka' the boy said
Indeed he must be a rich chief in this village
So he finally arrived at a house where many people were crying and he asked who died? 'ban fahimce ka' he was told.
Then he concluded this man despite all he had just died, what a world..!
But you see,what the stranger realised after a while was that  "ban fahimce ka" was actually no body's name, It only meant "I don't UNDERSTAND you" In their language.

The moral of this story is that, understanding is key to how we interpret issues.

5 GREAT KEYS TO MASTER IN THE NEW YEAR.

5 GREAT KEYS TO MASTER IN THE NEW YEAR.
1.MASTER GOAL SETTING: Mastering the art of goal setting will make this year different from every other year. Goal setting in a nutshell is writing down your life's desires and goals on paper. Writing down your life journey on paper with regards to specifics of duration.
2.MASTER TIME MANAGEMENT: our lives are measured in time and season, when you have the knowledge of times and seasons you come fully prepared knowing what to do per time. Whatever controls your time, controls your life. Time mastery is essential to time management.
3. MASTER CULTIVATING HEALTHY RELARIONSHIPS.
This particular key can unlock for you doors of amazing possibilities, you must learn to reach out to creating strong networks and cultivating healthy relationships. The value of your network is the strength of your networth.
4.Step up on Godliness and Spirituality: Godliness is profitable unto all things. God is the only constant 'K' in the equation of life, every other thing may fail, but God will never fail. Man is a spiritual being that lives in a body and has got a soul. Your spirit yearns for an intimate fellwoship with God, and when you seek God you will find him, He is closer to you than you can ever imagine. Master your spiritual side more this year, it will make all the difference.
5.Develop Skills: You need the mastery of relevant and essential skills, this is your key to paying all bills.Build life skills. Master soft skills,hone the skills you already have and pay attention  to survival skills.
I wish you the best year in 2015.
Be blessed!
Emmanuel Ayeni