Author: Schulter Etyang

One unusual way to get blessings from God

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© Schulter Etyang 4 min read There are only two ways through which we receive blessings from God. The one way is to deserve the blessings, and the other is to not deserve (undeserved) the blessings. Deserved way Undeserved way The deserved way So, how do we try to deserve blessings from God?  Non-Christians try to earn their blessings from God through good works or living good moral lives. They work hard. They are honest individuals. They pay their taxes. They love their spouses and kids. They participate in community projects that uplift the poor, orphan, widow, prisoner and immigrant. They are good citizens. They obey the laws of the land. They are good people. Christians try to earn their blessings from God also by being good or in their case being spiritual. They fast and pray. They give their tithes. They go to Church. They love God with all their heart, soul, strength and mind, and love their neighbours as themselves. They participate in community projects that uplift the poor, orphan, widow, prisoner and immigrant. …

What happens when you offer your own “sacrifices” at the beginning of the year?

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5 min read The answer to the question posed in the post’s title is—God shuts the heavens over you. God will not move on your behalf. Let me unpack this Israel was in decline. They had rebelled against Yahweh, his statutes and his prophets. Time and time again Yahweh sent prophets to warn them of impending doom but instead, they raised the middle finger to their God. Things got worse for them. They were struck with famines and droughts. They lost wars against enemies. They died from sickness and diseases. Yet despite their rebellion, God loved them, and when they turned to him he immediately turned their misfortunes into blessings. He healed them. He blessed them. He provided for them. He protected them. But as human nature loves to coil back to its default mode of sinning, they turned their backs against Yahweh time and time again.

Gird your New Year’s resolutions​ with grace

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3 min read We cannot do without New Year’s resolutions. That’s the truth. Goal setting is as old as creation itself. After God created human beings, he set goals for them — be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue and have dominion. (Genesis 1:28) Adam Alter in his book Irresistible, writes, goals … are a biological imperative rather than a luxury or choice (Pg. 107) We are intrinsically goal-oriented beings.  Jenny and I make resolutions every New Year. We usually sit and write what we want to do in the coming year. We set goals and plans for the year ahead. We set goals as it concerns our health, spirituality, finances, friendships, in-laws, home, vacations, studies, career, ministry etc.

Unto us a child is born

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2 min read Every Christmas for the past seven years, these words cross my mind and when they do, I pause for a moment and just wonder. These are the words God’s answer to everything that terrorized us was not an army or king but a child. I guess I may have listened to these words in a sermon or read them in a book. I will not take credit for such impressive words. These words have lent meaning to Christmas time, for me. Ever since the gospel of grace powered itself into my heart, my appreciation for Christian celebrations came full circle. 

At Christmas, God became one of us

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Estimated Reading Time: 3 min, 25 sec I don’t know how this got started but for some years now, whenever Christmas time comes around, this song, One of Us, written by Eric Bazilian, and originally released by Joan Osborne, unconsciously taps itself into play. It’s as if my memory bank set this song to auto-play whenever it’s Christmas. And it plays on repeat throughout. I wake up in the morning and the first thing I hear is the chorus of the song.  Here’s the chorus of the song What if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us  Just a stranger on the bus  Trying to make his way home? Songwriters: Eric Bazilian / Eric M. Bazilian One of Us lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc When I first listened to this song, I thought it was sacrilegious. My view of God was of a being in heaven with all power and majesty. A God too pure to be equated to us. A God too lofty to be reduced down to human terms. And yet this …

My experience​ at the TEDx Johannesburg 2018

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Estimated Reading Time: 4 min, 32 sec On November 30th, 2018, I attended my first ever TEDx talk in Johannesburg. It had been a desire of mine for many years to attend the famed conference. When I got the opportunity, I took it. The TEDx is a meeting where great minds share their ideas on a specific theme. This year’s theme was Decoding Greatness. The theme was centered on Nelson Mandela and others like him. As you know, Nelson Mandela is an international icon who amongst others brought an end to apartheid. 18 speakers from diverse fields shared their own ideas on greatness using Nelson Mandela’s life as a prop. It was exciting, inspiring, and enlightening.

Into the throne of grace

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Estimated Reading Time: 2 min, 42 sec Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) Jenny and I use Hebrews 4:16 often when we pray together. Most mornings before we leave the house we ask the Lord for grace. Just ten minutes of prayer and Holy Communion does it for us, and Hebrews 4:16 will undoubtedly be used in our prayers. Aren’t we spiritual people? Lol. Roll your eyes. A gospel purist would argue that New Covenant Christians are already (present tense) at the throne of grace, that we are seated with Jesus in heavenly places, that we are at the right hand of the Father, and Hebrews was written to Jews who needed instruction on the contrasts between the Old and New Covenant. I concede.  I had a look at the Greek word for to and saw something interesting. The Greek word for to is eis, which means to or into. To or into are prepositions and …

Tasha Cobbs Leonard – You know my name ft. Jimi Cravity

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I’d like to share this song with you.  In this song, you see the gospel, our response, and how our outlook on life changes too. Gospel – You know my name… And you know my name… Our Response – So now, I pour out My heart to You… Outlook – No fire can burn me, No battle can turn me, No mountain can stop me… God in Christ Jesus lavishes us his grace and then we respond by giving ourselves to him. When this is reversed, grace goes missing.  Here’s the lyrics to the song

Three things Jesus gives to hurried and hungry people

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Estimated Reading Time: 4 min, 49 sec But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  Mark 6:33-34 (NKJV) A picture is formed in our minds. A picture that modern people are certainly conversant with. We are ever running. You and I are running from or running towards something. We are ever in continuous motion. Always in a dash, going here and there. We run from our own failures, guilt, condemnation, enemies, voices in our heads, the police, the landlord, the bank, etc. We run to the next deal, property, career position, conference, investment opportunity, network, contract, tenders, party, etc. Like Satan, we go to and from the earth, and from walking back and forth on it (Job 1:7 NKJV) And most pointedly, we run because we seek for something spiritual. We may not be conscious or able to articulate what we are seeking for, but because we are spiritual beings first, our running back and forth is a search for something that will satisfy our …

Grace starts small

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© November 28, 2018 | Schulter Etyang There is an insatiable demand in life and for those of us in Christian ministry to do big things for God. The “big God, big dream” mantra is so alluring that everything less is deemed ungodly. This view has produced Charismatic Christians who refuse or are unwilling to start small. They will not sell themselves short. They might quote this scripture, “Do not despise these small beginnings,” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT) but it is just that, a quote. How they lead their lives tells a different narrative. I know of Charismatic Christians who will not pursue an opportunity they assume is insignificant for them. When you listen to their hopes and dreams, wow, you will want to crawl under your bed and hide. Their prayers are grandiose. The terminology employed to lay out the vision for their lives is preposterous. How is this varied from the world‘s way of doing things? The world, yes, does big things. Beyonce’s concerts, the Danube Island Festival, the IPO listing has to attract big money for the venture to …