IS IT A TRUE CHANGE OR A PRETENCE?

3 AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE ALSO GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS, KNOWING THAT TRIBULATION PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE;
4 AND PERSEVERANCE, CHARACTER; AND CHARACTER, HOPE.
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
Romans 5:3-5 (NKJV)

• If a change would take place in someone, the person of him or her, It has to be through an encounter with God.

• A change or transformation cannot be pretended, or faked, It has to be genuine or real.
• If a person did not have an encounter and he or she pretended to have changed, such a person's Christian living is being faked and not genuine.
  The person who did that would soon relapse back to his or her former state (Proverbs 26:11; 2 Peter 2:22).
• However, If the change in question is real or genuine, It would be through the encounter which the person had had with God.
• Without doubt, It would be seen in the person's life; the attitudes and behaviors, or the characters of the person would show that he or she had had an encounter with God.

• A genuine encounter had by anyone would manifest, be seen, by all. It will not be hidden at all.

• If someone looks sober because of sufferings or what such has just passed through lately, It might not be a genuine change of heart.
• Someone who claims to have changed because of one need or the other or any predicament in his or her life, could have done that because of the need or what they are passing through.
• Such a change is not always genuine and authentic. The person probably became sober or humble because of the recent problem he or she has just had or currently passing through.
• So wait, allow God to reveal Himself, show Himself to the person, such is called an encounter and it used to have a lasting effect on whoever God has chosen to take through it or one permitted to go through such a situation:
  2 MY BRETHREN, COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YOU FALL INTO VARIOUS TRIALS, 3 KNOWING THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES PATIENCE. 4 BUT LET PATIENCE HAVE ITS PERFECT WORK, THAT YOU MAY BE PERFECT AND COMPLETE, LACKING NOTHING" (James 1:2-4 NKJV).

• Do not allow yourself to be moved by sentiment and try to pity someone who is under God's dealings. If you pitied someone because of his or her needs or predicaments, you would be making a mistake.

• Someone who is under the discipline of God and you pleaded that He would be released or changed and be delivered from the distress or predicament. If God answered your prayers on such a person, who's brokenness is yet thorough; you would soon see his or her true nature, wrong characters or the hidden character defects again—which are yet to leave or be dealt with.
• The dealings of God should be allowed to be thorough in a person's life:
  2 MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS [fellow believers], WHEN YOU HAVE MANY KINDS OF TROUBLES [trials; testing], YOU SHOULD BE FULL OF JOY [consider it all/pure joy], 3 BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT THESE TROUBLES TEST YOUR FAITH, AND THIS WILL GIVE YOU PATIENCE [perserverance; endurance]. 4 [And] LET YOUR PATIENCE [perserverance; endurance] SHOW ITSELF PERFECTLY IN WHAT YOU DO [have its full effect; finish its work]. THEN YOU WILL BE PERFECT AND COMPLETE [mature and whole; or completely mature] AND WILL HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED [lack nothing]" (James 1:2-4 Expanded Bible).

• If God allowed you to pass through difficulties, trials or testings, let the trial do a thorough work of transformation in your life—your character.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Should there be any ailment in your body, receive your healing now in Jesus' name.
The affliction will not rise the second time in Jesus' mighty name.

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!