Your vulnerability is a gift to others and especially to the body of Christ. Don’t allow yourself to be silenced
Vulnerability Is A Gift
Jesus Christ the Authentic One
Be your authentic self. God made you unique, and so enjoy your life as you grow and evolve fully.
Why do good people suffer?
Why do good people suffer? Why do good people go through tough times and situations in life?
God is good, He doesn’t do evil or hurt His children. He will not release His children into the hands of the destroyer.
God is Love.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus is our firm foundation. A very consistent hope for you and I. You can trust Him, and He will direct your path.
Freedom Walk Book
The Freedom Walk Book is Self-Help Scripture-based material designed for two overall purposes:
First to equip you with the tools to assist you in your journey towards emotional health and healing;
and second, for spiritual formation and discipleship.
Dr. Tope Ade has been able to list and identify 6 different Walks needed to attain the freedom intended by God for His children:
Walking in Love
Walking in Peace
Walking in Victory
Walking in Authority
Walking in the Spirit and
Walking in Alignment.
You will be challenged to the following: Understand the God kind of love
Walk in Forgiveness
Heal from Past Wounds
Appreciate your uniqueness in Christ
Exercise your authority as a believer
Learn how to walk in the Spirit and much more.
This book can be used in Bible Study Groups, Discipleship Classes, Pastoral Counseling Group Settings, or by individuals.
Conversation With Dr Tope Ade Podcast
As the Lead Pastor of The Freedom Place, A Virtual Gathering, Pastor Tope loves Jesus Christ and is not ashamed to be identified with Him. She is determined to walk in God’s Word daily and grow to become like Jesus Christ. Her passion is to see other believers walk in the truth of the Word and to be liberated by the power of the Holy Spirit.
She is committed to discipleship by teaching and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations. She is a Spirit-empowered teacher and an intellectually curious lifelong learner and student of the Word, who believes in expounding the truth in the Word, is a preacher and an author, and she is eager to see God’s Kingdom established on the earth. She is a woman of faith and a praying woman who delights in seeing God restore lives and bring transformation through the power of His Word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Her hobbies are reading, writing, baking, gourmet cooking, gardening, painting and travelling.
The Therapy Called Dance
In recent times, there has been arguments and controversies on how a Christian ought to dance
or what dance is acceptable to the Lord. So, let’s talk about the dance.
Dance involves moving the body rhythmically, often in a choreographed way and usually to
music. Dance is very expressive and it expresses emotions, releases energy and tension, helps
to connect with others, entertains, keeps the blood flowing and is highly spiritual. The Bible
tells us to praise God with the Dance.
Dance is mentioned throughout the Old Testament as a means of worship to God. “Praise Him with the timbrel and dance” (Psalm 150:4). Psalm 149:3 says, “They shall praise Him with dancing.” David danced with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod (Psalm 149:3). Miriam the prophetess, Moses and Aaron’s sister, also one of the leaders of the Hebrews at the time, led the women in a victory dance with their tambourines (Exodus 15:20).
Dance is physical, spiritual and soulish. An effective dance involves the tripartite nature. Dance was incorporated to the worship of deities in various parts of the world especially in the Far East, Middle East, Africa, and Greco-Roman world. The Egyptians did their belly dance to ra, their sun god, the Greeks danced at the Temple of Diana, the Indians danced to their Hindu gods, the Chinese danced the Dragon dance, the Romans danced to Bacchus, the Canaanites danced to Ashtoreth, the Africans danced to Sango and other African deities, the Hispanics danced to the Mayan gods, while the Native American Indians danced to ancestors, the dead, and the elements.
The progenitor of the Jewish race was a Canaanite from the region of Mesopotamia, a people who worshipped idols and deities other than Yahweh the Living God. Dance was a very significant part of worship and celebration in the Jewish culture. They had the Hora dance, the Mayim Mayim (water dance) and several others. During the Simchat Torah, held at the last day of Sukkot, the Rabbi would dance with the Torah in his hands wrapped with the Tallit and pointed it to the sky while the congregation danced around him in circles clapping and raising their hands.
Since the New Testament did not make mention of dancing as found in the Old Testament, it is possible to conclude that there probably was no dancing in the Early Church. However, it is important to note that the early church was Jewish in origin and would have incorporated dancing in their worship especially during the High Holy Days and festive period.
Dancing has also been proven to be the best form of exercise to combat depression. Effective dancing involves the whole person – the body, spirit, and soul. A dancing church is a happy church. Dancing helps to release mental and emotional tension. The atmosphere of worship and high praises with dance is the best treatment for depression and anxiety. “In the presence of God there is fullness of Joy and at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).
Characteristic of the Christian Dance
- Dancing should be God-honoring
- Dancing is physical, physical energy is exerted
- Dancing is soulish
- Dancing is cognitive
- Dancing is spiritual
- Dancing should be celebratory
- Dancing is worship
- Dancing should be joyful
- Dancing should not be self-exalting and self-focused
- Dancing should be sacrificial
The right question to ask is this? Who is your dance dedicated to? And what is on the throne of your heart while dancing? If Christ is on the throne of your heart while dancing and your goal is to honor Him in your dance, then your dance is holy. If self is on the throne of your heart while you are dancing, then your dance is towards self. If lust is on the throne of your heart while dancing then your dance is sensual. If man and how to please man is on the throne of your heart while dancing then your dance is prideful.
Dancing is a vital part of our worship and wellbeing. If God can rejoice and dance over me (Zeph. 3:17), then I will dance for Him unashamedly and unhindered without holding back because my dance is my covenant of worship unto the Lord and my celebration of victory.
I will dance, shout, jump and sing to my Lord for He has given me victory. Psalm 149:1-9.
May you never stop dancing for joy in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Turning Your Adversity Into Purpose
A man once said and I quote, “Tough times never last but tough people do.” (Robert H Schuller, 1984). Life is full of curves and turns; some curves can throw you into an eternal ditch while others can bounce you off the way. Understanding how to navigate curves and turns in life is very crucial.
Adversities are turns and curves which we have to navigate with wisdom. Some situations hit you like a tornado that occurs without prior notice. How do you handle them when they come?
I lost my mother suddenly at the age of 23, one week she was alive and the next week she was gone. I remember my last physical encounter with her in her conscious state, I was working out of town during my National Youth Service Corp year (a mandatory service to the nation after college). I would come home every Thursday and leave for my base on Sunday. This particular Sunday before leaving, my mom asked me to stand in front of her and she poured out her heart in blessings to me, her prayers were unusually long that day. She had never done that before, although she was a praying woman, that occurrence was very unusual; that week she went into a coma.
As the oldest child, I had no time to grieve, I had 3 younger siblings – one young adult and two teenagers – to care for and I swung into action. I became a parent to young adults as a young adult myself. The journey was hard and tough but with God on our side, we navigated several curves and bounced back from many knock downs.
Adversities and setbacks help us to rethink and strategize. Pit times are not party times but they are learning times. There is always a way out, your determination, resilience, and will to live and succeed will give you the strength to always come out of every pit. While in the pit, master the pit and discover the escape routes; someone somewhere will need it.
The best counselors are the ones who have been deeply wounded and have received healing through the hands of the Savior. Because they have been there, they will give you the tips and teach you how to walk through the curves and turns of life.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Paralyzed By Rejection
Rejection can be traumatizing. It starts with a seed that is planted in our lives as a result of
situations and circumstances we have experienced. Rejection is the sense of being cast aside, or
discarded. Sometimes when as child you are have heard more NOs in your life than Yes’ you
might begin to feel that there is something wrong with you. A sense of worthlessness, poor self-
image and hopelessness might set in.
Rejections might be hard to bounce back from and could be paralyzing. There is a paralyzing
effect of rejection which if care is not taken might be difficult to recover from. Rejection can
make you doubt your ability to succeed at anything. Some forms of rejection could be subtle in
nature. One good example is an individual who is very diligent and carries out his duties with
excellence but never receive a commendation from the organization they serve while others
around them are being recognized, they are overlooked. Another example is when you have
had a broken relationship or a divorce and the devil speaks some lies into your
subconsciousness that you are unlovable and you decide to lower your standards and be a
people pleaser.
No matter how much rejection you have experienced you can move forward and flourish. The
first thing to do is to discover your origin in Christ and acknowledge that the God of the Bible is
your Father and your Mother (the source of your origin). Forgive and release those who have
rejected you and renew your mind with the truth of God’s Word.
- Rejection is a temporary setback; you can always bounce back “the righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (Prov. 24:16)
- Rejection does not determine your self-worth, you were bought with a price, Christ has determined that you are worth dying for;
- Reach out for help; talk to a Christian counselor or coach;
- There is a purpose in your rejection, learn from your experience and look forward to your best years which are ahead of you. Forget the things that are behind and look ahead; (Phil 3:13-14)
- You will surely come back stronger and healthier if you do not give up.
What Are Your Limiting Beliefs?
Limiting beliefs are beliefs that are self-deprecating. They are thoughts that 10 out of the 12
spies had when they went into Canaan to spy the land. The giants looked bigger to the 10 spies
than the God who parted the Red Sea and brought the Hebrews out of Egypt, the giants of
Canaan looked bigger than the God who provided them with Manna, Spring Water and Meat in
the wilderness.
Sometimes, limiting beliefs come as a response to past traumatic experiences. It you’ve had to
fight hard to achieve various milestones in your life or you’ve had to deal with obstacles and
challenges that have paralyzed your faith, you might begin to have beliefs that are limiting. The
Fear of Failure is a limiting belief. For several years in an abusive marriage, I was told how much
of a failure I was and how worthless I was because I didn’t bring in much income as a Pastor. In
my sub-consciousness, I began to see myself as a failure and had to fight the voice in my head
that kept telling me how much of a failure I was no matter how much I tried. The fear of failure
crippled me. I published books, developed courses and was gifted in many areas, highly
cerebral, intellectual and Spirit-filled, but the fear of failure kept me bound. I learnt to conquer
those destructive limiting thoughts with the Word of God. I do speak life over myself and
constantly replace the negative thoughts with God’s thoughts about me.
Another limiting belief is Perfectionism. Perfectionism is an obsession with flawlessness and
perfection. It is always concerned with what people will think. Perfectionism comes with critical
self-evaluations, self-doubt, unrealistic expectations and excessive concern with mistakes and
errors. Perfectionism wants to prove a point to others. Yes, we are called to excellence, and,
excellence allows for imperfections and mistakes. Excellence is concerned about the process
and the lessons learnt on the journey while perfectionism is concerned about the outcome
which has to be flawless. Many perfectionists suffer from anxiety.
Give yourself grace, you are not out to please man but God and God sees you where you are.
Do not be afraid to fail; failure is not when you get it wrong, failure is when you quit and refuse
to be all that God has called you to be. Do not allow your beliefs to limit you. God has more for
you and you need to trust His process.
