1 Bakorinta 14 - KBTP & GNTD

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.

The Holy Spirit is a vital part of the Christian faith, yet many believers struggle to understand who He truly is and what role He plays in their lives. In this article, we will explore the identity of the Holy Spirit using seven powerful Bible verses to help deepen our understanding.

1. The Holy Spirit as Comforter and Advocate

John 14:16-17 (RSV) – “And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.”

Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come as an Advocate—someone who stands by us, guiding and comforting. The Holy Spirit is not just a distant force but a constant presence who supports and defends believers.

2. The Spirit of Truth

John 16:13 (RSV) – “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Truth because He leads us into a deeper understanding of God’s Word and His will. This guiding role helps believers discern right from wrong and stay aligned with God’s purposes.

3. The Giver of Power

Acts 1:8 (RSV) – “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

One of the most significant roles of the Holy Spirit is empowering believers to be witnesses for Christ. Through His power, we are not only transformed internally but also equipped to spread the message of the Gospel with boldness.

4. The Divine Teacher

John 14:26 (RSV) – “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

The Holy Spirit is our Teacher, helping us understand and remember the teachings of Jesus. This guidance is essential as we grow in faith and navigate life’s challenges.

5. The Spirit Who Gives Life

Romans 8:11 (RSV) – “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you.”

The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in believers, breathing life into our mortal bodies. This resurrection power not only brings physical renewal but also spiritual vitality.

6. The Seal of Belonging

Ephesians 1:13 (RSV) – “In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit marks us as belonging to God. This seal is a guarantee of our inheritance in Christ and serves as a constant reminder that we are His.

7. The Spirit Who Unites

1 Corinthians 12:13 (RSV) – “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit unites believers into one body, transcending racial, social, and cultural differences. Through the Spirit, we become one in Christ, fostering unity within the church.

Embracing the Holy Spirit

Understanding who the Holy Spirit is transforms how we live out our faith. He is not just a divine presence but a Comforter, Advocate, Teacher, and Source of power and unity. As we walk with Him daily, we experience His guidance and embrace the life He offers.

May we continually seek a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit, allowing His influence to shape every aspect of our lives.

DALL·E 2024-10-16 11.46.48 - A black student sitting at a desk, focused and writing an exam in a quiet exam hall. The student looks calm and composed, with pens, pencils, and pape

Avoiding stress during exams is essential for maintaining focus, performing well, and staying healthy. Here’s a biblical, practical, and actionable guide to managing stress effectively during exam time:

1. Start with Prayer and Trust in God

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Tip: Whenever you feel overwhelmed, pause and pray. Surrender your worries to God.

Action:

Start and end your study sessions with a short prayer.
Keep a prayer journal where you express your concerns and ask God for peace.

2. Stay Organized with a Study Plan

1 Corinthians 14:40 – “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”
Tip: A well-organized study schedule prevents last-minute cramming and reduces stress.

Action:

Break your syllabus into manageable chunks, covering a little every day.
Use tools like a study timetable or to-do list to track progress.

3. Take Care of Your Body

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit… Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”
Tip: Eating well, exercising, and sleeping enough will help your brain function better.

Action:

Exercise: Take short walks or do light stretches between study sessions.
Sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night to improve concentration.
Eat Nutritious Foods: Include fruits, vegetables, and water to keep your energy up.

4. Take Breaks and Rest

Exodus 20:8-10 – “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy…”
Tip: Rest is essential to recharge your brain and avoid burnout.

Action:

Take 10-15 minute breaks every hour to relax your mind.
Set aside one day a week to rest and engage in something you enjoy.

5. Avoid Comparison with Others

Galatians 6:4 – “Each one should test their own actions… without comparing themselves to someone else.”
Tip: Comparing yourself with classmates can lead to unnecessary anxiety. Focus on your progress and efforts.

Action:

Remind yourself that your journey is unique, and God has a plan for you.
Celebrate small achievements along the way, like completing a topic or practice test.

6. Practice Deep Breathing and Relaxation Techniques

Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Tip: When stress creeps in, breathe deeply and meditate on God’s presence.

Action:

Deep Breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale for 4 seconds. Repeat several times.
Play soft, relaxing worship music while you study or during breaks.

7. Stay Positive and Speak Life Over Yourself

Proverbs 18:21 – “The tongue has the power of life and death…”
Tip: Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations rooted in Scripture.

Action:

Speak aloud Scriptures like: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Avoid saying things like “I will fail” or “This is too hard.” Instead, say, “I am prepared, and God is with me.”

8. Engage in Fellowship with Others

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – “Two are better than one… If one falls down, the other can help him up.”
Tip: Talk to family, friends, or mentors when you feel overwhelmed.

Action:

Join a study group for encouragement.
Share your concerns with someone who can pray with you and provide guidance.

9. Limit Distractions and Focus on the Present

Matthew 6:34 – “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”
Tip: Avoid worrying about the future or dwelling on past mistakes. Stay focused on what you can do today.

Action:

Set specific times to study without distractions from social media or phone notifications.
Tackle one subject or task at a time to avoid overwhelm.

10. Trust God with the Outcome

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”
Tip: After you’ve done your best, trust God to handle the rest.

Action:

After each exam, pray and thank God for the strength to finish.
Avoid overanalyzing your performance, trust that God’s plan is perfect.

Conclusion

Managing stress during exams is about trusting God, planning wisely, taking care of yourself, and staying focused on the present. Remember that success is not just about grades—it’s about learning, growing, and relying on God’s strength. Following this guide will help you stay calm, focused, and productive throughout the exam season. You’ve got this! God is with you every step of the way.

Ngekwe zwipo zwinodwa ku Meya

1 Thamani kuti ludo gube mazwimisilo enyu, muyemule nge malebeswa kube ne zwipo zwe tjimeya, kwazo kwazo tjipo tje kusumikila dama nge bulebesambeli! 2 Ngobe iye unolebeleka nge lulimi gupoga aatolebeleka ne bathu, koga unolebeleka ne Ndzimu, ngobe akuna unonhwisisa. Unoleba masazibgwe e malebeswa nge simba le Meya. 3 Koga iye unosumikila dama le bulebesambeli unolebeleka ne bathu kubasimisa ne kubakulumbidza ne kubanyaladza. 4 Iye unolebeleka ne lulimi gupoga unozwisimisa, koga iye unosumikila dama le bulebesambeli unobhatsha gubungano.

5 Ndoshaka kuti mose mulebeleke nge ndimi dzipoga; koga tjikulu dzene mungabe ne tjipo tje kusumikila dama le bulebesambeli. Iye unosumikila dama le bulebesambeli nkulu pana unolebeleka nge ndimi dzipoga, kuzhe kwe kungabe kuna mmwe unotjenesa, kuti gubungano libhatshike. 6 Ndizo wali, zwikamu, ha ndizha kumuli ndilebeleka nge ndimi dzipoga, apa ndingamubuzila tjimwe kuzhe kwe ndingamuzhisila zumbunulo imwe kene zibo kene dama le bulebesambeli kene tjidiyo?

7 Ne zwilidzo zwisingatjile, zwinonga nyele kene dende, ha zwithama nlidzo usingahwisisike, nthu ungaziba tjini kuti kolidziwani? 8 Ne lunyanga ha gusingathame nlidzo unohwisisika ndiani ungazwilulwamisila ngwa kene? 9 Ndizo kwakajalobo nge kwenyu, ha imwi nge ndimi dzipoga muleba ndebo isingahwisisike, mmwe nthu ungaziba tjini tjinolebgwa? Ngobe molebelekela mu phepo koga. 10 Kuna ndimi dzili njinji dzakasiyana mu shango, ngono akuna gumwe gwadzo gusina tjagunodwa. 11 Koga andisingazibe tjeneso ye lulimi, ndowobe ntaya ku nlebeleki ne nlebeleki kabe ntaya kundili. 12 Se imwi makazwimisila kube ne zwipo zwinopiwa nge Meya, makafanila kuti mugwise kuzwishingisa kwazo kubaka gubungano.

13 Ndizo iye unolebeleka nge ndimi dzipoga ngaatembezelele simba le kutjenesa tjaanoleba. 14 Ngobe ha nditembezela nge ndimi dzipoga, meya yangu inotembezela, koga nkumbulo wangu auna tjinoubuyila. 15 Ndingashingani ngono? Ndowotembezela nge Meya yangu atembezela nenge nkumbulo wangubo, ndowomba nge meya amba nenge nkumbulo. 16 Ha ukudza Ndzimu mu meya iyo, nthu upakati kwa ibabo basingahwisise ungati “Ngakujalo” tjini mu kuboka kuko ngono asingazibe tjaunoleba? 17 Ungabe uboka Ndzimu nge buzhalo, koga mmwe nthu aatobhatshika.

18 Ndobokela Ndzimu kuti ndolebeleka nge ndimi kumupinda mose. 19 Koga mu gubungano bukulu ndingaleba matama mashanu anohwika kudiya bamwe pana kuti ndilebe matama ali zwiwulu zwili gumi mu lulimi gupoga.

20 Zwikamu, letjani kukumbula se bana; ibeni ngawana mu bubi, koga mu kukumbula ibeni bahwola. 21 Kwakakwagwa mu nlayo kuyi,

“Nge bathu be ndimi dzipoga

nenge milomo ye bataya

ndowolebeleka ne bathu ibaba

ngono na ipapo abatowondihwilila,” kojalo She.

22 Ndizo wali ndimi dzipoga tjilakidzo kuna basingagalemoyo kusi kuna banogalamoyo,

koga bulebesambeli tjilakidzo kuna banogalamoyo kusi basingagalemoyo.

23 Ndizo ha gubungano lose lakakubungana, ngono mmwe ne mmwe elebeleka nge ndimi dzipoga, kube kuti bamwe basingahwisise kene basingagalemoyo bebe bengina, apa abangati mopenga kene? 24 Koga bose ha besumikila dama le bulebesambeli, ngono usingagalemoyo kene nthu koga ebe engina, ungatjemegwa nge dama le Ndzimu linodwa mu gubungano lose kuti ntjinyi ngono mahwi wose aanohwa anowonsumikilisa, 25 ngono zwakasumbikala zwe moyo uwe zowodusigwa patjena. Ndizo unowowila pasi kanamata Ndzimu, kaleba eti, “Ndzimu upakati kwenyu dumbu.”

Shingidzana kwakalulwama mu gubungano

26 Towotini ngono zwikamu? Ha mukubungana kunamata Ndzimu, mmwe ana lumbo kumba, mmwe ana tjidiyo kudiya, mmwe ana tjaazumbunuligwa nge Ndzimu kutjileba, mmwe ana tjaangaleba nge ndimi dzipoga, mmwe etjenesa tjalebgwa. Izwezwi zose ngazwithamwe kusimisa gubungano. 27 Ha bamwe belebeleka nge ndimi dzipoga, ngababe babili koga kene batatu, ngono basipinde ipapo. Balebeleke ngotobedzana; ngono mmwe upoga ngaatjenese tjinolebgwa. 28 Koga ha kusina ungatjenesa, mmwe ne mmwe wabo ngaanyalale mu gubungano, ngono azwilebese iye koga, kakale alebese ne Ndzimu. 29 Balebesambeli babili kene batatu ngabalebeleke, ngono bamwe ngababone bashakisise ngekwe mahwi alebgwa. 30 Koga ha Ndzimu ungazumbunulila tjimwe mmwe ugele pasi, ihwouje unolebeleka ngaanyalale. 31 Ngobe imwi mose mungasumikila dama le bulebesambeli, nng'ompela ne nng'ompela, kuti mmwe ne mmwe azwidiye, kakale mukulumbidzike. 32 Meya ye balebesambeli inolaugwa ne balebesambeli, 33 ngobe Ndzimu ate uli Ndzimu we phiphiti, koga ngewe mbakiso.

Oku ndiko sekwa kunoshingikala mu makubungano e bayengemali, 34 bakadzi bakafanila nyalala mu makubungano. Ngobe abatodumigwa kulebeleka, koga ngabasitungamile mu zwithu zose, se kunoleba nlayo. 35 Ha beshaka kubhuzwa ngekwe tjimwe, ngababhuzwe balume babo kanyi. Ngobe kobhatisa shoni kuti nkadzi alebeleke mu gubungano.

36 Ini! Dama le Ndzimu lakatangisa ndimwi kene? Kene ndimwi moga balakaswika ku bali? 37 Ha mmwe ekumbula kuti nlebesambeli, kene ana tjipo tje tjimeya, wakafanilo amutjila kuti tjandinomukwalila i ndayo ya She. 38 Koga ha eshayila hanya ikoku na iye unowoshayigwa hanya.

Tips to avoid stress during exams

39 Ndizo wali, zwikamu zwangu, muzwimisile kusumikila dama le bulebesambeli koga musidzibise bathu kulebeleka nge ndimi dzipoga. 40 Koga tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakafanilo thamiwa zubuyanana nge ndongoloso.

More about Gifts from the Spirit

1 It is love, then, that you should strive for. Set your hearts on spiritual gifts, especially the gift of proclaiming God's message. 2 Those who speak in strange tongues do not speak to others but to God, because no one understands them. They are speaking secret truths by the power of the Spirit. 3 But those who proclaim God's message speak to people and give them help, encouragement, and comfort. 4 Those who speak in strange tongues help only themselves, but those who proclaim God's message help the whole church.

5 I would like for all of you to speak in strange tongues; but I would rather that you had the gift of proclaiming God's message. For the person who proclaims God's message is of greater value than the one who speaks in strange tongues—unless there is someone present who can explain what is said, so that the whole church may be helped. 6 So when I come to you, my friends, what use will I be to you if I speak in strange tongues? Not a bit, unless I bring you some revelation from God or some knowledge or some inspired message or some teaching.

7 Take such lifeless musical instruments as the flute or the harp—how will anyone know the tune that is being played unless the notes are sounded distinctly? 8 And if the one who plays the bugle does not sound a clear call, who will prepare for battle? 9 In the same way, how will anyone understand what you are talking about if your message given in strange tongues is not clear? Your words will vanish in the air! 10 There are many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11 But if I do not know the language being spoken, those who use it will be foreigners to me and I will be a foreigner to them. 12 Since you are eager to have the gifts of the Spirit, you must try above everything else to make greater use of those which help to build up the church.

13 The person who speaks in strange tongues, then, must pray for the gift to explain what is said. 14 For if I pray in this way, my spirit prays indeed, but my mind has no part in it. 15 What should I do, then? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray also with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will sing also with my mind. 16 When you give thanks to God in spirit only, how can ordinary people taking part in the meeting say “Amen” to your prayer of thanksgiving? They have no way of knowing what you are saying. 17 Even if your prayer of thanks to God is quite good, other people are not helped at all.

18 I thank God that I speak in strange tongues much more than any of you. 19 But in church worship I would rather speak five words that can be understood, in order to teach others, than speak thousands of words in strange tongues.

20 Do not be like children in your thinking, my friends; be children so far as evil is concerned, but be grown up in your thinking. 21 In the Scriptures it is written,

“By means of people speaking strange languages

I will speak to my people, says the Lord.

I will speak through lips of foreigners,

but even then my people will not listen to me.”

22 So then, the gift of speaking in strange tongues is proof for unbelievers, not for believers, while the gift of proclaiming God's message is proof for believers, not for unbelievers.

23 If, then, the whole church meets together and everyone starts speaking in strange tongues—and if some ordinary people or unbelievers come in, won't they say that you are all crazy? 24 But if everyone is proclaiming God's message when some unbelievers or ordinary people come in, they will be convinced of their sin by what they hear. They will be judged by all they hear, 25 their secret thoughts will be brought into the open, and they will bow down and worship God, confessing, “Truly God is here among you!”

Order in the Church

26 This is what I mean, my friends. When you meet for worship, one person has a hymn, another a teaching, another a revelation from God, another a message in strange tongues, and still another the explanation of what is said. Everything must be of help to the church. 27 If someone is going to speak in strange tongues, two or three at the most should speak, one after the other, and someone else must explain what is being said. 28 But if no one is there who can explain, then the one who speaks in strange tongues must be quiet and speak only to himself and to God. 29 Two or three who are given God's message should speak, while the others are to judge what they say. 30 But if someone sitting in the meeting receives a message from God, the one who is speaking should stop. 31 All of you may proclaim God's message, one by one, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. 32 The gift of proclaiming God's message should be under the speaker's control, 33 because God does not want us to be in disorder but in harmony and peace.

As in all the churches of God's people, 34 the women should keep quiet in the meetings. They are not allowed to speak; as the Jewish Law says, they must not be in charge. 35 If they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home. It is a disgraceful thing for a woman to speak in a church meeting.

36 Or could it be that the word of God came from you? Or are you the only ones to whom it came? 37 If anyone supposes he is God's messenger or has a spiritual gift, he must realize that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. 38 But if he does not pay attention to this, pay no attention to him.

39 So then, my friends, set your heart on proclaiming God's message, but do not forbid the speaking in strange tongues. 40 Everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.