DO NOT BE RASH
You may wonder why many steps people take leads to regret especially among the youths. The reason is because of rash decision.
Rashness leads to regret.
It can make you loose your respect and dignity.
Those who are rash are shallow and because they lack root, their decision are blown here and there by the winds of life.
While you shouldn�t be slow, do not rush; take time to think deeply over the issues surrounding you. Think of the decisions you�re making.
Weigh the matters and take appropriate steps as they are rooted in your mind.
PROMPTNESS
Opportunities are stepping stones to greatness in life.
Interestingly we all have opportunities knocking on our doors
on a daily basis.
The missing gap is promptness of response to these
opportunities. Most people are too slow
to catch up with the speed of opportunities that comes their ways. Only prompt response can attract and arrest
opportunity.
May yours not be transferred to your neighbour? Will you pray this prayer now!
Lord, grant me promptness of action and sense of urgency that
will enable me to take appropriate steps.
Make me to respond to the future beckoning to me; rather than
holding back by the circumstance(s) that is around me.
By the nudging of the Spirit, I respond to every urge of the
Spirit to act with speed.
By the blood of Jesus I destroy every delay or procrastination.
BETWEEN THE POPULAR AND THE PECULIAR
We live in a world wherein people sell out their moral values and self esteem to vogue.
To make a mark you must understand that you are peculiar and function on that platform.
Refuse to go for what is popular, abide by what is peculiar. Going for what is popular makes you to bend and blend and in the end loose your identity, uniqueness and peculiarity.
There is something peculiar about you. Don�t trade it for what is popular.
The popular is fashionable trend and vogue. They come in seasons and go in similar way.
BE ADVENTUROUS
The glory of man is revealed by his adventure.
The beauty of a bird is not in its perching on a tree but in the air.
The usefulness of an aircraft is not in being parked on the tarmac but in the air.
The glamour of a ship is not in the harbor but on the sea.
Do what you are created for, to create, to dare new things, to venture.
You never get fulfilled standing on the same spot doing nothing. Your joy is tied to what you are adding to life.
Adventure!
Be on the move.
Add more to life.
STRETCH BEYOND
Never wait for convenience.
Beware! Convenience is the burial place of giants.
Convenience is the breeding ground for stagnation.
There is no advancement in time of convenience.
Stretch to go beyond. Stretch to climb higher.
Convenience encourages waiting which leads to wasting.
When you stop stretching you stop going farther.
You are either stretching or shrinking.
Refuse to be confined to the same spot. Progress responds only to those who beckon to it by their stretch.
React to the status quo. Give beyond your limit to enjoy abundance beyond your level.
Life is elastic. It will respond only to the limit of its stretch by you. Stretch it to extend it.
Stretch, tarry in His presence and trials will vanish in the process.
Don�t be sitted, rise up to take what belongs to you.
SET YOUR EYES ON YOUR GOAL
: If you fall to the ground don’t look at the ground. Set your eyes on your goal, your future.
: Those who look at the ground will be tied to the ground and may be buried in the ground. But those that set their eyes on their future will be attracted to their future.
: Your feet, indeed, your entire life is ultimately attracted in the direction of your eyes.
: The direction of your look determines the outlook of your life in the ultimate.
: God has provided for our fall even seven times but in the midst of your fall, never shift your focus.
Monday, October 4, 2010
RAISING GODLY CHILDREN
GOD'S COMMAND TO TRAIN CHILDREN
A commandment is a law or an order. So in case you previously thought child raising is an advice, a suggestion or a thing you do at your convenience, understand this: child training is a commandment! It is a must for you! It’s a commandment from God, not from man.
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children… Deut.6:6-7.
Remember, however, that God’s commandments are not grievous. My husband says His commandments are not to grieve you, but to groom you!
…And his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3
A refusal to train your children in God’s fear is absolute disobedience to God’s commandment.
…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Sam.15:22.
In the same way failure to keep the ten commandments brings severe punishments on people from God, so does failure to raise up your children after God’s laid down pattern incur His anger and punishment.
One such punishment is shame. God allows the disobedient parent to experience shame because he failed to instruct his offspring in the ways of God. Marilyn Hickey, in her book, Break The Generation Curse told this story:
“Max Jukes was an atheist who married a godless woman. Some 560 descendants were traced:
Three hundred and ten died as paupers – 150 became criminals – seven of them murderers – 100 were known to be drunkards – and more than half of the women were prostitutes.
The descendants of Max Jukes cost the United States government more than $1.25 million in 19th century dollars.
Jonathan Edwards was a contemporary of Max Jukes. He was a committed Christian who gave God first place in his life. He married a godly young lady, and some, 1,394 descendants were traced:
Two hundred and ninety-five graduated from college, of whom thirteen became college presidents and 65 became professors – three were elected as United States senators – three as state governors, and others were sent as ministers to foreign countries – 30 were judges – 100 were lawyers (one the dean of an outstanding law school) – 56 practiced as physicians (one was the dean of a medical school) – 75 became officers in the military – 100 were well-known missionaries, preachers and prominent authors – another 80 held some form of public office, of whom three were mayors of large cities – one was the comptroller of U.S. Treasury – and another was vice president of the United States.
Not one of the descendants of the Edwards family was a liability to the government!”
You therefore have no excuse to send your children off to a “rich” relative to train for you. You have a responsibility to train them up in the fear of the Lord by yourself. It is a personal, non-transferable responsibility.
…A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. Prov.29:15
Look at drug pushers and other evil doers in the society, for instance. They have parents, but those parents for shame would never identify with them. They hide away in shame at the mention of their names, simply because they didn’t hearken to the command to raise their children in the fear of God.
Eli was a man who tasted shame because of his children. Although he was a priest in Israel, he failed in the area of child training. His two children (Hophni and Phinehas) became very notorious and were dreaded by the people. They ultimately died and Eli himself broke his neck and died also, all in one day! Not only that, the ark of the covenant was taken from Israel. (1 Sam.4:11,18.)
How I wish you would embrace child training as a commandment from God and practice it with the same seriousness with which you pay your tithe or flee fornication. It’s that serious!
Being a parent is an awesome responsibility, as well as a fantastic privilege! But in spite of the demands it places upon you, you still need to keep at it with dogged determination. God commands you to train up your children, and He also supplies you with the grace required for the assignment.
Please realize that although child training is a commandment, it is also a process which must be continued over a period of time. So, don’t give up when results do not come forth immediately. If you faithfully train your children, you can expect God to fulfill His part. God never commands the impossible, He is faithful.
The fruits of a seed that has just been planted doesn’t come forth immediately; but with the farmer’s patience of continuous watering and watching over it, what was formerly a seed soon becomes a plantation, with plenty of fruits to show. Parents need to be patient in training their children.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. Isa.1:19
Discipline For Raising Godly Children!
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it. Prov.22:6
To train means “to mould the character, to instruct by exercise, drill, make obedient, to put or point in an exact direction, to prepare for a contest”. A necessary part of child training is discipline; it is what completes and makes it effective. There is a way to train up a child and discipline is a part of that way.
Discipline means training, especially of the mind and character, aimed at producing self-control, obedience, etc.
Susanna Wesley, who lived two centuries ago and turned out two of that generation’s most dedicated ministers – Charles and John Wesley, (as well as nine other children), had an interesting philosophy on rearing children.
The child who refuses to go to bed at night is the same child that refuses to learn scriptures and follow the Lord. And just as surely as I’d see that child went to bed, I’d see that child come to God.
To refuse to discipline your child is to prepare him for destruction. That was how Phinehas and Hophni, the two sons of Eli were destroyed. Their father refused to discipline them. He knew about their immorality, yet he was complacent.
For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 1 Sam.3:13
Eventually, Eli was also destroyed. So child training is a responsibility of parents (both the father and the mother); and discipline is an integral part of training. I saw a word in the book of Job that reinforced this principle of training.
He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. Job 36:10
It is God who opens our ears to discipline and commands us to return from iniquity. The two main points mentioned here are – discipline and iniquity. Discipline here means to train up a child (especially our children) to be obedient and self-controlled; while iniquity is anything contrary to righteousness in words, thoughts and in our actions. Until the ear of a child is opened to discipline, iniquity will continue in his life.
How does God expect us to discipline our children? He expects us to do it with the “rod”. The rod is the tool of discipline; it must be used to mould the character and give shape to the life of our children. Scripturally, there are two types of “rod” – the spiritual and the physical.
A commandment is a law or an order. So in case you previously thought child raising is an advice, a suggestion or a thing you do at your convenience, understand this: child training is a commandment! It is a must for you! It’s a commandment from God, not from man.
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children… Deut.6:6-7.
Remember, however, that God’s commandments are not grievous. My husband says His commandments are not to grieve you, but to groom you!
…And his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3
A refusal to train your children in God’s fear is absolute disobedience to God’s commandment.
…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Sam.15:22.
In the same way failure to keep the ten commandments brings severe punishments on people from God, so does failure to raise up your children after God’s laid down pattern incur His anger and punishment.
One such punishment is shame. God allows the disobedient parent to experience shame because he failed to instruct his offspring in the ways of God. Marilyn Hickey, in her book, Break The Generation Curse told this story:
“Max Jukes was an atheist who married a godless woman. Some 560 descendants were traced:
Three hundred and ten died as paupers – 150 became criminals – seven of them murderers – 100 were known to be drunkards – and more than half of the women were prostitutes.
The descendants of Max Jukes cost the United States government more than $1.25 million in 19th century dollars.
Jonathan Edwards was a contemporary of Max Jukes. He was a committed Christian who gave God first place in his life. He married a godly young lady, and some, 1,394 descendants were traced:
Two hundred and ninety-five graduated from college, of whom thirteen became college presidents and 65 became professors – three were elected as United States senators – three as state governors, and others were sent as ministers to foreign countries – 30 were judges – 100 were lawyers (one the dean of an outstanding law school) – 56 practiced as physicians (one was the dean of a medical school) – 75 became officers in the military – 100 were well-known missionaries, preachers and prominent authors – another 80 held some form of public office, of whom three were mayors of large cities – one was the comptroller of U.S. Treasury – and another was vice president of the United States.
Not one of the descendants of the Edwards family was a liability to the government!”
You therefore have no excuse to send your children off to a “rich” relative to train for you. You have a responsibility to train them up in the fear of the Lord by yourself. It is a personal, non-transferable responsibility.
…A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. Prov.29:15
Look at drug pushers and other evil doers in the society, for instance. They have parents, but those parents for shame would never identify with them. They hide away in shame at the mention of their names, simply because they didn’t hearken to the command to raise their children in the fear of God.
Eli was a man who tasted shame because of his children. Although he was a priest in Israel, he failed in the area of child training. His two children (Hophni and Phinehas) became very notorious and were dreaded by the people. They ultimately died and Eli himself broke his neck and died also, all in one day! Not only that, the ark of the covenant was taken from Israel. (1 Sam.4:11,18.)
How I wish you would embrace child training as a commandment from God and practice it with the same seriousness with which you pay your tithe or flee fornication. It’s that serious!
Being a parent is an awesome responsibility, as well as a fantastic privilege! But in spite of the demands it places upon you, you still need to keep at it with dogged determination. God commands you to train up your children, and He also supplies you with the grace required for the assignment.
Please realize that although child training is a commandment, it is also a process which must be continued over a period of time. So, don’t give up when results do not come forth immediately. If you faithfully train your children, you can expect God to fulfill His part. God never commands the impossible, He is faithful.
The fruits of a seed that has just been planted doesn’t come forth immediately; but with the farmer’s patience of continuous watering and watching over it, what was formerly a seed soon becomes a plantation, with plenty of fruits to show. Parents need to be patient in training their children.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. Isa.1:19
Discipline For Raising Godly Children!
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it. Prov.22:6
To train means “to mould the character, to instruct by exercise, drill, make obedient, to put or point in an exact direction, to prepare for a contest”. A necessary part of child training is discipline; it is what completes and makes it effective. There is a way to train up a child and discipline is a part of that way.
Discipline means training, especially of the mind and character, aimed at producing self-control, obedience, etc.
Susanna Wesley, who lived two centuries ago and turned out two of that generation’s most dedicated ministers – Charles and John Wesley, (as well as nine other children), had an interesting philosophy on rearing children.
The child who refuses to go to bed at night is the same child that refuses to learn scriptures and follow the Lord. And just as surely as I’d see that child went to bed, I’d see that child come to God.
To refuse to discipline your child is to prepare him for destruction. That was how Phinehas and Hophni, the two sons of Eli were destroyed. Their father refused to discipline them. He knew about their immorality, yet he was complacent.
For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 1 Sam.3:13
Eventually, Eli was also destroyed. So child training is a responsibility of parents (both the father and the mother); and discipline is an integral part of training. I saw a word in the book of Job that reinforced this principle of training.
He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. Job 36:10
It is God who opens our ears to discipline and commands us to return from iniquity. The two main points mentioned here are – discipline and iniquity. Discipline here means to train up a child (especially our children) to be obedient and self-controlled; while iniquity is anything contrary to righteousness in words, thoughts and in our actions. Until the ear of a child is opened to discipline, iniquity will continue in his life.
How does God expect us to discipline our children? He expects us to do it with the “rod”. The rod is the tool of discipline; it must be used to mould the character and give shape to the life of our children. Scripturally, there are two types of “rod” – the spiritual and the physical.
HOME MANAGMENT
Creative Home Management
Every one wants to have a stable and sweet home. The dream of every married man or woman is to have a home where every thing is orderly and where there is prosperity and progress. That is also God�s will for your home but one of the things it takes to achieve that goal is creative management. First, what is creative home management? To manage means to be able to handle, control or administer available resources through careful planning. The word creative means originality or the ability to bring something new into existence. Every home is made up of great destinies (that is, the husband, the wife and children). So, when we talk about home management, it is not just keeping your environment clean, cooking good food for your family or making sure that your children are neat, I am talking about managing every resource that God has put within your home to ensure that each member fulfills his or her destiny. It is the individuals in a family that make up a home, without them, all you will have is a house. So, by the grace of God, I want to share with you here, how to handle your home in a unique way, so as to have an outstanding testimony. Because of the destinies and potentials involved, I regard the home as an �oil well� that is full of treasures which if properly managed will yield great profits but if not, it ends up as a waste and a shame. God�s purpose is to make your home a showpiece for all to see. Improper management is the reason some families never realize that purpose and the members end up being demoralized. But good management of resources qualifies you for more of God�s blessings. You need Wisdom! Wisdom is the basic requirements for creative home management. Proverbs 24:3 says, �Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established.� Just as individuals are peculiar, every home is also peculiar, unique and special. So, even though there are general management rules that we can follow, you require the wisdom of God to devise unique ways of managing your own home, because the priorities in other homes may not be the same in your home. This is why you need creativity to be able to meet every need of your home without running helter-skelter. You cannot use another person�s plan to run your life and your home. Be creative and prayerful and God will help you to develop a plan that suits your own home and resources per time. When you have the wisdom of God, it will give you originality and make your home unique among all others. It will put an end to all your struggles with family finances, relationships, academic performance of your children and other areas of family life. The Bible says, �Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Be not wise in thine own eyes�� (Proverbs 3:5-7). Those who trust in themselves never make headway in their homes. They are always struggling to make ends meet but the ends never meet for them. When you operate in the wisdom of God, no matter how little the resources in your hand, it will always be more than enough. You Must Plan �For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?� - Luke 14:28 Management requires careful planning. This simply means mapping out your order of activities and spreading your available resources to meet the needs of your home. Your time, finances and material resources are talents that God has committed into your hands and He expects you to plan wisely and use them for the successful and smooth running of your family. There is nothing in your hands that is too small. There is no situation your family is in now that cannot change, if only you will plan. When there is a plan, management becomes easy. Living without a plan is like traveling through a desert without a compass or a map. It is will be a fruitless, endless journey. Every thing about the home must be planned for. Plan for the number of children you want to have and for their future, plan your spiritual and social life. God Himself is a planner. How do I know? We are told in Genesis 1:2 that the earth was without form and void and when God wanted to start creation, the first thing He said was �Let there be light.� I want to believe that God created light first so that He could see the other things that He needed to put in place, in order to avoid confusion. In the same way God expects you to do things in your home in the order of priority. For instance, you don�t have to wait until the day your children are set to resume school before you start looking for school fees! When you plan ahead you deliver yourself from the anxiety of looking for things at the last minute. It is true that you believe God, but as you believe, make sure you have a plan. My husband often says that any man who waits till the day his wife is to deliver before he begins to run around for the hospital bill is not a planner. He had a long notice of nine months, but did nothing. Plan, both for now and the future. Just as you plan for what your family will eat on a daily basis, also plan ahead for family projects like building a house etc. Ensure that you plan according to your size per time. Remember that men are in sizes and life is in phases. If you manage and plan your present level well, God will take you speedily to the next phase. Peace!
Every one wants to have a stable and sweet home. The dream of every married man or woman is to have a home where every thing is orderly and where there is prosperity and progress. That is also God�s will for your home but one of the things it takes to achieve that goal is creative management. First, what is creative home management? To manage means to be able to handle, control or administer available resources through careful planning. The word creative means originality or the ability to bring something new into existence. Every home is made up of great destinies (that is, the husband, the wife and children). So, when we talk about home management, it is not just keeping your environment clean, cooking good food for your family or making sure that your children are neat, I am talking about managing every resource that God has put within your home to ensure that each member fulfills his or her destiny. It is the individuals in a family that make up a home, without them, all you will have is a house. So, by the grace of God, I want to share with you here, how to handle your home in a unique way, so as to have an outstanding testimony. Because of the destinies and potentials involved, I regard the home as an �oil well� that is full of treasures which if properly managed will yield great profits but if not, it ends up as a waste and a shame. God�s purpose is to make your home a showpiece for all to see. Improper management is the reason some families never realize that purpose and the members end up being demoralized. But good management of resources qualifies you for more of God�s blessings. You need Wisdom! Wisdom is the basic requirements for creative home management. Proverbs 24:3 says, �Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established.� Just as individuals are peculiar, every home is also peculiar, unique and special. So, even though there are general management rules that we can follow, you require the wisdom of God to devise unique ways of managing your own home, because the priorities in other homes may not be the same in your home. This is why you need creativity to be able to meet every need of your home without running helter-skelter. You cannot use another person�s plan to run your life and your home. Be creative and prayerful and God will help you to develop a plan that suits your own home and resources per time. When you have the wisdom of God, it will give you originality and make your home unique among all others. It will put an end to all your struggles with family finances, relationships, academic performance of your children and other areas of family life. The Bible says, �Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Be not wise in thine own eyes�� (Proverbs 3:5-7). Those who trust in themselves never make headway in their homes. They are always struggling to make ends meet but the ends never meet for them. When you operate in the wisdom of God, no matter how little the resources in your hand, it will always be more than enough. You Must Plan �For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?� - Luke 14:28 Management requires careful planning. This simply means mapping out your order of activities and spreading your available resources to meet the needs of your home. Your time, finances and material resources are talents that God has committed into your hands and He expects you to plan wisely and use them for the successful and smooth running of your family. There is nothing in your hands that is too small. There is no situation your family is in now that cannot change, if only you will plan. When there is a plan, management becomes easy. Living without a plan is like traveling through a desert without a compass or a map. It is will be a fruitless, endless journey. Every thing about the home must be planned for. Plan for the number of children you want to have and for their future, plan your spiritual and social life. God Himself is a planner. How do I know? We are told in Genesis 1:2 that the earth was without form and void and when God wanted to start creation, the first thing He said was �Let there be light.� I want to believe that God created light first so that He could see the other things that He needed to put in place, in order to avoid confusion. In the same way God expects you to do things in your home in the order of priority. For instance, you don�t have to wait until the day your children are set to resume school before you start looking for school fees! When you plan ahead you deliver yourself from the anxiety of looking for things at the last minute. It is true that you believe God, but as you believe, make sure you have a plan. My husband often says that any man who waits till the day his wife is to deliver before he begins to run around for the hospital bill is not a planner. He had a long notice of nine months, but did nothing. Plan, both for now and the future. Just as you plan for what your family will eat on a daily basis, also plan ahead for family projects like building a house etc. Ensure that you plan according to your size per time. Remember that men are in sizes and life is in phases. If you manage and plan your present level well, God will take you speedily to the next phase. Peace!
CONQUERING THE CONTROLLING POWER
Conquering Controlling Powers
The last days’ operation of iniquity is on the frequency of mysteries. Forces have been let loose from hell to hold bound the sons of God. But I have good news for you, we are going to destroy those forces! There are many things you never intended to do, but somehow there are controlling forces in the air that want to take advantage of your ignorance of the real battle. The Bible says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).
Our battles are essentially spiritual. It will therefore require a spiritual approach to have our desired victory. Vows, determination, will-power, are able to handle habits; but spiritual influences can only be handled from the spiritual sphere. We have been able to adequately handle habits, it’s time to confront spiritual controls. There are habits and there are controls! Controls are remote in nature. They are in the air. That wild anger, that depression you can’t trace the source – you are jumping and praising the Lord this minute and the next you are like a “deputy devil” – they are all demonic controls but your hour of deliverance has come!
You are a most fruitful vine, if you are a born again child of God, you are God’s choicest vine (Isaiah 5:1). You have such a fantastic future, but the devil is eyeing it! He wants to steal it! John 10:10 tells us, “The thief cometh not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” But you know, something? Satan can be destroyed! In Mark 1:24, the demons cried out, “Art thou come to destroy us?” Our generation will keep satan on his knees. If you have suffering defeat in the hands of these controlling spirits that defeat will be turned to victory from now.
Something about sin is that it buys opportunities. Romans 13:14 says, “….and make no provision for the flesh…” When a provision is made satan dives in. But you can break that control!
THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2). There is a law of sin; a force that remotely controls, subjects and brings into captivity innocent sons of men. Paul confessed, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:18-19, 21,23)
A law is a force. It’s a control! If you are a very angry person, you don’t need anyone to say anything to make you angry; you just get angry over anything, whether good or bad, because of the bondage of the law of sin and death. It’s there in you, warring! But thank God the Bible says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Cor. 10:3-4). There is a way out!
CONTROLLING SPIRITS
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). There are forces called rulers of the darkness of this world. They are behind all the works of darkness. They are spirits. They are forces in the spiritual realm, that are out to devastate the destinies of men. Friend, the rulers of this wicked world, and the wicked spirits in high places, are the forces we are contending with! These forces influence people to do things against God, so that they can fall under His judgment. What are these spirits?
Unclean Spirit
“And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out” (Mark 1:23). There is what is called unclean spirits and their mission is to make men walk in all manner of uncleanness.
The Spirit Of The World
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Cor. 2:12). There is a spirit of the world which monitors, supervises, co-ordinates and organizes the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Anything that makes for spiritual arrogance and rebellion is the work of the spirit of the world. When the things of God don’t matter to you any more, you are under the influence of one of the spirits of this wicked world.
Every time you see your spirit not embracing the truth of life, know that there is a strange influence trying to tear down your destiny. So, be smart enough to say like Jesus, “Get thee behind me satan!” That thing that won’t let you be contented or be grateful to God, that keeps your mind panting after things, is the spirit of the world. Haven’t you heard that godliness with contentment is great gain? (1 Timothy 6:6).
The Bible says, “…Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Who sever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4). No enemy of God has a future. Remember Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzer, Herod and others. It is the love of God that guarantees glorious living!
Lying Spirit
Lying is one of those demonic influences over the lives of people to make them come under God’s wrath (1Kgs 22:22).
Spirit Of Bondage
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom 8:15). The spirit of bondage gets people tied down, locked up and chained down! This spirit is responsible for all manner of afflictions that people suffer. Talking about the woman that was under affliction for eighteen years in Luke 13:16, Jesus asked, “…Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond…?”
The Spirit of bondage is a spirit of captivity. For instance, somebody is coughing and is still smoking! He has been told at the hospital that he has tuberculosis. He doesn’t want to die, yet he keeps smoking. He is under the arrest of the spirit of the spirit of bondage, the spirit that causes addiction to evil. Everything binding you to what you don’t want is a spirit of bondage.
Spirit Of Whoredoms
“They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD” (Hosea 5:4). The spirit of whoredoms constantly craves filthiness, sexual immorality, making motions in the body, etc. That is the spirit of adultery and fornication. If you are under the control of this spirit, I’d like you to know that you have power over it! Jesus gave us power against unclean spirits to cast them out (Mathew 10:10).
Spirit Of Disobedience
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph 2:2).This spirit works disobedience in people, going through the flesh and the mind to take people off God’s presence so that they can be afflicted and tormented. It works through the flesh and the mind to make you a child of wrath.; to bring the wrath of God upon your life! But the hour of your liberty has come. It’s over now! The answer is here!
The True Source Of Empowerment
There is no substitute for empowerment in the quest of any man to fulfill destiny, because we live in a wicked world. Therefore to live without power is to go through life as a victim. Empowerment is the guarantee for fulfillment of destiny.
Our Glorious Destiny In Christ
First, it is important for us to recognize that we are a people of enviable destiny. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Rom 8:29-30). This implies that God has a grand design for each of us to live a glorious life. We all have glorious destinies in Christ! God planted a seed of glorious destiny into every life and when you give your life to Christ, you enter into that heritage, so it is sealed and established. But whether you actualize that glorious heritage or not, is largely determined by this great factor called empowerment. Jesus called the twelve disciples and He took them through His training school for three and half years, at the end of it He said, “I cannot guarantee the fulfillment of your mission until you are endued with power from on high. You have been instructed but you must be empowered.” You may have instructions but you may not have what it takes to apply the instructions. So Jesus said, “Tarry ye until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). That means your glorious destiny in Christ is not guaranteed without empowerment.
Jesus said in a parable in Mathew chapter 13, a man sowed good seed in his land and while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares and then the dressers came and said, “Master did you not sow good seed in your field how come it came out with tares?” And He said, “An enemy has done this. This is not my original intention, it is the doing of the enemy.” And it is important for us to know that the enemy understands only one language and it is the language of power, outside of power he has no respect for you. The Bible says, “Through the greatness of thy power shall thy enemies submit themselves unto you” (Ps. 66:3).
Our glorious destiny is already fully paid for but it is also constantly being contested by the enemy and that is why we need to be empowered.
Our Source Of Empowerment!The Church has settled for a long time on the Holy Spirit as the only source of empowerment and that is why I think we are stranded. Thank God for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, He is God’s grand design to initiate us into the realm of power but He is not an end in Himself. The Holy Spirit launches us out into that realm of power. In Isaiah chapter 11, the Bible talking about the anointing upon Jesus says, “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding…And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD…” (Isaiah 11:2-3).
The Holy Spirit quickened His understanding for empowerment. And in verse 9 of the same chapter, it says, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” That means the Holy Spirit empowers us by opening us up to the knowledge of the truth. So the truth is the actual principal raw material for the empowerment of the saints.
What is power? It is the display of authority; a demonstration of supremacy. Power is nothing but taking command in the midst of opposition, taking authority over the enemy. Romans 1:16 says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.” So, inside the word lies the power of God and our faith is what enables us to tap into that power. The woman with the issue of blood, by faith, tapped into the virtue that Christ carried. And you know, Christ was the moving or living word. When that woman stretched out her faith and touched the hem of His garment, Jesus said, “Virtue is gone out of me.” So, just like the physical Christ was a bank of virtue, so the word of God is a bank of virtues and we tap into that virtue through our faith.
Hebrews 1:3 says, “He upholds all things by the word of His power…” That means everything is under the control of the word of his power. So, no matter how anointed you are if you are not insightful, if you are not revelation-full, you become a victim of frustration. The knowledge of the truth is the actual channel for the empowerment of the saints. John 8:32 says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Nothing empowers like the truth. When the truth dawns on a man in any area of life, he takes natural command in that area. So, God’s word is not just there to inform us, it is there principally to empower us.
Our Access To Empowerment!
The Holy Spirit, as it were, is not the actual source of our empowerment, He is our access to empowerment. Many speak in tongues, many prophesy and operate most of the gifts of the Holy Spirit but they are still powerless. The truth is the principal raw material for the empowerment of the saint. Everybody you see trading the gifts of the Holy Spirit without appropriate attention to the word will soon begin to lose worth. Jesus said, when He the Spirit of truth comes He shall teach you all things, He will bring to your remembrance all things that you have been taught, He will guide you into all truth and show you things to come (John 14:26, 16:13). That’s His mission. Isaiah said, “He shall make you of quick understanding.” So His core ministry is to empower the saints by giving them access to the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:10). It’s time to allow the Holy Spirit to do His job therefore.
Let Him teach you that particular truth that will give you command over that issue of your life. We are so busy quoting scriptures! It is not every word that has the answer to the particular question of your life! There is a right word that provides the answer for it. That is why the Bible says, “…Rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). And you can’t rightly divide the word without the help of the Holy Spirit. Job 6:25 says, “How forcible are right words?” When you get at the right word the forces of heaven are released to bring about your desired result. Let’s engage the help of the Holy Spirit from hence forth to direct, guide and teach us what we need to be empowered in order to gain command in all areas of life.
When He opens up the truth to you no one can shut it. And He opens it to you in a manner that it stays with you, for whatever the Lord does shall be forever. Every thing around you may be shaky but whatever the Holy Spirit delivers stays with you, It sticks! He does not only open you up to it, He helps you to receive what He opens you up to. That’s His ministry! Without a word from the Lord on any area of your life, you have no command on the earth. And the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to lead and guide us into that truth that would give us our required command. So, our empowerment does not stop at the baptism of the Holy Ghost, or the gifts of the Holy Spirit operational in our lives, our empowerment is a continuous thing as we keep searching the word of God concerning every area of concern in our lives.
The earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the deep and God’s word came alive by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God said, “Let there be light.“ And God saw the light. Everything God said, God saw. So whatever the Holy Spirit brings to you in your search is sure to come to pass, because heaven and earth may pass away but His word will never pass away.
How To Access The Specific Word For That Area Of Concern In Your Life
It begins with prayers, ask the Father, “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” That means you are ready for a search. Then you go for the Bible. That’s our major text, but it is not the only text. You go ahead and gather relevant anointed materials that address that particular issue of your life. God has sent into the body of Christ, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the understanding of the saints. They have a direct role to play in the fulfillment of our glorious destinies, so if you ignore them you are ignoring your destiny without knowing. In your search, you lay hold on their materials - books, tapes, videos, CDs, etc. And say, “Holy Spirit open me up.” Daniel was one of the most gifted men in his time and he said, “I Daniel understood by books.” Only those who seek are entitled to find. He that asketh recieveth, he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh the door shall be opened (Matt. 7:7).
The Spirit of God searches all things, yea the deep things of God. So you engage Him in the finding process, “Holy Spirit, I know the answer is in this book, guide me to where it is.” As you search you are bound to find an answer. That is how to be a responsible Christian. However, revelation is not just knowing what God has said He would do but knowing what He requires you to do in order for it to come to pass. Knowing what God said He would do is information, knowing what to do to actualize what God says is revelation. And John 1:12 says, “As many as received Him He gave them power to become…” In your search, the Holy Spirit shows you what you must do for what God has promised to come to pass and when you receive it, you are empowered to become it. Now you see, it is not just believing God that is faith, it is finding what God says for you to do and then doing it believing that is equal to faith.
You Must Meditate!
I am also aware that it is not reading that makes wise, it is reasoning that makes wise. Reading informs but reasoning makes wise and reasoning is what the Bible calls meditation. Meditation is the art of reasoning with God to locate the appropriate steps you must take in your quest for an answer. David said in Psalms 119:97-100, “Oh how love I thy law, it is my meditation all the day, thou through thy commandments have made me wiser than my enemies.” When you begin to reason with God in His word, you are getting wiser than your enemies. He said, “I Have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation.” So as you begin to ponder the things that the Holy Spirit opens up to you in your search, He helps you to locate what you must do in order to commit God to do what He has said He would do. It is my prayer that no frustration in your life will end this year with you!
Alive Again!
Since the fall of man what makes anyone a child of God is the new Birth. For the natural man to step into the realm of the supernatural, there has to be a conscious stepping out from Satan’s fold into God’s fold, through Jesus Christ! Christianity is neither a religion nor a philosophy. It is not belonging to an organization or a church; it is the release of the life of God into a human vessel. It is becoming a member of a mysterious body, from where you now draw mysterious virtue to live a mysterious life here on earth. Christianity is supernaturality.
Jesus, in answer to Nicodemus’ question said, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” - John 3:3
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BORN AGAIN?
In response to Jesus’ statement quoted above, Nicodemus asked again, “…How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?( John 3:4). And Jesus told him in verse 5, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Water and the Spirit here refer to the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in convicting the sinner. 1 Cor.12:3 tells us that no man can say that Jesus is lord except by the Holy Ghost…At salvation, there is the ministry of the Holy Ghost that goes into operation to convict the sinner of the need for a Saviour. The Holy Spirit does that on the platform of the word of God (which is water) that the person has heard.
In John 6:63, Jesus said the Word is spirit and life. The Word is spirit and hand in hand with the Holy Ghost, they two begin to operate in a man to rescue him from the dungeons of death. When this happens the man becomes born again – born of the Spirit (verse 6)…
The Holy Spirit moves through the word that is preached to get a man saved. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus that, “Except a man be born of water of the spirit,” he cannot enter into the experience of the new birth.
New birth is not associating with a church, changing your style of dressing or carrying a copy of the Bible about. It is connection to the divine nature so that you can stop living a mere human life where you are helplessly subjected to situations and circumstances. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and saviour, you consciously step out of Satan’s fold! Jesus comes into your heart and gives you a new life. Your old nature gives way and the new nature of Christ is born in you (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are then referred to as “born again.”
New birth is not a religion, it is a translation, an initiation into a new realm of life… it is connecting to a new source – a divine source – for a new order of life – walking in majesty, enjoying affluence, commanding influence on the earth.
YOU ARE A SPIRIT BEING
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6-7). When a human has a child, that child is natural reproduction of his parents. Because he is born of humans, he is also human. Human beings are made up of flesh and blood, and their off springs are no less. But when a man is born again he is born into a new order of existence. He is not born of flesh, but of Spirit; he is therefore no longer a human being but a spirit being.
More often than not, we are deceived into thinking that because we still live in our physical bodies we are simply human; but nothing could be farther from the truth! Consider Jesus for instance, He was born of the Spirit, yet He arrived the earth very much human. But there was no denying the fact that He was also the Son Of God. The same is true concerning you. When you are born again, you are a spirit being, even though you have a mind and live in a physical temple called the body…
“That which is born of the spirit is spirit…” Now tell yourself, “I am a living spirit. I no longer posses human life, I now carry eternal life in my body. This flesh of mine is nothing but a clothing. The real me is on the inside, sanctified for exploits, ordained to celebrate liberty all the days of my life.”
You are born a spirit. What died in you when Adam fell was your spirit. But when Jesus came He gave it back to you.
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).Now, you belong to the extraordinary class of people; people who call divine forces into operation like the wind. They blow like the wind and operate outside of the ordinary. You only see the effect of their operation, but others don’t see and cannot tell how the operation was carried out.
Jesus said that the man born of the Spirit operates like the wind; you cannot tell where the wind is coming from and where it is going, you only hear the sound. If you’re born of the spirit, you are designed to live this order of life…You are to exhibit the supernatural nature of God in your day to day life.
Note that Jesus did not say “That which is born of the spirit is spiritual.” No! You are not spiritual, you are only called to be spiritually minded (Romans 8:6). But by virtue of new birth, you now belong to a higher order of the spirit realm…John 4:24 says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
If you must worship Him profitably, you must do so in spirit and in truth…It is your spirit man that relates to Him. Therefore, how alive your spirit is determines how much you count before Him and how much of a meaningful relationship you can enjoy with Him. God is s Spirit, you are born of Him so you are a spirit.
- Except from Bishop Oyedepo’s book: Exploring The Riches Of Redemption
The last days’ operation of iniquity is on the frequency of mysteries. Forces have been let loose from hell to hold bound the sons of God. But I have good news for you, we are going to destroy those forces! There are many things you never intended to do, but somehow there are controlling forces in the air that want to take advantage of your ignorance of the real battle. The Bible says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).
Our battles are essentially spiritual. It will therefore require a spiritual approach to have our desired victory. Vows, determination, will-power, are able to handle habits; but spiritual influences can only be handled from the spiritual sphere. We have been able to adequately handle habits, it’s time to confront spiritual controls. There are habits and there are controls! Controls are remote in nature. They are in the air. That wild anger, that depression you can’t trace the source – you are jumping and praising the Lord this minute and the next you are like a “deputy devil” – they are all demonic controls but your hour of deliverance has come!
You are a most fruitful vine, if you are a born again child of God, you are God’s choicest vine (Isaiah 5:1). You have such a fantastic future, but the devil is eyeing it! He wants to steal it! John 10:10 tells us, “The thief cometh not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” But you know, something? Satan can be destroyed! In Mark 1:24, the demons cried out, “Art thou come to destroy us?” Our generation will keep satan on his knees. If you have suffering defeat in the hands of these controlling spirits that defeat will be turned to victory from now.
Something about sin is that it buys opportunities. Romans 13:14 says, “….and make no provision for the flesh…” When a provision is made satan dives in. But you can break that control!
THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2). There is a law of sin; a force that remotely controls, subjects and brings into captivity innocent sons of men. Paul confessed, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:18-19, 21,23)
A law is a force. It’s a control! If you are a very angry person, you don’t need anyone to say anything to make you angry; you just get angry over anything, whether good or bad, because of the bondage of the law of sin and death. It’s there in you, warring! But thank God the Bible says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Cor. 10:3-4). There is a way out!
CONTROLLING SPIRITS
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). There are forces called rulers of the darkness of this world. They are behind all the works of darkness. They are spirits. They are forces in the spiritual realm, that are out to devastate the destinies of men. Friend, the rulers of this wicked world, and the wicked spirits in high places, are the forces we are contending with! These forces influence people to do things against God, so that they can fall under His judgment. What are these spirits?
Unclean Spirit
“And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out” (Mark 1:23). There is what is called unclean spirits and their mission is to make men walk in all manner of uncleanness.
The Spirit Of The World
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Cor. 2:12). There is a spirit of the world which monitors, supervises, co-ordinates and organizes the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Anything that makes for spiritual arrogance and rebellion is the work of the spirit of the world. When the things of God don’t matter to you any more, you are under the influence of one of the spirits of this wicked world.
Every time you see your spirit not embracing the truth of life, know that there is a strange influence trying to tear down your destiny. So, be smart enough to say like Jesus, “Get thee behind me satan!” That thing that won’t let you be contented or be grateful to God, that keeps your mind panting after things, is the spirit of the world. Haven’t you heard that godliness with contentment is great gain? (1 Timothy 6:6).
The Bible says, “…Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Who sever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4). No enemy of God has a future. Remember Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzer, Herod and others. It is the love of God that guarantees glorious living!
Lying Spirit
Lying is one of those demonic influences over the lives of people to make them come under God’s wrath (1Kgs 22:22).
Spirit Of Bondage
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom 8:15). The spirit of bondage gets people tied down, locked up and chained down! This spirit is responsible for all manner of afflictions that people suffer. Talking about the woman that was under affliction for eighteen years in Luke 13:16, Jesus asked, “…Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond…?”
The Spirit of bondage is a spirit of captivity. For instance, somebody is coughing and is still smoking! He has been told at the hospital that he has tuberculosis. He doesn’t want to die, yet he keeps smoking. He is under the arrest of the spirit of the spirit of bondage, the spirit that causes addiction to evil. Everything binding you to what you don’t want is a spirit of bondage.
Spirit Of Whoredoms
“They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD” (Hosea 5:4). The spirit of whoredoms constantly craves filthiness, sexual immorality, making motions in the body, etc. That is the spirit of adultery and fornication. If you are under the control of this spirit, I’d like you to know that you have power over it! Jesus gave us power against unclean spirits to cast them out (Mathew 10:10).
Spirit Of Disobedience
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph 2:2).This spirit works disobedience in people, going through the flesh and the mind to take people off God’s presence so that they can be afflicted and tormented. It works through the flesh and the mind to make you a child of wrath.; to bring the wrath of God upon your life! But the hour of your liberty has come. It’s over now! The answer is here!
The True Source Of Empowerment
There is no substitute for empowerment in the quest of any man to fulfill destiny, because we live in a wicked world. Therefore to live without power is to go through life as a victim. Empowerment is the guarantee for fulfillment of destiny.
Our Glorious Destiny In Christ
First, it is important for us to recognize that we are a people of enviable destiny. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Rom 8:29-30). This implies that God has a grand design for each of us to live a glorious life. We all have glorious destinies in Christ! God planted a seed of glorious destiny into every life and when you give your life to Christ, you enter into that heritage, so it is sealed and established. But whether you actualize that glorious heritage or not, is largely determined by this great factor called empowerment. Jesus called the twelve disciples and He took them through His training school for three and half years, at the end of it He said, “I cannot guarantee the fulfillment of your mission until you are endued with power from on high. You have been instructed but you must be empowered.” You may have instructions but you may not have what it takes to apply the instructions. So Jesus said, “Tarry ye until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). That means your glorious destiny in Christ is not guaranteed without empowerment.
Jesus said in a parable in Mathew chapter 13, a man sowed good seed in his land and while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares and then the dressers came and said, “Master did you not sow good seed in your field how come it came out with tares?” And He said, “An enemy has done this. This is not my original intention, it is the doing of the enemy.” And it is important for us to know that the enemy understands only one language and it is the language of power, outside of power he has no respect for you. The Bible says, “Through the greatness of thy power shall thy enemies submit themselves unto you” (Ps. 66:3).
Our glorious destiny is already fully paid for but it is also constantly being contested by the enemy and that is why we need to be empowered.
Our Source Of Empowerment!The Church has settled for a long time on the Holy Spirit as the only source of empowerment and that is why I think we are stranded. Thank God for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, He is God’s grand design to initiate us into the realm of power but He is not an end in Himself. The Holy Spirit launches us out into that realm of power. In Isaiah chapter 11, the Bible talking about the anointing upon Jesus says, “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding…And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD…” (Isaiah 11:2-3).
The Holy Spirit quickened His understanding for empowerment. And in verse 9 of the same chapter, it says, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” That means the Holy Spirit empowers us by opening us up to the knowledge of the truth. So the truth is the actual principal raw material for the empowerment of the saints.
What is power? It is the display of authority; a demonstration of supremacy. Power is nothing but taking command in the midst of opposition, taking authority over the enemy. Romans 1:16 says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.” So, inside the word lies the power of God and our faith is what enables us to tap into that power. The woman with the issue of blood, by faith, tapped into the virtue that Christ carried. And you know, Christ was the moving or living word. When that woman stretched out her faith and touched the hem of His garment, Jesus said, “Virtue is gone out of me.” So, just like the physical Christ was a bank of virtue, so the word of God is a bank of virtues and we tap into that virtue through our faith.
Hebrews 1:3 says, “He upholds all things by the word of His power…” That means everything is under the control of the word of his power. So, no matter how anointed you are if you are not insightful, if you are not revelation-full, you become a victim of frustration. The knowledge of the truth is the actual channel for the empowerment of the saints. John 8:32 says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Nothing empowers like the truth. When the truth dawns on a man in any area of life, he takes natural command in that area. So, God’s word is not just there to inform us, it is there principally to empower us.
Our Access To Empowerment!
The Holy Spirit, as it were, is not the actual source of our empowerment, He is our access to empowerment. Many speak in tongues, many prophesy and operate most of the gifts of the Holy Spirit but they are still powerless. The truth is the principal raw material for the empowerment of the saint. Everybody you see trading the gifts of the Holy Spirit without appropriate attention to the word will soon begin to lose worth. Jesus said, when He the Spirit of truth comes He shall teach you all things, He will bring to your remembrance all things that you have been taught, He will guide you into all truth and show you things to come (John 14:26, 16:13). That’s His mission. Isaiah said, “He shall make you of quick understanding.” So His core ministry is to empower the saints by giving them access to the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:10). It’s time to allow the Holy Spirit to do His job therefore.
Let Him teach you that particular truth that will give you command over that issue of your life. We are so busy quoting scriptures! It is not every word that has the answer to the particular question of your life! There is a right word that provides the answer for it. That is why the Bible says, “…Rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). And you can’t rightly divide the word without the help of the Holy Spirit. Job 6:25 says, “How forcible are right words?” When you get at the right word the forces of heaven are released to bring about your desired result. Let’s engage the help of the Holy Spirit from hence forth to direct, guide and teach us what we need to be empowered in order to gain command in all areas of life.
When He opens up the truth to you no one can shut it. And He opens it to you in a manner that it stays with you, for whatever the Lord does shall be forever. Every thing around you may be shaky but whatever the Holy Spirit delivers stays with you, It sticks! He does not only open you up to it, He helps you to receive what He opens you up to. That’s His ministry! Without a word from the Lord on any area of your life, you have no command on the earth. And the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to lead and guide us into that truth that would give us our required command. So, our empowerment does not stop at the baptism of the Holy Ghost, or the gifts of the Holy Spirit operational in our lives, our empowerment is a continuous thing as we keep searching the word of God concerning every area of concern in our lives.
The earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the deep and God’s word came alive by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God said, “Let there be light.“ And God saw the light. Everything God said, God saw. So whatever the Holy Spirit brings to you in your search is sure to come to pass, because heaven and earth may pass away but His word will never pass away.
How To Access The Specific Word For That Area Of Concern In Your Life
It begins with prayers, ask the Father, “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” That means you are ready for a search. Then you go for the Bible. That’s our major text, but it is not the only text. You go ahead and gather relevant anointed materials that address that particular issue of your life. God has sent into the body of Christ, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the understanding of the saints. They have a direct role to play in the fulfillment of our glorious destinies, so if you ignore them you are ignoring your destiny without knowing. In your search, you lay hold on their materials - books, tapes, videos, CDs, etc. And say, “Holy Spirit open me up.” Daniel was one of the most gifted men in his time and he said, “I Daniel understood by books.” Only those who seek are entitled to find. He that asketh recieveth, he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh the door shall be opened (Matt. 7:7).
The Spirit of God searches all things, yea the deep things of God. So you engage Him in the finding process, “Holy Spirit, I know the answer is in this book, guide me to where it is.” As you search you are bound to find an answer. That is how to be a responsible Christian. However, revelation is not just knowing what God has said He would do but knowing what He requires you to do in order for it to come to pass. Knowing what God said He would do is information, knowing what to do to actualize what God says is revelation. And John 1:12 says, “As many as received Him He gave them power to become…” In your search, the Holy Spirit shows you what you must do for what God has promised to come to pass and when you receive it, you are empowered to become it. Now you see, it is not just believing God that is faith, it is finding what God says for you to do and then doing it believing that is equal to faith.
You Must Meditate!
I am also aware that it is not reading that makes wise, it is reasoning that makes wise. Reading informs but reasoning makes wise and reasoning is what the Bible calls meditation. Meditation is the art of reasoning with God to locate the appropriate steps you must take in your quest for an answer. David said in Psalms 119:97-100, “Oh how love I thy law, it is my meditation all the day, thou through thy commandments have made me wiser than my enemies.” When you begin to reason with God in His word, you are getting wiser than your enemies. He said, “I Have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation.” So as you begin to ponder the things that the Holy Spirit opens up to you in your search, He helps you to locate what you must do in order to commit God to do what He has said He would do. It is my prayer that no frustration in your life will end this year with you!
Alive Again!
Since the fall of man what makes anyone a child of God is the new Birth. For the natural man to step into the realm of the supernatural, there has to be a conscious stepping out from Satan’s fold into God’s fold, through Jesus Christ! Christianity is neither a religion nor a philosophy. It is not belonging to an organization or a church; it is the release of the life of God into a human vessel. It is becoming a member of a mysterious body, from where you now draw mysterious virtue to live a mysterious life here on earth. Christianity is supernaturality.
Jesus, in answer to Nicodemus’ question said, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” - John 3:3
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BORN AGAIN?
In response to Jesus’ statement quoted above, Nicodemus asked again, “…How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?( John 3:4). And Jesus told him in verse 5, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Water and the Spirit here refer to the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in convicting the sinner. 1 Cor.12:3 tells us that no man can say that Jesus is lord except by the Holy Ghost…At salvation, there is the ministry of the Holy Ghost that goes into operation to convict the sinner of the need for a Saviour. The Holy Spirit does that on the platform of the word of God (which is water) that the person has heard.
In John 6:63, Jesus said the Word is spirit and life. The Word is spirit and hand in hand with the Holy Ghost, they two begin to operate in a man to rescue him from the dungeons of death. When this happens the man becomes born again – born of the Spirit (verse 6)…
The Holy Spirit moves through the word that is preached to get a man saved. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus that, “Except a man be born of water of the spirit,” he cannot enter into the experience of the new birth.
New birth is not associating with a church, changing your style of dressing or carrying a copy of the Bible about. It is connection to the divine nature so that you can stop living a mere human life where you are helplessly subjected to situations and circumstances. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and saviour, you consciously step out of Satan’s fold! Jesus comes into your heart and gives you a new life. Your old nature gives way and the new nature of Christ is born in you (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are then referred to as “born again.”
New birth is not a religion, it is a translation, an initiation into a new realm of life… it is connecting to a new source – a divine source – for a new order of life – walking in majesty, enjoying affluence, commanding influence on the earth.
YOU ARE A SPIRIT BEING
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6-7). When a human has a child, that child is natural reproduction of his parents. Because he is born of humans, he is also human. Human beings are made up of flesh and blood, and their off springs are no less. But when a man is born again he is born into a new order of existence. He is not born of flesh, but of Spirit; he is therefore no longer a human being but a spirit being.
More often than not, we are deceived into thinking that because we still live in our physical bodies we are simply human; but nothing could be farther from the truth! Consider Jesus for instance, He was born of the Spirit, yet He arrived the earth very much human. But there was no denying the fact that He was also the Son Of God. The same is true concerning you. When you are born again, you are a spirit being, even though you have a mind and live in a physical temple called the body…
“That which is born of the spirit is spirit…” Now tell yourself, “I am a living spirit. I no longer posses human life, I now carry eternal life in my body. This flesh of mine is nothing but a clothing. The real me is on the inside, sanctified for exploits, ordained to celebrate liberty all the days of my life.”
You are born a spirit. What died in you when Adam fell was your spirit. But when Jesus came He gave it back to you.
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).Now, you belong to the extraordinary class of people; people who call divine forces into operation like the wind. They blow like the wind and operate outside of the ordinary. You only see the effect of their operation, but others don’t see and cannot tell how the operation was carried out.
Jesus said that the man born of the Spirit operates like the wind; you cannot tell where the wind is coming from and where it is going, you only hear the sound. If you’re born of the spirit, you are designed to live this order of life…You are to exhibit the supernatural nature of God in your day to day life.
Note that Jesus did not say “That which is born of the spirit is spiritual.” No! You are not spiritual, you are only called to be spiritually minded (Romans 8:6). But by virtue of new birth, you now belong to a higher order of the spirit realm…John 4:24 says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
If you must worship Him profitably, you must do so in spirit and in truth…It is your spirit man that relates to Him. Therefore, how alive your spirit is determines how much you count before Him and how much of a meaningful relationship you can enjoy with Him. God is s Spirit, you are born of Him so you are a spirit.
- Except from Bishop Oyedepo’s book: Exploring The Riches Of Redemption
CAUSE OF MARITAL MARRIAGE
Causes Of Broken Marriages Pt 2!
Emotional Response to Issues
The way to avoid this is to become mature in understanding by giving a second and third thought to every issue before responding.
Emotion is born when sentiment is allowed to prevail over realities. The Bible says:
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Prov. 25:28
Control yourself! Control your emotions! Do not allow yourself to be provoked to anger. Anger lies in the bosom of fools. Control your tongue! Words spoken in anger cause untold damages in homes.
A wrathful man stirreth up strife; but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
- Prov.15:18
The In-Law Factor
Your home should not be governed according to the dictates of your in-laws. Your goal must be to please God. When God is pleased every other person will be pleased. Fight against external interfaces in your home, because it is a subtle way through which the devil comes in.
The interference of in-laws can be cheaply handled with wisdom, especially when there is a good relationship between husband and wife.
The syndrome of in-laws creep in where there is a crack in the relationship between husband and wife. In-laws will naturally respect the couple and their decisions the moment they see harmony in their relationship.
Neglect
Neglect comes in when there is a gulf in the relationship. When the couple begin to ignore each other, they no longer pay attention to one another. At this stage the husband no longer regards the wife as and vice versa. Each goes his or her own way.
Never allow your marital relationship to degenerate to a state of neglect. Neglect gives room to the devil and the Bible warns against it. 1 Tim.4:14 says,
Neglect not the gift…which was given
thee…
Your personal relationship with one another is very important. Your spouse is a gift from God, and you know, the gift that you neglect cannot benefit you. Do not neglect each other! Neglect is a deadly spirit that slowly paralyses the initiative of your spouse towards your wellbeing.
The Cares of This World…
Some factors that can cause cracks in the home are outlined in Mark 4:19. They are,
…The cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things…
The pursuit of the pleasurable things of this world, the unquenchable thirst for riches, power, and position, bring untold sorrows to marriages. The first home God instituted crumbled because of all these things.
Adam and Eve were free to eat all the fruits in the garden except one. But that particular one that they were forbidden to eat was the one that Eve wanted. Her desire for the non-essentials of the world brought about the fall of man.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit...
Gen.3:6 (Emphasis mine).
It might be good for food, it might be good to put on your body, it might be pleasant to the eyes, it might enhance your position, but is it good for your destiny?
Stop comparing your home with that of your neighbours! Stop comparing your husband with your friend’s husband! Stop comparing your wife with other women! This is what pushes people into the pursuit of unnecessary things, which eventually lead them to destruction. Paul writing to the Corinthian church said,
…but they measuring themselves by themselves among themselves are not wise.
2 Cor.10:12
It’s time to be wise! The cares of this world lead to destruction, while giving attention to the word exalts.
Emotional Response to Issues
The way to avoid this is to become mature in understanding by giving a second and third thought to every issue before responding.
Emotion is born when sentiment is allowed to prevail over realities. The Bible says:
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Prov. 25:28
Control yourself! Control your emotions! Do not allow yourself to be provoked to anger. Anger lies in the bosom of fools. Control your tongue! Words spoken in anger cause untold damages in homes.
A wrathful man stirreth up strife; but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
- Prov.15:18
The In-Law Factor
Your home should not be governed according to the dictates of your in-laws. Your goal must be to please God. When God is pleased every other person will be pleased. Fight against external interfaces in your home, because it is a subtle way through which the devil comes in.
The interference of in-laws can be cheaply handled with wisdom, especially when there is a good relationship between husband and wife.
The syndrome of in-laws creep in where there is a crack in the relationship between husband and wife. In-laws will naturally respect the couple and their decisions the moment they see harmony in their relationship.
Neglect
Neglect comes in when there is a gulf in the relationship. When the couple begin to ignore each other, they no longer pay attention to one another. At this stage the husband no longer regards the wife as and vice versa. Each goes his or her own way.
Never allow your marital relationship to degenerate to a state of neglect. Neglect gives room to the devil and the Bible warns against it. 1 Tim.4:14 says,
Neglect not the gift…which was given
thee…
Your personal relationship with one another is very important. Your spouse is a gift from God, and you know, the gift that you neglect cannot benefit you. Do not neglect each other! Neglect is a deadly spirit that slowly paralyses the initiative of your spouse towards your wellbeing.
The Cares of This World…
Some factors that can cause cracks in the home are outlined in Mark 4:19. They are,
…The cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things…
The pursuit of the pleasurable things of this world, the unquenchable thirst for riches, power, and position, bring untold sorrows to marriages. The first home God instituted crumbled because of all these things.
Adam and Eve were free to eat all the fruits in the garden except one. But that particular one that they were forbidden to eat was the one that Eve wanted. Her desire for the non-essentials of the world brought about the fall of man.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit...
Gen.3:6 (Emphasis mine).
It might be good for food, it might be good to put on your body, it might be pleasant to the eyes, it might enhance your position, but is it good for your destiny?
Stop comparing your home with that of your neighbours! Stop comparing your husband with your friend’s husband! Stop comparing your wife with other women! This is what pushes people into the pursuit of unnecessary things, which eventually lead them to destruction. Paul writing to the Corinthian church said,
…but they measuring themselves by themselves among themselves are not wise.
2 Cor.10:12
It’s time to be wise! The cares of this world lead to destruction, while giving attention to the word exalts.
CREATING GOOD HOME MANAGMENT
Creative Home Management
Every one wants to have a stable and sweet home. The dream of every married man or woman is to have a home where every thing is orderly and where there is prosperity and progress. That is also God�s will for your home but one of the things it takes to achieve that goal is creative management. First, what is creative home management? To manage means to be able to handle, control or administer available resources through careful planning. The word creative means originality or the ability to bring something new into existence. Every home is made up of great destinies (that is, the husband, the wife and children). So, when we talk about home management, it is not just keeping your environment clean, cooking good food for your family or making sure that your children are neat, I am talking about managing every resource that God has put within your home to ensure that each member fulfills his or her destiny. It is the individuals in a family that make up a home, without them, all you will have is a house. So, by the grace of God, I want to share with you here, how to handle your home in a unique way, so as to have an outstanding testimony. Because of the destinies and potentials involved, I regard the home as an �oil well� that is full of treasures which if properly managed will yield great profits but if not, it ends up as a waste and a shame. God�s purpose is to make your home a showpiece for all to see. Improper management is the reason some families never realize that purpose and the members end up being demoralized. But good management of resources qualifies you for more of God�s blessings. You need Wisdom! Wisdom is the basic requirements for creative home management. Proverbs 24:3 says, �Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established.� Just as individuals are peculiar, every home is also peculiar, unique and special. So, even though there are general management rules that we can follow, you require the wisdom of God to devise unique ways of managing your own home, because the priorities in other homes may not be the same in your home. This is why you need creativity to be able to meet every need of your home without running helter-skelter. You cannot use another person�s plan to run your life and your home. Be creative and prayerful and God will help you to develop a plan that suits your own home and resources per time. When you have the wisdom of God, it will give you originality and make your home unique among all others. It will put an end to all your struggles with family finances, relationships, academic performance of your children and other areas of family life. The Bible says, �Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Be not wise in thine own eyes�� (Proverbs 3:5-7). Those who trust in themselves never make headway in their homes. They are always struggling to make ends meet but the ends never meet for them. When you operate in the wisdom of God, no matter how little the resources in your hand, it will always be more than enough. You Must Plan �For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?� - Luke 14:28 Management requires careful planning. This simply means mapping out your order of activities and spreading your available resources to meet the needs of your home. Your time, finances and material resources are talents that God has committed into your hands and He expects you to plan wisely and use them for the successful and smooth running of your family. There is nothing in your hands that is too small. There is no situation your family is in now that cannot change, if only you will plan. When there is a plan, management becomes easy. Living without a plan is like traveling through a desert without a compass or a map. It is will be a fruitless, endless journey. Every thing about the home must be planned for. Plan for the number of children you want to have and for their future, plan your spiritual and social life. God Himself is a planner. How do I know? We are told in Genesis 1:2 that the earth was without form and void and when God wanted to start creation, the first thing He said was �Let there be light.� I want to believe that God created light first so that He could see the other things that He needed to put in place, in order to avoid confusion. In the same way God expects you to do things in your home in the order of priority. For instance, you don�t have to wait until the day your children are set to resume school before you start looking for school fees! When you plan ahead you deliver yourself from the anxiety of looking for things at the last minute. It is true that you believe God, but as you believe, make sure you have a plan. My husband often says that any man who waits till the day his wife is to deliver before he begins to run around for the hospital bill is not a planner. He had a long notice of nine months, but did nothing. Plan, both for now and the future. Just as you plan for what your family will eat on a daily basis, also plan ahead for family projects like building a house etc. Ensure that you plan according to your size per time. Remember that men are in sizes and life is in phases. If you manage and plan your present level well, God will take you speedily to the next phase. Peace!
Every one wants to have a stable and sweet home. The dream of every married man or woman is to have a home where every thing is orderly and where there is prosperity and progress. That is also God�s will for your home but one of the things it takes to achieve that goal is creative management. First, what is creative home management? To manage means to be able to handle, control or administer available resources through careful planning. The word creative means originality or the ability to bring something new into existence. Every home is made up of great destinies (that is, the husband, the wife and children). So, when we talk about home management, it is not just keeping your environment clean, cooking good food for your family or making sure that your children are neat, I am talking about managing every resource that God has put within your home to ensure that each member fulfills his or her destiny. It is the individuals in a family that make up a home, without them, all you will have is a house. So, by the grace of God, I want to share with you here, how to handle your home in a unique way, so as to have an outstanding testimony. Because of the destinies and potentials involved, I regard the home as an �oil well� that is full of treasures which if properly managed will yield great profits but if not, it ends up as a waste and a shame. God�s purpose is to make your home a showpiece for all to see. Improper management is the reason some families never realize that purpose and the members end up being demoralized. But good management of resources qualifies you for more of God�s blessings. You need Wisdom! Wisdom is the basic requirements for creative home management. Proverbs 24:3 says, �Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established.� Just as individuals are peculiar, every home is also peculiar, unique and special. So, even though there are general management rules that we can follow, you require the wisdom of God to devise unique ways of managing your own home, because the priorities in other homes may not be the same in your home. This is why you need creativity to be able to meet every need of your home without running helter-skelter. You cannot use another person�s plan to run your life and your home. Be creative and prayerful and God will help you to develop a plan that suits your own home and resources per time. When you have the wisdom of God, it will give you originality and make your home unique among all others. It will put an end to all your struggles with family finances, relationships, academic performance of your children and other areas of family life. The Bible says, �Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Be not wise in thine own eyes�� (Proverbs 3:5-7). Those who trust in themselves never make headway in their homes. They are always struggling to make ends meet but the ends never meet for them. When you operate in the wisdom of God, no matter how little the resources in your hand, it will always be more than enough. You Must Plan �For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?� - Luke 14:28 Management requires careful planning. This simply means mapping out your order of activities and spreading your available resources to meet the needs of your home. Your time, finances and material resources are talents that God has committed into your hands and He expects you to plan wisely and use them for the successful and smooth running of your family. There is nothing in your hands that is too small. There is no situation your family is in now that cannot change, if only you will plan. When there is a plan, management becomes easy. Living without a plan is like traveling through a desert without a compass or a map. It is will be a fruitless, endless journey. Every thing about the home must be planned for. Plan for the number of children you want to have and for their future, plan your spiritual and social life. God Himself is a planner. How do I know? We are told in Genesis 1:2 that the earth was without form and void and when God wanted to start creation, the first thing He said was �Let there be light.� I want to believe that God created light first so that He could see the other things that He needed to put in place, in order to avoid confusion. In the same way God expects you to do things in your home in the order of priority. For instance, you don�t have to wait until the day your children are set to resume school before you start looking for school fees! When you plan ahead you deliver yourself from the anxiety of looking for things at the last minute. It is true that you believe God, but as you believe, make sure you have a plan. My husband often says that any man who waits till the day his wife is to deliver before he begins to run around for the hospital bill is not a planner. He had a long notice of nine months, but did nothing. Plan, both for now and the future. Just as you plan for what your family will eat on a daily basis, also plan ahead for family projects like building a house etc. Ensure that you plan according to your size per time. Remember that men are in sizes and life is in phases. If you manage and plan your present level well, God will take you speedily to the next phase. Peace!
TIME AND PLAN
PLAN & TIME!
Any plan not tagged to time has failed already. Time is the measure of progress. Time compels and spur action. Time puts you on the run. Time curtails excesses. Time instils seriousness. You don?t have all the time. You are only allotted a portion of it within which you have a choice to operate, function & perform. But whether you employ it or not, it is passing by.
Beware Of Competition!
:: It saps people of energy. :: It robs people of fulfillment. :: It destroys vision :: It makes you subservient :: It can take you far away from divine plan. :: It generates envy, hatred and bitterness. :: it arouses pride. :: It turns destiny into mockery. :: It genders a lifestyle of falsehood. :: Ultimately, it leads to destruction. :: It abhors grace because grace works for a man only in the area of his calling. Competitions turns people out of the race. :: Only fools engage in competition. Don?t be a part of it. :: Focus on your assignment. Enjoy life as God gave it to you. :: seek the well being of others ? extend good will to all. But face your assignment.
Beware of Free Things!
“It is good for a man to bear the yoke of his youth.” Lam.3:27
Those who live on free things never become free.
Anything you don’t labour to get, you won’t have the sense to keep.
Your sweat reminds you of the price you paid to get whatever you have.
You can’t remember the sweat and play the careless.
Get it by yourself and you will have enough sense to manage it by yourself.
This is the reason why the Bible encourages the youth in particular to carry the yoke of his youth.
Those who fail to bear their burden today may end as a burden in their old age.
stop looking for who will carry you today because no one can carry you forever. They will soon get weary of you and drop you.
Accept responsibility if you don’t want to end as liability.
How To Stop Laziness!
: Laziness is an attitude that develops gradually over a period of time.
A lazy child will end as a lazy adult.
Therefore abhor the laziness of the child.
: Lazy student will end as a lazy worker
Give students heavy scheme and they will not act differently when they start working.
: Virtually everything you find in an adult today has been formed in him from childhood.
Habits are not as easy to form at adulthood. Wonder why the Word says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Prov 22:6
: Any valuable lessons to learn as a youth is that of diligence and commitment to duty.
Joseph was a diligent youth. One is not surprised that he became a prime minister Gen. 37:12-17.
What do you say of David. He was a keeper of his father’s flock. He became a king eventually –
1 Sam. 16:11; 17:34.
Daniel and his companions were no lazy slaves. They ended sharing the throne of Babylon for years. While other were living purposelessly and sleeping all night, they purposed not to defile themselves and were night keepers – Dan. 1:8; 2:16-19.
: If you are not lazy as a youth life can never become hazy for you as an adult.
In order not to end as rubbish in your adulthood abhor living sluggish today
Work It Out!
: Behind everything that is working is a worker.
Nothing works without somebody working it.
“…Work out your salvation…” Phil. 2:13.
: Work Defined
-Release of energy
-Application of force in a right direction
-Responding to the demand of a task
-The platform where your wisdom is expressed.
: Don’t wait to see it. It is only what you work that you see.
: God is working within you; you do the working out.
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and do of His good pleasure.”
Phil. 2:12
: Without work you don’t have anything to show.
Working is doing the impossible. Working is climbing up.
Working is changing level.
Workers don’t remain where you met them. So, work your way up.
: Work with your senses, with your mind and with your might.
It will produce great results.
Work, work and work!
Any plan not tagged to time has failed already. Time is the measure of progress. Time compels and spur action. Time puts you on the run. Time curtails excesses. Time instils seriousness. You don?t have all the time. You are only allotted a portion of it within which you have a choice to operate, function & perform. But whether you employ it or not, it is passing by.
Beware Of Competition!
:: It saps people of energy. :: It robs people of fulfillment. :: It destroys vision :: It makes you subservient :: It can take you far away from divine plan. :: It generates envy, hatred and bitterness. :: it arouses pride. :: It turns destiny into mockery. :: It genders a lifestyle of falsehood. :: Ultimately, it leads to destruction. :: It abhors grace because grace works for a man only in the area of his calling. Competitions turns people out of the race. :: Only fools engage in competition. Don?t be a part of it. :: Focus on your assignment. Enjoy life as God gave it to you. :: seek the well being of others ? extend good will to all. But face your assignment.
Beware of Free Things!
“It is good for a man to bear the yoke of his youth.” Lam.3:27
Those who live on free things never become free.
Anything you don’t labour to get, you won’t have the sense to keep.
Your sweat reminds you of the price you paid to get whatever you have.
You can’t remember the sweat and play the careless.
Get it by yourself and you will have enough sense to manage it by yourself.
This is the reason why the Bible encourages the youth in particular to carry the yoke of his youth.
Those who fail to bear their burden today may end as a burden in their old age.
stop looking for who will carry you today because no one can carry you forever. They will soon get weary of you and drop you.
Accept responsibility if you don’t want to end as liability.
How To Stop Laziness!
: Laziness is an attitude that develops gradually over a period of time.
A lazy child will end as a lazy adult.
Therefore abhor the laziness of the child.
: Lazy student will end as a lazy worker
Give students heavy scheme and they will not act differently when they start working.
: Virtually everything you find in an adult today has been formed in him from childhood.
Habits are not as easy to form at adulthood. Wonder why the Word says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Prov 22:6
: Any valuable lessons to learn as a youth is that of diligence and commitment to duty.
Joseph was a diligent youth. One is not surprised that he became a prime minister Gen. 37:12-17.
What do you say of David. He was a keeper of his father’s flock. He became a king eventually –
1 Sam. 16:11; 17:34.
Daniel and his companions were no lazy slaves. They ended sharing the throne of Babylon for years. While other were living purposelessly and sleeping all night, they purposed not to defile themselves and were night keepers – Dan. 1:8; 2:16-19.
: If you are not lazy as a youth life can never become hazy for you as an adult.
In order not to end as rubbish in your adulthood abhor living sluggish today
Work It Out!
: Behind everything that is working is a worker.
Nothing works without somebody working it.
“…Work out your salvation…” Phil. 2:13.
: Work Defined
-Release of energy
-Application of force in a right direction
-Responding to the demand of a task
-The platform where your wisdom is expressed.
: Don’t wait to see it. It is only what you work that you see.
: God is working within you; you do the working out.
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and do of His good pleasure.”
Phil. 2:12
: Without work you don’t have anything to show.
Working is doing the impossible. Working is climbing up.
Working is changing level.
Workers don’t remain where you met them. So, work your way up.
: Work with your senses, with your mind and with your might.
It will produce great results.
Work, work and work!
KNOWLEDGE THE PATHWAY TO THE TOP
Knowledge: The Pathway To The Top
You are a creature of limitless potentials and abilities. And the reason I say that is because the Holy Bible makes it clear that God created man in His own image and likeness; He breathed into man the breath of life (Genesis 1:26, 2:7), thereby giving to man His identity and ability. That means you are limitless as God, that is the true measure of your potentials. But it is not just enough to know that you have potentials or even discover those potentials, you must also accept responsibility to develop what you have. And this is made possible through the acquisition of knowledge. I want to encourage you to go tirelessly after knowledge because that is what determines your scope and your spread in life.
Your Knowledge Determines Your Class
You must understand that inferiority is not a person, but a product of ignorance. So also superiority is not a person, but a product of knowledge. It is what a man has in him that is exhibited as inferiority or superiority. Any man can be superior depending on his level of knowledge. Knowledge is what destroys inferiority and the second-class citizen syndrome. What you don’t know is what makes you inferior to others but knowledge enhances your confidence. You can keep changing your status from one level to the other by changing the level of your knowledge. Whether you know it or not, we live in a classified world, and class is not a function of age or tribe but of knowledge. It is what you know that determines the class you belong. Every man is respected, rated and classified according to his knowledge. When people discover that you know what they know, they admit you into their class. When you are able to understand what they understand and think the way they think, they no longer discriminate against or ostracize you. Knowledge is that powerful! There is the story of a man called Job in the Holy Bible. He was speaking to his friends and he said, “But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you…” (Job 12:3). Inferiority is the plague that is inflicted on the ignorant. Every ignorant man will always be plagued with inferiority. So, when we fight ignorance we are fighting inferiority.
You Can Change Your Class!
Inferiority is the tribute that the ignorant pays to the knowledgeable. The ignorant would always cow when he meets a man of knowledge. So, if you don’t want to keep on being cowed when you meet the knowledgeable change your class by acquiring knowledge. When you know what others know, they can’t intimidate you. Job also said to his friends, “What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you” (Job 13:2). Knowledge makes you acceptable and welcomed among others. If you don’t want to remain under the lid and chain of inferiority, change your level of knowledge. I have noticed in my personal life that my class has changed over and over again as I increase my knowledge. It’s not people that intimidate you; it is ignorance that intimidates you. Stop thinking that you are down because somebody is up. Nobody has the power to push you down. You can change your position by acquiring more knowledge.
Display Your Knowledge!
You don’t apply for greatness, you display what you know to earn greatness. One day, the man called Daniel in the Holy Bible, a man of great wisdom, was called to appear before the king in Babylon. At first the king looked at him and said, “Are you that Daniel?” Because he did not look it. But after Daniel spoke and the king heard his wisdom, he bowed and worshiped Daniel. Daniel never applied for it, yet the king made him a great man and gave him many gifts, all because of his knowledge (Daniel 2:1-48). People may not like your face but they can’t deny your knowledge. So, stop showing your face, start displaying your knowledge. Another thing is that people who are knowledgeable are often mistaken to be proud. It is natural. But you can’t, because you want to come down to the level of others, pretend not to know what you know. You have to keep exhibiting your knowledge and by so doing, you remain superior. When David arrived the battle field in 1 Samuel chapter 18, king Saul and the army of Israel were being intimidated by Goliath but because David knew what to do to bring him down, he told Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail him. I will go and fight him.” He asked the soldiers, “What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine?” David’s elder brothers heard it and were angry, and accused him of being very proud. But by the time he displayed his knowledge by killing Goliath, his class changed, far above that of his brothers and even Saul the king. When they were returning from the battlefield the women of the city were singing, “Saul has killed his thousands but David has killed his ten thousands.” (1 Sam. 18:7). Their class was no longer the same because of knowledge.
You Too Can Be Superior!
Superiority is attracted; it is magnetized, by changing your level of knowledge. Develop your skills. Read books and don’t just read, read and think. Spare money to buy books, create time to study, keep adding more to your knowledge and one day your knowledge would speak up. Be blessed today!
How To Be A Problem Solver
It is important for us to be reminded that our placements in life, especially at work, is for the purpose of solving problems. You are employed to solve a problem and when you are no longer a problem-solver, you are no longer fit for the job. Your present placement was necessitated by problems, so when you are no longer solving problems, you will naturally be on the list of those to be displaced. The positions of life are not just meant to be occupied, they are meant to be functional. Whether you are called a manager, teacher, CEO or whatever, your rating is according to your function. When you are no longer functioning, you are dysfunctional and would soon be tagged ‘redundant.’ So, for you to maintain relevance and remain on line, you must remain a problem solver. Your relevance is tied to the problems you are able to solve. That is what makes you a contributor. And when you are a contributor, your worth is enhanced. With the enhancement of your worth, your value rating will change. A problem solver can never be ignored, a problem solver will always have a place among men because he will always be needed. A problem solver is an asset not a liability.
The Benefits Of Problems
It is the problems you solve that reveal you to your world, that is what earns you recognition among men. If there were no problem in Israel, nobody would have known David. Problems are opportunities for fame and greatness. A man is as famous as the problem he solves. It was after he killed Goliath that his status changed from a mere shepherd boy to chief of army staff and eventually to the king in Isreal. People don’t know you in your hiding place, they know you in the open place where the problems are. The problems you solve will reveal the real you. Every man is described according to the problem he solves. That is why you never find an ordinary name in an history book, every name in history is tied to an achievement. Think of people like Michael Faraday, in our contemporary times and Joseph, Gideon and Moses in the Bible, they were all problem solvers. What gave them names was not their looks or appearances, but the problems they solved. You can never find an idle name in history. So, for your name to enter into history you have to be a problem solver. If you leave where you are today, what will you be remembered for? Is it for the problems you solved or the ones you created? Wherever you find yourself, ensure that you are a problem solver and you will never need to struggle for promotion or recognition among men. Now, how do you become a problem solver?
Have A Correct Perspective Of Problems!
Your number one point of victory in life is your perspective. How do you see things in life? Your perspective determines how you handle your situations. If you have a poor perspective, you will always have poor results. Your perspective determines your control. How do you address problems? Because the problem you can’t address you will never be able to arrest. How do you see problems? Do you see problems as opposition or as opportunity? When the giant called Goliath challenged the Israelites, none could face him because they all saw him as an insurmountable opposition, only David saw him as an opportunity so he was able to overcome him (1 Samuel 17). When you see your problem as opportunity, solving it becomes very cheap. Problems may, initially put you under pressure but with the right perspective you can turn it into pleasure. It is perspective that turns pressure into pleasure. Problems may stretch you but it will ultimately spread you. There can never be a spread without problems. That is to say, problems don’t leave you the way they met you. They either stretch or shrink you.
Hunt For Ideas!
Secondly, you must always hunt for ideas. Ideas are talents or instruments for improvement. If you are full of ideas, you will always be on line of improvement. So, always hunt for ideas and the way to do that is to give yourself to deep and focused thinking on your job. How do I improve on my assignment? How do I handle this situation? How can I gain speed and time in my assignment? How do I make this and that to function? There are no dull brains, there are only unused, unutilized brains. Every man’s brain can function, God never made a useless brain. We have heard stories of people who were once described as complete dullards; un-educatable, but when they decided to wake up and instigate their brains, ideas began to flow. How much use you put your brain to is what determines what comes out of it. So put your brain to work. Breakthrough that barrier that tells you, you are not smart enough or that you can’t make it. Breakthrough! You are full of ideas, you are full of inspirations. There are many resources in your brain that you can bring out to add to what you are doing. Keep thinking! It will amaze you that ideas are so close at the corner but until you give your mind to it you don’t lay hold on them.
You Need Fortitude
The third thing you require to do to be a problem solver is fortitude. What is fortitude? Fortitude is inner strength, it is the conviction that the challenge before you can be handled, and not just that it can be dissolved but that you can be the one to get it done. Fortitude is ‘stay power.’ You stay on till the result comes out. Most people get tired too soon, they give up too soon and begin to console themselves by saying, “I have tried.” When I hear a man say, “I have tried my best”, it reveals to me his lack of fortitude. A genuine worker will never commend himself until the problem is solved. Above all, when you tell him, “Well done” before the job is completed, he is not comfortable because he feels he hasn’t done what he ought to do, so what are you greeting him for? If people greet you ‘well done’ for what you have not done well, they are only mocking you. So, beware of such greetings. You need fortitude to look at a problem and say, “No, this problem must be solved!” As a Pastor, be determined that your church must grow. Rather than being discouraged by the low attendance, sit down and start thinking! Document the ideas that come to you and start taking practical steps. That is fortitude! You need such inner strength to be able to keep on pushing at the mountain before you, until it gives way.
You Must Press On!
Those who are weary will never wear the crown. Those who give up will never go into the next phase of life. Ironically, they give up at the eve of their going in. The closer you are to your breakthrough, the higher the pressure. That is why you must be determined to press on. The Holy Bible talking of Gideon and his men when they were in pursuit of the Midianite kings that had oppressed Israel for so many years, said “…He, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing…” (Judges 8:4). Even when you are fainting, keep pursuing. Most people give up too soon, that is why they never make a mark. Talking of Jesus also the Bible says, “…Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2). He was stumbling and falling under the weight of the cross yet Jesus pressed on. The difference between excellence and good is fortitude. Don’t stop where others have stopped, stay on! Don’t commend yourself the way others commend themselves, don’t peg yourself to a particular spot by saying, “I have tried.” Remove that phrase completely from your vocabulary and replace it with, “This problem can be solved and it must be solved!”
Go The Extra Mile!There is the story of a great scientist called Albert Einstein. He had a very large laboratory, and one day, it got burnt. Rather than become discouraged, he rose up and built another one. When Jesus was told that John the Baptist had been killed, He went to the next village to preach. John was very precious to Him, but He couldn’t stay there and allow people to start consoling Him because that might distract Him from His assignment. No matter what is happening around you now, don’t wear out too soon. The difference between a worker who is watching and waiting for the closing time and the one who stays beyond the time is fortitude. And you discover that those who spend extra time are the ones who solve problems. Only those who go the extra mile make an extra mark in life. Fortitude is the trade secret of problem solvers; those who will not sleep until the problem is solved. You need fortitude, you need extra input to become extraordinary. If you don’t want to be a burden in life, if you don’t want to become a liability, then you must be an asset, be a problem solver. Be blessed!
Maintaining Relevance At Work!
In every workplace, relevance remains the baseline for retention and promotion. An employee will automatically lose his job when he is no longer relevant to the organisation that employed him. You don’t remain on your job or get promoted because of your good looks or connections, every success-oriented organisation retains workers on the basis of usefulness. You need to ask yourself this question: How useful am I in my work place? That perspective would help you to improve on whatever you are doing. Jesus told a parable of a man who planted a fig tree and for three years there was no fruit on it. Finally he said, “…These three years l come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” (Luke 13: 7). When you are not relevant, you are simply occupying space. The essence of being in a place is usefulness. When you are no longer useful then you are not needed. Who wants to know how green the leaves of a fruit-bearing tree is if it bears no fruits? So also in every workplace, nobody wants to know who you are or where you come from, what matters is your relevance or usefulness. How useful are you to your employer? To be a worker means you are an aid. Your employer employed you in order to aid him. Are you truly fulfilling that purpose? Stop complaining that you have not been promoted for many years. Are you efficient on your job? Even if you are a gateman, you can work in such a way that your employer will not need to look for a substitute for you. When they begin to look for a substitute, it means you are no longer useful. Let me show you how to maintain relevance in your workplace or business.
Enhance Your Efficiency
It is your efficiency at your duty that determines your relevance. To be efficient you need to locate your area of assignment and work at it – give yourself to personal development and improvement. Read current books on your profession! Subscribe to relevant journals! Our world is changing very fast because knowledge is also being multiplied at a fast rate that if you want to keep abreast with the pace, you must be current! So get informed about your work in order to acquire more skills on it. If you don’t update, you will become outdated. There is hardly any profession now that you won’t find books written about on how to be more efficient in such profession. For instance I didn’t study management in school, but I have acquired quite a lot of management skills through reading and that has resulted in my rapid progression at work.
If you can’t get books to read, observe people who are ahead of you, ask them questions! Show interest in the work! At your spare time, instead of loitering and chatting around, do something to improve your performance. If your employer discovers that somebody else knows the work better than you, do you expect him to leave you there as a figurehead? Of course not! He wants to make more profit in his business so he would naturally go for better hands.
In the military setting for instance, the moment an officer is redundant they sack him so that those who are behind can move forward. When an organisation retains a senior officer who is not efficient, he won’t let the others behind him do the work, he will be a clog in the wheel. But the moment he is removed, they will rise and may even perform better. This is why you must strive to be more efficient on your work, discover new ways of doing your job better and in less time, that way, you become an asset to your employer or your clients. As a preacher for instance, I constantly take steps to develop my competence on the pulpit. Apart from preaching the Bible, I have to develop my communication skills and mastery of words. No matter your business or profession, enhance your efficiency. What happens to people who don’t improve their efficiency at work is that the organisation outgrows them and with time they become irrelevant redundant and are eventually laid off. The same applies to the business world. If you don’t enhance your efficiency, you will lose your clients to somebody who knows the job better and who is able to give them better value for their money.
If you are operating an equipment and it keeps breaking down in your hand, you should know that it will cause your employer some concern, because every wise businessman balances what he invests with what is destroyed and what is gainfully put to use. Somebody is in charge of a building project for instance, and about 2,000 pieces of blocks are bought per day, if 1,000 pieces are broken, calculate the loss incurred compared to the work done. Why must such a person be retained on his job? What he has destroyed is more than his salary for 3 months! Please be progress-minded, rather than being a concern to your employer. When you are efficient, your employer has confidence in you and as such would not want to lose you. That is how to enjoy quick successions of promotions at work.You don’t have to make noise to make news, you only need to discover something new. You have made enough noise, now start making news.
Assess Yourself!
It is assessment that prepares the ground for improvement. A diligent man does not wait for someone to assess him, rather he appraises and weighs himself on the balance of progress from time to time in order to make improvements. You need that! You need to ask yourself, “Am I really doing well or are people just greeting me ‘Well done’ for greeting sake? Am I fulfilling the purpose of my employment? Am I filling up the gap to a point that my employer or clients (as the case may be) will not think of getting a replacement for me?” Be more concerned about your effectiveness, efficiency, relevance and usefulness than the pay that you are receiving. Relevance is the root of fulfillment. You can never be more fulfilled than how much you satisfy the need of your employer. No matter how much you are paid, money does not satisfy. What satisfies is that your employer appreciates you and that you are meeting somebody’s need.
Take Initiative
To enhance your relevance at work, you must also be a man of initiatives. Don’t do your work blindly, open your eyes to see where there are needs and then take the initiative to meet those needs. If all you do daily is to wait for instructions, then you are not useful to your employer. You remain at the level of a messenger when you keep waiting for instruction before you can work. You should always think of how to contribute to the improvement of the organization. When you don’t think along with the organization you can’t have initiative towards its well-being. Your employer has every reason to be skeptical about you if you are not making any suggestions or contributions towards the well-being of the organisation.
Have you ever wondered why somebody gets employed in a place and in less than 3 years he gets promoted far ahead of some one who has been there for 15 years even though they both have the same qualifications? The difference is initiative. Learn to take initiatives, don’t keep waiting for instructions. If you make the first proposal or suggestion and it is not accepted, don’t be deterred. It only means you need to work harder and improve, so you sit down and think better. Initiative will birth skillfulness, skillfulness will birth efficiency, efficiency will birth relevance and usefulness, which will in turn birth promotion for you.
Understanding The Purpose Of Work
Many people don’t like to work because they don’t understand the purpose for work. They see work as punishment, so they are unmotivated and as a result they get little or nothing at the end of the day. That is why they complain and grumble about their work. Every man who lacks understanding of purpose lives under punishment all the days of his life. But as you get educated on the purpose of work, you would understand why diligence at work is non-negotiable. I see you enjoying fulfillment in your work from henceforth.
- It’s A Scriptural Obligation: The foremost reason for working is because God commands that man must work. In Genesis 2:15 the Bible says:And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.So when a man refuses to work he is not only ungodly, he has despised the original purpose for which he was created. Nothing makes a man purposeless like idleness.
- Work Creates Pleasure: Every man’s pleasure is derived from his work. Your sweet will always come from your sweat. Those who love leisure will never see pleasure because pleasure is a product of pressure. So, refusing to drop your sweat is denying yourself of the sweet because every pleasure you desire in life is embedded into your work. That is why you can never find a happy idle man. The most excited people I have ever met are workers.
- It Is The Ladder To Elevation: Your work determines your rating and your rating determines your promotion. Nothing gives you the opportunity for promotion like work and nothing attracts promotion for you like your work. Only a worker has the opportunity to prove his worth and eligibility for promotion. Every highly placed man you see today worked his way up. A genuine worker does not need to lobby for promotion, he will never need to beg for promotion, his work will naturally speak for him. Promotion is the heritage of workers. Prov. 22:29
- We Work To Generate Wealth: It is your work that makes you wealthy. The Holy Bible says in Proverbs 10:4, “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” So what you have is a function of what you do. Your hand is the generator of your wealth. When a man’s hand is always in his pocket or behind his back, he is bound to become poor.
- Work Maintains Health: When you work you exercise yourself physically and mentally and by so doing, your life spam is prolonged. That is why you find some old people still looking strong and healthy at 70 years and above, especially in our rural areas. Majority of them don’t take drugs, they are simply working. When you don’t work, your body becomes flabby due to disuse. But work keeps you in sound health, which leads to long life. Work also has a way of sharpening and improving your mental output.
- We Work To Contribute To The Well Being Of Our Society/Community: When you work, you are contributing your quota to the well being of your community and the improvement of your society. Through your work, you create advancement and accomplishment for the system to which you belong. There is something you have that somebody needs, there is also something you need that somebody else has. It is through work that you contribute to others and also gain from them. Unfortunately there are many who just parasite on others or on the society and the government. All they are looking for is what to take and when they don’t get enough they steal! You cannot be fulfilled if you are not a contributor in a workplace. In fact you don’t have a right to be at a place where you are not a contributor.
It is on record that from the day Joseph was employed in Portiphar’s house everything there prospered. “…The LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake…” (Genesis 39:5). You need to ask yourself sincerely: “Has anything prospered since I was employed at my place of work? And if there has been, what is the measure?” Joseph was a slave, yet he had something to contribute to Potiphar’s house. So don’t look at yourself as being too low in cadre or status to contribute something to that organisation where you are working. If you think that way then you are not a worker but a mere salary earner. Be a contributor rather than working just for pay. Wherever you find yourself, be committed to the good of the organization because that is where God will bless you. Work as if it is your father’s business, as if the entire life of the organization depends on you. Whether you know it or not, whatever you practice as an employee is what you will keep doing when you become an employer. So, if you are an employee today, start practicing how to become great tomorrow by being a diligent worker.
- It Is Service: Work is an avenue to express your sense of stewardship. It is unfortunate that most people put money first as their reason for working when it should be last. And you will discover that such people are often not sincere with their work. They have mistaken work to be an avenue for making money so they scheme so many ways to cheat their employers and clients. But the Bible says, “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished…” (Proverbs 13:11). Your work will bring you wealth but not by cheating or exploiting people. It is narrow mindedness to think of pay as the first reward for work. A man’s actual reward is not the pay he receives but the impact he makes on the lives of others and on his community. I want to implore you to work with the purpose of contributing to your community.
This understanding will make you an asset and not a liability wherever you find yourself. Your fulfillment in life is tied to your work. That is why Proverbs 14:23 says, “In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.” You can see from theses points that you are the major beneficiary of all the virtues of work, so if you are not working you are only cheating yourself.
You are a creature of limitless potentials and abilities. And the reason I say that is because the Holy Bible makes it clear that God created man in His own image and likeness; He breathed into man the breath of life (Genesis 1:26, 2:7), thereby giving to man His identity and ability. That means you are limitless as God, that is the true measure of your potentials. But it is not just enough to know that you have potentials or even discover those potentials, you must also accept responsibility to develop what you have. And this is made possible through the acquisition of knowledge. I want to encourage you to go tirelessly after knowledge because that is what determines your scope and your spread in life.
Your Knowledge Determines Your Class
You must understand that inferiority is not a person, but a product of ignorance. So also superiority is not a person, but a product of knowledge. It is what a man has in him that is exhibited as inferiority or superiority. Any man can be superior depending on his level of knowledge. Knowledge is what destroys inferiority and the second-class citizen syndrome. What you don’t know is what makes you inferior to others but knowledge enhances your confidence. You can keep changing your status from one level to the other by changing the level of your knowledge. Whether you know it or not, we live in a classified world, and class is not a function of age or tribe but of knowledge. It is what you know that determines the class you belong. Every man is respected, rated and classified according to his knowledge. When people discover that you know what they know, they admit you into their class. When you are able to understand what they understand and think the way they think, they no longer discriminate against or ostracize you. Knowledge is that powerful! There is the story of a man called Job in the Holy Bible. He was speaking to his friends and he said, “But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you…” (Job 12:3). Inferiority is the plague that is inflicted on the ignorant. Every ignorant man will always be plagued with inferiority. So, when we fight ignorance we are fighting inferiority.
You Can Change Your Class!
Inferiority is the tribute that the ignorant pays to the knowledgeable. The ignorant would always cow when he meets a man of knowledge. So, if you don’t want to keep on being cowed when you meet the knowledgeable change your class by acquiring knowledge. When you know what others know, they can’t intimidate you. Job also said to his friends, “What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you” (Job 13:2). Knowledge makes you acceptable and welcomed among others. If you don’t want to remain under the lid and chain of inferiority, change your level of knowledge. I have noticed in my personal life that my class has changed over and over again as I increase my knowledge. It’s not people that intimidate you; it is ignorance that intimidates you. Stop thinking that you are down because somebody is up. Nobody has the power to push you down. You can change your position by acquiring more knowledge.
Display Your Knowledge!
You don’t apply for greatness, you display what you know to earn greatness. One day, the man called Daniel in the Holy Bible, a man of great wisdom, was called to appear before the king in Babylon. At first the king looked at him and said, “Are you that Daniel?” Because he did not look it. But after Daniel spoke and the king heard his wisdom, he bowed and worshiped Daniel. Daniel never applied for it, yet the king made him a great man and gave him many gifts, all because of his knowledge (Daniel 2:1-48). People may not like your face but they can’t deny your knowledge. So, stop showing your face, start displaying your knowledge. Another thing is that people who are knowledgeable are often mistaken to be proud. It is natural. But you can’t, because you want to come down to the level of others, pretend not to know what you know. You have to keep exhibiting your knowledge and by so doing, you remain superior. When David arrived the battle field in 1 Samuel chapter 18, king Saul and the army of Israel were being intimidated by Goliath but because David knew what to do to bring him down, he told Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail him. I will go and fight him.” He asked the soldiers, “What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine?” David’s elder brothers heard it and were angry, and accused him of being very proud. But by the time he displayed his knowledge by killing Goliath, his class changed, far above that of his brothers and even Saul the king. When they were returning from the battlefield the women of the city were singing, “Saul has killed his thousands but David has killed his ten thousands.” (1 Sam. 18:7). Their class was no longer the same because of knowledge.
You Too Can Be Superior!
Superiority is attracted; it is magnetized, by changing your level of knowledge. Develop your skills. Read books and don’t just read, read and think. Spare money to buy books, create time to study, keep adding more to your knowledge and one day your knowledge would speak up. Be blessed today!
How To Be A Problem Solver
It is important for us to be reminded that our placements in life, especially at work, is for the purpose of solving problems. You are employed to solve a problem and when you are no longer a problem-solver, you are no longer fit for the job. Your present placement was necessitated by problems, so when you are no longer solving problems, you will naturally be on the list of those to be displaced. The positions of life are not just meant to be occupied, they are meant to be functional. Whether you are called a manager, teacher, CEO or whatever, your rating is according to your function. When you are no longer functioning, you are dysfunctional and would soon be tagged ‘redundant.’ So, for you to maintain relevance and remain on line, you must remain a problem solver. Your relevance is tied to the problems you are able to solve. That is what makes you a contributor. And when you are a contributor, your worth is enhanced. With the enhancement of your worth, your value rating will change. A problem solver can never be ignored, a problem solver will always have a place among men because he will always be needed. A problem solver is an asset not a liability.
The Benefits Of Problems
It is the problems you solve that reveal you to your world, that is what earns you recognition among men. If there were no problem in Israel, nobody would have known David. Problems are opportunities for fame and greatness. A man is as famous as the problem he solves. It was after he killed Goliath that his status changed from a mere shepherd boy to chief of army staff and eventually to the king in Isreal. People don’t know you in your hiding place, they know you in the open place where the problems are. The problems you solve will reveal the real you. Every man is described according to the problem he solves. That is why you never find an ordinary name in an history book, every name in history is tied to an achievement. Think of people like Michael Faraday, in our contemporary times and Joseph, Gideon and Moses in the Bible, they were all problem solvers. What gave them names was not their looks or appearances, but the problems they solved. You can never find an idle name in history. So, for your name to enter into history you have to be a problem solver. If you leave where you are today, what will you be remembered for? Is it for the problems you solved or the ones you created? Wherever you find yourself, ensure that you are a problem solver and you will never need to struggle for promotion or recognition among men. Now, how do you become a problem solver?
Have A Correct Perspective Of Problems!
Your number one point of victory in life is your perspective. How do you see things in life? Your perspective determines how you handle your situations. If you have a poor perspective, you will always have poor results. Your perspective determines your control. How do you address problems? Because the problem you can’t address you will never be able to arrest. How do you see problems? Do you see problems as opposition or as opportunity? When the giant called Goliath challenged the Israelites, none could face him because they all saw him as an insurmountable opposition, only David saw him as an opportunity so he was able to overcome him (1 Samuel 17). When you see your problem as opportunity, solving it becomes very cheap. Problems may, initially put you under pressure but with the right perspective you can turn it into pleasure. It is perspective that turns pressure into pleasure. Problems may stretch you but it will ultimately spread you. There can never be a spread without problems. That is to say, problems don’t leave you the way they met you. They either stretch or shrink you.
Hunt For Ideas!
Secondly, you must always hunt for ideas. Ideas are talents or instruments for improvement. If you are full of ideas, you will always be on line of improvement. So, always hunt for ideas and the way to do that is to give yourself to deep and focused thinking on your job. How do I improve on my assignment? How do I handle this situation? How can I gain speed and time in my assignment? How do I make this and that to function? There are no dull brains, there are only unused, unutilized brains. Every man’s brain can function, God never made a useless brain. We have heard stories of people who were once described as complete dullards; un-educatable, but when they decided to wake up and instigate their brains, ideas began to flow. How much use you put your brain to is what determines what comes out of it. So put your brain to work. Breakthrough that barrier that tells you, you are not smart enough or that you can’t make it. Breakthrough! You are full of ideas, you are full of inspirations. There are many resources in your brain that you can bring out to add to what you are doing. Keep thinking! It will amaze you that ideas are so close at the corner but until you give your mind to it you don’t lay hold on them.
You Need Fortitude
The third thing you require to do to be a problem solver is fortitude. What is fortitude? Fortitude is inner strength, it is the conviction that the challenge before you can be handled, and not just that it can be dissolved but that you can be the one to get it done. Fortitude is ‘stay power.’ You stay on till the result comes out. Most people get tired too soon, they give up too soon and begin to console themselves by saying, “I have tried.” When I hear a man say, “I have tried my best”, it reveals to me his lack of fortitude. A genuine worker will never commend himself until the problem is solved. Above all, when you tell him, “Well done” before the job is completed, he is not comfortable because he feels he hasn’t done what he ought to do, so what are you greeting him for? If people greet you ‘well done’ for what you have not done well, they are only mocking you. So, beware of such greetings. You need fortitude to look at a problem and say, “No, this problem must be solved!” As a Pastor, be determined that your church must grow. Rather than being discouraged by the low attendance, sit down and start thinking! Document the ideas that come to you and start taking practical steps. That is fortitude! You need such inner strength to be able to keep on pushing at the mountain before you, until it gives way.
You Must Press On!
Those who are weary will never wear the crown. Those who give up will never go into the next phase of life. Ironically, they give up at the eve of their going in. The closer you are to your breakthrough, the higher the pressure. That is why you must be determined to press on. The Holy Bible talking of Gideon and his men when they were in pursuit of the Midianite kings that had oppressed Israel for so many years, said “…He, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing…” (Judges 8:4). Even when you are fainting, keep pursuing. Most people give up too soon, that is why they never make a mark. Talking of Jesus also the Bible says, “…Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2). He was stumbling and falling under the weight of the cross yet Jesus pressed on. The difference between excellence and good is fortitude. Don’t stop where others have stopped, stay on! Don’t commend yourself the way others commend themselves, don’t peg yourself to a particular spot by saying, “I have tried.” Remove that phrase completely from your vocabulary and replace it with, “This problem can be solved and it must be solved!”
Go The Extra Mile!There is the story of a great scientist called Albert Einstein. He had a very large laboratory, and one day, it got burnt. Rather than become discouraged, he rose up and built another one. When Jesus was told that John the Baptist had been killed, He went to the next village to preach. John was very precious to Him, but He couldn’t stay there and allow people to start consoling Him because that might distract Him from His assignment. No matter what is happening around you now, don’t wear out too soon. The difference between a worker who is watching and waiting for the closing time and the one who stays beyond the time is fortitude. And you discover that those who spend extra time are the ones who solve problems. Only those who go the extra mile make an extra mark in life. Fortitude is the trade secret of problem solvers; those who will not sleep until the problem is solved. You need fortitude, you need extra input to become extraordinary. If you don’t want to be a burden in life, if you don’t want to become a liability, then you must be an asset, be a problem solver. Be blessed!
Maintaining Relevance At Work!
In every workplace, relevance remains the baseline for retention and promotion. An employee will automatically lose his job when he is no longer relevant to the organisation that employed him. You don’t remain on your job or get promoted because of your good looks or connections, every success-oriented organisation retains workers on the basis of usefulness. You need to ask yourself this question: How useful am I in my work place? That perspective would help you to improve on whatever you are doing. Jesus told a parable of a man who planted a fig tree and for three years there was no fruit on it. Finally he said, “…These three years l come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” (Luke 13: 7). When you are not relevant, you are simply occupying space. The essence of being in a place is usefulness. When you are no longer useful then you are not needed. Who wants to know how green the leaves of a fruit-bearing tree is if it bears no fruits? So also in every workplace, nobody wants to know who you are or where you come from, what matters is your relevance or usefulness. How useful are you to your employer? To be a worker means you are an aid. Your employer employed you in order to aid him. Are you truly fulfilling that purpose? Stop complaining that you have not been promoted for many years. Are you efficient on your job? Even if you are a gateman, you can work in such a way that your employer will not need to look for a substitute for you. When they begin to look for a substitute, it means you are no longer useful. Let me show you how to maintain relevance in your workplace or business.
Enhance Your Efficiency
It is your efficiency at your duty that determines your relevance. To be efficient you need to locate your area of assignment and work at it – give yourself to personal development and improvement. Read current books on your profession! Subscribe to relevant journals! Our world is changing very fast because knowledge is also being multiplied at a fast rate that if you want to keep abreast with the pace, you must be current! So get informed about your work in order to acquire more skills on it. If you don’t update, you will become outdated. There is hardly any profession now that you won’t find books written about on how to be more efficient in such profession. For instance I didn’t study management in school, but I have acquired quite a lot of management skills through reading and that has resulted in my rapid progression at work.
If you can’t get books to read, observe people who are ahead of you, ask them questions! Show interest in the work! At your spare time, instead of loitering and chatting around, do something to improve your performance. If your employer discovers that somebody else knows the work better than you, do you expect him to leave you there as a figurehead? Of course not! He wants to make more profit in his business so he would naturally go for better hands.
In the military setting for instance, the moment an officer is redundant they sack him so that those who are behind can move forward. When an organisation retains a senior officer who is not efficient, he won’t let the others behind him do the work, he will be a clog in the wheel. But the moment he is removed, they will rise and may even perform better. This is why you must strive to be more efficient on your work, discover new ways of doing your job better and in less time, that way, you become an asset to your employer or your clients. As a preacher for instance, I constantly take steps to develop my competence on the pulpit. Apart from preaching the Bible, I have to develop my communication skills and mastery of words. No matter your business or profession, enhance your efficiency. What happens to people who don’t improve their efficiency at work is that the organisation outgrows them and with time they become irrelevant redundant and are eventually laid off. The same applies to the business world. If you don’t enhance your efficiency, you will lose your clients to somebody who knows the job better and who is able to give them better value for their money.
If you are operating an equipment and it keeps breaking down in your hand, you should know that it will cause your employer some concern, because every wise businessman balances what he invests with what is destroyed and what is gainfully put to use. Somebody is in charge of a building project for instance, and about 2,000 pieces of blocks are bought per day, if 1,000 pieces are broken, calculate the loss incurred compared to the work done. Why must such a person be retained on his job? What he has destroyed is more than his salary for 3 months! Please be progress-minded, rather than being a concern to your employer. When you are efficient, your employer has confidence in you and as such would not want to lose you. That is how to enjoy quick successions of promotions at work.You don’t have to make noise to make news, you only need to discover something new. You have made enough noise, now start making news.
Assess Yourself!
It is assessment that prepares the ground for improvement. A diligent man does not wait for someone to assess him, rather he appraises and weighs himself on the balance of progress from time to time in order to make improvements. You need that! You need to ask yourself, “Am I really doing well or are people just greeting me ‘Well done’ for greeting sake? Am I fulfilling the purpose of my employment? Am I filling up the gap to a point that my employer or clients (as the case may be) will not think of getting a replacement for me?” Be more concerned about your effectiveness, efficiency, relevance and usefulness than the pay that you are receiving. Relevance is the root of fulfillment. You can never be more fulfilled than how much you satisfy the need of your employer. No matter how much you are paid, money does not satisfy. What satisfies is that your employer appreciates you and that you are meeting somebody’s need.
Take Initiative
To enhance your relevance at work, you must also be a man of initiatives. Don’t do your work blindly, open your eyes to see where there are needs and then take the initiative to meet those needs. If all you do daily is to wait for instructions, then you are not useful to your employer. You remain at the level of a messenger when you keep waiting for instruction before you can work. You should always think of how to contribute to the improvement of the organization. When you don’t think along with the organization you can’t have initiative towards its well-being. Your employer has every reason to be skeptical about you if you are not making any suggestions or contributions towards the well-being of the organisation.
Have you ever wondered why somebody gets employed in a place and in less than 3 years he gets promoted far ahead of some one who has been there for 15 years even though they both have the same qualifications? The difference is initiative. Learn to take initiatives, don’t keep waiting for instructions. If you make the first proposal or suggestion and it is not accepted, don’t be deterred. It only means you need to work harder and improve, so you sit down and think better. Initiative will birth skillfulness, skillfulness will birth efficiency, efficiency will birth relevance and usefulness, which will in turn birth promotion for you.
Understanding The Purpose Of Work
Many people don’t like to work because they don’t understand the purpose for work. They see work as punishment, so they are unmotivated and as a result they get little or nothing at the end of the day. That is why they complain and grumble about their work. Every man who lacks understanding of purpose lives under punishment all the days of his life. But as you get educated on the purpose of work, you would understand why diligence at work is non-negotiable. I see you enjoying fulfillment in your work from henceforth.
- It’s A Scriptural Obligation: The foremost reason for working is because God commands that man must work. In Genesis 2:15 the Bible says:And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.So when a man refuses to work he is not only ungodly, he has despised the original purpose for which he was created. Nothing makes a man purposeless like idleness.
- Work Creates Pleasure: Every man’s pleasure is derived from his work. Your sweet will always come from your sweat. Those who love leisure will never see pleasure because pleasure is a product of pressure. So, refusing to drop your sweat is denying yourself of the sweet because every pleasure you desire in life is embedded into your work. That is why you can never find a happy idle man. The most excited people I have ever met are workers.
- It Is The Ladder To Elevation: Your work determines your rating and your rating determines your promotion. Nothing gives you the opportunity for promotion like work and nothing attracts promotion for you like your work. Only a worker has the opportunity to prove his worth and eligibility for promotion. Every highly placed man you see today worked his way up. A genuine worker does not need to lobby for promotion, he will never need to beg for promotion, his work will naturally speak for him. Promotion is the heritage of workers. Prov. 22:29
- We Work To Generate Wealth: It is your work that makes you wealthy. The Holy Bible says in Proverbs 10:4, “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” So what you have is a function of what you do. Your hand is the generator of your wealth. When a man’s hand is always in his pocket or behind his back, he is bound to become poor.
- Work Maintains Health: When you work you exercise yourself physically and mentally and by so doing, your life spam is prolonged. That is why you find some old people still looking strong and healthy at 70 years and above, especially in our rural areas. Majority of them don’t take drugs, they are simply working. When you don’t work, your body becomes flabby due to disuse. But work keeps you in sound health, which leads to long life. Work also has a way of sharpening and improving your mental output.
- We Work To Contribute To The Well Being Of Our Society/Community: When you work, you are contributing your quota to the well being of your community and the improvement of your society. Through your work, you create advancement and accomplishment for the system to which you belong. There is something you have that somebody needs, there is also something you need that somebody else has. It is through work that you contribute to others and also gain from them. Unfortunately there are many who just parasite on others or on the society and the government. All they are looking for is what to take and when they don’t get enough they steal! You cannot be fulfilled if you are not a contributor in a workplace. In fact you don’t have a right to be at a place where you are not a contributor.
It is on record that from the day Joseph was employed in Portiphar’s house everything there prospered. “…The LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake…” (Genesis 39:5). You need to ask yourself sincerely: “Has anything prospered since I was employed at my place of work? And if there has been, what is the measure?” Joseph was a slave, yet he had something to contribute to Potiphar’s house. So don’t look at yourself as being too low in cadre or status to contribute something to that organisation where you are working. If you think that way then you are not a worker but a mere salary earner. Be a contributor rather than working just for pay. Wherever you find yourself, be committed to the good of the organization because that is where God will bless you. Work as if it is your father’s business, as if the entire life of the organization depends on you. Whether you know it or not, whatever you practice as an employee is what you will keep doing when you become an employer. So, if you are an employee today, start practicing how to become great tomorrow by being a diligent worker.
- It Is Service: Work is an avenue to express your sense of stewardship. It is unfortunate that most people put money first as their reason for working when it should be last. And you will discover that such people are often not sincere with their work. They have mistaken work to be an avenue for making money so they scheme so many ways to cheat their employers and clients. But the Bible says, “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished…” (Proverbs 13:11). Your work will bring you wealth but not by cheating or exploiting people. It is narrow mindedness to think of pay as the first reward for work. A man’s actual reward is not the pay he receives but the impact he makes on the lives of others and on his community. I want to implore you to work with the purpose of contributing to your community.
This understanding will make you an asset and not a liability wherever you find yourself. Your fulfillment in life is tied to your work. That is why Proverbs 14:23 says, “In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.” You can see from theses points that you are the major beneficiary of all the virtues of work, so if you are not working you are only cheating yourself.
DELIGENCE AND SUCCESS
Diligence And Success!
In the spiritual race we’re running, the subject of diligence cannot be push aside.
Life has so much to offer than you can ever imagine. Except you give it what it takes you’ll never get what it contains.
One major criterion for Jesus disciples were because they are diligent. He saw Peter casting his net; went to custom office to call Matthew.
There is no future for lazy man. No diligent, no future!
Success is not for the lazy and indolent.
- Laziness wishes
- Diligence stretches
If you’re lazy life will be hazy for you, if you’re passive, good things will pass you by. If you’re sleepy, good things will be slippery in your hands. No good things happen to lazy people.
Just being diligent will make you 50% ahead of your peer. Prov. 22:29 says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”
All the profit of life is commanded via diligence.
Without human effort there can’t be divine effect. You do nothing God does nothing!
It takes diligence to see – Hab. 2:1.
It takes diligence to make discoveries of scriptures and practice the same – Deut. 28:1, 2; 1 Pet. 1:10.
Without diligence faith can not be exercised – Heb. 6:12.
It takes diligence to resist evil – Heb. 12:13.
Getting to the top remains a day dream without diligence (Deut. 28:1, 2).
Without diligence there cannot be additions – 2 Pet. 1:4-5.
“…Giving all diligence…”
A diligent worker endures till he finishes his assignment.
(Lk 15:8-9).
Nothing guarantees stability like diligence.
Diligent is creative, sees opportunity.
However, diligence is not a gift, it’s something you give. It is function of the mind.
Learning Is Leading!
The only way to keep leading is to keep learning.To lead on, you have to learn more.
More learning, better leading.
Every serious and committed learner will end as a glorious and creative leader.
You stay at the back to learn in order to prepare to take your place at the front.
Attitude and practice of a learner:
- A learner genuinely exhibits the attitude of humility.
He is never eager to show to people what he knows but to let people know that he hasn’t known what he ought to know – Prov. 1:5.
Contrariwise a proud dummy quickly wants people to know what he has.
Every humble learner is heading for great position of leadership in the future.
- The practice of a true learner is observation.
He is always eager to pick lessons at every passing moment and event – nothing passes his curious eyes.
The ear is not enough a medium of learning. To make learning complete, the eye must also be effectively engaged – Prov. 20:12.
Never take life easy!
: Life is precious; those who take it easy will lose it.
: Those who take life easy will be eased out of the race of life.
: All who seek relief will be relieved.
: Those who seek to lay down will be laid off.
: Hold life and your duty fast and firm
– 1 Thes. 5:21 says; “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
2 Tim. 1:13; Heb. 4:14; 10:23; Rev. 2:25; 3:11
2 Tim. 1:13 – Hold fast the form of sound words…
Heb. 4:14; 10:23 - …Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering
Rev. 2:25; 3:11 – But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Behold I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Accessing your room!
Prov. 18:16
"The gift of a man maketh room for him."
: To be giftless is to be roomless
: The quality of your gift determines the size of your room
: We are limited by our gifts.
: Joseph’s gift broke his confinement to the prison and made room for his in the palace in spite of all odds.
: Man’s problem is not his confinement and barriers but his giftlessness.
: A gift is like a spider – it will gain access to just anywhere including the King’s palace no matter the tightness of its entrances.
: It was just David’s gift that terminated his habitation in the field to the well furnished palace of Saul.
: With a gift you don’t have to appear in a place more than once before you are admired and accepted.
: Your gift is your admiration. It magnetizes people to you, endears and attracts them to you.
: With a gift in your hand wherever you turn you command an open door.
: And what do you say of Daniel – a captive, a slave with no right of citizenship! Just a gift!
The king of the land and all the land descended from the throne in worship of this young lad whose marital status we are not even sure of.
: Only those who identify, develop and project their gift will access their room.
: Man has no recognition outside of his gift.
: Your gift is your life! Your gift is your invitation card to the palace.
: It is your qualifier to dining with kings.
: So what is your gift?
Skill; Competence; Specialty; flair; arrow head; Weapon
-Locate it, fashion it, admire it, celebrate it, project it.
Potential Matters
: God never created any junk!
: Man’s potential is measured or assessed by what he is made of and made from.
: The true potential of man is God -God breath into man (made him potent) the breathe of life -God’s picture of man is – in His image and after His likeness.
: If you want to know your real self and your true worth, look at God, know and understand Him. Dan. 11:32
: Your knowledge of God reveals (unveil) the true you.
: God in you is your real potential and ability.
: Your knowledge of Him makes you strong and enables you to do exploit.
: After making man, He blessed (empowered, enabled) him
: Men may encourage you to become great but only you can march into your greatness.
: God is your yardstick; God is your limit.
: Be inspired by men but never be limited by men.
: Every man’s potential is maximized by accepting responsibility
: The earlier you accept responsibility the faster your journey in life.
: Accept it early in life. Culture yourself for it.
: Accept responsibility for; -discovery of potential in order to maintain focus -development of potential to strengthen it; by self learning -releasing of potential to multiply impact and effect by exercise.
: Be sensitive to potential and time; potential and environment
: Discover, develop and display your gifts and callings. Only a fool will project his minor and ignore his major. Sit tight to plan your future. If you don’t sit tight you will fall flat.
The God Factor In Success
Have you ever wondered, “What can I do? What is my full potential?” The only way to get an answer to that question is to find out from God, your creator because only the manufacturer of a product can tell it’s full potential. Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, let us make man in our image and after our likeness…” So, God made you not only to have His identity but also His ability. Genesis 2:7 also says, “And God breathed into man the breath of life.” God breathed His potential and capabilities into man. As if that was not enough, After God made man He blessed him; that means He empowered and enabled him to function. God actually created you to do what He can do. So, the only thing you cannot do is what God cannot do. After creation, God transferred the responsibility of discovery to man and said to him, “Subdue the earth and replenish it” because He had put in him the potentials required to do. And over the years man has succeeded in subduing his environment to a large extent; on the land, the sea and in the air. He has been able to tame every kind of animal you can think of, invented diverse kinds of machines and made great discoveries. But, as man makes discoveries, he is simply recreating what God has already created. So, God is the yardstick for measuring your potential. This should help you to understand that you are not a trash, you have unlimited abilities and potentials.
Don’t Let Men Limit You!
Each time you say, “I wish I am like that person,” you are limiting your potential because that person is not your limit, God is your limit. We can look up to men who have made great achievements in life, but that should only be for inspiration not for maximization. Men are just an interim source of encouragement, you must see beyond them to your real potential. If you have a mentor or role model, it is good for you to think of becoming like that person, but don’t stop there because you have what it takes to go beyond whatever that person has achieved. You will remain a victim of mediocrity and inferiority if you keep looking at men as your ultimate yardstick. Also, when men assess you and declare their opinions about you, don’t allow them limit you. Someone may call you are a failure, that is simply his opinion. Your ultimate assessment is between you and God, so don’t allow men to place a peg over your life.
How do you maximize your potentials?
Accept Responsibility!
You have unlimited potentials but to make it a reality, you must accept responsibility. Refuse to shift blame, stop looking for who to hold responsible for where you are. Don’t blame your parents, circumstances or even the government of your nation. Because there are other people who may be less privileged than you, yet they are making waves. Start accepting responsibility. That was the first thing God taught Adam after creation. First, God brought all the animals to him and said, “Name them.” Then He put him in the Garden of Eden and said, “Dress it.” After a while, God gave him a wife and said, “Take care of this woman.” Adam would have rotted away in the garden if he had no responsibilities. Don’t let your life rot away in mediocrity, accept responsibility!
Accept Responsibility For Self Discovery
Convince yourself that something can be done about your life no matter where you are now. Haven’t you seen that every seed that is put in the soil accepts the responsibility of shooting forth? And once the seedling begins to force it’s way through; seeking identity and seeking to see the light of the day, the ground as hard as it is, begins to give way to it. You too can see the light of the day, you too can shoot out through the clouds, if you will accept responsibility for self discovery. Discover and appreciate your unique qualities and abilities.
Accept Responsibility For Self Development
It is ignorance that creates inferiority complex among men. Inferiority is the harvest of the seed of ignorance while superiority is the harvest you reap from acquiring knowledge. Acquisition of knowledge is the process of building superiority mentality. Take time to develop yourself, go for knowledge, feed your mind and your potentials! What fertilizer is to seed is what knowledge is to the soul of man. Your potential must be fattened with facts in order to make it become kinetic; active and productive. Knowledge will never leave you on the same spot, it will always take you higher and change your status. Knowledge is the booster of potential.
Accept Responsibility For Self Impact:
Men may encourage you to become great but only you can march into greatness by yourself. Men may teach you the principles of greatness but you have to take practical steps to make your greatness a reality. To make impact you must exercise! There is no impact without attempts, there is no effect without efforts. You can’t make a mark without being on your mark. So, begin to try things, dare something you have never done before! Stop waiting for convenience, every potential is released in the midst of inconveniences. Start exercising yourself for impact in order to maximize your God given potentials. God bless you!
In the spiritual race we’re running, the subject of diligence cannot be push aside.
Life has so much to offer than you can ever imagine. Except you give it what it takes you’ll never get what it contains.
One major criterion for Jesus disciples were because they are diligent. He saw Peter casting his net; went to custom office to call Matthew.
There is no future for lazy man. No diligent, no future!
Success is not for the lazy and indolent.
- Laziness wishes
- Diligence stretches
If you’re lazy life will be hazy for you, if you’re passive, good things will pass you by. If you’re sleepy, good things will be slippery in your hands. No good things happen to lazy people.
Just being diligent will make you 50% ahead of your peer. Prov. 22:29 says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”
All the profit of life is commanded via diligence.
Without human effort there can’t be divine effect. You do nothing God does nothing!
It takes diligence to see – Hab. 2:1.
It takes diligence to make discoveries of scriptures and practice the same – Deut. 28:1, 2; 1 Pet. 1:10.
Without diligence faith can not be exercised – Heb. 6:12.
It takes diligence to resist evil – Heb. 12:13.
Getting to the top remains a day dream without diligence (Deut. 28:1, 2).
Without diligence there cannot be additions – 2 Pet. 1:4-5.
“…Giving all diligence…”
A diligent worker endures till he finishes his assignment.
(Lk 15:8-9).
Nothing guarantees stability like diligence.
Diligent is creative, sees opportunity.
However, diligence is not a gift, it’s something you give. It is function of the mind.
Learning Is Leading!
The only way to keep leading is to keep learning.To lead on, you have to learn more.
More learning, better leading.
Every serious and committed learner will end as a glorious and creative leader.
You stay at the back to learn in order to prepare to take your place at the front.
Attitude and practice of a learner:
- A learner genuinely exhibits the attitude of humility.
He is never eager to show to people what he knows but to let people know that he hasn’t known what he ought to know – Prov. 1:5.
Contrariwise a proud dummy quickly wants people to know what he has.
Every humble learner is heading for great position of leadership in the future.
- The practice of a true learner is observation.
He is always eager to pick lessons at every passing moment and event – nothing passes his curious eyes.
The ear is not enough a medium of learning. To make learning complete, the eye must also be effectively engaged – Prov. 20:12.
Never take life easy!
: Life is precious; those who take it easy will lose it.
: Those who take life easy will be eased out of the race of life.
: All who seek relief will be relieved.
: Those who seek to lay down will be laid off.
: Hold life and your duty fast and firm
– 1 Thes. 5:21 says; “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
2 Tim. 1:13; Heb. 4:14; 10:23; Rev. 2:25; 3:11
2 Tim. 1:13 – Hold fast the form of sound words…
Heb. 4:14; 10:23 - …Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering
Rev. 2:25; 3:11 – But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Behold I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Accessing your room!
Prov. 18:16
"The gift of a man maketh room for him."
: To be giftless is to be roomless
: The quality of your gift determines the size of your room
: We are limited by our gifts.
: Joseph’s gift broke his confinement to the prison and made room for his in the palace in spite of all odds.
: Man’s problem is not his confinement and barriers but his giftlessness.
: A gift is like a spider – it will gain access to just anywhere including the King’s palace no matter the tightness of its entrances.
: It was just David’s gift that terminated his habitation in the field to the well furnished palace of Saul.
: With a gift you don’t have to appear in a place more than once before you are admired and accepted.
: Your gift is your admiration. It magnetizes people to you, endears and attracts them to you.
: With a gift in your hand wherever you turn you command an open door.
: And what do you say of Daniel – a captive, a slave with no right of citizenship! Just a gift!
The king of the land and all the land descended from the throne in worship of this young lad whose marital status we are not even sure of.
: Only those who identify, develop and project their gift will access their room.
: Man has no recognition outside of his gift.
: Your gift is your life! Your gift is your invitation card to the palace.
: It is your qualifier to dining with kings.
: So what is your gift?
Skill; Competence; Specialty; flair; arrow head; Weapon
-Locate it, fashion it, admire it, celebrate it, project it.
Potential Matters
: God never created any junk!
: Man’s potential is measured or assessed by what he is made of and made from.
: The true potential of man is God -God breath into man (made him potent) the breathe of life -God’s picture of man is – in His image and after His likeness.
: If you want to know your real self and your true worth, look at God, know and understand Him. Dan. 11:32
: Your knowledge of God reveals (unveil) the true you.
: God in you is your real potential and ability.
: Your knowledge of Him makes you strong and enables you to do exploit.
: After making man, He blessed (empowered, enabled) him
: Men may encourage you to become great but only you can march into your greatness.
: God is your yardstick; God is your limit.
: Be inspired by men but never be limited by men.
: Every man’s potential is maximized by accepting responsibility
: The earlier you accept responsibility the faster your journey in life.
: Accept it early in life. Culture yourself for it.
: Accept responsibility for; -discovery of potential in order to maintain focus -development of potential to strengthen it; by self learning -releasing of potential to multiply impact and effect by exercise.
: Be sensitive to potential and time; potential and environment
: Discover, develop and display your gifts and callings. Only a fool will project his minor and ignore his major. Sit tight to plan your future. If you don’t sit tight you will fall flat.
The God Factor In Success
Have you ever wondered, “What can I do? What is my full potential?” The only way to get an answer to that question is to find out from God, your creator because only the manufacturer of a product can tell it’s full potential. Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, let us make man in our image and after our likeness…” So, God made you not only to have His identity but also His ability. Genesis 2:7 also says, “And God breathed into man the breath of life.” God breathed His potential and capabilities into man. As if that was not enough, After God made man He blessed him; that means He empowered and enabled him to function. God actually created you to do what He can do. So, the only thing you cannot do is what God cannot do. After creation, God transferred the responsibility of discovery to man and said to him, “Subdue the earth and replenish it” because He had put in him the potentials required to do. And over the years man has succeeded in subduing his environment to a large extent; on the land, the sea and in the air. He has been able to tame every kind of animal you can think of, invented diverse kinds of machines and made great discoveries. But, as man makes discoveries, he is simply recreating what God has already created. So, God is the yardstick for measuring your potential. This should help you to understand that you are not a trash, you have unlimited abilities and potentials.
Don’t Let Men Limit You!
Each time you say, “I wish I am like that person,” you are limiting your potential because that person is not your limit, God is your limit. We can look up to men who have made great achievements in life, but that should only be for inspiration not for maximization. Men are just an interim source of encouragement, you must see beyond them to your real potential. If you have a mentor or role model, it is good for you to think of becoming like that person, but don’t stop there because you have what it takes to go beyond whatever that person has achieved. You will remain a victim of mediocrity and inferiority if you keep looking at men as your ultimate yardstick. Also, when men assess you and declare their opinions about you, don’t allow them limit you. Someone may call you are a failure, that is simply his opinion. Your ultimate assessment is between you and God, so don’t allow men to place a peg over your life.
How do you maximize your potentials?
Accept Responsibility!
You have unlimited potentials but to make it a reality, you must accept responsibility. Refuse to shift blame, stop looking for who to hold responsible for where you are. Don’t blame your parents, circumstances or even the government of your nation. Because there are other people who may be less privileged than you, yet they are making waves. Start accepting responsibility. That was the first thing God taught Adam after creation. First, God brought all the animals to him and said, “Name them.” Then He put him in the Garden of Eden and said, “Dress it.” After a while, God gave him a wife and said, “Take care of this woman.” Adam would have rotted away in the garden if he had no responsibilities. Don’t let your life rot away in mediocrity, accept responsibility!
Accept Responsibility For Self Discovery
Convince yourself that something can be done about your life no matter where you are now. Haven’t you seen that every seed that is put in the soil accepts the responsibility of shooting forth? And once the seedling begins to force it’s way through; seeking identity and seeking to see the light of the day, the ground as hard as it is, begins to give way to it. You too can see the light of the day, you too can shoot out through the clouds, if you will accept responsibility for self discovery. Discover and appreciate your unique qualities and abilities.
Accept Responsibility For Self Development
It is ignorance that creates inferiority complex among men. Inferiority is the harvest of the seed of ignorance while superiority is the harvest you reap from acquiring knowledge. Acquisition of knowledge is the process of building superiority mentality. Take time to develop yourself, go for knowledge, feed your mind and your potentials! What fertilizer is to seed is what knowledge is to the soul of man. Your potential must be fattened with facts in order to make it become kinetic; active and productive. Knowledge will never leave you on the same spot, it will always take you higher and change your status. Knowledge is the booster of potential.
Accept Responsibility For Self Impact:
Men may encourage you to become great but only you can march into greatness by yourself. Men may teach you the principles of greatness but you have to take practical steps to make your greatness a reality. To make impact you must exercise! There is no impact without attempts, there is no effect without efforts. You can’t make a mark without being on your mark. So, begin to try things, dare something you have never done before! Stop waiting for convenience, every potential is released in the midst of inconveniences. Start exercising yourself for impact in order to maximize your God given potentials. God bless you!
ACCEPTING MARITAL RESPOSIBILITY
Accepting Marital Responsibilities
Life is all about responsibilities because the first thing God did after He created man was to give him responsibilities. First, God put Adam in the garden to dress and keep it, then He brought all the animals to him and told him to name them. After that, God gave him a wife to take care of. So, marriage is not just a social thing, it is a responsibility. A man is not due for marriage because of his age but because of his ability to handle responsibilities. The ability to assume responsibility is the proof of maturity. Your stewardship extends to the area of marriage because you are there as a privileged care-taker who would be required to give account of what has been committed into your hand. This is the understanding you need to enjoy family success. See yourself as a steward in that family, whether you are a husband or a wife. And as a steward, the first thing you must do is to understand your role and accept the responsibilities attached to it.
ARE YOU BEHAVING AS YOU SHOULD?
As a man for instance, you don’t need to keep reminding your wife, “I am the head of this family.” If you behave as the head, she will have no choice but to respect and submit to you. What you say is not as important as how you behave. It is when people fail in their responsibilities that they begin to announce themselves. If a woman behaves very well towards her husband’s relations for instance, they will naturally accept and regard her as a good in-law. But if she does not relate well with them, they will call her all kind of names. So, your behaviour is what determines how people relate with you. If your spouse is not relating with you as he or she ought to, then you need to ask yourself, “Am I behaving properly as a husband or a wife?” When you begin to introduce yourself in your home, it is a sign that you have lost value, you have lost your position. And that happens when you have failed in your responsibilities. Both the husband and the wife have responsibilities in the home, in this teaching, we will start by examining the husband’s responsibilities.
A HUSBAND’S RESPONSIBILITY
The man’s number one responsibility is to provide for his family. “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Tim 5:8). One of the reasons for a lot of tension in some homes is because the man does not care for his family. God ordained that a man should care for his family. I don’t discourage women from working but for a man to be dependent on his wife is not proper, it is a sign of irresponsibility. It makes a man to lose respect both in the home and the society. A man gains control over his family affairs as he carries out his duty of providing for them. He must be selflessly committed to his family. He must see himself as the engine of the family, whose duty it is to keep pulling them along and ensuring that they are well catered for.
Apart from providing for your family you have to love them selflessly. Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives…” In spite of her shortcomings, you are to love your wife. The greatest frustration of most men is that their wives keep offending them but I always tell men, “It is normal for your wife to offend you.” One of the ways to show that you are truly above her is to keep forgiving and loving her in spite of her offences. That is the way Christ loves the church. And you know the Bible says, “…Love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church…”
HOW DO YOU EXPRESS LOVE IN MARRIAGE?
Tenderness: The man must learn to be tender. This means he has to be patient and calm. A woman responds more to feelings than to words. Your words do not touch your wife as much as the expression of your emotions. So you must be sensitive to her feelings. Some times you hear some men say to their wives, “Can’t you do like a man?” She can’t do like a man because it is not her nature. If your wife should do like a man, are you ready to do like a woman? The Bible refers to women as “weaker vessels.” And that means they should be treated with care. Don’t get irritated when something happens and your wife begins to cry, it is her nature. That is just one of the ways women express their feelings.
Firmness: There are times when a man must be firm on what he believes to be right. Any husband that can’t say, ‘no’ to his wife when it is necessary for the well being of the family is a weakling. The husband is the eye of the family; he should be able to see ahead and introduce checks and controls where necessary. I guess Adam was so carried away with tenderness that he forgot to be firm. He was commanded by God not to taste the forbidden fruit but when his wife Eve, brought the fruit to him, rather than rebuke her firmly he took it from her and ate. And that action landed humanity where it is today. As a man, you must be bold to lead, accept your responsibility as the head of the family because when you went after that woman asking for her hand in marriage you were simply saying, “I want to add you to my responsibilities.” Moreover, after Adam and Eve ate the fruit that God told them not to eat, the first person God called when He arrived the scene was Adam. So, as the head and leader of your family, God holds you responsible for everything that happens there.
Proper planning: Planning is setting priorities. Make plans for the well-being of your family and for the future. A man that loves his family will plan for their upkeep. Also, to make your wife happy don’t forget her relations, care for them as much as you can. God bless you as you awake to your responsibilities, in Jesus’ name.
Life is all about responsibilities because the first thing God did after He created man was to give him responsibilities. First, God put Adam in the garden to dress and keep it, then He brought all the animals to him and told him to name them. After that, God gave him a wife to take care of. So, marriage is not just a social thing, it is a responsibility. A man is not due for marriage because of his age but because of his ability to handle responsibilities. The ability to assume responsibility is the proof of maturity. Your stewardship extends to the area of marriage because you are there as a privileged care-taker who would be required to give account of what has been committed into your hand. This is the understanding you need to enjoy family success. See yourself as a steward in that family, whether you are a husband or a wife. And as a steward, the first thing you must do is to understand your role and accept the responsibilities attached to it.
ARE YOU BEHAVING AS YOU SHOULD?
As a man for instance, you don’t need to keep reminding your wife, “I am the head of this family.” If you behave as the head, she will have no choice but to respect and submit to you. What you say is not as important as how you behave. It is when people fail in their responsibilities that they begin to announce themselves. If a woman behaves very well towards her husband’s relations for instance, they will naturally accept and regard her as a good in-law. But if she does not relate well with them, they will call her all kind of names. So, your behaviour is what determines how people relate with you. If your spouse is not relating with you as he or she ought to, then you need to ask yourself, “Am I behaving properly as a husband or a wife?” When you begin to introduce yourself in your home, it is a sign that you have lost value, you have lost your position. And that happens when you have failed in your responsibilities. Both the husband and the wife have responsibilities in the home, in this teaching, we will start by examining the husband’s responsibilities.
A HUSBAND’S RESPONSIBILITY
The man’s number one responsibility is to provide for his family. “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Tim 5:8). One of the reasons for a lot of tension in some homes is because the man does not care for his family. God ordained that a man should care for his family. I don’t discourage women from working but for a man to be dependent on his wife is not proper, it is a sign of irresponsibility. It makes a man to lose respect both in the home and the society. A man gains control over his family affairs as he carries out his duty of providing for them. He must be selflessly committed to his family. He must see himself as the engine of the family, whose duty it is to keep pulling them along and ensuring that they are well catered for.
Apart from providing for your family you have to love them selflessly. Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives…” In spite of her shortcomings, you are to love your wife. The greatest frustration of most men is that their wives keep offending them but I always tell men, “It is normal for your wife to offend you.” One of the ways to show that you are truly above her is to keep forgiving and loving her in spite of her offences. That is the way Christ loves the church. And you know the Bible says, “…Love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church…”
HOW DO YOU EXPRESS LOVE IN MARRIAGE?
Tenderness: The man must learn to be tender. This means he has to be patient and calm. A woman responds more to feelings than to words. Your words do not touch your wife as much as the expression of your emotions. So you must be sensitive to her feelings. Some times you hear some men say to their wives, “Can’t you do like a man?” She can’t do like a man because it is not her nature. If your wife should do like a man, are you ready to do like a woman? The Bible refers to women as “weaker vessels.” And that means they should be treated with care. Don’t get irritated when something happens and your wife begins to cry, it is her nature. That is just one of the ways women express their feelings.
Firmness: There are times when a man must be firm on what he believes to be right. Any husband that can’t say, ‘no’ to his wife when it is necessary for the well being of the family is a weakling. The husband is the eye of the family; he should be able to see ahead and introduce checks and controls where necessary. I guess Adam was so carried away with tenderness that he forgot to be firm. He was commanded by God not to taste the forbidden fruit but when his wife Eve, brought the fruit to him, rather than rebuke her firmly he took it from her and ate. And that action landed humanity where it is today. As a man, you must be bold to lead, accept your responsibility as the head of the family because when you went after that woman asking for her hand in marriage you were simply saying, “I want to add you to my responsibilities.” Moreover, after Adam and Eve ate the fruit that God told them not to eat, the first person God called when He arrived the scene was Adam. So, as the head and leader of your family, God holds you responsible for everything that happens there.
Proper planning: Planning is setting priorities. Make plans for the well-being of your family and for the future. A man that loves his family will plan for their upkeep. Also, to make your wife happy don’t forget her relations, care for them as much as you can. God bless you as you awake to your responsibilities, in Jesus’ name.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
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