| Apostle Paul once said “Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God’s plan for us” (2 Cor. 10:13 NLT). Think about his statement. Why should he make “staying within God’s plan” his goal? It appears to me that there are a whole lot of goodies attached to staying in God’s plan. It is as though if this aspect of his life is taken care of, every other thing will fall into place.
Why didn’t he say “my goal is to carve out the best plan for myself”? It is obvious that Paul knew something about “staying in God’s plan” which we should also know about. Today, believers are wishing to see good fruits in their lives, but their roots are not attached to God’s plan. And just like an average plant, the fruits are mainly dependent on the soil and nutrients the roots are constantly interacting with.
Some of the things believers are chasing around (miracles, marriage, prosperity, health, progress, etc) are things that should radiate effortlessly from our lives through the unfolding of God’s plan. If only we learn to stay in God’s plan, we would realize that many of our so called successes are already outdated or will soon get outdated. While we want to start celebrating today’s breakthrough, another mega one shows up and makes the former one insignificant. We will just find ourselves in an unending victory parade.
Many of us know this and that is why we pray “Lord, let your will and purpose come to pass in my life”. But it goes beyond mouthing some prayers. You have to ensure you live by some key “staying principles” as far as God’s plan is concerned.
Join us as we discuss this life updating topic at the World Outreach Convention 2009 (WoC ’09) slated for Abuja, Nigeria.
When: Saturday, May 2nd, 2009 by 11am Where: Unity Hall, Reiz Continental Hotel, Plot 779, Cadastral Zone AO, Central Business Area, Abuja. Enquiries: +234-8726126, +234-8082462670, info@christlifeline.org
Come and update your life! Remember to invite others.
– tope aladenusi |
It may be very easy to tell how you are going to end up in life by looking at how you are handling today. Most believers miss it here. They are so engrossed in the thought that something will happen sometime in the near future that will change their lives for the better, that they do not give today the necessary attention.
Whatever you are going to become in future, you are already becoming today. Whatever is going to become your past, you are already doing today. Today is so important in your life. Jesus taught his disciples “give us this day our daily bread”. Ever wondered why he did not teach them “give us tomorrow our daily bread”? I also love the emphasis placed on today in Hebrews 3:13 – “But exhort one another daily, while it is called today …” Today is very significant in your life and must be accorded the right attention.
But what do we normally do? In the words of John Maxwell, “we exaggerate yesterday, overestimate tomorrow, and underestimate today”. We spend time worrying about the past we cannot change and use the hurt feelings to destroy today. We discuss how God will use us to impact the world tomorrow, but nobody is blessed by our lives today. We visualize having a great spouse and home, but we are not preparing ourselves to be great spouses. We condemn God’s ministers and promise we will do better tomorrow, but we never get around to doing anything better. We desire to lose some weight tomorrow, but we eat like crazy today. We want to have well behaved children tomorrow but do not spend time with them today.
Brothers and sisters, let’s stop the deceit. Today will soon become yesterday and it is the foundation for tomorrow. It must be given the right attention. We must be like our master – Jesus Christ who constantly “… increased in wisdom and stature” (Luke 2:52). Even when he had a “joy set before him”, he endured the cross and despised the shame when it was called “today”. Treasure this day, my beloved; Give today your best shot because you life is a collection of all your “todays”.
– tope aladenusi
I once saw a sticker in a friend’s room that read – ‘This year, it is my turn to shine’. So I asked him – ‘whose turn will it be next year?’ He said, ‘well, I may also shine, but it will be more evident this year’. He appeared to sure of this year, but not of the subsequent years. His words made me remember Proverbs 4:18 – “The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine” (MSG).
It’s not God’s intention that we flourish in turns just as birds don’t wait for one another before they can fly. There is enough room for all of us. Our ‘tomorrow’ should always be better than our ‘today’. When we say ‘the good old days’, it should be because we are experiencing ‘the better new days’.
Can a fish say – “this year, it is my turn to swim”? It doesn’t make sense right? We have to exercise care to ensure that we do not keep on treating the rule as the exception. The default makeup of a believer is that he would always shine. 2 Corinthians 2:14 makes us understand that we serve a God who always causes us to triumph in Christ.
However, there is a reason why we sometimes have rising and falling experiences. We were taught initially in school that the sun rises from the east and sets in the west. A further study revealed that the sun does not rise, but because the earth is constantly rotating, we have day and night depending on which part of the earth faces the sun. Such is the case with our experiences with God; all his resources have been made constantly available to all believers in immeasurable quantities, we are the ones who are always changing our principles, thought patterns and actions.
Beloved, the ball is in our court. As long as we are not meandering between conflicting principles and keep our eyes steadfast on Jesus plus his ways of doing things, we can be very sure that “the longer we live, the brighter we shine”.
tope aladenusi
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Be in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Galatians 5:16
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6
Today a lot of Christians battle with different question like; how to keep a pre-marital relationship clean? How to keep away from adultery? How to manage a troublesome spouse? etc. The truth is that we rarely hear straight answers to these questions but I believe there is something responsible for every one of these problems.
After I gave my life to Christ, I fell in love with the first scripture listed and it formed my very being. It is not just another faith boosting scripture or a declaration of faith, rather it is the reality of Christian faith that we must experience and live in the understanding of, so that the “I” in this passage of the scriptures refer to you. Today I join my voice with this man of a great God to declare that I have been crucified with Christ.
If indeed we have been crucified with Christ how is it that our flesh still yearns for carnal things. How is it possible that Christ lives in you and at the slightest opportunity you give in to the temptation around you?
If the life we now live is based on faith in God and the work of grace through Christ, why are we battling so much in our relationships? Jesus Christ our greatest example managed every relationship intelligently and we see that even when He was brought before the judges of this world, they found nothing in Him. If we have faith in Him, where are we missing it?
I write today not as one immune from all these but as a fellow who has gone up and down and understands better now. The source of any Christian is his or her relationship with God. When this goes down, all other things go down with it, no matter how much progress you appear to be making while you are far away from God.
Many times we say He has been faithful even though I have been unfaithful. What we fail to understand is that what we call faithfulness of God is really crumbs. So here we are celebrating the fact that we got the crumbs of the toast when we could get the toast itself.
What is the application of this powerful scripture, I have been crucified with Christ, so I do not live anymore, old principles need to be verified against the word of God and confirmed fit. Whatever situation you find yourself, look into the scriptures for answers. Don’t wait for situations to come before you get prepared; get a study Bible, read about the life of this man called Jesus, become familiar with His ways, because this will be your new lifestyle.
I have discovered by experience that my best times in life were those times when my relationship with God was at its peak. I express love to my husband the more when my heart is right with God. Here is another secret, God is Love, before we can love like God wants us to, we must encounter the heart of God. The ordinary man is incapable of loving as described in 1Corinthians 13.
It is disturbing and mind bugging when I see a child of God in an unequally yoked relationship, it tells me that it is either such a person has never been a Christian or has a crisis that requires urgent attention. If you are truly a friend to such a person, it is time to have a heart to heart discussion. And if you are that person it’s time to check yourself and address the issue. Find you way back to the Father’s heart.
Let me ask a question – Can a spirit filled brother or sister be asking for sex before marriage? If the answer is no, why do we hear of Christians being bugged by this phenomenon so much that people come to the conclusion “ no one is real in church anymore, so let’s go outside at least there I know what I am going to get” . Really such conclusions are indications that the so called Christian here is just fishing for a spouse through Christianity. Thank God likes will always find themselves.
Can a spirit filled husband beat up his wife, go without providing for his home, put down his wife at every opportunity and fail to consider his wife’s feelings? or can spirit filled wife nag at the slightest provocation, deny her husband the attention he requires, take out her frustrations on the children, in-laws and everyone around?
The answer is no! The spirit within us will not allow such behaviour, the Bible tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance Galatians 5:22-23.
The Spirit of God in us, empowers us to live the life we have been called to. Bible tells us in Proverbs that counsel in the heart is like deep waters and but a man of understanding will draw it out – Proverbs 20:5.
As Christians we are empowered to have solution for every matter, inside of us are answers as we plug into the Spirit. God has poured out His Spirit on us.
We need to move to the next level where Understanding is the order of the day. Reach deep inside of you.
I love you.
omolola ezeifeoma
Sometime ago while pondering over God’s word. I was again struck by the unique, distinct and peculiar life we have been called into. I am actually living the life of Christ. I am not to try to please him by my hands but to show forth the excellent virtues of his mighty power at work in me.
I am not trying to carve a niche for myself. Instead whatever niche that may be carved out should continually stem from the accomplished work on the cross.
I mean does my life exhibit the uniqueness of Christ or is it another self declared style unique to me.
Does my action stem from the world or does it stem from the true word of God.
Even though we are called new creatures, our sufficiency does not come from ourselves but from the operation of God in us.
I used to say that what kind of strange humility would make a man pray that men should not see him but the CROSS but now I understand better. Paul desired that we abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ to the honour and praise of God [that his Glory may be both manifested and recognised] Phil 1:11 Consider contextually verse 18
verse 20…my own eager desire and persistent expectation and hope that I shall not disgrace myself nor be put to shame in anything but that with the utmost of speech and unfailing courage, now as always heretofore Christ will be magnified and get glory and praise in this body of mine and be boldly exalted in my person whether through life or through death.
For me to live is Christ
Brother, let our names be forgotten but let Christ be exalted in our bodies. No other thing surpasses this.
The Hymn writer says
“Not I, but Christ,” be honoured, loved, exalted;
“Not I, but Christ,” be seen, be known, be heard;
“Not I, but Christ,” in every look and action;
“Not I, but Christ,” in every thought and word
Christ, only Christ, ere long will fill my vision;
Glory excelling, soon, full soon, I’ll see
Christ, only Christ, my every wish fulfilling
Christ, only Christ, my All in All to be
Culled from Sacred Songs and Solos (Hymn 623)
In conclusion brothers and sisters, the life of the Christian is the life of Christ. Let us prayerfully pore over these words “I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf”.
Dr bolaji akanni
Almost everywhere you go today, the world is saying one thing – “global economic crisis”. This used to sound like a mere joke, but as the effect began to poke people’s eyes, the popularity of the so-called crisis increased frenziedly.
“So-called crisis?” you may ask. Yes! The current economic downturn is only a manifestation of the real crisis facing the world. I John 5:19 (GW) says “…the whole world is under the control of the evil one”. Life without Christ is naturally characterized by crisis. Some times this crisis manifests in form of economic downturn, other times it shows up as wars, genocides, terrorism, sexual immorality etc.
We see the effects of this real crisis every day, but do not really pay attention to them because they have not been branded as “global”. What about hatred among brothers? What about the poor and impecunious people around the world? What about day to day corruption, stealing and cheating? What about the sexual impurity that is fast becoming the norm? What about the greed that has crept into the church? We could go on and on.
Nations are trying to pluck the fruit off the tree of the world crisis, but as long as the root of this tree is still rooted in the ground, it’s only a matter of time before they show up again. Governments may draw up bailout plans to address the fruit of this crisis, but only believers have what it takes to tackle the root of this problem by rolling out God’s bailout plan explicitly stated in I John 3:8 (KJV) – “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil”.
Wouldn’t you rather focus your energies on God’s bailout plan? Start from where you are and with what you have.
tope aladenusiP
| Basic economics teaches us that the demand for a product or service in the market determines its supply. People would continually demand for a product or service that they derive utility from. In other words they demand products that add value to their well being. People are naturally attracted to things that give them satisfaction the same way ants are attracted to sugar. The most sought after products in the market are those identified to meet the yearnings of every class in the society. The greatest blue chip brands in the world are those brands that have added value to most of the households across the world, the likes of Microsoft, Pepsi, Coca-cola, Toyota, Mobil, e.t.c. Their products are ranked as premium – first amongst equals.
The greatest soccer teams in the world have a huge fan base because they add value to the lives of their fans. Their quality of play and system of administration endear more supporters to them. You can’t compare the fan base of the best team in a first division to the fan base of the best team in a second division. Although both teams play football, they are not in the same division. People will naturally associate with top quality and this can only be measured by the divisions they play in. Anytime a “great” team wins a globally recognized tournament her fans are left in cloud nine – they’re made proud and excited. This is the value they add. That is why they are counted in a special class above equals.
The greatest blue chip brands and greatest soccer teams have something in common – they add value. They enjoy great patronage because they provide goods and services that meet the yearnings of their customers cum fans; hence they have mustered a bandwagon for their products and services. The reasons they’ve achieved their unparalleled feats is that they are diligent and driven by excellence.
As a Christian what differentiates you from the rest of the pack is the value you add. If you don’t show qualitative Kingdom values nobody would glorify your Father in heaven for your sake (Mat. 5:14-16). It’s the degree to which you make yourself available for God that you’ll shine so make every effort to be fit for the Master’s use (2Tim. 2:20-21).
As a Christian for you to be a successful value adder you must be diligent. In other words, you must be focused, dynamic, purposeful, ingenious, proactive, pragmatic and dexterous. With these qualities you would certainly impact the world around you immensely (Prov. 21:5) and you’ll have your place before great men (Prov. 22:29). A lazy Christian is doomed (Prov. 21:25).
You must vigorously pursue the excellence of God’s grace in all your endeavours, because it’s through the knowledge of God’s grace that you’ll appreciate the beauty of God in you and what God demands from you (Tit. 2:11-14). The Apostle Paul took advantage of this knowledge in his labours (1Cor. 15:9-10) and he has become the most celebrated Apostle in the Bible. He wrote about 13 out of the 27 books of the New Testament.
Add value to yourself and to the world at large because God has configured you to do so (Eph. 2:10). You are a Premium gift to the world and your manifestation is earnestly awaited (Rom. 8:19) – don’t delay.
|
||
| Posted by: emeka ofia | ||
| What is the difference between putting on your headlamp during daytime and nighttime? You can imagine it.
Imagine if Moses had parted a stream while the Israelites were still rollicking and frolicking in Egypt; perhaps they would have raised up their thumbs and tell him … “you are good”. But when they had the red sea in front of them and the enemy behind, the ranking of Moses was … “you are God’s”. Exodus 14:31 (MSG) says “the people were in reverent awe before GOD and trusted in GOD and his servant Moses”.
Perhaps if Jesus had turned water to wine when there were still many jars of wine at the wedding in Cana, some people may have concluded – “he is good”. Many may not even notice that a miracle had just occurred. But Nicodemus surreptitiously visited him by night because overtime he had gained the perception that “he is God’s” (John 3:2).
Like the headlamp, it’s the same light producing different external effect at different times.
Proverbs 24:10 (GW) could fit for a ringtone today –“If you faint in a crisis, you are weak”. Absolutely! The outer pressures can reveal the inner person.
What if the person that lives on your inside is Christ? Then you should be experiencing the flip side of the verse above. The effect of the strength on our inside can be better appreciated. People who may have given us credit for just being good can now ascribe the glory to the one who has always been at work within us – God. Let this be your testimony.
– tope aladenusi |
Someone once said that “no one would have remembered the Good Samaritan if he had no money”. He made history because he had the resources to carry out his good intentions.
As Christians, our responsibility is enormous and we require matching resources to actualize them. The bible puts it this way “….that you always having ALL SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS MAY ABOUND TO EVERY GOOD WORK” The Greek translated abound means super abound, superfluous and having enough and to spare. Beloved we have been prepared for good works and we require all sufficiency in all things to meet this responsibility. Therefore it is laid on us by necessity to “work out” resources to carry out our responsibility.
This is not the time to plan small or be financially passive. Look all around and see the poor, hear their cry and feel their pains. They require just a little to live a better life. YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO HAVE JUST ENOUGH. You require all sufficiency in all things. It is our responsibility to desire and work out the resources to meet our responsibility. Refuse to plan for your self alone. Go higher than your household. Men are waiting for us, they depend on us, destinies are tied to us. Friends I tell you, many will listen more attentively to our gospel if the pains of hunger subside and will listen longer if they are fed again. That’s why we must strive for all sufficiency. Rockefeller and others of matching minds generated resources to give them away.
Don’t let lack of resources make mockery of your ministry and the ministry. Jesus made divine provisions available to carry out his responsibility. He got a colt and multiplied bread and fishes. He fed men that came to hear him. Paul worked with his hands that he might burden no one and have resources to preach the gospel without cost. Job had a heart for the poor and resource to carry out his heart.
We have not done well if we celebrated the last festivities alone (you and your family). We have a mandate to remember the poor amongst us. Are you pained when you see a need and you can’t meet it? One child cries, another dies and another is amputated or loses vital education just because we lack resources to carry out our responsibility, to abound to every good work! If you feel guilty when you are moved in pity and can do nothing because you lack resources, you must give heed and change that. If it pains you to see whole generations perish and live in spiritual darkness because we lack resources to “send” missionaries you also must work out your all sufficiency.
And like brother James puts it “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstandingye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” we need resources to meet our responsibilities and our resources must flow in that direction.
Pay attention. The cry of my heart is that we all have all sufficient resources to meet the needs and responsibility divinely assigned to us.
– emmanuel aladenusi
One of the greatest tragedies of the 21st century is that most believers are not living their dreams. They are actively pursuing the dreams of a few men. Many a times when I discuss with other believers, I hear them make statements like … “if only I had my way, this is what I will be doing”. Beloved, if only you had your way, will you be doing most of the things you do today?
Hey! You are not alone. Up till now, I still sing the “if only I had my way …” song. It seems as though it is an expression of our deepest thoughts and desires. Most times those dreams are coming from above. His way has been shown to us, and we wished it just happened in the natural. We look at our present state and get a quick reminder of how difficult it seems attaining “His way”. We end up wishing “if only I have my way …”
But it could go beyond a wish. As long as your “if only I have my way …” desire is pointing you to “His way”, please pay attention to that way. Years ago, I use to sing … “if only I had my way, I want to be in a place where I can impact lives positively all over the world”. “If only I have my way, I want to work with an organization and a team of believers who will passionately be committed to supporting missionaries and helping the needy”. This looked like a mere dream because I could not fathom how it will happen. But as I began to pay attention to it, I started to see ways to realize “His way”. I may have covered only less than 1% of that way, but there is this peace and joy that envelopes my life because I think I am on track.
If only you had your way … will you be working where you are right now? Will you be doing the things that eat up most of your time at the moment? If only you had your way, what exactly would you be doing? Start paying attention to those things. Start thinking about them daily and you will soon start seeing the ways that lead to that way. “For it is God who is the cause of your desires and of your acts, for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 – BBE)
tope aladenusi