| Look at the ring-like scar that sits on your belly. We call it navel or belly button. But I like to call it “our first mouth”. Let’s face it; there was a time in our lives when we fed through the umbilical cord. This “mouth” was connected to our mothers’ placenta when we were in the womb, and was used to provide oxygen, nutrients and even transfer our waste to the outside world. During this phase of our lives, the mouth we currently use to eat was being developed. We got to a stage of maturity where our ‘first mouth’ had to be sealed, so that the other mouth could take full pre-eminence.
Anytime I see my belly button, I remember that life is in stages. Most times, different channels of nutrients and waste come with every stage. What generated income for you yesterday may be locked up today. Don’t keep looking back, because a baby doesn’t feed through the umbilical cord after it is born. The people that were instruments in lifting you up yesterday may want to pull you down today. Know when to run. It is commonly said that “a nest is good for a robin while it is an egg, but it is bad for a robin when it has wings”. Sometimes the line between success and failure may just be the ability to know when to leave the nest of our lives.
‘Moses’ may lead us out of Egypt , but it is ‘Joshua’ that will lead us to the promise land. Learn to know when someone stops leading you. Conditions will always change on the outside, especially as we mature in the things of God. Let’s be sensitive to see the new door that God is opening rather than singing the “things are getting bad” song of the world. For “He has set the right time for everything. He has given us a desire to know the future, but never gives us the satisfaction of fully understanding what he does”. (Ecclesiastes 3:11- GNB). Don’t be shocked to see some closed door this year; don’t be too naive to decipher the numerous doors of opportunities that God will bring your way. Be sensitive to know when to turn.
tope aladenusi |
As a secondary school student, I lived in boarding house and my cohorts and I were big time pranksters. While effecting some hideous practices we made sure we avoided some school prefects and teachers whom we had identified as very strict and law entrenching. But we didn’t avoid those school prefects and teachers whom we identified as weaklings, in fact they covertly or overtly co-operated with us.
As a banker, I know that key marketing calls are not meetings held by mere team members of a unit in the bank and mere team members of a prospects organization. Key marketing calls are meetings with divisional heads of a unit in a bank and top executives of a prospects organization. These people are identified as the decision makers. They decide whether a deal would be brokered or not.
As a leader I’ve learnt that every profitable organization in the world has a team of egg heads (executives) who drive the growth and profitability of the organization in the market place. They have no mean identity. They belong to a special uncommon class. This is because position and the perception of an organization in a market place is a consequence of the identity of its leaders. Nobody would be comfortable identifying with an organization where the leaders are known fraudsters, because he’ll be afraid to be defrauded himself.
As a Christian I’ve learnt that your ability to sell your unique divinity in your vicinity is embedded in your identity. In the market place your prospects become your clients because they buy your identity ahead of your products or services. If you can’t show a good understanding and patronage of your products or services when making a presentation to them they wouldn’t buy. If you give your community a wrong self perception you would run at a loss with respect to soul winning, but if you give your community a right self perception you would gain souls for the kingdom and you would be rewarded by the father.
Jesus could ‘sell’ His unique divinity effectively because he celebrated His peculiar identity (Jhn.5:17, 26-27). Jesus didn’t function outside the will of the Father (Jhn5: 19-20) that was why he was extremely successful with his quest on earth (Jhn.10: 15 -18, Acts 10:38). Christians have been endowed with this same identity (Mark 16:17) because we are one with Jesus (Hebs.2: 10-11) and our bodies belong to God (1Cor.6: 19-20). We are therefore left with no other choice than to work and walk in accordance to God’s will as Jesus did (Eph. 5:15-18).
As Christians our impact on the face of the earth are dependent on the choices we make daily. We could choose to be like the “conniving” school prefects and teachers who aided my mediocrity in secondary school or choose to be like the school prefects and teachers who upheld the principles of love and justice so I could be a better student. We could choose to be men who win souls from the kingdom of darkness like those leaders who drive the growth and profitability of their organization in the market place or we could choose be like mere team members of a unit in the bank and mere team members of a prospects organization who are not relevant in a key marketing call. The choice is all ours. As a Christian your successes and failures are consequences of your identity so make a choice daily to show your true identity. You are God’s property.
– emeka ofia
| An astounding bible story is that of a sneaky Pharisee (Nicodemus) and Jesus. Nicodemus was astounded by the style, marvels and dispositions of the Master. He crept to Him in the spook of the night to find out His secret for success (John. 3:1-2). The Master in his distinct charismatic and humane style didn’t blow over the top like a bull that saw a red cloth nor prop his scintillating credentials like a peacock displaying its colourful feathers. He only gave a simple answer, his selling point (“Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to–to God’s kingdom”. John 3:3 – MSG).
One would have easily thought that the master at this point would intimidate this cowering “powerful” Pharisee, as most of us would probably do. At this point this man was “tripping” at the jaw dropping exploits of Jesus. A mundane man would have taken more time to reel out all his other exploits so this expert in Jewish laws and customs would see himself little indeed. Jesus didn’t do so. Let’s not forget that at this point He had done things that were hitherto unimaginable – he had gone without food and water for 40 days and 40 nights, he turned water to wine and he had done many more things that were not even written in the bible (John. 21:25). Jesus chose to teach, to inspire, to deliver and to save. He gave the man only one solution. He told the man to be born again.
The master’s answer was obviously distinct from the usual. The most ridiculous a scholar would have ever heard. Be born again? How? Why? Would my mother do the seemingly impossible? (John. 3:4) The natural senses couldn’t just comprehend. Then the master makes it clearer…. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John. 3:16). The master’s selling point was, is and would ever be the everlasting life (ZOE), the God Life, Divine nature, which God richly bestows on everybody who simply believes in the finished work of Jesus on Calvary.
The master’s selling point is the Divine ability, health, authority, creativity, ingenuity, wisdom, understanding, uniqueness, unequivocal superiority, unquenchable love and unmatched integrity and humility that no normal human can possess (2 Tim. 1:7). It was on the basis of these abilities that the religiously well versed Nicodemus was awe struck. It was obvious that no such being had walked and worked upon the face of the earth. He had never seen, heard and read of all round success in that dimension before. None of the Prophets of old possessed it. Jesus was, is and will always be different. This same qualities the believer has free of charge (John. 1:12). We can all do what Jesus did and is capable of doing, because we are his exact replicas here on earth (1Jhn. 4:17).
The master’s selling point can also be our selling point. His selling point was His distinct lifestyle, his all round successful life, His cutting edge in an uncertain world. He didn’t live like a normal person because he was abnormal. He didn’t live like a natural person because he was supernatural. Let this always be our selling point because we are blessed with the super life (Ephesians 1:3).
To be continued.
emeka ofia |
| A Christian indeed! He confesses that God can do all things. At the same time he declares that: “Nobody is perfect.”
Do you think he is right? Hear these:
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man wasperfect and upright, and one that feared God, and escheweth evil.” Job 1:1.
“Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9b.
“The Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” Genesis 17:1
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast…” Matthew 19:21
“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect…” II Corinthians 13:11
You can see that God is eager to make you perfect, if you will play your own part. In this life journey, I have learnt a secret to perfection. That is winning from the mind.
“Casting down all imaginations, and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” II Corinthians 10:5
That is where to start! Every thought, dream, ambition, imagination and desire that is not of God must be cast down. A winner in the mind is a winner in the body and a winner in action.
Never limit God. By His grace, a man is made perfect in his deeds.
-okenna igbokwe |
The past year was a very eventful one for me, there were high and low times. Today standing on the top of the hill 2008, alive, happy, full of Joy, I can say God has been very faithful.
As we begin the journey into 2009, let’s take stock of our relationships again and learn from our mistakes or achievements of the past year?
I took time to ask some people around (both single and married) this question and here are some answers……..
- Money indeed is like liquid and it takes the form you give it. If you make it a source joy in your marriage, then you run into problems when there’s scarcity of it. Money is great to have but should not be glorified above God! He (God) is the most important factor.
- Don’t let anything stand in the way of purpose. You will frustrate everyone around you (including your family) and yourself, if you fail to follow purpose.
- Forgive and Forget!
- You will need a bigger lie to cover a big lie. Never consider telling a lie as an option.
- Love is giving and giving and giving…………………………it is not selfish.
- Be a good team player, you write it in your CV all the time, now let team work begin at home.
- Don’t talk when your spouse is angry, allow the bubbles settle first. (This applies to me).
- Prayer works, there’s absolutely nothing that cannot be resolved on your knees.
- Soak yourself in the word always, it’s your sword! And don’t forget your shield, Faith!
- Always let go, God is the Master mould, He alone can change all things especially concerning your spouse and confusing situations.
- As you work on changing yourself, you will see your partner change.
- Be slow to speak, it pays to listen more and don’t speak hastily, for you cannot retrieve your words.
- Communication is very important; learn how to share your thought with one another but never during an argument.
- Do things together!
- When things back fire never say I told you. Share the pains and joys together.
- Woman, be submissive to your husband and Man love your wife.
- Seek God’s face for all things.
- Even in marriage there is personal spirituality and joint spirituality.
God help us all as we work towards making things work this year.
God Bless!
omolola ezeifeoma
Whether we know it or not, we have a clear edge in this world. We have been configured to run at a pace that others cannot match. We have been designed to exude a lifestyle of excellence that should effortlessly make us the cynosure of all eyes. The level God has called us to operate in this world is so magnanimous that we cannot settle for the identity of anonymous. We all should make a remarkable and outstanding difference in this world.
When men are cast down; the people of God should be saying ‘there is a lifting up’ (Job 22:29). But is this what we are experiencing today? Are we not caught up in the web of uncertainty and unfruitfulness like the people of this world? Are we not making the same complains like them? The reason is simple – many of us have left the orbit we were designed to revolve. We are like trains that have left the rail lines and want to attempt a cruise on the road. It cannot work!
We have to operate by some key principles that were designed for us. These simple principles effortlessly give us an edge in this world. What are these principles?
Join us as we discuss this topic in the 2009 World Outreach Convention, courtesy of Christ Lifeline Ministry.
Where – Multipurpose Hall, Sarah-Sam Hotels, 115 Ogudu-Ojota Road, Ogudu GRA, Lagos, Nigeria
When – Saturday, 10 January 2009 @ 2pm prompt
Enquiries – +234-8726126, +234-8082462670, info@christlifeline.org
It’s gonna be an unforgettable experience!
– tope aladenusi
I was privileged to be part of the team that recently travelled to a mission field in Dukawa Land (a remote area of Niger State, Nigeria) for the commissioning of the classrooms Christ Lifeline built for the missionary school in the village. I will forever be grateful to God for that trip because it opened my eyes to see and my mind to understand why many Christians live an ordinary life and die as one; why many keep pursuing worldly things and never attain or find fulfilment in them.
It’s the kind of trip I sincerely wish you would undergo next week or sometime soon because it will definitely have a lasting positive impact on your life. For instance, do you know that there are many remote areas where the gospel has not reached? Do you know there are some tribes in Nigeria that doesn’t wear clothes till today? May be I also have to let you know that there are missionaries (very few though) who search out and locate some of these ‘unreached’ areas and commit their lives to preaching the gospel to them. They have to live among them, learn their language and culture, eat their food, drink their water, etc. No electricity, no treated water or any social amenity. They chose to deny themselves of the pleasures of this world for their love for the Master. Some went along with their families; some were rejected by their immediate family because of their decision to work for the Lord. Some refused/could not get married because of their commitment to the work. All these are what my eyes saw at the trip. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you that these missionaries do not receive salaries like some of our pastors in the city do. They depend on the faithful God to supply all their needs!
I also saw people who are living in abject poverty, idolatry, sufferings and without Christ (to live without Christ is to live without hope). I saw children looking malnourished, women being treated like slaves and men living miserable lives. They all need salvation, love, and health care. In fact, I am advising you use your next vacation to go to a mission field, visit a rural area and I can assure you that life will make a new meaning to you.
We have a collective responsibility to reach out to unbelievers around us and also support those reaching the ‘unreached’ areas. We should support the missionaries on the fields spiritually and financially (Colossians 4:3). Always remember them in your prayers. Always support them with your money and other resources. If we do not take these things into cognisance, our lives may not be far from the ordinary.
The primary reason you are here is not to make money, build business empires, get married, raise children, do whatever you like and eventually die. Life is far more than all of that. Life is all about God, you are living for Him because He gave you that life in the first instance. When you realise that the reason you are still alive is to do the work of God, then you will be able and willing to do it with joy and will never again give excuses about your work, family, or business. You will then begin to experience steady peace, overflowing joy and a fulfilled life.
Spend your life on what really counts at the end of the day. Partner with the Lord in His work.
– segun eshorun
Most times when we teach and tell people truths and principles of scriptures, they just look at you and remark – ‘this guy does not know what he is talking about’, ‘if it’s that easy, you think I will be here’, ‘na today’, ‘he hasn’t seen anything yet, it is youthful exuberance’. ‘You don’t understand what I am going through or saying’. People believe if it must work, it has to be difficult. They believe a ‘difficult problem’ requires a serious and rigorous solution. They believe ‘good things don’t come easy’ so they expect very rigid rules and regulations which if they succeed in keeping their conscience will be satisfied that they have worked for and are entitled to what they get. The foundation of God however stands very sure and the scriptures cannot be broken or modified to suit our traditional ‘I deserve it’ or ‘nothing good comes easy’ mentality. This Gospel is simple and is taught simple!
2Corinthians 1:12 “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that insimplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward”.
The gospel is taught with simplicity because it is a simple gospel:
2Corinthians 11:3 “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through hissubtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ”.
Don’t be amazed it’s so simple. In Christ all things are made simple. There is simplicity in Christ Jesus!!!! His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Friends, it is not easy because it should be easy. It is easy because someone paid the price that made it easy. It’s without regulations and rigid sacraments because someone observed those sacraments on our behalf and had them put aside. You deserve it because someone worked it out for you. You don’t have to trek and sweat through deserts and mountains and forests to get to the next continent. Just take advantage of someone else’s wisdom and work, travel by air. Same way you don’t have to struggle.
Take advantage of Christ. If you come with leprosy and he tells you go take a bath, go take it! If your wine is finished and he tells you fill your jars with water, fill them up. If you are crippling and he says get up, stand up. If he says let down your net, don’t say you have tried many times, just do it.
– emmanuel aladenusi
Marriage is like a man and woman going into a room and taking off their clothes with the light on. You get to see each other’s blemishes that have been hidden by clothes earlier. One of the greatest discoveries would be your partner’s attitude towards money. For some, the discovery is not immediate. And in a situation where one of the partners has lived beyond his or her means prior to marriage, it seems like the first thing they notice, once the doors are closed after the ceremony.
Money is a major part of human life. And money represents different things at different times, to different people.
Money represents time; money is a reward we get after spending hours of our life at working hard. Money is a problem solver. Money is a seed that can be sown to multiply it. Money is a gift to be shared with others that do not have.
Money gives a form of confidence.
Everyone should have some money under his or her control. By this I mean money that can be spent without having to answer to anyone on how and why.
Money can build walls between people in any form of relationship and this is even worse in marriage.
Most couples no matter how spiritual, educated or in love will disagree over money at one point in time or the other and where this is not well managed, light cracks begin to appear in the marriage.
I once read that when sex is good in a marriage, it is 10% and when it is bad it is 90%. I want to relate the same to money, when finance is good in a marriage; it is 10% and when it is bad it is 90%.
In the light of the times we are in today, I want to focus on when the finance situation is bad.
Everyone has a financial situation or the other, sometimes it seems as though marriage places a magnifying lens on our financial situation. Immediately after marriage your status quo changes, especially here in Africa, now you’re expected to participate more in family events and your own cost of living is growing too.
Whenever things are tight like this in families, there’s lot of pressure on husband and wife, or the intending couple planning to get married.
The stock markets have not boomed like everyone expected, plans have been made based on expectations that have not been met. Instead we have a situation where banks are trying to recovered monies borrowed out. And now a festive season is about the corner, what do we do? Where do we run to?
The last thing we are expected to do as believers is to take the pressure on one another and ruin the spirit of the season.
Love should help us bind more to each other, love can conquer all, fit your budget into what you have and enjoy a lower budget holiday bearing in mind that the next will be greater!
Though the cherry trees don’t blossom and the strawberries don’t ripen; though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted; though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty,
I’m singing joyful praise to GOD. I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God.
Counting on GOD’s Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I’m king of the mountain! Hab 3:17-19 (MSG)
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. Hab 3:17-19 (KJV)
So put up the Christmas lights and start playing the Christmas jingles, put everyone around you in the holiday mood.
Bring down every imagination and high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God and enjoy this Christmas.
All things are working together for your good!
Lots of Love
omolola ezeifeoma
The economic picture out there is pretty depressing. I’ve recently had time to take a look at the global economy and I had to stop because what I read was driving faith from me.
Economic conditions are terrible. From stock market/exchanges recording daily unprecedented losses to major firms going bankrupt it couldn’t be worse. Major firms and employers of labour are either closing up or declaring large job cuts. Estimates put job losses in the US at about 1.2million between January and October 2008. the UK isn’t doing better as major companies have announced job cuts recently. From the IT industry to pharmaceutical, banking and motor car companies the picture is not good.
Government of nations are struggling to deal with the problem but they are clearly overwhelmed. Britain announced a cut in interest rate in Feb to about 5.25% in a desperate bid to stimulate economic activities. They recently (November 2008) reduced it to a further 3% and friends the economy has still refused to respond. Even as the world celebrates Obama, he makes bold to declare that they are facing the greatest economic crunch of their time.
I have over the last month’s watched whole portfolio most especially stocks lose so much value. Stocks worth millions have been reduced to a few thousand in the last couple of months.
How do we as Christians respond to all this? Do we get scared and careful too? Do we loose faith and refuse to invest? Do we become stingy and begin to hoard some against the unknown day? Friends this is our testimony as Christians whose supply is not controlled by world/global economies but according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus:
Phil 4:11-13 …….for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. Hallelujah.
That means we are not disquieted by the state of the economy, but we posses the peace of one who knows that his providence is of God. We know how to conduct ourselves during economic downturns in other to extract the good in those situations.
Yes!!! Good in economic recessions. Friends, all things work together (are orchestrated together) for our good. There might be cast downs all around but we are still being lifted. Therefore take advantage of the recession.
Friends in these situations don’t hold back. Keep on investing rightly. Eccl 11 4, 6(paraphrased) ‘…… he that observes, studies or is moved by economic conditions will not invest. So in the morning sow thy seed (when it is good) and IN THE EVENING WITHOLD NOT THY HAND (when it is bad and unclear and the natural inclination is to hold back).
Glory to God! Even as the world goes through difficult times, don’t withhold your hand. Because God’s faithfulness ensures we always have to sow and to eat (he ministers both seed and bread and multiplies our SEED SOWN….2Cor9:10) keep giving, and keep investing. Don’t observe the wind. Observe the Spirit. You’ll come out on top.
– emmanuel aladenusi