‘When a lazy man seeks blessing from God, He peeps and goes back because He sees nothing to bless. No matter the level of our faith, there are some things that can never happen except with the existence of a miracle. But a miracle happens when God wants to make use of it, not when you want to make use of it. ‘Our faith gets sick when we don’t prepare the necessary channel that will make our faith fruitful.’
Beloved,
-Your faith won’t give you a child if you don’t have a spouse. God needs you to create a channel by finding a spouse.
-Your faith won’t post you a huge amount of money if you don’t have a bank account. God needs a channel to post it.
-Your faith would experience staggering when you look forward to getting a job without application. God needs you to apply first.
-Your faith may not bring you a spouse if you stay indoors 24/7.
Don’t weaken your faith by your ignorance or by your laziness. Don’t be expectant of what is not coming. Create a channel for God to bless you. He needs it. God will always ask for what is in your hands. But when you have nothing in your hands, what do you want God to add to (bless)?
In a nutshell, God’s blessing is meant for those that have little but aspire for more. So go get a channel. He needs a channel.
Stay blessed!
– A.O.D. Oluwafemi
-WALK AWAY: I once read a book written by Randy Alcorn, ‘The Purity Principle’. He shared a story of a man whose occupation required lodging in hotel rooms because he moved from place to place. He was a devoted man of God. The man said whenever he was in the hotel room, all what they used to show on TV were immoral movies. He said ‘after so many trials i.e. getting filled with the immoral movies, I finally made decision to do something. Whenever I check into a hotel room, I ask them to remove the TV from my room. Invariably, they look at me like I’m crazy’. ‘But sir, you don’t have to turn it on’, but I used to insist. This is how I overcame that temptation’. This man was filled with a particular wisdom. That was ‘It’s always easier to avoid temptation than to resist it’. ‘Flee the evil desire of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith…. of a pure heart’. 2 Timothy 2:22. Walk away now!
-OPTIMISM: God never pushes us beyond our current limit of endurance. The word ‘able’ in 1 Corinthians 10:3 exist so as to know our ability. The word ‘ability’ explains the difference between the phrase ‘I can’ and the phrase ‘I may’. The confidence in the latter phrase experiences staggering but the former phrase experiences confidence. Now, God has let us realise that overcoming the gluey temptation is what we are able to do. This is not a matter of ‘I may’ but a matter of ‘I can’. According to 1 Corinthians 10:3, therefore, the temptation is prescribed by the ingredient that our strength reveals because God says ‘I will not permit you to be tempted above which ye are able…’. In other words, the altitude of our strength is gauged before the synthesis of temptation by the devil. Did you get my point?
-GET YOUR MIND BUSY WITH PURITY: ‘An idle hand is the workshop of the devil’. Devil keeps on looking for a space-hearted man so as to fill up the space with wrong thoughts. So when there is no vacancy in your heart, devil turns back and goes farther to a space-hearted man. Loneliness is also the root of evil. When you are lonely, get your mind busy with purity. When devil sees that your mind is too pure for him to stay, he goes away. So let your heart flaunts no vacant board when the devil comes with the aim of filling your heart with wrong thoughts.
-AFFIRMATION: ‘…and take the helmet of salvation the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God’ Ephesians 6:17 Jesus Christ overcame his first temptation through the word of his father (GOD). A soldier can never go to war front with bible likewise Christians are not expected to go to war front with ammunition. The word of God is our sword, when we fling it, devil flees from our vicinity.
Meditate on the word of God.
-SCREEN YOUR FRIENDS: ‘as iron sharpens iron, so as one man sharpens another’ Proverbs 27:17. Friends are like soil, wherever you go, you see them, but farmers never hesitate on which soil to plant. They know it’s loamy soil that brings out the glory of their seeds’ Author William says ‘A true friend knows your weakness but shows you your strength. Feels your fear but fortifies your faith. Sees your anxiety but frees your spirit. Recognises your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.’
You don’t keep friends for company’s sake. You walk with people who bring the best in you in the way of God. Choose God’s favorite people as your mentor and friends.
FINALLY: ‘Therefore let him who thinks he stands well take heed lest he fall.’ (1 Cor. 10:12).
You are blessed!
A.O.D. Oluwafemi
Our mentality is the building block of our lives. When your mentality is wrong, everything that comes from you would definitely be wrong. Overcoming the gluey temptation is basically achievable for someone who has the right mentality that temptation is resistible. God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted above that which ye are able but will with the temptation also make the way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:3). In every temptation, there is always a way out. Note it. Temptation is prepared in a way that is porous. It is prepared in a way that leaves an exit so that you can escape. God knows about every temptation that comes your way. The Devil may prepare it though, but God weighs it that, ‘Is this not too much than you can bear?’ Every temptation comes your way with the approval from God. But the good news is: you can overcome it!
The main point is that Christians are not meant to see temptation as an element of depression but an element of elevation because at the end of every temptation that is overcome, there is always a reward from God and it starts from peace reigning in our hearts. ‘I the LORD searches the heart and examines the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve’ Jeremiah 17: 10
If fire that destroys some people, also cooks for some people to eat, if the wind that depresses is used as an elevator for a kite, if the key that locks is the same key that opens, so don’t have an absolutely wrong mentality about temptation that it has come to destroy you as a Christian. Though the devil brings it for destruction but who is the devil to make a decision of destroying you when he wasn’t there when your GOD was moulding you?
This is the conclusion worth making: as temptation is an instrument for destruction in the hands of the devil, so is temptation an instrument to increase the level of faith, courage and purity in the hands of Christians. Therefore, we as Christians can also choose to view the purity side of the coin that temptation tosses. Because no matter how tough or how tight the temptation seems like, there is always a way out. Always there is! That’s why it is called temptation. Temptation is when you are left with choices to make: either to stay or to leave. So I want you to eradicate the wrong mentality that temptation is irresistible. The only thing that can encumber you in overcoming the gluey temptation is when your mentality about temptation is wrong.
Now, this is the good news: ‘God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted above which ye are able but will with the temptation also make the way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:3)
BOTTOM LINE: YOU CAN WIN!
Stay blessed!
– A.O.D. Oluwafemi
| Temptation never comes out of our dislikes. My own definition for temptation is ‘desired but unrighteous’. You can never be tempted by what you dislike. The Devil makes a usual visit to view the zeal we place on the things of the world before he sets before us temptation. Temptation doesn’t just come, it comes when we place our interest on the things desired but unrighteous. He entices us with the things he knows we hardly do away with.
I have come across so many Christians who are said to have repented but still find themselves doing that which is desired but unrighteous within a wink of an eye. The fact that we are tired of sin doesn’t grant us an exit from the sinful world. Although we can be tired westill find ourselves doing it. Overcoming the gluey temptation requires strategies that negate the wishes of the flesh. ‘…make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof’ (Romans 13:14) We can’t place the mirror before the sun and expect it to reflect the moon. And in the same cline, we can’t live in the dome of impurity and expect our thoughts to portray purity. There are gatherings meant for sinners and there are gatherings meant for saints. If not, the Psalmist won’t tell us to ‘walk not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the path of the sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful’. The nature of our body is being synthesized in a way that is sensitive to whatever we are surrounded with, that’s why we need to be very careful when it comes to people we commune with. The scripture says ‘as iron sharpeneth iron, so as man sharpeneth another’. The shape of our thoughts is sometimes distorted by the things fed into our sight, ear and to our feelings. ‘do not be deceived, evil company corrupts good habits’ 1 Corinthians 15:33 Perhaps you are still confused about falling into the same temptation over and over again after so much counseling and deliverance. Overcoming the gluey temptation is not only the effort of counseling and deliverance but it is the accomplishment of strategies crowned and governed by divine grace. GRACE can be simply defined as the ACQUISITION of a POSITION that even your QUALIFICATION does not meet in all RAMIFICATION. So when your strategies are seasoned with divine grace, then the gluey temptation becomes history. Martin Luther said ‘you can’t keep the birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair’ YES! You can’t shut your eyes while walking in town but you can shut your mind from cogitating on what your eyes see. It’s all about principle! It’s a principle sprung up by a heart that truly hates sin. LOOK AT THESE: ‘a man who is truly tired of masturbating is not expected to keep the record of porn sites’ what for? ‘a just-repented harlot doesn’t have any excuse for exposing her cleavage’ what for? ‘a man who is truly tired of adultery is not expected to fill ‘single’ in any form’ what for? It’s all about principle crowned and governed by divine grace. ‘Temptation ceases to be overcome except our zeal reflects nil’. Now the question is ‘are you truly tired of that sin’? If yes ‘are you ready to negate the wishes of your flesh’? If yes ‘stay tunned till next week’ BOTTOM LINE: Ask God to make you a spirit-driven soul and not a flesh- driven soul. You are blessed! -A.O.D. Oluwafemi |
If a wise man should wisely say ‘we all look but see differently’ and
and another wise man mounts on it saying ‘beauty lies in the eyes of
the beholder’ then it gets to my understanding that people may tell
you they see DOG when you claim to see GOD. It’s still because of
another wise law of nature that says ‘what you see depends on the
angle of view’. Now this clears my doubt about universal definition of
objects. Sometimes, people unconsciously give wrong definition to the
matters of life.
The bottle you say is meant for containing substances, I can decide to
use it as musical instrument, but the question is: ‘is that the reason
behind the existence of the bottle’?
‘What is it meant for’?
Remember! If you use the bottle as a container, it would serve the
purpose, and if you use choose to use it as a musical instrument,
people would exuberantly dance to it without them knowing that the
great beats come from an inappropriate source. Why this variability in
our thinking? ‘We all look but we see differently’
This brings my awareness to the fact that people have a universal definition for what is called
SUCCESS. If I may ask you, what is success? Remember that we all look
but see differently, but with what you see after looking, what do you
call success?
He had cars, I mean recent cars. He had houses, I mean recent
structures. He had honour, I mean reserved honour, but what made him
to blurt out with tears on his deathbed? He said ‘though I’m wealthy
and famous but I’m not fulfilled’ the nurses and other bystander
looked at one other with a confused countenance.
Is that the same countenance on your face right now? Are you confused
with what success depicts?
One may succeed but that doesn’t reflect fulfillment. Fulfillment is
called success but success is never a fulfillment. Fulfillment is the
achievement of your purpose of existence in life. A pass mark for the
assignment given by your creator.
What initiates the creation of anybody into this world is never to
increase the population of the world but to carry out a particular
assignment in the world. So let me use this medium to tell you that
you are on errand. Your true success is by getting the pass mark for
the assignment given by your creator.
Remember! People exuberantly dance to the beats without them knowing
that the great beats come from an inappropriate source. Listen up: I’m
not doubting your number of cars, houses, companies, jets,
universities and even more, but the question still remains:
‘Does that wealth come from an appropriate source’?
‘Does the wealth come in a way that your creator has demarcated for you’?
‘Does it come in a way that when your consciences smiles, God smiles back’?
‘Does it come in a way that if death should come right after reading
this, you would gladly welcome it and say not what that wealthy but
unfulfilled man said on his deathbed’?
‘Does it come in a way that all those cars, houses, jets are referred
to as bonus and never your priority but the fulfillment of God’s
glory’?
‘Last but not the least, does it come in a way that God whispers to
your ear saying: you have seen and you have looked the way I expected
you to look’?
When a successful man is placed before the mirror, an earthly pass
mark is reflected. But when a fulfilled man is placed before the
mirror, reflections like true success and heavenly pass mark are
reflected.
NOTE: Fulfillment is a success but success is never a fulfillment. Every
achievement outside fulfillment is not a true success.
BOTTOM LINE: Ask God to show you the divine definition of your
existence because that’s where your true success (fulfillment) lies.
– A.O.D. Oluwafemi
Joshua 1:8
Quoting a tract I read: “He could have lived a missionary, he decided to be a millionaire. Early in life, you would have thought a John was in making, but he ended up being a Judas. We thought he would be another Paul, but he became another Pilate.”
Adding to the above choice that led to a life of tragedy – A church was committed into his hands, but he opted to be an international evangelist. She was called to take care of the children church, she chose to join the choir. Invited to teach on Spiritual Growth, he turned the message to Financial Growth.
Where is he now? He owns a beautiful house abroad. He rides an expensive car. His business is booming. He is very popular that he even dines with the President.
What about the ministry given to him by God? He is now busy arguing on the mysteries of the kingdom of God rather than winning souls into the kingdom. Having numerous business appointments, she rarely has time for her own kids. Evangelism in his local church is now a thing of the past because of his numerous seminars abroad.
The moment one is born again, a ministry is committed into his hands. Be it, public ministry as evangelism or private as performing an activity in the church, God demands faithfulness. If you remain in the faith and be faithful in that which was committed into your hand till the end, kudos – you have earned good success. If you fall out of the faith or deviate from that which God called you, you are a failure. Peradventure the world declares you successful because of the physical achievement they see, lo – you have achieved nothing more than bad success, and there is no reward for that. No, not one!
“…Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall your life be for his life…”
Let us be watchful and prayerful to avoid saying on that day:
“And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” I Kings 20:39-40.
– Okenna Igbokwe
The way successful men are applauded and celebrated made me to desire to be successful, right from the time I was a child. I used to feel good when I pass my exams. I feel on top of the world when I gain admission into a competitive school. I had, however, discovered that the excitement does not last. That very thing that brought joy to my life sometimes brings sadness later. I then began to ask: which achievement in life lasts. How am I going to get that success which would bring joy all the days of my life? If I discover that, I was determined to get it.
Wealth! What amount of riches would guarantee this desired lasting joy? Would a car and a house do? I have come to understand that the more your wealth increase, the more your desire. Who knows? You might one day desire to possess the entire world.
Would fame and power bring joy that would last? I was taught to learn from others’ mistakes. So, when I heard the confession of an influential politician, I bit my lips. I came to understood that power and fame can as well ruin a man.
In his dead-bed, he confessed: “…I would have loved to die a saint rather than a hero.”
If power, fame and wealth would not bring lasting joy in life, what then? In my search, I came across another confession of a man whose death was near.
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith;” II Timothy 4:7.
With this, I discovered that some men in the past did achieve this lasting success. I then knew I was nearer to finding the source. Then, I came across this.
“This book of the law shall not depart from thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8.
That was all I needed to know. One can achieve this greatest success that lasts, if and only if he is a friend (obey the laws) of Him that gives success.
What would such a man gain? Peter once asked Jesus that question.
“And Jesus answered and said…he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” Mark 10:29,30.
Such a man has everything now, on that day and forever.
– okenna obi-igbokwe
I could still remember in my final year when I quarreled with my friend over this issue. He sees his uncle as his role model, while I opted for a world renowned genius. While I berated his choice, he argued that I needed to know my role model’s belief and background before making such a choice the choice.
Years after, now born-again, I have seen reasons with this my friend. We tend to look unto people because of what they have achieved in the society without deep search into who they are.
Some of these people whom we see as great men had denied, blasphemed against the name of God, while others had made repentant confessions at their death beds, unknown to you. Others died; gnashing their teeth in regret of unbelieving life lived.
Consider this statement that culminated into failure:
“Not even God can sink this mighty ship” William Pirrie, President of Harland and Wolff, the company that constructed the Titanic, boasted, days before Titanic embarked on her fateful maiden voyage.
Compare it with this testimony of success:
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”
Paul, II Timothy 4:7.
Now, I have to come to understand and have acknowledged my role model as Him who:
“hath borne our grief, and carried our sorrows…was wounded for our transgressions… was bruised for our iniquities…bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:4-12.
The King who left all His riches and was made poor for the sake of accomplishing the work of salvation; the only One that bags 100% success is my role model. Who is yours?
– justoc okenna igbokwe
Jesus Christ answered the following questions correctly before he died. Apostle Paul did the same. All men whose lives were declared by God to be successful did the same. Why shouldn’t you do likewise?
# 1. Who am I? – Sounds simple and common, but it goes a long way to determine if you end up in life a success or failure. Your identity defines your activity. A fish is expected to swim. When you hear a bark, you think of a dog. The label you place on yourself determines what your mind is predisposed to do and consequently, the lifestyle you live. Paul always introduced himself as “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God“. (Eph 1:1). Who are you?
# 2. What am I here for? – This is your purpose for living. Why do you see yourself qualified to still be on earth. The computer keyboard is used for typing information into the computer. If it stops functioning, it is not better than plywood. What are you doing that makes you believe the world still needs you? Jesus Christ said in John 10:10 (NLT) – “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness“. What is your purpose for living? If you don’t know the mission you are to accomplish, then you may never get to a point in life where you say like Jesus – “It is finished”, or like Paul, “I have finished the race”, or in modern lingua – “mission accomplished”. What are you meant to do, finish and accomplish?
# 3. Am I living in line with my purpose? – Those who have succeeded in answering the first two questions correctly should endeavour to answer this everyday. It is meant to give you focus and direction. Without focus, distractions are constantly celebrated, energy is readily wasted and life is lived unfulfilled. Without a compass, a pilot is assumed to have said his last prayer. Without a map, a voyager may not get to his destination even though he started sailing well. Paul said in I Cor. 9:26 (NLT) “I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step“. Is there purpose in every step you take in life?
Beloved, I believe one day you will love to stand before God and say confidently that – “I accomplished my mission on earth”. You will want to receive God’s commendation for living a successful life. Why not take a timeout to answer these questions correctly and consequently reflect the answers in your lifestyle. Remember, only the living can make decisions, so act now!
tope aladenusi
USA Past Leaders Comment on The Bible
Today, we know the United States of America as one of the strongest and wealthiest nation in the world. But do you know that what we see today in USA is a reflection of some of the seeds that were sown by their past leaders. Here are a few comments from some of the past respected leaders in the United States that reveals the kind of people they were:
“It has been my custom for many years to read the Bible in its entirety once a year” (John Quincy Adams).
“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education” (Theodore Roosevelt).
“If we abide by the principles taught by the Bible, our country will go on prospering” (Daniel Webster).
“I believe the Bible is the best gift that God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book. I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go” (Abraham Lincoln).
“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible” (George Washington). (ibid)
Dear reader, cherish this great treasure you have that is called the Bible. Live by its principles and spread the impact wherever you are. Let some other men read your good quote about the bible when you are gone.
okenna obi-igbokwe