I recently interviewed someone for the position of a driver. Below is an excerpt of our conversation.
Me: Why did you leave the company where you worked before?
Driver: They don’t usually take care of their staff.
Me: So how do you define “take care”?
Driver: Hmm … For example, in my friend’s company, they usually give him a bag of rice during Christmas period. But that company never gave us anything.
Me: Okay, was it written in your employment letter that you will be given rice at Christmas?
Driver: No
Me: Then why were you expecting what was not in your terms of contract?
The truth is that, I knew the answer to my questions even as I was asking him. He was suffering fromentitlement mentality or go-getters mentality. Many of us reading this may have already began to throw stones at this driver, but I know that if we look closely at our lives, we would realise that we do something similar in varying magnitudes.
I have heard more believers complain that someone (Uncle, Relative, Friend, Pastor, Boss, etc.) did not help them than I have heard from even unbelievers. Many of us are go-getters; we spend more time counting the blessings others did not give to us rather than counting the blessings we gave. Our thoughts are more engrossed with how we will get from others. And it is a pity that believers with such mentality may find it difficult walking in God’s purpose for their lives. Why?
The epicentre of God’s plan for your life is centred on how you will donate to this world. As a believer, you were qualified for heaven the very moment you accepted the salvation of Jesus Christ, but God left you here so you would give something unique to this world. When you are more concerned about what you will get from this world, you are moving in the opposite direction from God. It becomes more difficult to pick the signals He is beaming at you because your mind is saying “get, get, get” and most times He is saying “give, give, give”.
If Jesus had the “get get” mentality, he would have grabbed the ‘opportunity’ to become a king, but he preferred the rugged cross over the royal chair because he was thinking of how he would give salvation. If Apostle Paul had the go-getters mentality, he would have given up when he was thrown into prison as there would be no opportunity to “get” again. But while he was in prison, the givers mentality made him fulfil purpose by preaching the gospel and writing some of the New Testament books we read today. If you see this life to be all about getting, I tell you it will be difficult to discover and walk in the unknown purposes of God for your life.
No wonder Jesus kept saying … You are the light of the world; you are the salt of the earth. In other words, you are a giver to the world. But it is unfortunate that many of us are crying that the world’s light is not shinning on us. When you start seeing yourself as a giver and a solution to the world’s problems, you are positioning yourself to walk in God’s purpose for your life; you are obeying the known will of God and that will usher you into a discovery of the unknown details.
Am I saying you should not receive your entitlements or encourage others to cheat you? No! But I’ll like you to know that the reason why you are in your family, church, workplace, ministry, community and the world at large is because there is something God wants you to donate there. So rather than singing “pass me not o gentle giver”, start singing – “I will pass not until I have given what He wants me to give …” Once you start thinking like this, you are taking another good step to easily decipher all theunknown things God wants to do through you.
– tope aladenusi
Ephesians 1:7
The lustful desires of your heart
He turns them to divine love
That hatred towards your neighbour
Now passion to save his soul
Before, he is quick to anger
Now, provoke him and he smiles
All pursuit bringing grief at the end
Now a mission to gain eternal rest
It all happened like a mystery
Jesus died to bring it to pass
This is a hard saying, who can hear it?
What a truth! Jesus cleanses everything at a go.
– okenna igbokwe
Identifying God’s will for our lives is one of the easiest things for Christians to do. But we must be ready to believe and obey God’s principles, however how simple they may appear.
I usually say to myself that … When I get to heaven, I should not be surprised if God tells me that more than 90% of what He would have me do have already been written in the Bible. I may not be very correct with my estimate, but the truth is that a ‘sizeable portion’ of God’s will for our lives have been documented in the Bible.
Therefore, you can view God’s purpose from two perspectives – the known and the unknown. Theknown consists of His principles / will as revealed in the Bible, as well as things He has revealed to you personally. The unknown consists of things that are mostly peculiar to you that God has not yet revealed. If we are not faithful in obeying the “known”, why should we expect to discover the “unknown”? Do we want to discover it just for the sake of knowing? Many times, the unknown is discovered while we are attempting to do the known.
Act 16:7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spiritsuffered them not.
Act 16:8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
Act 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
Act 16:10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia,assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Paul and his companions were attempting to obey God by planning to go and preach in Bithynia. They knew that God wanted them to preach, what they were not sure of was where. But while they were attempting to go to Bithynia, the revelation of Macedonia as God’s will for them came.
Obeying God’s will for the New Creation as documented in the Bible ushers us to discover the unknown purpose of God for our lives. If Joseph was disobeying the will of God with respect to sex, he would probably have been rollicking and frolicking with Portiphar’s wife when the opening for the post of Prime Minister of Egypt showed up. If Timothy was a reigning thug during his youth, we may be wondering how he discovered God’s purpose for his youthful age by being the Bishop of several churches? If we do not obey the will of God for our lives that is already written in black and white, what assurance do we have that we will even obey the ones that we claim to “hear” or “perceive”?
It is also important for us to obey the will of God already revealed to us personally. When Paul had an encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus, the Lord told him: “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” Acts 9:6. He obeyed and this led to him getting saved and receiving his sight. If Paul had not become a believer and started obeying God in Acts 9, it is arguable the Holy Ghost would not have said in Acts 13, “Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have sent them…“.
Have you been praying on the mountain for several months asking God for your purpose in life? Please come down and start obeying Him. You don’t discover it by prayer alone. To obey is better than the sacrifices of futile prayers, church politics, religious activities and worldly proclivities. Continue obeying the will of God you already know, and at the right time, you will be able to identify the ones that are still unknown.
– tope aladenusi
Why are you here? That’s one question anyone that must achieve the God kind of success must answer. God has a specific purpose for sending you to the earth and it is your responsibility to identify it and fulfil it. Many believers agree with this, but they keep asking the question: How do I identify my purpose? How do I know what role I’m to play on earth?
The first point I will like to share is – get into the game. You may be wondering what game I’m referring to; Is it football, tennis, basketball or what? Although the game is not any of these, we can draw some lessons from the game of football. I used to be a defensive midfielder in a local football club that was in my neighbourhood during my teenage years. But to be sincere, I did not desire to play this defensive midfield position. I loved the ecstasy of scoring goals and kept assuming I was a good striker, and deserved the No. 9 shirt. But anywhere I have ever played, the coaches had a way of sending me back to my rightful midfield place.
How did the best players in the world finally settle for the field positions they currently play? They got into the field and kept on playing. They did not discover it by sitting at home and analyzing football. They were in the game. Which ‘game’ do you need to get into to discover your role in life?
You need to (be born again and) start living the kingdom life! You have to stop sitting on the fence and start exercising on the field. Believe that Jesus Christ paid the price for yourredemption by dying on the cross and live like you truly believe it. I like the way Billy Graham puts it “when we live apart from God, our lives get out of tune”. You need to be in tune.
Jesus Christ gave us the password – “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33. Getting into God’s kingdom and living by the kingdom principles puts you in a position to identify your purpose. Just like you do not get into the football field and try to play by the rules of basketball, it is important you live by the rules of the kingdom. (Galatians 6:15-16)
Are you currently living your life based on the standard of God’s word?
We will continue next week.
– tope aladenusi
The bible says in 2Corinthians 5:17, 20 – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature … Now then we are ambassadors for Christ …”
We (believers) are Christ’s ambassadors! I like the way Philippians 3:20 (BBE) buttresses this point – “For our country is in heaven …” We don’t belong here. We are only here on a temporary basis and soon, we will return to our country – heaven. Are you really living the lifestyle of an ambassador?
Some dictionaries define “ambassador” as an important official who represent his or her government in a foreign country. An understanding of how the average ambassador in the world behaves may shed more light in areas where we need to up our game:
- An ambassador is not in another country on his / her own accord. You are on an assignment and you should be working with your home country (heaven) to achieve that.
- Ambassadors are officially protected from harm by what is known as diplomatic immunity. The host government cannot detain or arrest ambassadors. Are you enjoying your diplomatic immunity in this world? Are you ignorantly allowing the god of this world to tamper with your immunity? If you claim to be molested, oppressed by people, witches, wizards and the devil, do you know who you really are?
- Ambassadors reflect the life (and lifestyle) of their home country, even in a foreign land. You don’t expect the US ambassador to Nigeria to live in one of the slums in Lagos. They live in very nice places. Does your prosperity reflect that of your country?
- An ambassador is usually appointed for a specific length of time. Your tenure as Christ’s representative is gradually being exhausted. Are you making the best use of the time?
- An ambassador’s main function is to advance the interests of his country in a foreign land. Are you focusing on pursuing your personal interests or the interest of your country? Are your prayer points overwhelmed with your interests or the interests of heaven?
- Ambassadors are sent to countries with which diplomatic relations are maintained. The diplomatic relation your country has with this world is for a major strategic purpose – to reconcile men unto God. Is that your focus in life?
- Ambassadors are spokespersons for their foreign offices. Have you been speaking on behalf of heaven recently?
We could go on and on. But at this point, I ask you this: Are you an ambassador for Christ in words alone, or in deed and truth?
One striking difference between people who lived in the Old Testament times and believers of today (that existed after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) is the relationship and operation of the Holy Spirit in their lives. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit did not dwell inside any being. He only manifested at some points and later departed. Sometimes he had some symbolic representations. For instance, when Samson’s hair was scrapped off, the Holy Spirit departed from him. But Jesus came with a new order.
He told his disciples in John 14:16 “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever”. The promise of Jesus Christ to us is that the Comforter (Holy Spirit) will abide with us forever. And since all believers have theHoly Spirit dwelling in them (Romans 8:9), they also have that supernatural advantagewhich comes with the indwelling of God’s Spirit forever. There are magnificent implications of this singular (yet powerful) fact, but it is quite unfortunate that many believers undermine them.
Ephesians 4:30 (GNB) says “And do not make God’s Holy Spirit sad; for the Spirit is God’s mark of ownership on you”. One of the key evidences that God has already purchased you with the blood of Jesus Christ is that his seal of ownership is on you, and that seal (Holy Spirit) will remain on you forever 2Corinthians 1:22 tells us — it is God who has sealed us with His Spirit irrevocably! You don’t have anywhere to run to and the devil or any evil spirit cannot dwell in you again. I once told a friend this and he referred me to Matthew 12:43-45 (CEV):
“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it travels through the desert, looking for a place to rest. But when the demon doesn’t find a place, it says, “I will go back to the home I left.” When it gets there and finds the place empty, clean, and fixed up, it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come and make their home there, and the person ends up in worse shape than before.”
My friend tried to explain that when a believer sins, the Holy Spirit can leave him and evil spirit can return to that person. But that’s a lie! John 14:16 tells us that the Holy Spirit will abide with us forever. God does not give up His ownership nor can He hand us over to the devil just like that even though we did what we were not supposed to do. I John 2:1 reminds us that our advocate – Jesus will stand in for us if we sin. And because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we can never be found in an “empty” state where there will be room for an evil one to return into us.
Some believers even think evil spirits can dwell side by side with the Holy Spirit inside us. But the bible says in 2Corinthians 6:14 GNB “…How can light and darkness live together?” So beloved, don’t believe those who say believers can have spirit husbands / wives. Don’t accept the idea that the evil one can dwell within you. Believe the report of the Lord and act accordingly. Jesus Christ already paid the price by his death and resurrection and henceforth, the Holy Spirit dwells in us forever!
– tope aladenusi
| I’m always delighted to read these words written by Rick Warren – “God is much moreinterested in who you are than what you do. We are human beings, not human doings.”
We all know that God cares about what we do and how we conduct ourselves, but we must not forget that his first emphasis is always on who we are. He is first interested in our ‘being’ before our ‘doing’.
I understand the world sees things differently. For instance, they expect you to go to medical school before you become a doctor. But if you were dealing with God, he first makes you a medical doctor, and then he sends you to medical school. The world may expect you to complete your university degree and Law school in order to be a practicing lawyer. For God, he makes you a Lawyer in an instant, and gives you the instruction to go and practice.
Many believers are swift to go the way of the world. For instance, before they regard you as a saint, you must have gone through the Ups and Downs of Life, and it should be visible to all that you consistently lived without sin. But for God, he makes you a saint the instant you become born again, and then he gives you the manual on how to express your saintly nature. He is more concerned about your being. He transforms your being and knows that your doings will be affected by your being.
He said in Ezekiel 36:26-27 (GW) “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you … I will put my Spirit in you. I will enable you to live by my laws, and you will obey my rules.” First, a new heart, a new spirit, a saintly nature … and then, you will obey my rules. You get the certificate before you commence the school. You get the ‘saint medal’ before you start running the saintly race.
The Corinthians had notorious tendencies when they started the saintly race. But Paul reminded them of their being, and urged them to make their doing reflect their being. 1Cor 1:2 & 1Cor 6:20 (BBE) “To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been made holy in Christ Jesus, saints by the selection of God … for a payment has been made for you: let God be honoured in your body.”
If you are born again, you are a saint according to God’s selection; but God desires that you also be a saint according to daily disposition. You have the ‘saint medal’ already, start seeing yourself this way and continue displaying your ‘medal’ wherever you go.
– tope aladenusi |
| We have seen or heard of the death of many people, but have we ever really pondered on where the dead end up? It is commonly said that … he/she has gone to be with the Lord, but can we really prove this? Purposeful living in this world is impossible without due consideration of the issue of the after-life. Some people claim to know where they are going to on earth; they have defined purpose based on their jobs, birth place or circumstances. If they were however honest with themselves, leaving God’s will out of their self-defined purpose still leaves them feeling empty. An accomplished life is only achievable after you have answered the question: Where am I going to when I leave this world?
Many people keep saying things like – “if I return back to this world after I’m dead, I would do this and that”. But Hebrews 9:27 (CEV) says “We die only once, and then we are judged.” So, it’s not about whether you are coming back; it’s about where you are going to. I’m aware some believers are still very uncertain about the answer to this question: “where will you go when you die?” They have the feeling that it could either be here or there. They are not really sure. But one of the blessedness of Christianity is that it dispels the brazenness of uncertainty about what happens to us after death.
So what happens to a born again person after they die? Simply put, his destination is the place of his origination. Just like God told man in Genesis 3:19 that – … for dust thou art; and unto dust shalt thou return, the believer should always be reminded that for God’s thou art and unto Him shalt thou return. Philippians 3:20-21 (CEV) says “But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body. Hallelujah, we have a glorious destination! And to give us proof that He will bring us home to be with Him in heaven on the last day, God gave us the Holy Spirit as proof that He owns us. “Christ also brought you the truth, which is the good news about how you can be saved. You put your faith in Christ and were given the promised Holy Spirit to show that you belong to God. The Spirit also makes us sure that we will be given what God has stored up for his people. Then we will be set free, and God will be honored and praised”. Ephesians 1:13, 14 (CEV).
Our destination is not based on our last deed before death, but on God’s seed at Christ’s death. That was the great change that took place when we got born again. We are not like unbelievers who are plagued with uncertainty about eternity. We know where we came from and we are convinced we will return there. I know many believers have chosen not to believe this truth, and would rather hold on to an inferior thought. But if only we would learn from Apostle John; he said in 1John 3:2 (CEV) “My dear friends, we are already God’s children, though what we will be hasn’t yet been seen. But we do know that when Christ returns, we will be like him, because we will see him as he truly is.” We should not be carried away by the reports of men, no matter the title they carry or the hell/ heaven the claim to have visited. We should stick with the report of God – we will die but once, we will then live forever with God in heaven. “This hope makes us keep ourselves holy, just as Christ is holy.” 1John 3:3 (CEV)
– tope aladenusi
|
If you attend a job interview and was told to describe yourself, what would you say? I remember attending some interviews in the past and such questions gave me an opportunity to “sell” myself.
But I’m thrilled by the unprecedented way some people constantly described themselves in the Bible.
“The Jewish authorities in Jerusalem sent some priests and Levites to John (the Baptist) to ask him, “Who are you?” … What do you say about yourself? John answered by quoting the prophet Isaiah: “I am ‘the voice of someone shouting in the desert: Make a straight path for the Lord to travel! ” John 1:19, 22-23 (GNB)
John described himself by telling the people his purpose in life.
Jesus once asked his disciples – “who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah …” – Mat 16:16. Jesus gave Peter a thumbs-up because he was spot on. Peter’s response was resonating Jesus’ purpose and unique identity.
The man that wrote majority of the New Testament books introduced most of the books by shedding light on his unique identity. For instance, in Romans 1:1 he wrote: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle …”. Apostle Peter also threaded this same path.
What am I trying to say? Is it that you are to illustrate your life’s purpose and unique identity when asked to describe yourself in job interview? No! That’s not the point! You know the aspects of your personality and experiences the interviewers are particularly interested in and you may go ahead to tell them. However, I’m trying to draw your attention to the point that in the last couple of weeks, we have been discussing our collective identity as believers. From discussions on being righteous, delivered and sanctified to being saints and God’s representatives on earth, we have delved into things that are common to all believers.
Nevertheless, there is something unique about you. In the midst of our collective identity, you have a distinctive identity on earth. Your assignment is unique and you should be able to describe it eloquently and succinctly like Paul and Peter, if asked in a job interview.
Well, this job interview may not happen till the end of the age when it will be an exit interview—Did you fulfill my purpose for your life? That will be God interviewing you. More on that next week …
– tope aladenusi
Early this month, someone sent this very important mail to me regarding deliverance:
“Hi Tope. I have this question weighing on my mind; when a sinner who is under a covenant with some black or (occult) powers (blood covenant) becomes born again (perhaps it is something his father or forefathers did way before he was born and, he is unaware of the covenant). Will the covenant be broken automatically, once he becomes born again, or, does he have to go for deliverance to break this covenant?”
A lot of Christians are faced with similar situations and I desire that they read this piece. First, the major reason we are faced with such dilemmas is because we were not taught or we do not really understand the implication of being born again. Most believers still think that to be born again means to change your attitude, or as it is commonly said, “the bad things you used to do, you do them no more”. However, that has a totally different meaning from this.
I like the way the question was framed: when a sinner … becomes born again? Last week, I emphasized that before you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, the devil was the Commander-in-Chief of your life. Because of the sin of Adam, man was separated from God and since man is primarily a spirit, the devil could possess his spirit. But what happened when we got born again?
John 3:5 (KJV) “Jesus answered … Except a man be born … of the Spirit, he cannot enter into thekingdom of God.”
2Co 5:17 (MSG) “… anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons!”
Rom 6:6 (GNB) “And we know that our old being has been put to death with Christ on his cross…”
To be born again means to be born of the Spirit of God. A new being was created in us when we got born again. But before that new being was born, something happened. The old being that was easily possessed by the devil was destroyed. As a matter of fact, every time a person gets born again, we should be conscious of the fact that someone just died. Furthermore, a new being (spirit) that previously never existed was born inside that person.
So what if a sinner practiced occultism / witchcraft before and now he is saved? Simple, the person that practiced occultism is now dead; crucified with Christ on the cross. That is what the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ means. In the mind of God, when Jesus went to the cross, we were in him and died with him. That’s why you will see the phrase “in Him” or “in Christ” over 130 times in the New Testament. We may not notice any instant change physically or even in attitude, but let every man be a liar and let the Word of God be true; that new man is born again and will be shocked if you associate him with occultism. It would be like accusing a day-old child of being occultic last year; everyone would think you were out of your mind. The curses (ancestral or not) were automatically broken when you got born again because the person that had their physical lineage and partook in the curse is dead! We now have a new lineage from God (I Peter 1:23). Does a dead man require deliverance from occultism? No wonder the bible says – “So if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free.” John 8:36 (GW).
You may say – But some Christians behave as though they are possessed? Why do some still act like occultists even after they are saved? What about people who say a Christian can have a spirit husband, spirit wife or spirit whatever? Is it possible for an evil spirit to return to a believer if he/ she commits a sin?
We will discuss this and many more in our subsequent messages.
– tope aladenusi