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
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
| 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 |
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
| 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 |
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
Whether we choose to accept it or not, the world has taken a new turn. For some, they kept affirming that Barack Obama couldn’t win the 2008 U.S presidential election. Their reason was not farfetched – How can someone they like to term “black man” be the president of USA? It has never happened before! Yes! Never before. But that’s history. There are people whose story shape the way history is written, and Obama is one of them. What fascinates me most is that this is the first time an African-American will win the U.S presidential election. Have you ever been the first person to do something remarkable? Today, I see many people not being able to birth the purpose of God for their lives because they have not been able to answer the question –“Where has it been done before?”. There is this unwritten code that rules in the hearts of men to extol an established pattern over a divine program. And that alone has made many not see the workings of God in their lives. In Matthew 15:6 Jesus said “ye made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition”. What is tradition? It’s simply those things that say ‘this is the way it has always been done’. As little as it may look, it is capable of making the word not have the effect it is supposed to have in our lives. Every tradition starts from someone. Why can’t we be the ones to start something good for others to follow? For a long time, no one ran the 100m race in less than 10 seconds. But the same week this was done by someone, some other people ran 100m race below 10 seconds. I’m sure Obama’s victory has ruptured some barriers from people’s mind. But we do not need to wait for such people before we do what we have been inspired to do. Sometimes it might be too late. It is profitable to follow the divine program on your inside instead of the established pattern on the outside, whether it has been done before or not. This is because we serve a God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ. II Cor. 2:14 (GW)
– tope aladenusi