Imagine an attempt to classify the people in the world by their love for God. Maybe that stretches your imagination a bit with over 6 billion people on earth. Why don’t you try to classify the people in your work-place, business or school into those that would likely say they love God and those that do not share such sentiments? Have you ever wondered how Christianity does not have exclusive preserve to the concept of God or a supreme being with supernatural powers? Most world religions claim there is a god somewhere who desires loyal subjects. The enthusiasts of these religions show their convictions by affirming love for their supreme being.
Love makes people act in certain ways; it determines what they do and draws the boundaries on what they choose not to do. This is more so, when there are negative repercussions for actions not in accordance with the wishes of the loved one. However, despite the fact that most Christians claim love for God, we find people called by this very honorable name doing things which they know He will clearly not approve. Certain complacency seems to have set in with the church in which the grace of God is taken for granted. We frustrate the grace of God!
Rather than utilize the grace which God has given us to fulfill His purpose, many believers are taking this grace for a ride. But this should not be the case as Titus 2: 11, 12 states “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age”.
Our God loved us enough to take our place and die the death we deserved. Yet, He seems to be the most ignored one from the actions of the people who claim to believe that the death He died was to rescue and restore them. The magnitude of Apostle Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 5: 14, 15 sends shivers down my spine—“ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”
True love for God is displayed when we willingly let go of our own best formulated plans for his ultimate plan which is ultimately far better than ours. He knows the end from the beginning and can order your steps to that expected end which He has planned for those who love Him. The hope of eternal life which we have should lead us to live purposeful lives here on earth. Sometimes this means giving up comfort, friends or family, but the rewards we get from God are eternal. (See Matthew 10:37-39). I read about the killing of some Christian aid workers in Afghanistan last week, yet the organization they work for plans to stay on in the country to minister. A knowledge that life doesn’t end with the temporary enjoyments which we see around us should motivate godly living based on our reciprocal love for the One who laid His life down for us. I have heard it rightly said that one ought to live only for something that is worth dying for.
Can you imagine the hurt Jesus felt when Peter and the other disciples went back to fishing soon after his death? They toiled all night and did not catch any fish however, as they were working in their own strengths. People who had been chosen to be fishers of men were fishing for measly fish again in despair. Extraordinary miracle workers were back to being ordinary fisher men! Oh what shame! Many of us used to be firebrands at some point especially at the beginning of our walk with Christ; we were drunk with the wine of new love. “I will always love You” was our song… but now, a few years down the line, we have turned cold, we have forgotten the love songs we sang and the promises we made to God. Jesus is however reaching back to you in forgiveness and expectation with the question: “Do you love me more than these?”
– Dr. Ifelayo Peter Ojo
*All scriptures from New International Version of the Bible
Next week we will discuss ‘Trusting God’. This series will continue our discussion of purposeful living in our earth-walk as citizens of the heavenly kingdom here to make a difference.
All I have seen teaches me to learn to thrive based on ‘God’ ideas and not just ‘good’ ideas. So it may not be farfetched why I love these words of Albert Einstein – “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
Climbing a tree may be a good idea on its own, but for the fish, swimming is God’s idea. The bible makes us to understand that all Christians are led by God (Roman 8:14). Unfortunately, many Christians in our day don’t even believe this. For those that believe it, recognizing God’s leading is a difficult thing and something reserved for the “great men of God”. No wonder many ‘fish’ in our fold are currently attempting to climb trees, and they have been robbed of excellence and fulfillment in life.
God is wholly committed to whatever he has commanded. Running with the general instructions God has given all believers in the Bible coupled with the specific instructions He constantly gives you effortless places you in the path of peace, progress, preeminence and prosperity. Surprisingly, recognizing God’s leading is simpler than many of us think.
Some people close to me always wonder how I am able to get some fantastic result in some endeavors; the truth is that most times it was because I was simply obedient to God’s leading. For most of the references they point to, I have specific instructions from God that I followed to get there – be it in career, marriage, ministry, investment, etc.
I’m keenly passionate about discussing this topic with every believer in this world and I’d be glad if you could join me as we discuss “How to excel in life by following God’s leading” at Abuja & Manchester WoC 2012. Remember to invite all your loved ones. It’s an event that is designed to turn the rudder of your life in the right direction. See details below.
You can RSVP on https://www.facebook.com/events/321960181227649/
Tope S. Aladenusi
You are cordially invited to …
Abuja, World Outreach Convention – WoC 2012
Equipping believers to impact their world
Theme: How to excel in life by following God’s leading
Date: 11 August 2012 Time: 2pm to 4:30pm
Venue: Zuma Hall, Savannah Suites, No. 8, Faskari Street, Garki, Area 3, Abuja, Nigeria
Ministering: ‘Tope S. Aladenusi
To confirm attendance, please SMS or call: 0700 LIFELINE (0700 54335463)
Admission is free!
Note: Free transportation to the venue would be provided to and fro Minna and Kaduna. Please send email to christlifeline@gmail.com or sms to 0700 54335463 to register for the free transportation service.
Watch out for details of Manchester WoC 2012 taking place on 15 September 2012.
| When I was a young boy, my mother taught me that I needed to plant a seed to bring whatever harvest I wanted in life. She used a grain of maize for an example; she showed me how the maize crop looked when it was harvested and linked it back to a single grain. As always, I believed my mum wholeheartedly. The next day, my siblings and I were drinking Cokes and my mum’s illustration on sowing came to mind. So I gathered up some of the bottle caps and rushed to our garden. I started “planting” them in spots I would commit to memory when my aunt appeared. “What are you doing?” she asked. I told her about the concept of ‘sowing and harvesting’ that I had just learned and that I planned to harvest some Coca-Cola in the future. She laughed sarcastically and called my mum to come and see what I was doing.
With the benefit of hindsight, I see that the principle my mum taught me was true, but my application was wrong (at least I haven’t harvested any Coca-Cola yet). Also, with the benefit of reading the scriptures, I realize that broadly speaking, there are two major areas where we sow, and they in turn affect who we turn out to be in life. Galatians 6:7-8 (GNB) says “Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant. If you plant in the field of your natural desires, from it you will gather the harvest of death; if you plant in the field of the Spirit, from the Spirit you will gather the harvest of eternal life.”
Beloved, none of your actions is insignificant. You are either sowing (or in the process of sowing) to the flesh OR to the Spirit. It’s just a matter of time, and you will get the result. You are the way you are today because of the seeds you sowed or some other person sowed yesterday. You don’t need to come tell me in 5 years how you have been living your life. I only need to look at your life then, and it will be easy to tell where/ what you have been sowing over the years.
A brother once told me he had serious issues with lust and narrated his misdemeanors against some sisters in his church. He needed help to get out of the mess. According to him, he had been praying about it. I said to him – ‘stop disturbing God; start sowing the right seeds’. He seemed surprised by my statement and asked what I meant. I asked him a few questions and his answers revealed the seeds he had been sowing; do you watch sexually explicit films? Do you sometimes look at pictures of nude women? Do you entertain fantasies of having some form of pleasures with those sisters? His answers to these and many other similar questions were – Yes. I then told him that when he did all those things, he was sowing seeds; he was passing ‘credit’ entries in his life, and life had come to make ‘debit’ entries for all those credits. As a chartered accountant, he understood that for every credit there must be a corresponding debit, and that really helped him see, in clear terms, how to start to change his life.
Keep sowing the right seeds as prescribed in the scriptures. There is no vacuum in life; your life will someday tell the story of the seeds you have been sowing. ———————————————————————– Tope S. Aladenusi |
| Never mind who dares… if God cares
Never mind who frowns… if God smiles Never mind who mocks… if God exalts Never mind who cheats… if God lifts Never mind who struggles… if God promotes Never mind who curses… if God blesses Never mind who withholds… if God gives Never mind who disappoints… if God appoints Never mind who separates… if God unites Never mind who rejects… if God accepts Never mind who forgets… if God remembers Never mind who tears… if God mends Never mind who stirs… if God stills Never mind who binds… if God liberates Never mind who devours… if God protects Never mind who thirsts… if God waters Never mind who hungers… if God feeds Never mind who stains… if God cleanses Never mind who faints… if God heals Never mind who hates… if God loves Never mind who crucifies… if God resurrects Never mind who dies… if God lives.
“…Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on God, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” I Peter 5:7 (AMP)
– Tope S. Aladenusi |
| And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with [you]. 1 Corinthians 9:20-23
Jesus is not coming to walk the face of the earth again. But praise God, He is still here – in you. People need not look for Him anymore for He is evidently displayed in you. Is he?
The brevity of the question bellies the utmost importance it connotes. Is Christ seen in your everyday life? Is he heard in your private conversations/is he perceived in your presence? Is he felt in your touch? Is he tasted in your attitude? Is Christ the reason for your living? Are you ready to say “not the I but the You in me”? Are folks readily introduced to the overwhelming grace of God? Are you forward to let known the reason of the hope in you?
You may likely be anxious about how your message will be received. But let these words of the apostle Paul be to you an encouragement:
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:23-24
– Gideon Gbeja |
The last Sunday in January this year may forever remain memorable to my family. On that day, as I picked a call from my mum at about 5 am, I immediately felt some heat in my spine. The last time I received such a call at an unusual hour was when my dad had issues with his health. I recall the travail we went through in prayer during that time and to God’s glory, he became hale and hearty again. So, I thought there may be something wrong with his health again when I received this call. Conversely, the voice I heard on the phone was unusually boisterous.
What happened, I inquired. “We just experienced a miracle”, my mum quickly responded. I tried to imagine what sort of miracle could have occurred in the middle of the night. As I was going to ask my next question to gain better clarity, my mum continued by saying – armed robbers visited us some hours ago. Now, this got me really confused because I couldn’t figure out how this part of the story was a miracle. But when I patiently listened to the whole story, I was full of gratitude at the awesomeness of God.
My mum had turned off the room lights before going to bed and when she suddenly opened her eyes in the middle of the night, she could see the frame of a man standing by the bed and facing her direction. She thought the person standing was my dad and asked, why are you standing there? Immediately, an armed robber shined a flashlight into her eyes and said, “you will have to cooperate with me now; I need you to bring out all the monies in this house”. I don’t have any money here, she responded. The guy brought out a dagger and said – “if you do not cooperate with me by quietly bringing out your money, you will not like the outcome by the time I finish dealing with you.” My mum’s response this time was quite affirmative – “I don’t have any money. I am a child of God and cannot lie to you”.
There was a long pause in the room and thereafter, the robber started apologizing to my mum. In his words, “I am very sorry madam for coming into this house. I obviously entered a wrong place! As I am standing here, I can hear God speaking to me clearly that I must not touch His anointed child and not a single pin must be taken away from this house. Please ma, pray for me. My name is Moses and I didn’t intend to be an armed robber. I got into this mess some years ago when I graduated and couldn’t get a job after searching severally”. The robber went on his knees and was weeping profusely while my mum prayed for him. When I asked my mum what she uttered during her prayers, she couldn’t remember anything (guess she must have been really terrified). After the prayer session, the robber returned a purse he had taken in the sitting room and said – “this was the only thing I had taken when I entered your house. I’m leaving now and I didn’t take any pin”. My dad was right there in the room, watching that episode in a speechless mode.
Now it all seemed to make sense to me after listening to the complete story. Indeed, it was a miracle, I muttered under my breath. My mum was full of joy, and I can’t forget the statement she used to summarize everything – this my God loves me so much. As I pondered over the situation, I wondered if she felt that love immediately the robber showed her the dagger and threatened her. It’s the same way sometimes we go through challenging situations as believers, and when we are in the current scene, we begin to get discouraged. However, that scene could just be the “Act 2, Scene 1” in the whole episode. When the full story is played out and told, it is surely going to be another miracle. I love the way Romans 8:28 (BBE) puts it – “And we are conscious that all things are working together for good to those who have love for God, and have been marked out by his purpose.”
I couldn’t initially reconcile “we just experienced a miracle” and “armed robbers visited us” just the same way you may be going through some irreconcilable situations right now. But whatever challenge it is you are passing through today, be conscious of the fact that when all the scenes of the drama are put together, we can boldly say – All life scenes work together for a miracle story to be told in my life. AMEN!
Tope Aladenusi
The first two weeks of this year will remain very memorable to many Nigerians. On the 1st of January, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced the removal of subsidy on petrol, and the price of petrol jumped by over 100% in few hours. This announcement led to a week-long nationwide strike by the labour union and gave rise to different types of protests around the country in the course of which many people lost their lives. Beyond all the sad events that occurred, the incident brought to my notice once again something I have observed before –many believers don’t live intentionally; their actions are not usually based on a decision to follow The Word or a direction from the Holy Spirit, but on pressures from their environment.
During this period, I heard people make unprintable statements and some occupied the streets vowing not to return home until the government’s decision was completely reversed. But it is quite surprising that many who occupied the streets then are currently occupying the bed of another man’s wife, beer parlours, cinemas, employers’ gardens, church politics, night clubs, etc. and I’m wondering why all the passion I saw then was able to readily dissipate into thin air. Also, people who suddenly became social commentators during the heated period are now sports commentators, security commentators, church commentators, death commentators etc. It could be the same problem manifesting in different ways; when God is not in control of a life, the devil uses the environment to control that life. Unfortunately, believers are sometimes beguiled to act like them. Such people are swift to grumble about anything. Someone puts it right by saying “some people would grumble at the accommodations in Heaven if they ever got there.” Beloved, do you know that Jesus said in Matthew 12:36 (CEV) “I promise you that on the day of judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken”?
There is nothing wrong in occupying the streets or voicing our grievances, but was that action a reaction to a nudging from within or a pressure from without? I Corinthians 6:19 (GW) says “Don’t you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, whom you received from God, lives in you. You don’t belong to yourselves.” The believer cannot just decide where his body goes and what he does with his body. You cannot just say you want to occupy the street today and say tomorrow you want to occupy the sea. The body belongs to God and you should be conscious that you are subject to instructions from Him on the use of your body. In Christianity, the standards are high; “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” Romans 14:23.
One thing we should always be conscious of is that the devil wants us to act like a chameleon, always reflecting the colour, pattern and pressure of the world. But God also wants us to act like a different chameleon attuned to Him, always reflecting the pattern, purity and power of the Word. 2Corinthians 3:18 says “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Will you allow the Spirit of God to guide your actions no matter the pressures from without?
Finally, I noticed that I did not see any ambassador from other countries join the street protests or make any statement (not to talk of a vulgar one) about the situation. Do you know why? They are on a mission to Nigeria and were sent here temporarily by their home country. They dare not take any action without the approval of their President. How come many believers who are God’s ambassadors to this world didn’t even bother to take instruction from heaven about the course of action to take during the strike? Could those vulgar words (some of us uttered) have originated from heaven? Let’s face it; many of us are missing it and are living like mere men who are puppets of the devil. The message I want to pass across is simple: we must all learn to live intentionally, following the guidance of the Spirit of God within us no matter what pressures we experience from without.
Tope Aladenusi
Some months ago, a colleague mentioned that she was going on her annual leave. I enquired and she told me her intended location was London. I asked if she had ever taken a “vacation” to visit some missionaries working in remote areas, to encourage and work with them. “No!” She replied. “That has never occurred to me.” I told her how I had done that once and it had marked a turning point in my life, and given me a new perspective about life and Christianity. I recommended that she do the same, probably during her next vacation. Her response (really indicative of the attitude of most believers today) was “Tope, You know it’s not easy to do such a thing, one has to be led by God.” Then I responded with a ‘check question’ – Were you led by God to spend your vacation in London? To which she responded “Hmm, you’ve got a point there”.
It is a point – a scriptural one and that is what I’d like to stress today. There is no leading from God that can be more powerful than what He has written in the scriptures. God always honours His Word. The Word of God says to us – “Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all.” Mark 16:15 (MSG). We don’t need another leading from God before we make this move. The message is crystal clear – Go everywhere! But what do we do today? We merely sing that we are “standing on the promises of God” while in reality we sit on the premises of procrastination and gold. We claim to be waiting on God’s leading to do His work, but we obey our own ‘leading’ to do other things. There is nothing wrong with going to London; I have been there and I know that like many locations in the world, there are many ‘unreached’ people there. I am particularly interested in what we do when we go there? Do we obey God’s command found in the scriptures? Well, it is not difficult to tell. I’ve got an indication from Facebook.
Let’s use Facebook to illustrate. We share pictures from our trips abroad, our weddings, and different views of our faces, cars and houses. But do you wonder why we rarely share pictures of our exploits for God’s kingdom? Why are believers swift to “like” it when people share gossip, jokes, football gist, or other things that would interest mere men who have not met Jesus, but display nonchalance when people share the message of Jesus Christ or evidence of impact of God’s Word? If Paul, Peter and Luke had Facebook in their time, would they have handled it the way we do today? Has this generation of believers lost its real focus? Has God saved a soul through you this year?
The purpose of God for every believer is that we stay wholeheartedly committed to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to every creature. Everything a believer does must be directly or indirectly traceable to his/her purpose on earth. You eat good food so your body will have nourishment for the work. You go to church to get encouragement/ edification for the sake of the work. You work in that blue chip Company because it gives you access to some unbelievers that God wants to use for His work. You administer the public address system in your church so that every attendee can hear the Message and be fired up for His work. Every asset and access you have is for the work God has committed to your hands. Don’t be distracted. Don’t claim to wait for God’s leading. Go! Go everywhere you can! Announce the Message of God’s good news with your words and lifestyle and in every place you find yourself.
– Tope Aladenusi
It appears that one event that draws most friends and relations together in the average Nigerian setting is burial ceremonies. The manner with which people show up and financially support burial ceremonies can be stunning. At such times, people get to see relatives and friends that they haven’t seen in ages. They continuously sing the praises of the loved one that has passed on and recount how good he/ she was. In Acts 9:39 (CEV), the Bible records a similar story: “The men took Peter upstairs into the room. Many widows were there crying. They showed him the coats and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was still alive.”
As I read this passage, I could not help asking myself – Did these widows ever gather at Dorcas’ house to sing praises about the coats and clothes that she made when she was alive? I may not have the answer, but from what I see around me today, I am tempted to think otherwise.
Why would most of us rather give people a befitting burial than show up, and be there for them, when they are going through a bewildering trial? Why do we find it difficult to send a note of thanks to people when they are alive, but spend time to write good things in a condolence register they will never read? Why do we spend more time accusing the brethren instead of encouraging them with the Word? I like the way Apostle Paul began most of his epistles. He always thanked God for His grace in the lives of the brethren and for the progress they were making as believers, even though they still had ‘issues’. I particularly like Philippians 1:3 (CEV) where he wrote – “Every time I think of you, I thank my God.”
When Jesus walked this earth, he constantly encouraged his disciples even though he didn’t refrain from correcting them whenever they erred. When it came to dealing with the dead, he said – let the dead bury their dead (Mat. 8:22). This sheds light on where our emphasis should be – a far cry from what we currently practice.
As believers, we are expected to bear one other’s burden and encourage one another even as we see the day of the Lord approaching. One sure way to do this is by appreciating our fellow believers – their strengths and good works while they are alive, rather than focusing only on correcting their errors. Giving kind words and financial / material support for instance – we cannot underestimate how valuable this would be in propelling them to make progress in the things of God. Don’t expect them to be perfect before you do this. Please appreciate those that have been a blessing to you and our generation in any way.
If anyone of my family or friends do not give me the encouragement I need to achieve my purpose when I am alive, they need not bother to show up at my burial. I feel that if they acted like my burial was more important than my life, I would get up, chase them away and then, go back to sleep! That’s one of the jokes to remember in November!
The action point is: flip through your phone and address book; think back – over the years; who preached the gospel to you when you got saved? Who taught you the Word? Who helped you in school or in business? All the people that God has used to bless you, the least you can do is to appreciate them today – if they are still alive. Write them. Pray for them. Thank them. Send gifts to them. Do so within the next two weeks. What an amazing revival we would see in world if all Christians could do this now and onwards.
Let this revival start with you!
– Tope Aladenusi
Do you know what would excite you or give you a sense of fulfilment when you are old? Have you ever thought about it? I raised this question at a meeting with some leaders in our ministry over the weekend. Interestingly, it has roused some thoughts and even more questions in my mind since then. I cannot help but wonder why it seems that at every stage in life, a different set of things tend to stir our interest and take our time.
Reading/ studying is considered to be one major activity that takes the time of most “serious” students while in school. But today, when I discuss the good old days with former classmates, I have never heard anyone say how they cherished their reading time in school, hardly anyone seems to look back at it with longing. The activity of reading ranked high in terms of the time allotted to it while in school but, not as one of the most fulfilling and exciting activities. But let’s even assume that reading gave you a sense of fulfilment and took most of your time while in school, I bet something else occupies that position today – most probably your job. If your job currently takes most of your time and perhaps gives you fulfilment, do you think you would feel the same way about it in say 20 to 50 years?
I ask these questions because a vital key to real success is having constancy of purpose. When the thing that drives your life and gives you fulfilment changes every 3 to 5 years, it may be an indication that you are not living intentionally and purposefully but merely moving with the tides of life. Your life has a purpose and every stage of your life should prepare you and give you the platform for its expression. When you meet with God at the end of your life on earth, what would give you excitement and fulfilment about the life you lived? Are they the things that take most of your time and creativity today?
I’m not saying we should not read or work. That’s not the point! The bible even says “he who does not work should not eat”. The point is – if the fulfilment of our life’s purpose is what ultimately counts (even in eternity), then our purpose must be expressed at every stage of our lives. If our impact in the lives of others is something we would be excited to discuss with God in heaven, then we have to give it utmost priority today. I think it only makes sense to give daily priority to things that would give true fulfilment later in life and, will matter even after are dead. What do you think?
– Tope Aladenusi