And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. Luke 4:36
Whenever a soldier is told to act by a senior commanding officer, he goes ahead without turning back straight to accomplish all and even a little extra of what he has been told to do.
He doesn’t go back time and time again asking for permission when he knows that he has been given the right to act on his commanding officer’s behalf.
Worse still, he doesn’t go begging his commanding officer to do what he has been given the right to do.
As Christians, we also have been given the privilege to act.
One area I always feel amazed is in respect of the devil and his agents. This always seems to generate so much attention each time it is mentioned.
Christ never prayed to God to deal with the devil. The early church never prayed to God to deal with the devil. They all rebuked the devil with such authority that left people amazed, wondering, ‘what manner of man is this?’ Ref: Mark 1: 23-27
If our Christianity would amount to much, we must learn that God expects us to act on his behalf with the glorious empowering we received after the Holy Spirit came upon us. Ref: Eph 1: 19 – 23
It now becomes a true loss of identity when such a time comes and we all collectively lift up hands to say ‘Father!! Come and act’. Ref: 1st Pet 4:11
No matter how sweet the plea may be, the truth is he left us on the scenes to act on his behalf.
Today, take a look at the prayers of Paul when they faced the devil and his cohorts. The wordrebuked is derived from a word in the original Greek that means to forbid, warn strictly, or to censure. Now see what it means to tell God come and warn the devil. This is not right.
This came about because they were conscious of the authority that has been given to them. Ref: 2nd Cor. 13:4
Let’s be conscious of the right and authority we have received and walk accordingly. Ref: Acts 1:8; Gal 2:8
When we walk in this consciousness we don’t get distracted because of an enemy already conquered. We move on and truly move on knowing the authority we have been given. Ref: Tit 2:15
Today don’t feel challenged or boxed in a corner. Realise you’ve been empowered and take charge. Ref: Eph. 6:10
CHEERS.
-Dr. Bolaji Akanni
One of my most profound discoveries I have made in my journey to financial freedom is the truism of the saying – as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23: 7 KJV). What truly amazed me was that I have known this in my head all along, after having been a Christian for donkey years. Why I never believed it and walked in that knowledge is a mystery I am still trying to unravel. Was it because of over familiarity with the Word? Was it unbelief? Was it the fact that it seemed too simple – think and that is it? I knew in my head that the expectation of the righteous shall not be cut off, but how come my wishes were not coming true?
It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that it fully dawned on me the impact my thoughts were having on my life. My thought pattern was my worst enemy. I ruled so many things out of my life because I thought I could not do or afford them. I was shooting myself on the foot daily. From thoughts come beliefs, words and actions – action brings results, often of the unintended variety.
I have come to know that poverty is not the state of your bank account, but your mindset. Lack of money is a symptom of poverty, not the cause. If you have a poverty mentality, you will become poor. We move towards our expectations.
A poor man believes:
He cannot afford it
Times are hard
There is no money
He is managing
His salary is not enough
He is trying to make ends meet but they never seem to do so
You cannot have everything you want
Resources are limited and human needs are insatiable (there is not enough to go round)
The rich are crooks (which is the reason he will not be one of them)
The list goes on and on and on.
The amazing thing is that whatever you think is right is usually correct. It is a self fulfilling prophecy. A poem by C. W. Longenecker captures it beautifully:
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win, but you think you can’t,
It is almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But soon or late the man who wins,
Is the man who thinks he can.
I have come to realize that most arguments are of no use. People argue out of their own reality, and they are correct. Some people say financial principles do not work and they are right – it does not work for them. You cannot prove to someone that his reality is incorrect. He lives and breathes it. Change can only come when one’s eye of understanding opens. Whatever you say is correct. As you think, so you are.
If you think you cannot, you are right – you can’t. If you think you can, you are also right – you can. Whatever the size of container you use in approaching God’s sea of abundance will be filled to overflowing – tea spoon, table spoon, soup bowl, bucket, bath tub, tanker, pipeline – whatever you come with will be filled. There is more than enough. If you choose to abstain from abundant life through your mindset of scarcity, lack and unbelief, you will do just fine with the little you get used to. When all is said and done, what you think and speak consistently will ultimately manifest.
-Usiere Uko is editor at http://www.financialfreedominspiration.com/
The Bible is full of financial blessings which we have claimed, and claimed some more over the years. Years down the line, we begin to wonder if God’s word and promises are indeed true. We know God is not a liar, but we wonder what we are doing wrong to end up broke month after month, living from hand to mouth, claiming we shall be the head but feeling like the tail when we look around us. Where are the financial blessings?
Each year, we get a word from the Lord at the beginning of the year – This shall be your year of breakthrough, exploits, flying on eagles wings etc. We have stickers to show for it. They end up on our cars, doors, bibles and what have you. I know a brother whose cars’ rear windscreen was so full of stickers I was concerned if he could see through the rear view mirror. He was literally blinded by God’s promises down the years. If you look at the back of his car, you can trace all the promises down the years. He did not remove any, but simply added to it until he finally ran out of space.
Where is the manifestation of these promises? Has it come? Is it coming? When?
These are all valid questions. We are not bold enough to question God, but we have questions all the same. Whatever happened to Matthew 7: 7-8?
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receive, and he who seeks find, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Not only have we been asking, He by Himself has even gone ahead to promise without us asking – this is your year of financial breakthrough, still nothing. What exactly is going on? Why is there so much need in the house?
Let me tell you my story.
I used to think that after asking, or receiving the yearly promise, all I needed to do was live holy, pray and attend all programs. Then one day, as I was leaving church for home, or as I was getting home from church, someone will run up to me and grab my shoulder:
“Brother, I have been looking for you, where have you been? The Lord laid it on my heart to give you something but you were nowhere to be found. I am so relieved that I finally found you”.
Then he will lead me towards the trunk of his car, open it, lo and behold, a “Ghana Must Go” bag (apologies to my Ghanaian friends) almost bursting at the seams, filled with naira notes – millions upon millions of naira. That was my picture of financial breakthrough.
I have since learned from the school of hard knocks that God does not work that way, except in some instances He sends money through others to pay for what He has specifically ordered, not to pander to my greed and laziness.
Another one was my employer sending me abroad for years on assignment. I will earn dollars while my salary is running back home. I have experienced this severally, but have come to realize that this is not the financial breakthrough I was looking for. I will return home awash with dollars, and six months later, I will be back to being broke again, praying for another assignment.
Yet another way I expected the breakthrough to come was by someone bringing me a very sweet deal, maybe LPO, contract, etc. I actually registered a company to prepare myself for this scenario. I will win a contract, or someone will bring me a contract with such a juicy upfront payment that I will execute it easily and will be rolling in millions afterwards. Of course this never happened.
I have come to realize after wasting more than 15 years wandering in the financial wilderness, that when God gives a promise, it is not time to hope, pray and go to sleep. It is time to hope, pray and go to work. A farmer does not hope for a bumper harvest my praying, fasting and attending night vigils. He hopes for a bumper harvest by praying, fasting, attending night vigils, getting good land and good seed, clearing the land, cultivating it, maintaining it by clearing weeds or using herbicides, applying fertilizers as necessary, hiring labour for the harvest as required and getting a good market for his products. His faith is expressed by working harder than his peers, putting more land under cultivation, doing more because he believes God will answer his prayer for a good harvest rather than cut back due to fears of drought or market slump which means inability to sell his excess produce.
God will not answer his prayer by raining down harvest from the sky. God will answer through a good weather, access to alternatives if the rains are not coming as much required, loyal and committed workers, friendly bankers, access to markets to sell his product etc. Even then, these things will not come by themselves. The farmer has to get up and go knock on doors.
This is when Matthew 7:8 kicks in – For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
A lazy farmer will ask but will not receive, seek and will not find, knock until his knuckles start to bleed and no door will be opened.
Like the story of talents in Matthew 25:14-30, the one who received one talent and buried it can ask all he wants, seek or he wants and knocks all he wants. It is by making what you have profitable that you can ask for more.
What has become of the money God has sent your way since you started working – your salary and bonuses? Can you give account of them? Is any left or you have consumed all? Are you accumulating wealth or you are giving it all away, eating with ten fingers? What business are you doing apart from your job? Which investment do you have that brings returns monthly, annually etc? Where else is money coming from apart from your salary? If you get laid off today, how long will you last before you start begging?
When God created the earth, He came down by himself to fellowship with Adam and Abraham. Then He sent His son Jesus, and when Jesus went back, He sent the Holy Spirit who has been here since. God has given us His all. What more do we want? More blessings? What have we done with what we have?
God has given us more than enough to multiply and have dominion. There is seed time and harvest. It will never cease. Are we planting or are we consuming? A farmer that eats all his seed will watch the next harvest from the sidelines as a spectator. You may be surprised that as you are waiting for God to move, God has been waiting for you to move. Until you move, all you may end up with is promises and stickers.
-Usiere Uko is editor at http://www.financialfreedominspiration.com/
| How would you feel if you received an e-mail informing you that you have been chosen to be the personal assistant to Bill gates or better still Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook (be sure it is not “yahoo boys” anyway lol)? I am sure you would be filled with joy. You would be working with one of the richest people in the whole world. You would go about shoulders high, with an extra bounce to your walk, looking forward to when you are to resume and discharge your duties.
Do you know you have been called to a greater work than being the personal assistant to billionaires? 2 Cor 6:1 says we as co-labourers with God. Wow!!! What an awesome privilege to be a co-labourer with God. Also 2 Cor 4:1 says it was when we received mercy (salvation) that we were given the ministry. Every single believer has been called into ministry. It reads, ‘Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.’ 2 Cor 5:17 is a very popular verse talking about whosoever is in Christ is a new creature (i.e. salvation) but verses 18 and verse 19 are as important as 17. It says in verse 18: ‘Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, AND HAS GIVEN US the ministry of reconciliation. Verse 19: that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and HAS COMMITTED TO US the word of reconciliation. With the salvation package comes ministry which is a partnership business between yourself and God. No wonder Jesus said, ‘Don’t you know I have to be at my Father’s business?’ In Matt 9:35-38 Jesus told his disciples to pray the father that he might send labourers into his vineyard for the harvest is plenty. Friends, that prayer was answered in redemption. We believers (every single one of us) have been made able ministers of the new covenant, able to work in the vineyard of God. Don’t wait till you are “called”. If you are a Christian at all, then you are called. In fact, the meaning of church is ‘the called-out ones’. So, why do you think you are not called? Eph 4:11-12 clearly states that the job of the pastors, evangelists, etc is to prepare the church for the WORK OF THE MINISTRY. So I say unto you: just as you would be so excited and quickly get working with Bill Gates or Zuckerberg, so also get working with the greatest being in the universe, the one who created all things, including the billionaires. Resume your duty today by reconciling men back to God because He reconciled you in Christ back unto Himself. YOU ARE CALLED! -Awoyemi Olutosin |
A lion is a pretty strong beast. I am always fascinated when I see the claws, those teeth and the huge paws. I wonder how Daniel would really have felt knowing he did not just have to deal with one but was flung into a den of lions. Truly when the Lord is on your side … even lions can be tamed. Well, today however, I am again reminded that as fierce and strong a lion looks, it still tactfully takes on its prey. I mean it tends to always chase after a herd of buffaloes but would in the process isolate one. One very unlucky victim suddenly becomes cornered and fight as it may, it just cannot match those paws all by itself. ISOLATION…..a strategy of the lion for centuries. Oddly enough the devil who tends to think he is a lion loves this strategy as well.
But I am not here to enumerate devil’s tactics. Rather to give a word of caution to you, to me. Are you getting bored with the brotherhood? Are you drafting excuses to stay all by yourself? Well … Be careful. It might be nice to know it was spent in some prayer sessions or truly waiting on the Lord. But don’t bask in isolation for too long. Learn to be in the company of the believers in prayers, in worship, in study and even in tearing of bread.
Hebrews 10:25 gave a word of caution to us being by ourselves. Have you noticed our fathers in the faith? Some great errors were made upon standing alone – David, Samson, Noah, Lot, etc. Be on guard. Do not despise the brotherhood. No doubt there may be arguments with your brother but let love grow in the midst of us. Let our unity truly be strength. Let us pray and not tatter endlessly on what should be that is not. Let us worship God and wait on the Lord. Let our meetings together be a source of inspiration and not a means of disintegration. Let us truly be one. Let us meet and desire to meet again and again. Let us meet for God and not for ourselves.
I have always been moved close to tears each time home is brought closer than I could ever imagine in the midst of the brotherhood. While briefly in Asia I had the opportunity of attending a house fellowship; I would not trade that experience for any other. Everything seems to stand still. Truly how wonderful and how beautiful it is for brethren to dwell in unity. When I consider the one to whom we are gathered, all tribal sentiments, all divisions, all gender strife, all bickering, all mistakes, all errors, all headaches seem inconsequential in the light of Christ to whom we are gathered. And they can’t prevent me from coming again and again.
Are you miles away from one? Start one at home, in the field, at work. It doesn’t require much really. Just you and another believer.
Don’t be isolated from the brotherhood. Don’t be on your own.
Till I see you brother and sister. Go be with the brotherhood close to you.
Dr. bolaji akanni
For we have quoted the scripture, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” When did this take place? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? It was before, not after. He was circumcised later, and his circumcision was a sign to show that because of his faith God had accepted him as righteous before he had been circumcised. And so Abraham is the spiritual father of all who believe in God and are accepted as righteous by him, even though they are not circumcised. He is also the father of those who are circumcised, that is, of those who, in addition to being circumcised, also live the same life of faith that our father Abraham lived before he was circumcised”. (Rom 4:9b – 12)
Let us consider importantly how Abraham received his righteousness. We cannot but be amazed on the fact that Abraham was called before he was circumcised. ‘Un-circumcision’ represented the filthiest form of man before God.
Circumcision thus served as a sign of what has been received. It was nothing anyone could take personal glory/praise for. Without God calling the person, circumcision was useless.
Many people have placed the cart before the horse. The issue that matters most is not so much what you are doing or will do. It is – ‘have you believed?’ When the jailor asked Paul “Sirs what must we do?” We do not see Paul giving a 10 point memorandum on church etiquettes rather he said simply “believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved.” Also, when Jesus was asked what work must we do? He did not fail to let those inquiring realize that the work was to believe on the one sent. This is first and above all.
Of practical note is this again that salvation is open to all in whatever state they might be in. God as echoed above is not expecting anything of you but simply calls all men in all nation in whatever state they are to trust him for salvation.
No matter how far gone you may be. It is not about what you have as much as if you’re willing to believe. What happened to Abraham typifies what would happen to as many as would simply believe not minding their state. I leave you with these lovely reminders as to what we have received in Christ Jesus.
But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Romans 5:8 – 10
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. Eph 1:13
bolaji akanni
| Are you righteous? Do you stand right with God. Let us consider God’s viewpoint and how he addresses you on this issue.
A summary of the best deeds of man is given by Isaiah in chapter 64 and verse 6 where he graphically illustrates the best works of man as filthy rags. I wouldn’t have minded rags. BUT FILTHY RAGS? Paul somewhat re-echoes this when he considered all HE HAD DONE stating that he counted all but dung. Job showed our utter hopelessness when he said how can a man be cleansed of his ways. He equates man’s tendency to sin to a fish taking in water. Again reminding us that the issue of sin went beyond the proceeds of your hands rather it was about who you were. I once had a dog, got clothes to put on it. Washed it, trained it to shake and sit. But did it change the fact that it was a dog. No way!! A dog would always be a dog. It could lick my feet and bring back my lost ball but a dog would always be a dog. It might even be able to save me from drowning but a dog would always be a dog. The best of its actions could not excuse who it was – A dog. What does the scripture say? We were no better. Sin was our very identity. Read Rom 3:9 – 18
But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by Grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places with Christ… Eph 2: 4 – 6
But God did something and that is why I am not wearing ashes and sack clothes even as I send this.
And that is what some of you were. But you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. 1st Cor. 6:11 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Rom 6:6 – 7
God identified us in the death of Jesus nailing all we were to the cross and the same way Christ rose up never to be nailed again so also we have been given newness of life. This new life is God’s life in Christ. It characterises the very core of our being.
I can’t wait to tell you that righteousness is not something we try to attain to anymore, it is who we have become. Consider the following: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.2nd Cor. 5:21 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man the many will be made righteous. Rom. 5:19
This is new. So new Romans chapter 4 and verse 6 says that David could only but describe how blessed this person is to whom God would impute righteousness without considering the works of his hands But doesn’t it matter what I do? Of course it does but realise that an understanding of who God has made me leads me to carry out actions in line with this truth. How do I achieve this? Consider Rom 3:20 – 22 This righteousness which is of God comes entirely by believing in Christ Jesus. It is not given in parts rather it came with the package of salvation. He (Christ) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Rom 4: 25 It is no wonder that Paul didn’t wait for people to die before declaring them as saints (Rom 1:7, Eph 1:1, 2nd Cor. 1:1). He was not shy to do so either. He knew what “stuff” they were now made off. Therefore since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…..Rom 5:1 Consider this till we meet again.
– bolaji akanni |