TOUCHPOINT

2008-08-25T04:32:00.000-07:00

WHEN THE UNKNOWN THREATENS

Day and night are so different from each other that they have become the ultimate expression of contrast - we say things like "they're as different as day and night"
Yet, in spite of the sharp contrast, God ordained that they should co-exist - side by side. Night follows day and day follows night.
Wherever you are on the planet, no matter what it is, you can't hurt 24 hours of the day. - By the same token, you won't have 24 hours of night- And the night may have been long, dark and cold, but there is coming a morning- And the morning brings joy with it.
Night provides the perfect cover for the enemy to surprise us - When God has sown good seeds in our lives, the enemy comes under the cover of night and sows tares
So the surprise comes when the wheat is growing; and all of a sudden the tares appear.
When this happens our natural inclination is to move in quickly and try to fix the problem we must learn to:

1. Ask the right questions - "where did this come from?"

2. Don't react - leave it alone; "be still"

3. Ask God for directions.

I want to examine a crucial characteristic of the night- The night not only provides the perfect cover for the enemy to surprise you,- It provides the right atmosphere for the unknown to threaten you

1 Kings 19:1-8
One of the beautiful things about scripture is that it makes no attempt to conceal the humanity of those bible characters that we regard as super heroes.
So, from time to time, God will open a window and give us an inside view into the lives of the people He uses. - And we read, not just of the great things they accomplished, but also of the challenges they went through.
Just as their heroic feats are put on display, we get a view into their issues and oddities; the conflicts and contradictions that they had to contend with.
We get to find out that superman is after all also Clark Kent.
On the one hand we admire their strength, courage and exploits; and on the other, we deal with their weakness, insecurities, failures and frailties.- Then we get to understand that behind all of those great things that God has done, there is an ordinary human being.

Newsflash: God uses ordinary people!

This passage allows us to eavesdrop on the private conversations of a great man of God. He has just taken on 450 prophets of Baal, and single-handedly disregards them and their god. His courage has spanked revival in the land. - He has just called down fire from heaven
No doubt, Elijah had just stepped into his finest hour.
Then this wicked, manipulative, conniving, ungodly witch puts a death warrant on him.
She sends out a threat - possibly a secret threat. - She doesn't explain what she is going to do, or how she's going to do it, but she makes it clear that he has 24 hours to live.
What does a man of faith and power do when something scares him to death?- He runs! like you and me, he runs- And he does not run for one mile or two, he runs for one hour or two; he runs for a whole day and them runs some more.- He runs for dear life!
Now notice the dichotomy: People are probably still talking about how brave Elijah is and describing the awesome encounter in mount caramel - and he is running. You might ask, "What would make such a great man of God run?"- Everybody has something that will make him or her run.- It doesn't matter how tough you are, if you are faced with an issue that's big enough, you will run!
Isn't it funny how you can go from a great heroic moment of victory to a miserable moment of defeat without any warning?
Isn't it interesting how you can go from the top of the mountain to the depths of the valley without an interval, interlude or intermission?- Things can happen so fast that you don't even get to enjoy the top before hit the bottom.
"How could I have attained such glorious heights and then hit such ignominious depths within the same 24 hour period?"

- "How could I have experienced the brightness of the noonday sun and the darkness of the midnight hour - all in the same day? How?"
"How can I be so brave and heroic and courageous about this; and at the same time be so afraid and intimidated and worried that?"

- How can I be so heavy over here and so week over there?"
Now, you must understand that Elijah is not fighting a physical enemy here- You see, a physical enemy - you can get ready for- Anything you can get your hand around, you can choke to death- But the enemy we're fighting is not the type you can choke with your handsFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood.
Elijah knew what to do with an enemy you can see - after all, he had just taken on 200 of them and defeated them- But how do you fight an enemy you can't see? What weapons do you use against a phantom, a ghost? How do you tackle a nebulous entity; how do you corner an ethereal and ephemeral concept?
So Elijah started to run- Oh no! He wasn't running from Jezebel; for Jezebel he could see- He was running from her threat - the threat of the unknown.
Have you ever found yourself running from the threat of the unknown?- I'm talking about issues that nobody imagines would even cross your mind.
In case you still don't understand what I'm talking about, let me help you

- Three members of your family die in rapid succession; and the devil tells you you're next - that's the threat of the unknown.

- You've got a great job in the city but you're wondering if you will turn out an alcoholic like your father - that's the threat of the unknown.

- Your mother died of breast cancer; and you're afraid to touch your own breast for fear of what you might find - that's the threat of the unknown

- You know you are drop dead gorgeous, but you are afraid your husband will leave you. Why? Because your two older sisters could not keep a husband - that is the threat of the unknown.

- Your friend is diagnosed with AIDS and you fall to pieces because you are not sure you have AIDS too. You die many times before you get tested; you die many times between the test and the result - that is the threat of the unknown.

I could carry on …… and it is only a matter of time before I touch your won particular issue.- But whether I call your issue or not, the truth is everybody has something that makes them run.- Secret threats that people do not even know intimidate you.
=> Question: What Are You Running From Today?
Elijah runs - he runs like hi is possessed. He runs till he comes to the juniper tree.
What do you do when life beats you up, wrestles you down and drives you into a corner?

What do you do in the night, when the unknown threatens you, overwhelms you and traps you under a juniper tree?
But before we try to answer that questions, there are two practical issues we must address
Notice two things about Elijah in the passage:
1) He is Tired: Elijah is physically tired- There are no demons, there are no hex, no spell, no witch, no voodoo, no juju - he is just tired- Something as simple as that
He had defeated hostile prophets, outrun chariots, and performed many other exploits. But now, he is tired.
And people react strangely to issues when they are tired.- It is real hard to be objective when you are exhausted.
Notice what he says in verse 4: "It is enough!"- In the NIV, it says "I have had enough"- In other words, Elijah had come to his limits.
And there is nothing wrong with coming to your limits, because after all, everyone has limits.
But he over reacts - he gets suicidal. He prayed that he might die: "Now Lord take my life for I am no better than my fathers!"
Now if truth be told, Elijah does not really want to die - otherwise he would not have run from Jezebel; or at least he would have gone back.
But he gets irrational because he is tired.
You need to recognize your limits; you need to know how to stop when you are tired.- In fact you need to give yourself permission to be tired.

2) He is Hungry: Again, physically hungry.
The feeder had not been fed; the leader had not been led; the teacher could not find anyone to teach him; the counselor had not counselor of its own.
The therapist did not know where to turn to receive therapy; the comforter was not comforted; the physician had no doctor.
But God steps in and releases four kinds of power into Elijah's life that give him victory over the threat of the unknown.

i) The Power of Perspective:- Perspective is the ability to see things as they really are - to see big things as big and small things as small.- When you are faced with the threat of the unknown, ask yourself. "Am I looking at this situation correctly?"- One of the reasons why the unknown has so much power is that it assumes in exaggerated dimensions.The night has a way of creating an illusion of a situation.- You see, it is not so much what you go through that matters - it is how you feel about what you go through.- And in reality, you may not be able to change what you go through, but if you can change your perspective about it, it will dramatically enhance your ability to deal with it.- Elijah had overcome many obstacles in the past, but he saw this one as something he would not deal with or overcome.And the devil has a way of intimidating you with the very thing you feel you cannot cope with.Remember Job? The thing that I greatly feared has come upon me.- IF YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR PROBLE, CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE.If you cannot change what you are looking at, change how you look at it.- Do not magnify something that God has minimized.- Do not make it the big one when God has not made it the big one.
- Now lets see the threat from God's perspective:a) First of all, Jezebel's threat was empty.Elijah had been running for more than a day, and she said she would kill him within a day.But he was so busy running that he failed to notice that the Lord has protected him past the deadline the enemy had set.Left to your enemy, you would be long dead and gone. If Jezebel had had her way, Elijah would not have lived to see the Juniper tree.Look around you today - what is your own Juniper tree?What landmark have you achieved that, if left to your enemy, you would never have seen?Sometimes we are so busy running from what might happen that we do not notice that God has blessed us on the run.
b) Secondly, Jezebel does not even feature in God's discussion with Elijah.She is so unimportant in the scheme of things that a servant of Elijah's servant anointed the person, who kills her.
- Gain perspective - do not make your cross roads a crisis.- And this is the benefit of fellowship - the power of iron sharpening iron. Because when you get around other people, you will find out that what your are dealing with is normal; and someone else has been through it.- It is easier to cope with things when you find out they are normal.1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Peter 4:12; 5:9

ii) The Power of Preparation:- Some of the things that we call problems are simply places of preparation.What was this whole journey into the wilderness all about?From where Elijah stood, he was running from Jezebel.But as far as God was concerned, it was a way of getting Elijah's attention in order to prepare him for the second half of his ministry.- So, be careful what you pray; because the very thing you are asking God to remove may be the things he is using to prepare you for your entry into destiny.- 2 Corinthians 4:17
- So how did God prepare him?a) First He got him to rest.b) Then He got him to eat.Question: Are you as good at eating as you are at cooking?Sometimes you need to eat what you serveThe feeder too needs to be fed.Are you as good at doing as you are at teaching?Elijah needed to eat so badly, that God sent an angel to cook his foodNow notice, angels are good at rolling away stones, and parting seas, and bringing down walls.
But you are so important to God, that sometimes he will send you an angel just to make you some stir fry.You need to be on the look out for the angel who will be sent to cook your next meal - it may be the person you least expect.
One more thing here: you need to learn to feed in the place of your problem.God has a way of preparing a table before you in the presence of your enemies.
Sometimes we run away from our challenges too soon. Do not move on until you have got out of that problem everything you need to get out of it.
The angel had to wake Elijah a second time and say, "You haven't got all from this situation - arise and eat"
Samson took honey from the place of his previous battle and he said: "Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet " Judges 14:5,6,8,9,14.
Make up your mind when you go through a difficult situation: "I am going to get something out of this"

iii) The Power of Propulsion:- God uses the problem you are going through as the wind up power to propel you to your next destination.Not a single thing you went through will be wasted.Not a singe tear, sigh, trauma, pain or disappointment will go to waste.- God propels prepared people into their purpose.- When David picked stones to fight Goliath, he did not just pick up stones - he picked the smooth ones.The brook had prepared smooth stones and so they moved easily through the air.

iv) The Power of Preservation:- When God feeds you, it is for more than just the hunger of the moment.God's meal will take you through a full cycle of completion.- Some people are still running on the strength of message they heard 3,4 or 5 years ago.- Learn to preserve what you took away from the problem. The disciples gathered twelve buckets full of the leftovers from their miracle, and took them on their journey.Have you gathered the leftovers from your last encounter with God?

THE ENEMY WILL ISSUE AN THREAT IN THE NIGHT; BUT IF YOU TAP INTO GOD'S POWER AND HOLD ON TILL THE MORNING, YOU WILL FIND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN IT ANYWAY

Weeping May Endure For The Night, But Joy Comes In The Morning.

2008-07-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

Taking ownership of your dream

Everything in God begins with a word. In the beginning was the word.
In the beginning of your life… your education……… your family………… your marriage………. Your business was the word. Verse 3 - "Without Him nothing was made that was made"
Isaiah 46:9-10. Before God commences anything in the natural. He would have first concluded it in the realm of the spirit. The only thing that starts in the natural are those things which God has finished in the spirit. Then, in order to allow it to start in the natural, he takes that completed work, encodes and encapsulates it into words and sends those words into the earthly realm.
When the word comes into the earthly realm, it contains something - it contains an assignment, an agenda from God. And usually, the word is sent to an earthly target. In order for that word to come to pass - in order for the word to become flesh, it must find an earthly target. And the word will linger in the earthly realm for as long as it takes. It will linger, waiting for someone to receive it. It cannot return to God unfulfilled. Isaiah 55:10-11
There are issues which, in the mind of God, have been concluded long ago. As far as God is concerned, it is a done deal - a closed case. Yet, in the natural, those issues have not come to pass, why? Because God is waiting for someone to take ownership of the word. In a few days, we will once again be celebrating Christmas - to commemorate the time that Jesus Christ was born 2000 years ago. But in reality, the Christmas story did not begin 2000 years ago - it had been concluded in the mind of God before even time began. Right from the time that man sinned and fell in the garden of Eden, God began to unfold the salvation plan - Genesis 3:15 Even though this was the first time that man would hear about his salvation, the issue had been settled long before.
In Revelation 13:8, Jesus is described as the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. So the Christmas story did not really begin in a manger in Bethlehem. Long before that night, God had made up His mind to step out of eternity into time. What happened in Bethlehem that night was more than merely the birth of a baby. That one who emerged from Mary's womb that night was much more than what human eyes could discern. This was God taking on human flesh - this was the word becoming flesh. This was John 1:14 coming to life.
Let's take a close look at how this really happened. How did John 1:1 become John 1:14? Luke 1:26-38 - There are seven truths I want you to see in this passage.
The initiative of God: verse 26Everything started from God - the angel was sent by God. John 1:1 - the word was with God. Many times we want God to bless what we are doing, whereas we should be doing what God has blessed.
The involvement of man: verse 27God singled out a person to cooperate with him. Every miracle is the result of the cooperation between God and man Many times God will use the most unlikely people - in this case, a virgin
The faith of God: verse 28God does not see you as you are today, He sees you as He has already concluded you are - Romans 4:17. He saw Abraham as the father of many nations. He saw Gideon as a mighty man of valour.
The limitation of man: verses 29 and 34Mary trembled at the greeting because her faith could not handle what she was hearing She questioned "how can this be……..?" She knew that a virgin could do many things - but have a baby? It was too much for her. How many times do we hear a word from God and question - how can this be? But as the angel spoke to her - her faith began to rise.
The omnipotence of God: verse 35 and 36When God gets ready to do something in your life, He will do it with or without a man. God turned Elizabeth's situation around - the name she used to be called was now no longer relevant.
The potency of God: verse 37The word "nothing " in this verse is a combination of two words - "no thing". Better translated - " no rhema". When a word goes forth from God's mouth, it has to come to pass.
The cooperation of man: verse 38Mary had to receive the word - she took ownership of the dream. She said, "let it be to me according to your word". From that moment, the dream was no longer just God's dream, it became Mary's dream too.
God has a dream for you, but you must take ownership of it. Until you do, the word cannot become flesh. Many dreams, many promises are stuck between heaven and earth because they are waiting for someone to sign for them. Like parcels sitting in the post office delivery room, they contain all kinds of treasure, but they're just sitting there wasting away. They are no good to the sender, and they are no good to the proposed receiver.
The fact that God has said something will happen in your life does not mean it will You have your own part to play. Even though God had promised the land of Canaan to the children of Israel, they still had to fight for every square inch of it.
What dreams have you failed to take possession of in this year? Well here comes another opportunity.
How do you take ownership of your dream? Very simple - by agreeing with God's word. But simple as it sounds, people miss it everyday.
When God spoke to Jeremiah, he said "I can't" - Jeremiah 1:4-7. God said: "stop saying that - I know you more than you know yourself, and I know you can".
When God gave Joseph a dream, he took ownership of it by speaking the dream Genesis 37:5-11. They hated him for his dream and his words.
The first step to incubating your dream is receiving it. To incubate something means to develop it in favourable conditions
The law of spiritual incubation is very simple - NOTHING JUST HAPPENS

2008-04-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

LOVE CAME FOR ME

Love is a phenomenon that many people claim to understand but that only a few people have experienced - I happen to be one of them.

All through my life, I have always thought I understood the concept of love in its entirety. This is because I have been involved in organizations where I have had to communicate on the subject of love and relationships via music, drama and speaking. You could imagine how good I became at ‘doing’ love that I was nicknamed ‘Kenny Hitches’, named after Will Smith’s character, Alex Hitches, the successful love doctor in the blockbuster movie – Hitch. Somehow if you have been involved in relationships that have eventually led to happy marriages, you would feel me on this, I considered myself, a doyen of love.

You know, like every other young lad, I have always dreamt of getting married to a pretty, intelligent lady who would ultimately love the Lord but I never knew that ‘the one’ I was going to make my own was going to have all of these desirable qualities to excellent degrees.

Feel this – a lady who is a young aspiring doctor (dentist)-in-the-making, teaches the word of God passionately and accurately, possesses a sweetly generous spirit, coupled with a great body! (Am still spiritual, ok?) That, my folks, is what I consider my ‘spec’!

I always say that beauty is not all in the eye of the beholder but starts from the mind of the beheld. That underlines the importance of self confidence, she is confident and not arrogant (there is actually a thin line between the two – arrogance and confidence), but she manages to maintain the required balance that would make a man go gaga with love and desires. I fell in love with this girl and it has been joy all the way. Welcome to my world, beautifully brightened my one and only diva – Joke Smith.

WHO’S THAT GIRL?
I saw Joke Smith for the first time in 1995 at Federal Government College, Idoani. She was just transferred into the school as a junior Class student then while I was in the Senior Class. I remember seeing this innocent, neat, sweet, loving, gentle, comely and very-well-packaged girl in her blue uniform. I was magnetized by her rapacious beauty.
What constantly tickled my fancy about Joke was her curly hair. The lovely smile she constantly wore on her face was absolutely tantalizing. My God! She made me strong and weak all at the same time to the point that I couldn’t get her off my mind for hours! (Confusion, you’d say!) Would you blame me?

Joke went around with an atmosphere that portrays that of a well brought-up girl, what you would call, ‘take home to mama’, and I must be quick say that she still does. When I saw her, I concluded an angel must be missing in heaven; she is that angel because seeing her, for me, is seeing heaven.

Even though, a day never passes without thinking about her but I was spiritually and morally mature enough to know that it wasn’t the right time for both of us to be talking about love and intimacy. Moreover, my academic goals and values as well as my duties as a school prefect and as a Christian fellowship leader constrained me from approaching and telling her how much she means to me and how much I’d really love for her to be mine. Some years later, I graduated and left the school without expressing my feelings for Joke to anyone, not even her. I had achieved my academic dream by becoming the first runner up to the best graduating student from the school that year but I left with that void that only Joke’s love could fill.

For about ten years, I lost contact with sweet Joke. I wouldn’t say I forgot about her but I just didn’t remember anymore (that sounded contradictory but pause and think about it for a moment). This must have been due to my new found academic pursuits in the university. Somehow, as God would have it I had a ‘school son’, Bayode Atandeyi, who sometimes talked about her each time he came home on holiday. That, in a way, kept the thoughts of her alive.

It is necessary to say here that it matters the kind of prayer we say to God as far as our lives are concerned. Mine has always being that the good Lord should make me a prisoner of His will. That means He should orchestrate my life according to His plans with or without my consent, and I tell you, He did it in Joke’s case.

SECOND COMING
I had being in two unsuccessful affairs since the last time I saw Joke, she also had had her fair share of failed relationships as I would later find out. After high school, I understood she was admitted into the University of Accra for her undergraduate studies. For those years, we communicated online but most of the times she never really responded to me the way I expected simply because to her, 10 years was a long time to remember me. Not for me, because with what I felt for her then, it was like a day.

I was in my Ikoyi office one morning, when I received a call that turned out to be Joke. I was completely surprised considering her disposition to me whenever we chatted online. To my amazement, she was willing to see me again. As I hurriedly dashed out to see her that day, I said to myself – ‘this is another chance, boy, don’t blow it, boy!’ I drove my black Volkswagen Bora straight to our point of meet somewhere inside Victoria Garden City.

BOUNDLESS LOVE
At exactly 6:35pm, she arrived in a datsun car and before you could say Jack Robinson, my heart beats had doubled (did I say doubled, tripled!) In a matter of seconds, several thoughts ran through my head like fast-moving vehicles jostling on a busy road of Ikorodu in Lagos Metropolis. I said to myself, this is it, boy!
As she gracefully stepped out of the car, oh my God! I couldn’t help the nostalgic feeling that ran through my spine in a rush! It was like I became that young Idoani boy again. Walking in my direction, with pomp and pageantry, is that lady…….the very woman of my dreams.

After spending an hour together, it was as if we had known each other forever. We talked and believe me, I lost count of time. I experienced love like never before. A second with Joke is like heaven.

Nice story, right? The concluding part of this story will be heard on the 17th of May, 2008 when I would be ‘ringing’ her up as my WIFE (Woman Inspired For Exploits).

See http://joke-kenny.weddingannouncer.com for details.

Stay rapturable.

2007-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

God Wants You Out of Debt!

Folks.....it's been a long while. I must confess I have missed my blog, you know. Of recent, my workload has been quite engaging. For instance, I was in Milano and other places on official duties......anyway, I have missed you my sweet friends and fans! I saw this article on Dr. Creflo Dollar's web (as you know, he is my spiritual father) and I thought it would bless you. Feel this.....and tell me what you think.

Everyday we are bombarded with debt—canceling methods. TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines all offer a host of ways to quickly eliminate debt; however, the best way to eliminate debt is God's way. Yes, God is a debt—canceling God! This is why the Believer is better equipped than those who don't know the Lord. God loves you, and He does not want you to carry the burden of debt. Of course, having debt is not a sin; however, it's not God's best. Debt has wreaked havoc in many lives. It can be linked to divorce and other failed relationships, and it causes stress, which can lead to serious health problems. God is able to help you live a debt—free life. In 2 Kings 6, a man was cutting down a tree, when his ax head fell into the water. The man shouted "… Alas, master! for it was borrowed" (2 Kings 6:5).

To keep the man out of debt, God performed a miracle and made the ax head swim. God would not waste His power if He didn't think canceling this man's debt was indeed necessary. God wanted this man released from debt, so He performed a miracle on his behalf; and He will do the same for you! Although, God is a debt—canceling God, it's important to understand that this doesn't mean He will cancel everyone's debt in the same manner.

There are spiritual and practical laws that govern debt cancellation. God has His part, and we have ours. For example, we must pay our bills on time, and be people of integrity and character who are diligent, hard workers, not swindlers. We also have to avoid sin, and obey God's Word; doing this will ensure that God is on our side. Sin will separate you from God, and when you are in debt, you cannot afford to be separated from God! God is merciful, and always ready to help you end the destructive cycle of debt.

However, He won't do all the work. You must make a quality decision to apply the practical principles that govern debt cancellation. For example, avoid being involved in hyper consumption. God expects you to be a good steward, and manage your money wisely. Develop a budget. This will not only help you manage your money better, it will also help you pay your bills, save money, and track your spending down to the dollar. These are some practical steps that will help you get out of debt God's way.

Tithing is a spiritual principle you must apply if you expect to see God's supernatural blessing on your finances. Malachi 3 describes how the windows of Heaven will open up and pour you out a blessing when you bring your tithes into God's house. Once you have the blessing, or an empowerment to prosper, debt can't wreak havoc in your life. Many years ago, God revealed to me that Satan wants Christians to remain heavily burdened by debt because it hinders their ability to finance the Kingdom of God. Think about it, if all your money is tied into bills, it will be difficult to support the church! God wants you out of debt, so declare war on debt starting today! Make a quality decision to get out of debt God's way by applying the spiritual and practical laws necessary for supernatural debt cancellation. Use the Word of God as a weapon against the spirit of debt, and refuse to be weighed down by debt another day.

2007-10-29T03:21:00.000-07:00

Going beyond where we have been

There is a constant call from heaven to take us to new levels. God will not allow you to settle where you are . No matter how sublime the experience, no matter how glorious the accomplishment, there is always a place called the OTHER SIDE Mark4:35.
That expression "Let us go over to the other side" simply means let us go beyond where we have been Philippians 3:13,14.
Sometimes as we journey to the other side, we come to a place called THE MIDDLE - vs 47. The middle is an "in between" position, where you are neither here nor there. It is that place between where you have been and where you want to be.
That place between who you used to be and who you want to become. You are no longer on the shore you left behind but you are not yet on the shore you are going to. The middle is somewhere between your nightmare and your dream. Somewhere between your location and your destiny you have no fixed address.

Your past already bade you "goodbye", but your future has not greeted you "welcome". The middle is that moment of transition where a pregnant woman is no longer pregnant but she has not yet become a mother because the baby is right in the middle of the birth canal.
The middle is that place where a businessman has invested all his money into a business venture and has not yet received any returns. So he has a lot of money yet he has no money.
This is the place where you have no fixed address - you already moved from your last address but you do not have a new address yet - Hebrews 11:8-10
The middle is that place where a bride to be is no longer single yet she is not married. The middle is a place of uncertainty, a place that lacks definitions. You are no longer on the ninth floor( in the lift) but you are not yet on the tenth floor.

This is the place where the devil tries to attach people the most. Why? Because he recognizes that they are unstable during this stage - they are very vulnerable and it becomes very easy.
This is the point where we get the greatest sense of things not going right and not feeling right.
Vs 48 - The disciples were in the middle of a storm - the wind was contrary. They had been straining at the oars for nine hours. Their strength was failing them.
They were working hard - trying to integrate the darker side of their experiences with the brighter side of their expectations.

But notice, they were working against a contrary wind. They were fighting something they could not see. When you fight a contrary wind the best that will happen is you will go around in circles. The disciples' biggest problem was not the wind, it was their heart. They had lost focus of their history and their destiny. They could not see the shore they left, they could not see the one they were going.
The state of your heart per time determines your victory per time.

(To be Continued)

2007-09-09T02:17:00.002-07:00

SAMSON! WATCH WHERE YOU LAY, YOU MIGHT LOSE YOUR HAIR?

In Judges 16:1-22, we see the account of Samson's story. It is a sad testimony of aborted destiny. It is the account of a man who forfeited his place in the annals of greatness because he could not triumph over temptation.

Let us take a close look at Samson's story. This account in Judges 16 is commonly known as the story of Samson and Delilah. But the truth is that this story did not start here. It began many many years earlier.
Samson did not fall because of what he did in Delilah's house. He fell because of certain decisions that he had made (or failed to make) long before he met Delilah.
When does a person really fall? Is it when they first sin or when their sin becomes exposed to the public? It is neither. A person falls the day they conclude in their hearts that what they're doing is okay.

In Genesis 3:6, Eve concluded that it was all right to eat the fruit. There was a certain destructive pattern that kept recurring in Samson's life. He had followed the cycle of temptation over and over again. It just so happened that this time in Delilah's lap, he ran out of grace - his time was up.
Let us examine certain tendencies that kept recurring in Samson's life.

He lacked vision
Proverbs 29:18 says where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint. There was no restraint on Samson's life because he was not a man of vision.
When the Philistines gouged out his eyes, they where only doing to him physically what he had previously done to himself spiritually. His enemies were only making to happen on the outside what he had allowed on the inside.

Samson was born to be a judge in Israel. His destiny was to deliver God's people from the Philistines - Judges 13:5. But Samson never fulfilled his destiny. Today Samson is known more for his physical prowess than he is for his ability as a leader.

He was anointed by God, but he used his anointing to fight personal battles, not to deliver God's people. He killed the Philistines, not because he was focussed, or because he had a strategy to bring deliverance to God's people. All his fights were a personal vendetta, and most of them were a reaction in anger.

Samson did not get the big picture - he wasted his time fighting small battles. He lived his life dealing with trivia - the unimportant issues in life. Choose what mountain you will die on - don't major on minors. 90% of the things you consider to be important today will mean very little to you in 5 years.
Samson had no strategy for his life. As such, he went from one crisis to another. He made shortsighted decisions, because they were based more on his feelings than on the will of God for his life. When you make decisions purely on the basis of feelings, they tend to be shortsighted. Samson never made a commitment to be the man that God called him to be, or to do what God called him to do.

He did not take the call of God on his life seriously. His enemies took the call of God on his life more seriously than he did. Samson lacked a sense of identity.
When the devil takes the call of God on your life more seriously than you do, you're in serious trouble.

Jacob valued Esau's birthright more than Esau did. Consequently Esau forfeited it.
Because of Samson's lack of vision, he could not really fulfil his destiny. What he was born to do had to be accomplished by Samuel, a few generations later. 1 Samuel 7:13.

He could not curtail his appetites. Judges 14:1-4
This brings us back to that same word - DESIRE If you don't master your appetites, they will eventually master you. If you don't control your desires, they will take over you and control you. Samson did not know how to say 'No' to his flesh; and eventually he lost his ministry. 1 Corinthians 9:27 Samson came to the point that he felt he was powerful enough to have whatever he wanted.
NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO HAVE EVERYTHING THEY WANT. Why? Because your flesh will always desire something it is not supposed to have. Samson insisted on having whatever he wanted. When you insist on having something that God has not given you, you will lose something he has given you.

David insisted on having Bathsheba - he lost his throne. Some people insist on holding on to their tithes - the devourer comes and takes everything.
Adam and Eve insisted on eating the forbidden fruit - they lost the entire garden. You will notice that what God intends for you is much greater than what you insist on having.
Part of Samson's problem was that his father did not prevail on him. His parents knew he was going against the will of God, yet they let him have his way.

Parents, you must love your children enough to deprive them of what will destroy them. If you let your children have everything they want, you are setting them up for destruction. Judges 14:3 - Samson insisted "Get her for me for she pleases me well". He was saying "I like her. I'm in love with her; I've gotta have her".
Just because you are in love with someone doesn't mean they're the right person for you. We know that what Samson had here was more of infatuation than true love. How do we know? Because when a crisis occurred, he walked away from the relationship. In fact the woman did not love him either - because she betrayed him.

If you want something badly enough, you will get it - even though it may kill you eventually. Don't always insist on having your own way. Listen to the counsel of the godly people in your life.
Something else that Samson could not control was his temper. Whenever anything upset him, he flew into a fit of rage - and went on a destructive rampage. Judges 14:19, 15:3-5, 7-8. That is not the mark of strong man - but of a weak man. Proverb 25:28, 16:32.

He Played games with the enemy
Don't play games with the devil, thinking you can walk away when you like. Samson tested the limits of his fate. He pushed his boundaries to see how far he could go. He enjoyed the adrenaline rush of teasing his enemies.

From day #1, he knew that the Philistines were the enemy of God's people - but he insisted on marrying a wife from among them. Not only that, he negotiated with them. Judges 14:10-15, 15:10-15.

Samson knew that the Philistines were after him. He knew they were out to get him. He knew that Delilah was conspiring with them against him, but he felt he could handle it. When he should have fled, he stayed and played games. But this time he went too far.
Samson was used to the Philistines coming after him. He was also used to defeating them. He took it for granted that he would always beat them at their own game - so he played along. He was too confident.

In the past the Philistines had always located Samson physically, but he had always them. Judges 16:1-3. On this occasion, however, they located him spiritually. They knew more about him than they were supposed to. In reality, it wasn't the Philistines that overcome Samson, it was his desires. Think about it, they did not even change their strategy. They just got Delilah to keep asking him the same question over and over again - until his resistance broke.
Somehow, Samson did not associate Delilah with the Philistines. He could not see the connection between the object of his affection and his enemies. He did not realise that for every bait there is a hook, a line and a rod - and that there is a hand holding the rod. It is not enough for you to know that the devil is your enemy, you must also realise that he uses people - sometimes good people.
So Samson and delilah keep playing this game, each one determined to outwit and out smart the other. But Samson underestimated the danger involved in this game. In his mind he was playing a gane with someone he loved, but in Delilah's mind, she was dealing with the enemy - and a lot of money was involved ($5,000 = in today's money) Judges 16:4-5
By round three of the game, Samson made a big mistake. - he involved his hair. He said to himself, "I will let the enemy come close, but not too close". Delilah is manipulating him, and he is falling for it. He was too involved to realise that it was not by coincidence that the Philistines were in Delilah's room on the first two occassions. Samson was carrying this game too far - he was testing the limits of God's grace and his own resistance. He wanted to see how close he could come to the edge without crossing the line.

He failed to deal with old destructive patterns
There were certain recurring patterns in Samson's life, which he failed to deal with. Lust, temper, revenge, wandering into enemy territory, betrayal by the woman in his life, negotiating with the enemy, playing games with the enemy, allowing himself to be bound …………. The list goes on. Eventually those old patterns caught up with him and destroyed him.
Old patterns don't just away with time - they simply go underground and just lie there, dormant and latent, waiting for the right opportunity to erupt. If you don't put those patterns to death, they do not die by themselves. They simply sit there waiting to be triggered. You need to be honest with yourself. Don't live in denial. Expose those patterns to God and ask him to deliver you.
Be sure of this, if these tendencies are in you, the devil knows they are there. The Philistines knew that Samson had a way of opening up to the women in his life. They knew he had not crucified that part of his life. Ephesians 4:22-24. Ask yourself: "what does the devil know about me that I don't know about myself?" Jesus said: "the prince of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me" John 14:30

He found relief in the wrong place
You see, Samson was a very strong man - he was a judge in Israel. There was a great deal of expectation from the people. He was constantly under pressure to perform - under much more pressure than normal people. He was so strong, he could over power lions, catch foxes bare handed, slaughter Philistines, remove gates, and do many other mighty exploits.
But every strong man gets tired, and when you are tires, you can fight many enemies and overpower them, you cannot fight your own tiredness or overpower it. In fact, what usually happens is that your tiredness overpowers you.

There is nothing wrong with being tired - even Jesus was tired. John 4:6. But the big question is, when you get tired where do you go to get refreshed? Where do you rest your head in your times of weariness. When fatigue sets in, how do you spell relief?
On the outside, Samson maintained his macho image, but on the inside he was deflated. And he really could not be defeated until he was deflated. Inspite of his name, fame and acclaim, there was a void within him. No one had ever really treated him like a real man. But it seemed like Delilah knew how to massage his ego.

Delilah's weapons to defeat Samson were not her lips, hips or fingertips. The greatest weapons she had were his tiredness and inner emptiness. As a matter of fact, we do not really read any description of a sexual relationship here- only of a man badly in need of rest and refreshing, who went to sleep on the wrong person's knees.
A tired man is a vulnerable man. When you are tired, you do the Samson thing - you lie down too long and open up too much. Unfortunately our world today is run by tired men - who are "exhausted but still pursuing". Judges 8:4.

When you are tired, whatever you do, don't rest your head on Delilah's lap. Your Delilah does not have to be a woman.

Your "Delilah" is anything that you find illegitimate relief in. It can be your career, an inordinate relationship, the occasional escape into the world of fantasy, experimenting with drugs, the drink that drowns your worries, the eating binge, the pornographic habit, the shopping spree. Delilah's lap is the forbidden place you go when you've had enough.

How do you recognise your Delilah? It is the thing that comes into your life to deplete your strength.

When you are under pressure, there is a wrong way to relief the pressure, but there is also a right way.

When you are tired, there is a wrong place to go for rest, but there is also a right place. Psalm 61:1-4, Isaiah 40:29-31.
There is a Rock that is higher than you - and that's the place where true relief, rest and refreshing come from. The sad thing is that Samson knew that place - Judges 15:18-19. He simply failed to go there.
Always remember to Lift up your eyes, for your help comes from the Lord

*****IF YOU CAN SEE IN THE SPIRITUAL , YOU CAN NEVER BE BOUND IN THE PHYSICAL ******

2007-08-15T03:28:00.000-07:00

KENNY AT THE BIG BEN

It’s been like a week now that I concluded my 6-week vacation from work. The break from work was much needed for me because it was supposed to give me the opportunity to visit places and see faces both old and new ones outside my work environment. You know there are times you get so used to seeing the same set of people almost everyday and you just long for a change, not because they are not loved or beautiful but just for the sake of adventure and variety. That was my situation.

Early into the year, I had decided I was going on a summer holiday to the UK to visit some of my old school mates basically to catch up on old times and also to find out whether all we hear about London is actually true, is it really heaven on earth? That was one of the questions I intended to find out.

At exactly 11:00pm, my plane took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport heading for the London Airport at Gatwick. Visiting the UK was a big deal for me perhaps because it was my first time and I had dreamt of being there all my life. Would you blame me? We all know we live in a society where ‘have-been-tos’ are regarded as a special class of people. For the guys who have traveled, they call them ‘big boys’. You are accorded unusual esteem once people find out you have been to any country abroad. I don’t blame them too. It is all because of the poor impression we have about our home country. But all that is going to change because meaningful and relentless attempts are currently being made to re-invent the Nigeria image. I am glad I am part of the critical mass that is required to cause an eventual concrete change.

FRIEND ON BOARD
I boarded Virgin Nigeria airline and I must say that I enjoyed a fantastic customer service. Call it, in the words of Brian Sher, a reputable investment coach, ‘Magic Experience’. I enjoyed every bit of the journey, from the air hosts and hostesses to the meal served, the movies mention it. It was a Superior customer experience. The hosts and hostesses were well-mannered and refined. The ladies among them were a perfect specimen of beauty and finesse. I was tantalized by their poise and human relations. The excitement started when I woke up at about 2 am and noticed Bisi, a very good friend I met while I was serving the nation in Bayelsa State, he was one of the air hosts! We talked for hours and laughed about some of the escapades we did together during our service year. After which, I returned to watch some movies.

At about 5:30am, the weather suddenly changed (at least so I felt) I knew we were in London already; I quickly looked out through the window to see if I would see the acclaimed Big Ben. Even though, I didn’t see it what I saw was equally overwhelming; such a beautiful landscape obviously different from the one I saw at home in so many ways. Subsequently, the plane landed at the Gatwick Airport and as it taxied, what filled my heart was gratitude to God for giving me the grace to make it to the UK safely. Imagine! London, here I come! I was absolutely enraptured with ecstasy. Shortly after the landing, we proceeded for the normal check in (you know, protocols) after which I was driven by my friend, Zachman, to Luton where I would be putting up through out my stay period in the UK. On our way home, I just couldn’t help but to gaze at the picturesque view of the streets of London and was equally fascinated by the navigation software that directed us home with the aid of a GPS (Global Positioning System), I suppose.
On getting home, I went to bed and slept so soundly. You can imagine the kind of dream I had, call it dream in dreamland.

MY VISIT TO GREENWICH
After about 2 days at Luton, I had to visit some other friends in Dagenham and Charlton. I equally seized the opportunity to visit the Greenwich park. It was a worthwhile experience for me, principally because Goh Cheng Leong’s work (All Geography students would recall that name) came alive to me, I actually saw the Royal Observatory centre live at Greenwich. It was exclusively located about 6 minutes walk away from the park entrance gate. I saw several things I had read some years back in secondary school. The experience was simply awesome.

One other thing that also tickled my fancy was the fact that I witnessed civilization in the real sense of it. Civilization, I believe, is not a thing of the mouth but of the mind. It is a mentality. The Britons are very civilized in the real sense of the word. You could see it in their conduct, comportment and mannerisms. I dream of a day when we, Nigerians, would begin to conduct ourselves like the Britons do most especially in traffic conditions.

I still much to share about the lovely people I met at Epsom Surrey, my escapades with some friends at the Alton Towers, and of course, on how I almost missed my way at Euston as well as about my experience at Rhema Chapel in London. Stay with me.

To be continued.

*** IF YOU CAN SEE IN THE SPIRITUAL, YOU CAN NEVER BE BOUND IN THE PHYSICAL ***

2007-07-04T04:59:00.001-07:00

THE POWER OF THE TOWEL PT 2

It takes more than just head knowledge to determine when to sheath your sword and carry your towel. There is a level of maturity that restrains you from wielding your sword, when you would rather use it to defend your position. But beyond maturity, it is a spirit … the spirit of servanthood.

(a)Servanthood is a spirit.
And you have either got it or you haven't. Servanthood cannot be taught it must be caught. There are no ten steps to becoming a servant. There is no logical, systematic, theological or philosophical approach to understanding servanthood.
If you are not a servant, you have to ask God to make you one. This is exactly what happened to the prodigal son. Luke 15:11-19.You need to ask yourself today "Do I have the spirit of servanthood?" The spirit of servanthood is what makes the difference between duty and desire - between doing what you have to do and what you want to do.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said "Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest". But the moment He takes away your burden, He gives you His own - verse 29. He said "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…" What yoke is that? The yoke of servanthood. Even though He said "My yoke is easy and my burden is light" (verse 30), it is a yoke nonetheless.
The spirit of servanthood is the factor that determines whether God's yoke is easy to carry or burdensome. For example, if you had to carry a 5kg bag of shopping around the shopping mall for about two hours, you probably would complain that it is too heavy but on the other hand, you would have no problem carrying your child who weighs 8 kg for the same length of time.
What's the difference? One is a duty the other is a delight.
If you step under the yoke of servanthood purely as a duty it becomes unbearable. Everything you do for God and His people becomes burdensome. Not everyone who comes to church has the spirit of servanthood. Not everyone who serves in church has the spirit of servanthood.
The lack spirit of servanthood is the reason why some people come to church, enjoy everything that others have laboured to provide and think absolutely nothing of it. It is the reason why some people never participate in anything that does not bring any direct benefit to them.
If you don't have the spirit of servanthood you may get involved in serving, but you won't get very far. You may manage to do what you have to do, but you will never become all that you can be. And what's more? People will see right through you.
One of the easiest places to single out a pretentious person is in the area of serving. If you haven't caught a cold, it is really difficult to pretend like you have one. Have you caught the spirit of servanthood?
Philippians 2: 5-8 The word "let" in this passage is not merely a passive "allow it to happen" word. It comes from the Greek word "Phroneo" from which we get the medical word "Phrenic" which refers to the diaphragm - that muscular sheet which separates the chest from the abdomen. It speaks of a deep feeling, an intense affection to be earnestly disposed in a certain direction.

Hallmarks of the spirit of Servanthood

1. The Spirit of Servanthood is the Spirit of Humility
Humility is a modest esteem of your own importance. Humility cannot be taught - it must be caught. The spirit of humility is the difference between "someone ought to fix that" and "I ought to fix that" Humility is your prerogative. You have got to humble yourself. James 4:10, I Peter 5:6

2. The Spirit of Servanthood is the Spirit of Sacrifice
Not only did Jesus humble Himself. His humility and obedience guaranteed His death. When you embrace the spirit of servanthood, you sign your own death sentence. Your body is living but your ego is dead. Luke 9:23, Romans 12:1 A servant never thinks "what's in it for me?"

3. The Spirit of Servanthood is the Spirit of Passion
Before you can burn for God, you must catch the fire of His heart. It is difficult for disaffected people to serve. John 2:17 "zeal for your house has eaten me up"
As a servant, you were born to solve a problem. If you want to know the problem you were born to solve, the key lies in the things that ignite your greatest passion. Conviction convinces you to do something. If a situation doesn't move you, then you can't move heaven. Conviction is what releases commitment.

4. The Spirit of Servanthood is the Spirit of Compassion
Matthew 9:35-38 - It is difficult to be passionate about something until you are moved with compassion. It is possible to do ministry without any compassion. Compassion of the heart must be triggered by the perception of the eye. If you can't see the multitudes, you cannot be moved with compassion towards them.
Many times, Jesus reacted in ways that seemed strange to His disciples. Sometimes, He would rejoice when the disciples couldn't figure out what made Him happy. At other times, He wept while the disciples wondered what had gone wrong.
He wasn't crazy or over-emotional - He just saw things differently. When you come into church, how do you see things? When you look at your brother how do you see things? You have to see the towel to pick up the towel. When you come into a room can you see the towel? Or are you simply looking for the seat on the right hand or left hand of Jesus?
Acts 3:1-10; 4:1-4 - Peter and John had passed by the lame man at the beautiful gate several times and just never noticed him. But on this one occasion, they had gone for an eye test. They were now wearing the "glasses of Jesus"
On this occasion, they were moved with compassion, because they were not moving fast. They could affect the man's problem because they were no longer afraid of it. They stopped in the midst of their busy schedule; they broke their religious routine. They said; "we will miss the service if we have to - but we just must do something about this cripple's condition"
They saw the towel, they picked it up and guess what happened - 5,000 people got saved that day. Guess what also happened. Peter and John spent the night in prison. But this time they did not try to swing the sword. You know why? They had caught the spirit of servanthood. When Jesus unleashed that spirit in the upper room, even though they did not catch it immediately, they caught it eventually.

John 13: 12-17 - Servanthood is not something that you do, its something that you are. Will you receive the spirit of servanthood today?

To be continued.......

****IF YOU CAN SEE IN THE SPIRITUAL, YOU CAN NEVER BE BOUND IN THE PHYSICAL****

2007-06-28T03:22:00.000-07:00

THE POWER OF THE TOWEL Pt 1

I had a lovely discussion with my very dear pal, Lamide Eso, on the issue of leadership and servanthood today and I personally feel I should post this thoughts for our consideration, Because if we get it in this area, I dont see how we can fail in life and ministry.

In I Corinthians 12:12-27, Paul gives us a picture of the church as a body with many members. In verses 24 and 25 of that scripture, Paul highlights the fact that God has designed the body in such a way that the members should care for one another, so that there will be no schism or division in the body.

This principle holds true in the human body even at a microscopic level. Every cell in the body is designed to fulfill a specific function for the good of the whole body. Some cells are grouped together and called a tissue, some tissues are grouped together and called an organ. But their coming together is still for one purpose - to serve the entire body.

When every member of the body is fulfilling its role as a servant, Paul says in Ephesians 4:16, that the body is edified and there will be growth. The opposite is also true - when a cell or group of cells loses its sense of servanthood, the entire body suffers - to a greater or lesser degree. The church is only as strong as the degree to which its members are willing to serve.

As the days of Jesus on earth were winding to a close, it seems He was particularly eager to bring this message across to His disciples. He seemed to be saying to them: "I am about to leave you, and you will be my body on the earth. You will only be as strong as your willingness to serve" But it seemed that the disciples were so locked into their own agenda, they didn't get it.
Right up to the last few months of His earthly ministry, Jesus' disciples were still clamouring for titles and jockeying for positions. So He decided to give them an object lesson. He said "I am going to leave you with two weapons; and you are going to have to learn when to use each one rather than the other". Jesus left them with a sword and a towel and seemed to say to them "your ability to discern when and how to use each weapon will determine how strong My body will be"
When we fight in the heavenly realm; and contend against principalities and forces of darkness, of course the weapon of choice should be the sword. Ephesians 6:13. When we are dealing with other members of the body, our tool is the towel.

Every believer is called to be both a soldier and a servant. A soldier carries a sword and a servant carries a towel. When we are dealing with the devil and his agents, we are soldiers and are expected to wield the sword, but when we deal with other believers, we are servants and should approach them with the towel. When we confuse these weapons, we divide the body and render it ineffective.
Three events in the final week of Jesus' earthly ministry effectively illustrate this principle.
John 12: 1-3
While the disciples were jockeying for positions at the right hand and left hand side of Jesus, Mary discovered that there was a lot of room at His feet. She washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. I Corinthians 11:15 says a woman's hair is her glory and her covering. So this woman takes her glory and uses it to wipe the dust and the animal dung from Jesus' feet.
In Mark 14:6 Jesus commended her saying "she has done a good work for me" and in verse 9, He testified that her action would be memorialised around the world.
John 13: 1-10
Six days later, the disciples gather in the upper room for the Last Supper. They all sat to eat with unwashed feet. The entire room was smelling, but they had quickly forgotten how Mary changed the atmosphere five days earlier by taking the position of a servant.
When we refuse to serve, the house of God stinks. It stinks to God and it stinks to our guests. The atmosphere of any house is determined by the attitude of the servants.When you deal with any organisation, you make your first impression based on the people who serve you, not by the directors or chief executive.
Many times people reject Christ because they first have to wade through the muck and mire of our flesh as believers - they are first confronted with the dust and dung of our ego.

Mahatma Ghandi once said "I like Christianity, I would have been a Christian if it were not for Christians"
When we learn to wash each other's feet, we clean away the mess in each other's lives and release the fresh fragrance of God's anointing in our services.Galatians 6: 1-3 - "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ."The law of Christ is the law of the anointing. When instead of applying the towel to our brethren's weaknesses, we swing the sword, we dismember the body and render it ineffective.
John 8:10

The third incident occurred on the same night. Jesus had told them earlier to all go and get a sword - Luke 22:36. When the Roman soldiers came to arrest Jesus, His disciples thought "This must be the reason why He told us to get a sword - now is the time to use our swords". So they asked Him "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" - Luke 22:49
But Peter did not wait for an answer; he immediately pulled his sword and cut off the High Priest's servant's ear. Jesus then commanded him to put his sword back into its sheath.
Peter must have been wondering - "If He didn't want us to use the sword, why did He tell us to get one? Had Jesus answered Peter's thoughts His answer would have sounded something like this "Peter, right weapon - wrong realm. When you swing the sword on earth, you dismember My body".

It takes maturity to keep your sword in its sheath even though you know you can use it. Earlier that same night as He shared communion with them, Jesus had commanded them "Do this in remembrance of me" I Corinthians 11: 23-26. Could it be that He was saying that our serving one another would re-unite His disjointed and dismembered body? Luke 23: 39-42
When that thief said "remember me", is it possible that he wasn't just asking Jesus to be mindful of him? It is possible that he was asking Jesus to put his disjointed body back together again? Or could he even have been asking to be joined to the body of Christ where he belonged?
When we serve one another, we re-member the body of Christ;When we swing the sword, we dis-member the body.

***IF YOU CAN SEE IN THE SPIRITUAL, YOU CAN NEVER BE BOUND IN THE PHYSICAL***

2007-06-18T23:57:00.000-07:00

MOLADE's COMMENT

THE LAW OF CONNECTION

Whao! that's a very great right up.

I quite understand what it means to understand the spiritual laws of God and how it affects our physical lives.I remember i had a challenge that i fought spiritually through prayer. This helped me to walk into the physical manifestation of the solution to the Challenge.

And, Kenny, this is to let you know that you are very intelligent.

Don't forget that eyes have not seen, nor ears heard neither has it entered the mind of men what God has in store for you if you continue to connect with Him.

2007-06-13T03:29:00.000-07:00

LAMIDE'S COMMENT

LAW OF CONNECTION

It has been an experience reading this article.

Thank you for Publishing such a wonderful article.

Basically we are all connected to a source, which is God. Why some people find life uneasy is because, at some point in their lives they have become disconnected from that source. Think about this-A river flows from a source and once that source dries up, the river dries up. That is the same thing that happens to a believer that is not constantly connected to God.

Psalm 1 vs 1-3 says "blessed is the man who does not walk in the councel of the wicked.......... but his delight is in the law of the lord, and he meditates.............he is like a tree planted by streams of water.........and whatsoever he does prospers.

My emphasis is, so far u are connected to the source(God), u will prosper, u will yeild fruits, u will meet the right people at the right time, you will meet the people that will change the course of your life for good.As all these things are happening , the devil will also try to give u a counterfiet of God's connection. If u are not sensitive enough, U could fall victim to his devices.But the good news is that there is a spirit in us that helps us to discern who is the right connection and who is not.

I'll like to say in conclusion that the gift of a man makes way for him. So it is wise to sow to a life today, give food to a hungry child, give to the needy,put a smile on the faces of people around u. Just make it a point of duty to bless as many people that come ur way. You never know who you're helping. As u do this, ur tree of connection grows.

This is the secret that will help you climb the ladder of success.

2007-05-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

DUPE's COMMENT

THE LAW OF CONNECTION

Well said and I quite agree. To butress your point:"God connects people for different reasons and it might not be for a lifetime. It might just be for an hour or less than a day, six months, a year and even forever. He might want to show or tell us something or even meet a particular need of someone or learn and at the end it will bring glory to His Name.

Like the story of the Ethiopian and Phillip, if God had not brought them together; we in Africa won’t have heard the gospel. We must seek to know the purpose for which people are in our lives and make the best of it. We must also note we should seek the right connection cos bad company (connection) can corrupt or even destroy.

Connection in relationship is a choice to love no matter what, as seen in I john 3: 11 where we are commanded to love- if you read on, this is what makes us true children of God. We get disconnected when we stop looking to God as our source and start to see self.

However from my little experience when we miss it and acknowledge it God gives a second chance. When we miss it, we should humble ourselves and reconcile with the people concerned”

It is never too late to say sorry- that is just my opinion.

2007-05-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

THE LAW OF CONNECTION

Most spiritual laws in scriptures are not identified or labelled as laws in the bible.You won't find it written in bold or Italics.

Spiritual laws are discovered by chance, by happenstance or even by accident. They are hidden all over scriptures, manifesting in the lives of ordinary men and women like ourselves.
In the same token, our lives are governed and influenced by spiritual laws from day to day; and many times we may not even know it.
God has set a series of laws in motion, which governs the universe - some are natural, others are spiritual.

"Life is kind to those who understand and live in agreement and in harmony with God's laws."

"Life is cruel to those who do not understand the law of God, or who try to go against them or live above or below them."

"it is precarious to be influenced by something you don't understand!"

The Law of Connection

"Everything is connected to something!" Everything that works is connected.
If you find something that is not working, it is because there has been a disconnection. As a result of the broken connection, we say that it is broken.
People are broken because of a broken connection in families, businesses, and /or ministries. God did not intend for anyone to succeed alone. In God's master plan for all of humanity, he has assigned for each one of us to be connected to specific people.
I personally believe that your place of connection is your place of shelter. And your place of connection is your place of flourishing.
We were all born and raised with connections. And all through life, there is a series of connections and sometimes disconnections.As growth occurs, the means of connection becomes less obvious- but this does not make it less important.

In Genesis 1:28 The ultimate objective of God is that each entity in creation attains its maximum level of productivity - This is the definition of maturity. The same is true of humans, animals, fish, birds, plants.

According to John 15:16 we were chosen to bear fruit. Now in order to promote and enhance that productivity, God established a system of creational connections. Plants are connected to the soil, fish to the water, man to God etc. Your highest level of productivity in life will come when you locate your God-ordained connections and embrace them.

Now, to stay within the framework of those connections is to live and blossom; to be removed from them is to wither and die. Some people attend church - some are connected to the church they attend. Some have spouses but some are connected to the spouses they have. Connection makes all the difference.

The ultimate question is How do you know the difference?

For those who are connected, this is not an optional date in their diary - it is destiny.
You don't need to be reminded or cajoled to come to church. You dont need to be told to buy gifts for your lover.
The thought of missing a service never even occurs to you - the thing is embedded deep within your spirit. The thoughts of what you are connected to always linger in your memory.
For instance, some people have chosen RCCG as the church they want to go to, but connected people were chosen by God to go there.

Acts 2: 46,47 "The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved"I Samuel 10:26 "Whose hearts God has touched"

At the core of every successful relationship is a group of connected people.The devil works overtime to promote disconnections or to encourage detached living.
That's not difficult to understand because the devil was himself the victim of disconnection first hand.So if the devil can't stop you from going into a relationship, he will encourage you to stay disconnected or worst still, he will encourage connected people to disconnect.
Adam in Genesis 2:16-17 did not blatantly reject God but he embraced that which God prohibited.

"Don't tamper with your God ordained connections"

If you severe a God connection you're on your own - because God does not have a plan B.
Destiny is established when you are connected to the right people for the right purpose.

This is the basis for every other thing on this love trip, come with me.

To be continued.......

******If you can see in the SPIRITUAL you can never be bound in the PHYSICAL*******

2007-05-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

FROM KENNY WITH LOVE

For sometime now, my friends and fans have been asking a lot of questions most of which bother on life achievements, academic proficiency and success in relationships. That is why I intend to discuss at length within the next 3 weeks, on the topic of love. That sounds much expected, I suppose.

Personally, I am of the opinion that there are 4 basic areas that are key to anybody's life, They are:

* Finances

* Spirituality

* Relationships

* Health

Our breakthroughs in these areas are what differentiates one man from another. We can never truly have a fulfilled life without working towards achieving success in these key areas.

God spoke to me about 3 weeks ago after a hot session of prayers. He said, ''I have called you to build me 'temples' ". I am sure you must be asking if it has anything to do with architecture or some edifices with huge crosses mounted on their roofs but it has nothing to do with those. God was talking about raising people who are first class role models that epitomize completeness in the already-mentioned four key areas of life. Building COMPLETE CHRISTIANS. Ever since, I have devoted my resources and energy in that direction.

I want this coming week to be very juicy and interactive, hence, I would welcome contributions from all my friends. I would suggest the topic and you would chip in your contributions, ok.

The contributions can be forwarded to my e-mail address, kehindeakinola@yahoo.co.uk. And I promise to publish it one after the other. It would be more colourful and penetrating if we have life experiences shared. (of course, I intend to start with the story of my first love).

Guys and Girls, fasten your seatbelts for the next three weeks of love talk. I must not forget to say that the final thought would be screened through the word of God which, ofcourse, is the ultimate as we all know.

Also never fail to leave a comment after reading every article. It does a good job of motivation on my side. Stay cool.

***** If you can see in the Spiritual, you can never be bound in the physical ******

2007-04-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

PLEASE ALLOW ME TO BE MYSELF

It is the responsibility of the church to dispense grace. Unfortunately, for the most part, we have done just the opposite. We have become experts in dispensing "ungrace".

The reason why we have forgotten how to dispense grace is that we have forgotten how to receive it. Looking at the life of Paul the apostle, as the most prolific dispenser of grace in the New Testament, it is no coincidence that he, more than any other New Testament personality, also knew how to receive the grace of God.

We have not been effective in dispensing grace, because it has been very difficult for us to understand it. In our economy, grace is ridiculous - perhaps even scandalous.
God's dealings with Jacob, David, Samson, Peter and Paul all defy our logic of fairness and justice. But that is exactly the power of grace - its unfairness.

Grace costs the receiver nothing; and costs the giver everything. As we get hold of this two - dimensional understanding of grace, we will become better stewards of it.
Grace is two dimensional. There is vertical grace and there is horizontal grace. Vertical grace is that which we receive from God, and horizontal grace is that which we release towards others.
Horizontal grace has many ramifications:

1.Forgiving people for what they have done to you
2.Accepting them for who they are
3.Helping them to find true forgiveness from God and true liberty in Christ

The list goes on...
But I want to focus on just one aspect of horizontal grace: - ALLOWING OTHERS TO BE THEMSELVES.

1 Corinthians 15:9, 10. None of us earned the right to be here - we are all here by the grace of God. - "By the grace of God, I am what I am."
But we very quickly forget this truth. And even though we have received vertical grace, we failed to release horizontal grace. Somehow, we feel we have a corner on God's word about how everyone else should be. We convince ourselves that we have this divine mandate to sort everyone out. And if they are not all we think they should be, something must be wrong ... with them of course.
There are too many strong human tendencies within all of us that prevent others from being themselves. These tendencies are so subtle, that many of us do not even recognized that we have them. What are they? They are:

1. The tendency to compare
2. The tendency to control

The tendency to compare

There is something inside every one of us that makes us comfortable with those who are similar to us.
We prefer sameness, predictability and common interests. And if anyone does not fit into the boundaries of what we consider acceptable or normal, we get nervous. It is extremes of this tendency that degenerate into racism, sexism and other expressions of the xenophobia.
If, based on our own bounds of what is normal, a person is better than us, we compete with them. If they worse, we criticize them. - And it all happens very subtly.
God designed us to be different. Not everyone will share your taste in music, or like the sort of car you like, or raise their kids the way you raise yours. - let them be!
God is glorified in our variety, not in our sameness. God's only standard for our similarity is the character and image of His son, Jesus Christ. Everything else is a matter of taste and of personal preference.

The tendency to control

Again this is a very subtle tendency - and we seldom agree that we have it; but it's there. People who are controlling are usually very insecure; and their security lies in their ability to manipulate and intimidate others to do their bidding. - their methods are rather insidious - fear mongering, subtle hints, bible verses, prayer, pity, concealed threats.

PLEASE ALLOW ME TO BE MYSELF

Romans 14:1-23. This passage provides us with four keys for releasing horizontal grace towards our brethren.

(1)Accept others for who they are: Romans14:1-4
In order to let me be myself, you have to learn to accept me for who I am. You may not agree with everything about me, but the love of God constraints you to accept me.
The problem among the Roman believers was not a meat problem, it was a love problem. When believers go to war over doctrinal or cultural differences, there is a major deficiency of love.
Don't judge those who you believe are less spiritual than you. And don't despise those who you think have taken their spirituality too far - Romans 14:3. Why? Because God has accepted both of you. The issue in this particular context was meat of sacrifice to idols; and indeed most of us will not have a problem with that.
But let us consider a few issues that might cause problems today Going to the movies, wearing make-up, going to the beach - especially if you wear bikinis, watching television, not having your "quiet time" every morning, eating in certain types of restaurants, wearing certain types of clothing - or jewelry, driving certain types of cars, listening to certain types of music, dancing - flamingo, salsa, ballroom, disco - whatever, having a face lift or other kind of plastic surgery, going to the gym in leotards.
Accepting others means they are valued for who they are - it means allowing them to be real. It means people can express themselves without feeling they have to live up to someone's expectations. It means knowing others will not pronounce judgment on you, even if they don't agree with you. It doesn't mean you will never be corrected, or rebuked for being wrong. It simply means you can be yourself and no one will condemn you for it.

(2) Allow others to grow at their own pace: Romans 14:5-8
We must give people room to make up their minds - even though some will take longer than we desire. Don't push people into spiritual maturity; because it's only a fine line away from control and manipulation. Don't be a brother basher or a sister smasher, that's exactly what the devil wants to see.

(3) Don't play God in the lives of others Romans 14: 9-18
The moment you start to judge another person, however so subtly, you have usurped the position of God in their lives. And that is a very dangerous place to be. Why must you resist the temptation to judge others?
You don't know all the facts.
You cannot read people's motives.
It is very difficult to be 100% objective.
You yourself are imperfect and inconsistent.
53 residents of a particular neighborhood in the UK once signed a petition to stop reckless driving on their streets. As a result, the police set up a watch. A few nights later, five offenders were caught. All five had signed the petition!

(4) In expressing your liberty, be sensitive to others: Romans 14:13-20
Because you are not to your own, because you are bought with a price, your aim must be to please the lord and not yourself. We will differ in our personal interpretations of certain scriptures - especially the grey areas. And of course there are grey areas in the Bible! So if your conscience and convictions allow you to do something a fellow believer would not do, don't get in their way with your liberty. - Maturity demands that you do not flaunt your liberty especially if it offends others.
Now the big question that arises out of all of this is: "isn't this risky business? If we allow people to be themselves as a manifestation of horizontal grace, will they not take it too far? Will they not take undue liberties and abuse the very grace being extended to them?"
Of course it is risky business. Of course people will take it to extremes. Even right now, some who have heard what I have said so far have heaved a sigh of relief, because now they have received the justification for their sinful indulgences and excesses.

But it is the possibility of such a risk that gives grace its power. God is big and strong enough to realize that it is possible to abuse the freedom that he gives us - yet He chose to give it to us. The pertinent question is are you big and strong enough to handle it? The issue here is not about how risky grace is, the issue is about how mature you are.
Every time a parent tosses their car keys to their teenage child, they are taking a risk. - The child can act irresponsibly, drive recklessly, damage the car, and worse still kill himself. - He has been given unrestrained control of such a powerful and potentially dangerous machine - there is a risk involved.
But most times, a higher law kicks in. The child says: "my parents have trusted me with this car. The car means so much to them; I mean even more to them. They have given me more than the car - they have given me their trust. I have a responsibility to protect it. I will not do anything stupid" Galatians 5:13.

For those who have still decided to go ahead and abuse the grace of God, let me give you three reminders:
Remember that grace is not your right or entitlement - it is an undeserved privilege
You did nothing to earn the grace of God. Be grateful for it - it is a privilege.
Remember that grace cost Jesus His life.
To you it may be free, but it was very expensive when Jesus purchased it for us. - Every time you are tempted to abuse it, think of what it does to Him.
Remember that sin has its consequences - and grace will not deliver you from them.
Grace does not mean you will never have to pay for your sins. Grace means God has wiped away you're past; and given you a brand new start. Grace means you are free to chose right or wrong. But it does not mean you will come out unscathed if you choose wrong.

Romans 5:20, 6:1,2,15,23 Verse 2 - ""Certainly not!", "Perish the thought!", "No way!", "Never, never, never!", "Don't even think of it!", "God forbid!" Sin has consequences:

"Sin impairs the sight and leads to blindness; sin numbs the hearing and tends to make men deaf. Sin perverts the taste, causing people to confuse bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. Sin hardens the touch and eventually renders a man completely dead to feeling. Sin blocks and chokes the five senses of the spirit. By sin we are desensitized, rendered imperceptive and our ability to receive is diminished. Sin causes people to become callous. It kills the spirit until people can no longer feel the pain that even God inflicts"

- John Henry Jowett

What are the consequences of sin?
Your fellowship with God is broken
God removes His hand of blessing
You are tormented with a guilty conscience
Your spiritual growth is stunted
Your self esteem is lost
Your relationship with other Christians is strained
You bring reproach to your family and to the name of Christ
You damage the testimony of your local church
You have the freedom to choose, but do the right thing - choose righteousness.

We will allow you to be yourself, but please be the "self" that God wants you to be.

*** If you can see in the Spiritual, you can never be bound in the Physical ***

2007-03-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

INCUBATING YOUR DREAM

Every worthwhile dream takes its origin in God. - God is the One who gives you the dream. It was never yours to start with.

Many times, we run off and try to make things happen for ourselves; and all we get is heartache and frustrations. Psalm 127:1 - "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it" The most important decision you will make regarding the fulfillment of your dream is the decision to vigorously pursue your relationship with God.

Mathew 6: 25-33 - "Seek ye first...." John 15: 4,5

Psalm 37: 4-7 - That expression "delight yourself" means to open your heart to God. It means to render your heart soft and pliable in God's hands. When your heart is yielded to him, He will plant the right desires in it.

"Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him, don't bother with those who climb the ladder who elbow their way to the top" - Psalm 37:7 Message Bible

The desires that God puts in your heart are a key to what He has already empowered you to accomplish.

It's as if God is saying: "If I put the desire there, then I have already finished it."
So God is the One who gives you the dream - the desire. But in order for it to come to pass, you must receive it and nurture it.
In Mathew we learnt :Seek ye first the kingdom of God and in Mark 4: 26-29, the kingdom is revealed.

Every dream from God is like a seed. According to this passage, for every seed to grow, it requires three things
1. The right environment
2. The right nurturing
3. Time

Your dream also requires these three things.

(1) The right environment: Mark 4: 26When God gives you a dream, it is not enough just to receive it. You need to put that seed in the right environment for it to become to pass.

A seed is a powerful little thing that is pre-programmed to be more than it is But a seed will not grow simply because it is a seed.

Your dreams need two types of environment for its incubation:
a. Internal environment which speaks of your heart condition. It must be one of faith and obedience.
b. External environment which speaks of the kind of company you keep, the books you read, the music you listen to etc.

(2) The right nurturing - I Cor 3:6
When you plant a seed, you need to water it. Your dream needs to be fed to keep it alive
Nothing stays alive all by itself. You must fight to keep your dream alive
What are you nurturing right now?

(3) Timing - Mark 4:27-29
Dreams do not come to pass the day God gives them - there is a process involved and the process takes time - Hab 2:2, 3
God's word will not necessarily come to pass the day He speaks it over your life
The prophesy of Gen 3:15 took 4,000 years to be fulfilled. But God was working on it all the time. And when the fullness of time came, nothing could stop it.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 - Everything in life has a due season and an appointed time.
The devil will try to use the element of time to discourage you, but God uses time to prepare you and to complete the process.

So get a Dream TODAY!!

2007-03-23T03:48:00.000-07:00

TOUCHPOINT STRATEGIC INTELLECTUAL SUMMIT

Amazing! Is the word that best describes the outcome of the Strategic Intellectual Summit, a meeting organized by TOUCHPOINT on Saturday, 10th of March 2007 at Lekki Peninsula in Lagos.

The meeting which started around 11:00 am had in attendance 11 young professionals with one purpose and that is Salvaging A Nation Endangered (SANE). These are youngsters with a difference. They are best described as change agents who have decided to make their talents and intellectual resources available for the purpose of charting a new course for the Nigerian youths. The common denominator among these young professional is passion.

The list includes:
1. Biodun Kolawole (Managing Partner, MBS Consulting) 08035789131
2. Kemi Okusanya (PricewaterHouse Coopers) 08037037979
3. Cindy Ubani ( HoneyWell Group, Lagos) 08060584700
4. Funmi Akinwale (Staff, Guaranty Trust Bank. Lagos) 08023816888
5. Modupe Akiwumi (Senior Advisor, RTC Company) 08084341012
6. Sotomi Lolade (Lecturer, UNILAG) 08034046184
7. Odunewu Kofo (Educator) 08054981405
8. Anthony Lekan (Engineer, Kakasa Firm) 08038585722
9. Linda Nwabuisi (Accountant, DeltaTek Engineering) 08036839483
10. Ipinmoye Abiodun (Ordinand, Emmanuel Seminary Ibadan)08036530285
11. Adebola Adediran (Staff, Diamond Bank Plc) 08037554015

The meeting involved sharing of vision by the convener, Kenny Akinola, some motivational talks and principally brainstorming. During the meeting, the vision, mission and values of TOUCHPOINT were reiterated.

The meeting ended around 3:30pm with every participant poised for action and impact. It will remain memorable because it also birthed a forthcoming programme tagged S.A.N.E. – Salvaging A Nation Endangered. A programme which should hold sometime in July would feature great speakers like Gbenga Sesan, Niyi Adesanya and Deolu Akinyemi. As well as other vocational education targeted at Secondary school students in the Lagos Metropolis.

You can’t beat the feeling!

2007-01-11T23:24:00.000-08:00

WYSIWYG: WHAT YOU SOW IS WHAT YOU GET

Galatians 6:7,8 "…Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap…"

"Don't be under any illusion: You cannot make a fool of God! A man's harvest in life will depend entirely on what he sows" - J B Philips

About 10 years ago, a concept was developed in the computer industry called WYSIWYG - "What You See Is What You Get" The principle behind this concept was that people who produce documents on a computer should be able to tell exactly what it would look like before they ever got to print that document.
Long before computer engineers developed their own WYSIWYG, God had His own. "WHAT YOU SOW IS WHAT YOU GET"
Life only gives to you a harvest of the seeds that you have sown. You don't need to look far to find out what the New Year will be like for you - just look at the seeds you have been sowing in the current year.
Imagine an empty piece of farmland. Now, imagine a farmer walking up to the piece of land and saying "Field, I need to have some potatoes, I need corn, I need some wheat, please have mercy and give me some" Would the field open up and deliver his request? No
Now think of your life as that field - it does not respond to your need or your wishes - it responds to your seed.
Taking this scenario one step further, what if by mistake, you planted barley seeds but you really wanted to plant wheat, can you go to the field and say "you know what, cancel the barley harvest, what I really want is wheat, so please give me wheat"
The law of seedtime and harvest has been woven into the constitution of the earth - everything is programmed to produce after its own kind. Two monkeys will not give birth to a cat.Two giraffes will not produce a zebra.
Genesis 1:11,12,24 , 8:22 This law is not limited only to plants and the animal kingdom. It is woven into every aspect of our lives, Everything we think, say or do is a seed; therefore, it will yield a harvest. Mark 4:26-29
Matthew 12:33 "… A tree is known by its fruit"… You do not need to be a seasoned agriculturist to recognise an apple tree or a pear tree or a papaya tree. All you need to do is look for its fruit.
However, it takes an experienced farmer to distinguish different kinds of seed. If you want a specific harvest in life, you must learn to identify the seeds you need to sow in order to produce that particular harvest.
Learn to be selective when life is still at the seed stage. It is too late to choose after the harvest has arrived. At that time, the cry will be "This is not what I expected!"
It is better to cry, "This is not what I am expecting" at the seed than to say, "This is not what I expected" at the harvest. You can determine the harvest you want in the future by carefully choosing the seed you sow today.

If you do not like the harvest you have been getting hitherto, change the seed now. Remember this:IYAD,WYAD,YWAG,WYAG
"If you always do,What you've always done,You will always get,What you've always got"

One definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time"

Your seed is whatever God has given you today to create the future you desire. There is no such thing as a person without a seed.

Isaiah 55:10,11: As long as God's word is available to you, you have been given a seed. Now, you have the responsibility of recognising your seed.

2 Kings 4:1-7: This widow had the raw material to create her future, yet she did not recognise it.
Exodus 4:2: Moses held the instrument of deliverance for God's people in his hand and did not even know it.

Proverb 18:16 : When you recognise your seed and you begin to sow it - it will make room for you and bring you the future you desire.

THREE KINDS OF SEEDS YOU MUST SOW

1. The Seed of Desire (Proverb 13:12)

Desire is a passion that drives men with fury. People have loved, hated, killed, died, sacrificed, overcome the greatest obstacles in life all on account of desire.
What we want the most takes priority over what we want the least. Our desires show up in our actions and our words. Your desire will determine what you will give up and the price you are willing to pay.
Pursuit they say is the proof of desire. Learn to determine your desired harvest and then select your seed wisely. Give up today's desires for tomorrow's desires.

2. The Seed of Discretion (Proverb 2:10,11)

Some translations use words like "Prudence", "Thoughtfulness", "Good Sense", and "Sound Judgement".
o Discretion means stopping to think about the consequences of your actions or words before carrying them out.
o Discretion means just because you can do something does not mean you are supposed to do it. Just because you can afford something does not mean you are supposed to buy it.
o Discretion means "others may but I can't"
o Discretion is educated self-restraint.

3. The Seed of Discipline (I Corinthians 9:24-27)

The best things in life are not available to everybody - they are reserved for a select few who qualify. You will receive the crowns and trophies of life to the degree that you are able to discipline yourself.

You cannot do what you want to do and expect to get what you want to get - something must give. You cannot eat your cake and have it.

Ask yourself: "What must I deny myself today in order to get what I want tomorrow?" The answer to that question is the beginning of discipline.
Remember IYAD, WYAD, YWAG, WYAG
Do what you have to do as soon as you can, so that you can do what you want to do as long as you want. Pay now, play later - or play now, pay later.

Today, you are the result of the seeds you sowed yesterday. If you want a better tomorrow, sow better seeds today.

A happy New Year will be the result of the co-operation between you and God. God will do His part, are you prepared to do yours?

2006-12-31T16:56:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YOU!!!
On a universal scale, 2007 is not going to be different from 2006. If you had the opportunity to scan the world and make a global assessment of this year, you will find that is was not really different from last year.
Yes we had a tragedy that assumed global dimensions - but then, in reality, we have always had tragedies like that. Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Sudan, Liberia, Sierra-Leone are all the same sad story of human tragedy with different expressions.
In Matthew 24:3-8, Jesus already told us to expect those things in the last days. The point here is there is no such thing as a good year or a bad year. Every year is impregnated with both good and evil.
In 2007, there will be summer and winter, there will be cold and heat, there will be seedtime and harvest. It will get light and it will get dark. Genesis 8:22 "If this year is going to be exactly as last year, then how will things change for you?" The only way things are going to change is when you change. If you want to have a better year, you must become a better person.
The winds of life will blow on all of us. Winds of adversity, winds of disappointment, winds of failure, winds of tragedy, winds of prosperity, winds of opportunity, winds of success and winds of favour. What we become is ultimately not the result of the winds that blow, but of how we have chosen to set our sail.
Everybody in life experiences adversity and setbacks. Adversity is no respecter of persons. The rich and the poor suffer tragedies. The righteous and the unrighteous face challenges. So ultimately, it is not what happens that determines how our lives turn out, it is who we are and how we handle what happens.
Next Year is not going to be a better year because some exceptional favour or opportunity will come your way. It will be a better a year because you become a better person.

"Happy New Year" means Happy New You"

Your biggest assignment and ambition in 2007 should be "I am going to become a better person". Now for each of us, that will mean a different thing; and there will be a different way to achieve it.
Scripture and history testify to the fact that some people break through and become successful in the time of global recession. In Genesis 26:1,2,12-14, Isaac became prosperous in a land of famine. How was this possible? Because Isaac became a better person, the year was a great year for him, even though it was a terrible year for most people.

The only way to improve the quality of your life is to improve yourself. The only thing you truly have the ability to improve is yourself. And when you improve, suddenly everything gets better. So make up your mind that you will go to work on yourself.
Start from the inside, then work your way outwards.When people see you in June 2002, let them exclaim "Wow! You have changed". Let that be more than just your physical appearance.

Three Steps to a "Happy New You"
1. Change Your Thinking
You will never rise beyond your thinking. Proverb 23:7. Today you are the product of your thinking from yesterday. Your choices, your pursuits, the things that you allow or disallow in your life, what you consider to be important or valuable, how you respond to crises, how you handle opportunity is all based on your thinking.
Take time over the next few days and review the conclusions you have drawn about life. Why do you believe what you believe? Is your thinking based on your childhood, your experiences in life or the word of God? It is amazing how even believers have built a personal philosophy that is not based on scripture.
One research showed that Christians and Non-Christians do not differ significantly in their choices and decisions. Romans 12:2. Constantly challenge your thinking on every matter and check whether it lives up to the scripture.

2. Increase your value
A lot of people measure success in terms of how many valuables they are able to acquire. Success should be measured, not by how much valuables you acquire, but how much value you acquire. Remember, the key to having more is to become more. Ecclesiastes 10:10 - The most prolific way to increase your value is to increase your knowledge.
Proverbs 24:5,Hosea 4:6. They lacked knowledge because they rejected it. All the information you require to reach your maximum potential in life has already been recorded. Now, it's up to you to go and find it. Others have captured all of the insights that you will ever need to become a better person.
The greatest moments in human history, the richest experiences of human existence, the most sublime success, and the most colossal failures - all have been freeze-framed in the pages of a book.
Answer these few questions truthfully:
Do you have a bookshelf?
Have you read a book in the past 3 months?
Do you have access to the Internet or are you at most 1 hour away from the Internet?
If you have answered NO, to any of those questions you cannot be serious about increasing your value. Real education begins when you graduate from college. The man who does not read books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.
The question is not "how much will it cost to buy a book?" - The question is "how much will it cost not to buy it?" If you think the price of buying a book is too high, wait till you have to pay the price for not buying it. Wait till you receive the bill for continued and prolonged ignorance.
Every 18 months information doubles in the earth. You should aim to increase your knowledge by at least 50% in that period of time.

What kind of books should you read?
The Bible
Christian Literature
Non-Christian Literature
Biographies,
Easy Stuff
Hard Stuff

"You will be exactly the same person you are today in five years time - Except for two things: The people you meet and the books you read" - Charles "Tremendous" Jones

The greatest person to meet is Jesus, the greatest book to read is the Bible. Your pay cheque is not your employer's responsibility - It is yours. Your employer has no control over your value, you do. Don't forget that money is only a reward for solving problems. Money is a means of exchange and a measure of value.

3. Stick with the programme
Most of us know the right thing to do, we just don't do it long enough. Galatians 6:9 The reason why people are not consistent with personal development is that they try to change too many things. Don't forget you are dealing with your flesh - and your flesh abhors change.
Make it one step at a time. Master one or two areas of change first before stepping into another. Remember, change does not come easy. Even if it seems that the desired results are not coming immediately - stick with the programme. Be consistent. We need to disabuse our minds of the myth of instant change.
NEXT YEAR CAN BE YOUR BEST YEAR YET. IF YOU DETERMINE TO BE THE BEST YOU HAVE EVER BEEN!

2006-11-10T07:48:00.000-08:00

The New You
One of the leading evangelists of our day has been quoted as saying that he believes only fifteen percent of professing Christians are truly born again. That’s a startling statement! I’m not sure that’s accurate, but I certainly believe that many, if not a majority, of those who call themselves Christians are not truly saved.

You can tell that by the values they hold and the lives they live. This means that millions of people who profess to be saved aren’t. The following certainly confirms it.

BARNA RESEARCH SURVEY

MOST “CHRISTIANS” CONFUSED ABOUT SALVATION

The results of a recent survey indicated that most protestant Christians don’t understand—or believe—their own theology about salvation. The Barna Research Group asked 6,242 adults nationwide, “Can a good person earn their way to heaven?” The percentage of those responding “yes” was as follows:

Assembly of God 22%

Baptist 38%

Presbyterian 52%

Lutheran 54%

Episcopalian 58%

Methodist 59%

Roman Catholic 82%

How can this be?

“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).

If there isn’t a clear presentation of true salvation, then there won’t be faith to receive it. Unfortunately, many “Christian” churches today are presenting church membership and holy living as the way to salvation.

They preach that there is a God but that the way to have a relationship with Him is through being a good person. In that respect, they are not much different than any other religion. But that’s not what the Bible teaches. It doesn’t matter how good you may be. Who wants to be the best sinner that ever went to hell? The Bible teaches:

“ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, emphasis mine).

The glory of God that this verse is speaking of is Jesus. You may be good compared to me or some other person. But compared to Jesus,

“There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10).

The Bible teaches that no one can have a relationship with God by just being good. We are all doomed under sin so that we can all have salvation through Jesus (Gal. 3:22).
True Christianity differs from all other religions on the face of the earth in one very specific way: We are the only religion with a Savior. Others teach there is a God and that we are accountable to Him, but they believe we save ourselves by good works. Even the Jews and Muslims believe God is the God of Abraham, but reject Jesus as their Savior.

All other religions place the burden of salvation on the back of the individual. They teach that through acts of self-denial and holiness, you earn your place in heaven. But true Christianity puts the burden of salvation on Jesus. Our only part is to believe and receive, or doubt and do without.

If a Buddhist, a Muslim, and a Christian all stood before the Lord, how would they respond to this question, “What makes you worthy to enter heaven”? The Buddhist and Muslim would certainly try to convince the Lord of their holiness by their worthy accomplishments. That’s precisely the logic behind terrorist’s suicide bombers. They are told that if they kill the infidels, they will be granted entrance to heaven and given a harem of women for eternity.

But a true Christian wouldn’t point to any good deed they have done, and they certainly wouldn’t expect that killing others would earn them favor with God. Instead, they would point to Jesus and say, “I have no virtue of my own to make me worthy. All my faith is in Jesus, my Savior, and what He did for me.”

It’s always about how we view Jesus. Every religion of the world recognizes Jesus. They have to. There is more physical evidence that Jesus lived than that any of the Caesars lived. And Jesus’ example of love and turning the other cheek has never been equaled by any other religious leader.

The Muslims and the Jews say Jesus was a prophet, a good man. They commend His teachings, but they reject Him as God and Savior. Amazingly, many who call themselves “Christians” have a similar view of Jesus. They admit He’s a wonderful example, but they don’t believe He is God, and they don’t believe He is the only way to the Father.

But that is totally illogical. Either Jesus is who He said He was, or He was a deceiver. There can be no middle. You can’t admire His teachings and actions and then reject His claim to be the Son of God sent to save the world.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Jesus didn’t claim to be “a” truth, “a” way, and “a” life; He left no other options for having a relationship with God the Father than through Him. He also said,

“All men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him” (John 5:23).

Jesus made Himself equal with God and said that if we didn’t honor Him as such, then we weren’t honoring God the Father. No one can receive God’s salvation who doesn’t recognize Jesus as God and the only way to the Father. His own claims leave no room to accept Him as good and then not as God.

There was an instance in Scripture where a rich young man came running and threw himself down at Jesus’ feet. He certainly respected Jesus and recognized Him as being a religious leader. But despite his outward pretense, Jesus could tell he wasn’t ready to make a real commitment to Him. The young man said,

“Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God” (Mark 10:17-18).

Jesus was saying that the only one who is truly good is God. So this person either needed to accept Jesus as God or quit calling Him good. What was the young man’s response? In verse 20 he said,

“Master...”

The rich young ruler dropped the word “good” when addressing Jesus. He was not willing to make Jesus God. He was willing to identify with Jesus and proclaim His goodness, but he was not willing to make Him God.

This young man went on to proclaim his own goodness as the basis of his relationship with the Lord. He said he had kept all the commandments from the time of his youth. The truth is that no one has kept all the Law and lived a sinless life.

We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). This man was deceived because he compared himself with others (2 Cor. 10:12). Compared to others, he may have been holy, but he was a sinner in need of a Savior, and he didn’t know it.

The story continues,

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me” (Mark 10:21).

Notice that this verse says Jesus loved this young man. Jesus didn’t tell this man to sell all he had and give to the poor because He didn’t want him to be a disciple. He loved him. And because Jesus loved him, He had to break the deception that he could earn his salvation.

He needed a Savior but didn’t know it. He had lived such a good life that he thought he would be accepted by God for all his goodness. He said he had kept all the commandments of God, but he hadn’t. He had deceived himself into believing it, but Jesus knew better.

Jesus told this young man to sell whatever he had and give it to the poor. He had never told this to anyone else who wanted to follow Him, so why did he do this? He did it because He knew what his god was.

The very first commandment says,

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3).

Jesus was showing this young man that he had broken the very first commandment. He trusted his money and what it could do for him more than he trusted God. Jesus loved him and wanted to bring him to salvation, but He would not lower the bar, and the young man went away sorrowful (Mark 10:22). There is no other way to the Father but through Jesus.

2006-10-17T06:46:00.000-07:00

NIGERIA’S CHALLENGE: CRUDE MINDS, NOT CRUDE OIL
I came to work around 6:00am today (quite early?) and was forced to take a walk pending the time the office would be opened; the weather was conducive for creative thinking. After spending ample time to reminisce over my aspirations and achievements as it relates to the new Nigerian dream, my creative intelligence unit was activated as if to say that I caught an idea. So I decided to carefully go down memory lane on where Nigeria is coming from, where we are as a people and what tomorrow holds for our beloved nation.
Today marks my 365th day since I joined the nation’s petroleum industry prime-mover, NNPC as a staff. It was like a dream come true the day I received my job offer letter, not really because of the benefits associated with the employment, particularly in a country where to be an oil-worker is synonymous to being a moneybag, but because I believe it would serve as a viable place for me to nurture and harness my intellectual potential and capacity towards the development of my nation.
Life begins when a man, having discovered his potentials for living, decides to effectively deploy it for the good of another. Suffice it to say then that you start to exist the day you are born, but start to live when you start engaging your potential in the direction of your purpose. Hence, several people pass away never having lived.
I say this because in my workplace, all I do, say or think now gravitates towards my most dominant passion, THE NEW NIGERIA. I am one of the few who still believe that something good is coming out of the giant of Africa. Even though, right now as it is, a huge percentage of the Nigerian youths is simply existing.
You would agree with me that Nigeria has witnessed several socio-political and economic dispensations that have contributed obviously to bringing her to this present state through several reforms (though most of which has successfully deformed us). That crude oil is the lifeblood of the Nigerian economy cannot be gainsaid, or how else would one portray the situation where as much as 95% of a nation’s foreign exchange earnings come from crude oil.
Countless number of articles has been published, most criticizing the leaderships of the country both past and present, overemphasizing the problems and challenges that we are faced with as a nation and never proffering solutions, only a minute fraction has displayed fairly tolerable attitude by critiquing and not just criticizing.

Of major concern is the gamut of debates about our decision in the past to move from agriculture to crude oil exploration and production. To some, the transition from Green Revolution to Oil boom as in the long-run resulted into economic stagnancies. Others bluntly refer to the oil boom of the fifties as a curse or indirectly attribute the problems facing the nation today to the discovery of oil at Oloibiri, to the extent that a veteran author once jocularly insinuated that oil boom be spelt, ‘o-i-l-d-o-o-m’.
But I would like to posit right here that I am not convinced yet that the crude oil boom of the 50’s is responsible for our present unhappiness. Totally predicating our situation of poor infrastructures, youth restiveness, lawlessness, abject poverty etc on crude oil as it were, is simply outrageous and what I would simply call claptrap, because is like blaming the cobwebs and letting the spiders alone.
I realized from adequate study and research into economies that have worked and are still working that the fate of any nation starts from the mind of the citizenry. In the words of Stephen Bantu Biko, a noted nonviolent anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s, ‘the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.’ This statement is very remarkable because for as long as you have a negative mental attitude about yourself, family, work, nation, name it, you can never truly become the definition of greatness that God wants you to be. Without a doubt, your mind determines your kind. Your mentality determines your personality. If you lose it in your mind, then you can never win it in the reality. If there is anything that we, Nigerians, need to change is our faulty mindset, the one that constantly emphasizes the nothingness of our fatherland and if there is anytime for us to begin it is now.
It depends on whose hands it is in, a loaf of bread in my hands would probably make me a sandwich but the same in the hands of our Lord Jesus fed 5000 people, a basketball in my hands would probably earn me a good work-out but the same in the hands of Michael Jordan is worth over 13 million dollars. It does not matter whatever it is, besides crude oil that generates huge amount of revenue, if the mind of the Nigerian man is not re-configured for proper reception and utilization then it would only leave us worse than before. This ultimately imposes a huge responsibility on everyone of us, we should stop blaming anyone for any mishap, bearing in mind that the first and only person you need to change is you, yes YOU. I am bold to say that the Nigerian challenge is not because of crude oil but because of crude mind.
If we can subdue our egotistical tendencies and be real for once, we would realize that the great future of our nation can only be witnessed by a people who are willing to sacrifice, with the help of God, their time, resources and talents for this just cause. In time, we shall be in position to bestow on our nation the greatest possible gift – a more human face.

2006-10-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

HISTORY MAKERS!!

Like my mentor used to say, GET READY! GET READY!! GET READY!!!

The Touchpoint project tagged: 3D initiative kicked off today the 13th of October as 45 secondary school students were examined at the premises of the acclaimed Christ's Boys High School in Ado-Ekiti.

It could be best described as an epoch-making event as the contest is expected to produce the very first sets of Touchpoint laureates. The laureates should exemplify the intelligent, proactive and focussed nigerian youthful mind. Ten (10) of them would be specially recognized and honoured with several mouth-watering gifts and laurels to go with them.

Besides that they would be empowered by Gbenga Sesan (www.gbengasesan.com)himself, who happens to be my friend and mentor. Gbenga Sesan is a dynamic, multi-talented individual who is presently championing the course of rejuvenating the Nigerian youth. He should speak alongside Biodun Kolawole, a prolific speaker of MBS Consulting firm in Ibadan. Both speakers are virtuosoes in their own class.

I would also be delivering a talk titled "Crude minds, not crude oil" It promises to be explosive! Check me out!

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