A VIEW ON LEADERSHIP

Leadership and the dearth of quality leaders in modern times is an area of great concern. The world needs quality leaders, the church is in need of great leaders. Leaders like Moses, David, and Abraham Lincoln. We often find ourselves settling for “the lesser of two evil” when seeking out leaders nowadays.

The truth is that, we have all assumed (or will one day assume) a leadership role in one capacity or the other at a certain point in time, some to lesser degree. Leadership is not the sole reserve of those placed in charge of a team or group. There are subtle leadership roles within a team or group just as there are distinct and more obvious ones. Having the capacity to spur others on a given path in order to fulfill the given mandate is leadership. A leader doesn’t imply an authoritarian or dictator!  A leader inspires and motivates. A leader doesn’t have to be always right. Moses in the bible grew into leadership. He kept evolving in leading the Israelite. For instance, Moses wasn’t a delegator initially, but he later learnt that acting in so many roles wasn’t effective leadership.

As a leader within your team or group, you need to be able to convince them of the suitability of your ideas, over theirs by presenting superior arguments without, exuding an air of superiority over them.

In the case where their arguments make better sense than yours, you buy into theirs after critical analysis and proper assessment as a collective unit.

As I said in a prior article:

“Life is seen in different ways by different people. The Perspective in which we see things defines our understanding of such; being able to rationalize things from others perspective creates mutual respect. You don’t necessarily need to accept an individual’s outlook. Merely seeing things from their standpoint is sufficient.”

In reference to the quote above, I am saying a modern leader should go a step ahead by logically and systematically going over the views  of others to the extent of wholly adopting or tinkering, adapting and incorporating  them with the skeletal  framework of the initial plan to actualize or execute the teams’ given mandate.

Sustained loyalty as against ephemeral loyalty (more-or-less sycophancy) can only be fostered through trust, which is a by-product of a bond that can only be created when all persons within the team view the mandate or set objectives/goals of the team as their personal duties (which they are obliged to fulfill), as against seeing it as the objectives of the leader or team lead. In essence everyone within the team is a leader. Different strengths and personalities only suggest that different (leadership) roles exist within the team.

A sure way to make anyone buy into another’s idea as his/hers, is to grant him/her the sense that he/she has played a role in the birth and formation of the strategy/idea.

As believers, we are called to be leaders. Leaders of Souls to Christ and ultimately heaven! I consider a believer to automatically be a leader. We are the light of the world, a city set upon the hill (Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 14). Just as a lighthouse serves as navigational aid to ships, so also are we called to do for the world.

There are certain skills we need to adopt, just are as there are certain tendencies we need to do away with as leaders/believers.

A believer’s ability to empathise and come to a good understanding of the peculiarities that are akin to an individual or group of individuals is an essential skill/gift required for soul-winning.

Our tendency to out rightly condemn others is a NEGATIVE habit that ought to be expunged from our consciousness as believers.

Christ, as our ultimate leadership model, didn’t come to condemn us, but to give us the way to total liberation and freedom from sin (John Chapter 3 Verse 17).

Our duties as believers should be to condemn sin and not men; for God loves even the sinner but he detests sin.

A key moment in Apostle Paul’s ministry will help us come to a better understanding of this concept (condemn the sin and not the sinner). Paul in Athens (Acts Chapter 17, especially from Verse 22 down) didn’t condemn the Athenians (the Areopagus) but rather their belief system, and he further went on to appeal to them even making use of their false belief to build His message.

Be the leader the world so greatly needs!

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TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR DIFFERENCE

In this present world, people are often derided for being different from popular expectations and norm. The scripture in Romans Chapter 12 Verse 2 admonishes us not to conform to the world and it’s standards.

Jesus in John Chapter 15 verse 18 already foreknew this and specifically forewarned us that we would be hated by the world just as they hated him for no just cause.

2 Corinthians Chapter 4 Verse 7 – 9 says;

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

⁸ we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

⁹ Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down but not destroyed.”

Just as believers are different from the world, so also is every man different from every other man. In the world today it is quite difficult being your own person. Trying to do so often lands one with various tags, such as bookworm, weirdo, nerd, geek, and the likes. This has often led to bullying.

The scripture above says we have this treasure in earthen vessels. This clearly implies (in my opinion) that we have been imbued with something within us. We are individually uniquely gifted and ‘Graced’. The Grace on each individual’s life differs, implying that we are special in specific areas.

We should never allow people’s opposition to your person weigh you down and stop you from manifesting God’s unique Grace on your life.

FACT:  the earth is the only planet in our solar system that can sustain life. WHY? This is so because the earth is different! Scientists credit the tectonic plates on earth for this. As it so happens, only earth possesses these plates. This shows that the Earth made use of its difference (uniqueness) to STANDOUT!

So today, why don’t you as well, take PRIDE in your difference and use it to STANDOUT, and thus enabling you become a focal /reference point.

The bible says in Matthew Chapter 5 verse 16: Let your light so shine before men….

 But I will like to phrase it thus way: Let your Grace so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.

Image Gotten from: http://www.quotesvalley.com/take-pride-in-whatever-it-is-that-makes-you-different/

REPENTANCE VERSUS REGRET

Repentance and regret are terms which are often misrepresented interchangeably – one for another. The words, though, are very much alike when looking at them superficially, but on taking a deeper look into the words and their applications, as well as taking scriptural consideration, you will realize that a difference does abound.

In the Christian Faith, Repentance is of utmost importance. It is so relevant that there are numerous mentions of the word in the scriptures.

It is a fact, that there is no Christianity without repentance! Infact, no man/woman is born a Christian. I state this as a fact because the scripture says as much. Turning to the book of Romans Chapter 5 verse 12 we can see this;

“wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all men, for that all men have sinned:”

Romans Chapter 3 verse 23 further highlights this fact;

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”

It is due to this fact that Christ said to Nicodemus in John Chapter 3 verse 3;

“…… verily; verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”

The above scripture brings us to a definition of repentance. Repentance is all about casting away your old lifestyle, your old person and assuming a new you. This is aptly captured in 2 Corinthians Chapter 5 verses 17;

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Let’s now highlight some contrast between repentance and regret:

Ø  Repentance is borne out of genuine conviction about the “wrongness” (permit me to say) of ones actions (or lifestyle as a whole), irrespective of the results obtained from the deed (be it positive or negative). Zaccheus for instance seemingly reaped a positive result from his negative lifestyle, but repented when he got convicted that he needed to change. No one prompted him, neither was he charged to do so by a court of law. Regret on the other hand is borne out of ill consequences or boomerang effect of our negative actions (or lifestyle) and not because of the action itself. We regret taking a course of action because it landed us where we did not want to be. If it hadn’t backfired but yielded the desired results we probably would continue in that way of life. Take for instance, armed robbers and criminals who get caught by the law enforcement agencies. One thing most of them have in common is that they express regret for indulging in such acts, often times resorting to blaming the devil for their crimes. If they hadn’t been caught in the first place, they would still keep on engaging in the act.

Ø  Repentance gives you a way forward (to the future) while regret keeps you trapped and entangled in the past. Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus regretted his action and ended up hanging himself, while Peter on the other hand initially felt regret but eventually repented!

Summarily, we should realize that regret will only keep us in a cycle of self-condemnation, while repentance will lead us to salvation brought about by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ said he didn’t come to condemn us, which implies that we shouldn’t also engage in beating up ourselves. What he expects of us is to genuinely cast aside every lifestyle that is against the precepts and ordinance of God.

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THE VALLEY MOMENTS

The word valley (according to English Dictionary for Windows Phone) literally refers to “a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river”

The valley moments stated here is a figurative expression of the word. Life as was once remarked by a singer is like an ocean; sometimes it can be calm (and peaceful) and at other times it can be devastatingly turbulent. Just like the ocean, different phases abound in the life of all men. The bible says as much in the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 Verse 1:

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”.

Man has a natural tendency to desire comfort at all times. We as believers often pray that we should never experience these ‘valley moments’. The truth is that these moments are inevitable! As sure as the sun will rise in the morning and the moon at nightfall is, so also are these moments.

One of the greatest apostles of the faith - Paul - urged his protégé; Timothy, in the book of second Timothy Chapter 4 verse 2; to be instant in season and out of season. This clearly displays that Paul was not oblivious to this fact. He knew for sure, that Timothy (as every other man) was bound to encounter this moments.

The fact that one lives a good, righteous and Godly life by all standards does not exempt you from passing through these moments. In fact both the; just and the unjust, the righteous and unrighteous, the Godly and ungodly, will experience good seasons and bad seasons. This is clearly spelt out by Jesus in the book of Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 45:

“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust”

The simple fact that you exists on this earth means that you are dead certain to encounter these moments!  

By praying against this moments coming, I daresay that we are praying amiss! This might be a bitter pill to swallow, to me inclusive (I must confess), but nevertheless it remains the truth.

Now, let’s see the assurances we are given in the scriptures when we encounter these moments. The book of Isaiah Chapter 43 verse 2 says:

“When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

Notice how this scripture says “when” and not “if”. It implies that though we are certain to encounter this moments, he will not only be with us, but he will also ensure that we will come out triumphant and unscathed. Apostle Paul reaffirmed this in Romans Chapter 8 verse 37:

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”

Again the scripture says in the latter part of Psalms 30 Verse 5:                                 

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning”

There is light at the end of the tunnel. In fact a brighter light awaits us at the end of the tunnel than that we first encountered before we entered the dark moment. We can see this from the life of Job. After Job’s valley moment he was blessed beyond what he had before he went into that moment, Job Chapter 42 Verse 12:

“So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.”

Still in doubt? Then let’s read Ecclesiastes Chapter 7 Verse 8:

“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”

David says in Psalms 23 verse 4:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort”

This came from the mouth of a man I consider an authority on this subject matter. Let’s take a brief look at David’s life. Firstly he started off as somewhat of an outcast in his family. Even his father didn’t consider him worthy of greatness as seen in First Samuel Chapter 16, where Prophet Samuel was directed by God to go and anoint the next King from the house of Jesse. Jesse his father didn’t even line him up amongst his sons to be considered for the position, in fact he had written him off. In my book, that counts as valley moment.

Despite David’s faithful and diligent service to King Saul, he still considered him an enemy to be done away with and even sought to end his life. David was rendered an outcast for the second time in his life, this time an outcast from the entire kingdom of Israel (I Samuel Chapter 24). This was another valley moment.

Even when David was in exile, the Amalekites raided his camp at Ziklag and carted away with he and his men’s wives and possessions (I Samuel Chapter 30). This was yet still another valley moment.

Still, when David was even on the throne, his son (Absalom) usurped his power, overthrew his government and had carnal knowledge of his wives (II Samuel Chapter 15). Another valley moment.

Despite all these events, David still maintained his Faith, believe and trust in God. He came out more than a conqueror.

What am I saying in essence? Though we will encounter these moments, but as believers, God will turn our valley of trouble into a door of hope. Hosea Chapter 2 Verse 15:

“And I will give her vineyard thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.”

One might be tempted to ask why we even need to pass through these moments. But a simple quote (not from the bible) goes thus, “what will not kill you, will only make you stronger.” It follows that since we have been assured that we will come out victorious and unhurt, then it remains sure that these moments are only there to bring out a better and stronger ‘us’.

Our prayers as believers should go thus:

1.       Father turn the valley of Achor into a door of hope for me (Hosea 2:15)

1.       Father when I’m in the valley, be with me and comfort me (Psalm 23:4)

Image from: http://www.frenchmoments.eu/vosges/

THE MESSAGE THERE-IN

Biblical genealogies are areas of the scripture which most believers (I especially) often overlook. I often think that no insight or real lessons other family histories/trees can be extracted. Upon listening to Matthew 1 (from the bible experience audio), I realized that I couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I have read through it a couple of times, or should I rather say that I have taken a couple of cursory looks through that chapter in time past; and honestly, it simply bored me out, and I quite often drift off (mentally) while reading through such scriptures. On listening to it being read out, new insights just kept flooding in, and now I realize that I should have taken more than just a cursory look into scriptures such as this.

Romans 10:17 says: “so then Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”                         NIV puts it this way: “Consequently, Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ”

The scripture above looks pretty straight forward at first glance, but I feel it’s much deeper than it looks.

What is ‘the message’ being referred to above?

I feel the Holyspirit ministers’ messages into our hearts and soul; but how do we truly hear what he speaks?

When we read or hear (listen to) the word (about) of Christ – that is the scripture – then the message comes loud and clear to us. Christianity is Faith-based and the scripture says as much in Hebrews 11:6;

“But without Faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that e is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Pleasing God is our mandate as Christians (Matthew 22:36-37). If we can’t please him, then we have failed. Faith is not an option, but a must to all believers.

For us to build our faith, we must “hear the message” from the Holyspirit. To hear this message, the channel/medium is “the word about Christ”.

Now coming to the scripture under consideration (Matthew 1); in Verse 5 – 6 reveals something quite fascinating. You will notice that this genealogy (as was customary in biblical time) is replete with male members of the bloodline, but two exceptions pop out in Verse 5; Rechab – the prostitute of Jericho who saved the Israeli spies, and Ruth – who steadfastly and loyally stuck to her mother-in-law, Naomi, even after the death of her husband. This gives us a great lesson – God never forgets the good done. Diligence in seeking the lord never goes unrewarded (Hebrews 11:6).

Take note of verse 6 as well; it doesn’t mention Bathsheba (Solomon’s mother), she was rather referred to as – the wife of Urias, because it was referring to the sin committed! Two lessons can be picked from here; firstly, though God is a merciful and loving father, consequences for our sins and inactions still abound. God is a God of justice, and he certainly didn’t allow the sin against Urias go unpunished. God is very much able to turn what seems like a dead certain disaster into a jaw-dropping testimony. A union initially enmeshed in sin later resulted in an offspring who now was in the bloodline of Jesus!

Verse 19 shows us a lesson on being JUST.

God doesn’t just allow anything happen for the sake of it happening. The angel of the Lord could very well have informed Joseph about the conception of the virgin Mary rather than allowing him find out himself. God didn’t permit it to happen that way, because I feel he had a lesson in store that he wanted to dispense to us. Joseph I must say would have been justified to feel betrayed and to take due actions (by human standard). Joseph didn’t succumb to bitterness or discard his moral values. He still had the intention of treating Mary in the right way!

As Christians, we shouldn’t treat people badly because they treat us that way. We must learn to live above the world/earthly code, which dictates that we give what we get. Treat everyone right! Do good to all men when opportune and not just the ones who treat you right.  

Image from: http://hanoverlibrary.ca/free-genealogy-sites-tools/

PRUDENCE: A Key attribute in a God-given Wife

This brief note is inspired from RCCG’s Sunday school manual (2014-2015 edition), from the topic of 26^TH April 2015 – Knowing God’s will in marriage.

Proverbs 19:14 – “House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD”

QUESTION: going by the passage above, would i be right if I came to the conclusion that possessing prudence (as an attribute) is a true test of a Godly woman when seeking out a wife?

WHAT IS PRUDENCE?

Making use of my phones dictionary as a source, I pulled out these definitions;

1.     Discretion in practical affairs

2.     Knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; discretion; discreetness; circumspection.

From the passage(Proverbs 19:14), we got one word; from the single word, we have now gotten a collection of words, that might help us gain clarity and better understanding of what to look out for in a desired wife as a Christian man.

Note Prior to this moment, I have always thought that prudence only applied to financial matters!

Now let’s look up another definition of the word “prudence” as gotten from dictionary.com;

·        Prudence as a Noun: the quality or fact of being prudent or wise in practical affairs as by providing for the future.

The above definition is so very rich! It says “wisdom in practical affairs”. This implies that she must be wise in handling daily occurrences that we often encounter (not just in words, but in deeds).

It further goes on to say “as by providing for the future.” That means she must be quite adept at planning. She should be one that is able to take pre-emptive measures in case of any eventuality in the future.

Dissecting the word “Prudence”

To do this, we go back to our start up definition and treat the other words we came across.

PRUDENCE: knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; discretion; discreetness; circumspection.

·        Being Circumspect:  Heedful of potential consequences. This implies that she evaluates before acting or making decisions. She makes sure to weigh the pros and cons!

·        Discreetness: Subtly skillful in handling of a situation; delicacy; diplomacy; finesse. The foregoing implies that she must be able to quell any brewing storm or conflict. She mustn’t be a person easily prone to brashness or easily angered. Essentially, we are looking at a PACIFIST here. A DOVISH fellow I must add. She must therefore have the ability to rein in her emotions rather than being controlled by them.

·        Discretion: The trait of judging wisely or objectively. Again, this points to the woman’s emotional stability. In order to be objective, one needs to be able to put emotions to one side, and properly weigh the issues at hand without being sentimental or otherwise swayed my emotional triggers.

Can this single word be the ultimate key in seeking out a Godly wife? That is the million dollar question.

Image from: http://www.textgiraffe.com/Prudence/

I LOVE GOD!!!!

I love God, I love heaven.

I am on earth, I have to live on this domain for a short while, but this is not my home neither is it my desire, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I still have to exist here and carry out His purpose for my life.

To fulfill His purpose and consequently inherit the heavenly kingdom as a joint heir with Christ and many brethren, I first have to live in this domain.

I live in this domain, therefore I need certain elements of this domain for survival and relative comfort, but that doesn't mean I Love them or I am consumed by a quest to acquire them.

My Love ultimately is the kingdom not seen, but that doesn't imply that I should cease to exist on this plane or cut short my preordained lifespan……

Since I have to exist here, I must make good use of my existence here, by living positively and doing His bidding....

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STAYING ON THE PATH

In this present world, it is very easy to be swayed away from God and His precepts. Our only help is to HOLD unto his truth (Word) and ask for the Holy Ghost to continuously help and direct us from going astray. The Holy Spirit is there also to help us not to succumb to the Pressures of this world.

Spiritually speaking, we need to “stay on” the path and stay faithful to God despite pressures from others.

Below is a paragraph written by Jennifer Benson Schuldt of Our Daily bread devotional on 30^th of October 2012.

Today, just as in ancient times, people and circumstances may prompt us to shift our loyalty away from God and His truth. Yet, with God’s help we can hold fast to the word of life (Philippians 2:16). If you feel pressured to enter a dangerous intersection of beliefs;

Ø  Study God’s word

Ø  Put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Ø  Ask the Holy Spirit for help (I Corinthians 2:10-12)

Ø  Then standfast with your fellow believers in Christ

Image gotten from: http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/emotional-health/how-stay-healthy-path

RUTH – A MODEL IN THE FAITH (Part 2 – Chapter 3 & 4)

v  Honor your Parents & Elders

One of the 10 commandments given to Moses was for us to honor our parents. In this instance though, Naomi wasn’t Ruth’s biological parent, but she became so by virtue of the bond formed between them.

One folly of youths these days is their penchant for disregarding the counsel of elders. We often equate intelligence for wisdom. Certain wisdom - I have discovered – is only gotten from a degree of experience which we don’t possess at a certain age. Tapping from the experience of the elders is highly profitable.

There are certain things that we might not understand, but once we’re clear that God has put us under a particular individuals’ (or group of individuals) care – be it mentor, parent or otherwise – and that the instruction given doesn’t go against God’s precepts; then we sometimes need to accept it as it is.

Ruth was instructed by Naomi in Chapter 3 Verse 1 – 4. Let’s read Ruth’s response;

⁵ and she said unto her, all that thou sayest unto me I will do.

Notice something; she (Ruth) didn’t question Naomi for a moment, because she already knew that Naomi had her best interest at heart and that God had placed Naomi on her path as a guide. We should learn to do this sometimes!

v  Do away with procrastination

Is it any wonder that Boaz was a successful man? Reading verse 18 of Chapter 3; we realize that Boaz was a man who got things done as soon as possible. It certainly feels like he was a man averse to procrastination, at least judging by the testimony of Naomi concerning the man in the stated verse.

v  Do what is right even if it seems like it is not to your favor

We often times bandy around the word “righteousness” without fully grasping its true meaning. Simply put, Righteousness dictates that we do the right things always.

Boaz would have obviously preferred that Ruth be married to him, but he nevertheless insisted on doing the right thing by first presenting the opportunity to the man who was more entitled than him (Chapter 3 verse 12). He set about doing this in Verse 1-6 of Chapter 4.

v  Your way of life can be a source of blessing to your offspring

In Chapter 4 Verse 14 -15, we see how the women pronounced blessings upon Obed due to the kind of person his mother (Ruth) was. This goes to show that it is profitable (not only to you) to live an exemplary, God-fearing life.

Image gotten from: http://www.lookandlearn.com/blog/2847/ruth-gleaning-barley-in-the-field-of-boaz/

RUTH – A MODEL IN THE FAITH (Part 1 – Chapter 1 & 2)

This write-up is the drawn out from the life of Ruth the daughter-in-law of Naomi as seen in the book of Ruth. Some lessons which I was personally able to draw out are written below. These are areas which we should as well strive to improve in our daily walk with Christ.

v  Lesson One: Strive to be a man/woman of your word!

Ruth made a sort of vow/promise to Naomi her mother-in-law in verse 16 – 17 of Chapter 1, and I’m certain that as I read through to the end of this book in the bible, I will find out that she upheld her promise.

One common thing I have noticed with the people of old, is their penchant for holding their words as their bonds. This is one attribute that seems to have deserted us. We need to re-learn this as a matter of urgency.

Prayer Point: Dear father, help me be a man/woman of my word, help me speak/promise only that which I will be able to do and which also falls in your Will for my life in Jesus name

v  Lesson Two: Loyalty does not go Unrewarded/Unnoticed.

Another trait that seems to be very scarce to the modern man is LOYALTY!

This is a trait that dictates you sticking around through thick and thin. The evidence of the lack of this trait/attribute abounds everywhere;

ü  Increase in the rate of divorce

ü  Church-Jumping Christians in search of quick miracles due to impatience

ü  Fair-weather friends

ü  Even political sycophants, as seen even in the Nigerian polity.

The beauty of this trait is that, though loyal acts usually seem to go unnoticed, they are actually never unrewarded. The one who matters takes notice. Therefore in due course, the act will soon be rewarded (by Him), as long as it was for a just cause.

You will notice that Ruth’s ACT of loyalty seemed to have only been between the two of them, news soon spread about this to Boaz, who duly favored her in no small measure (Chapter 2 Verse 11-12).

v  Lesson Three: Persistence pays

Ruth’s persistence as against Orpah’s  ‘quick-to-back-down’ disposition ensured that she got a passage into the fold of God’s chosen people. This is a great lesson for us believers, that though the world we’ve left behind when we accepted Christ might seem alluring, and all Logic might even point to the former life as a better option (Just as Naomi was trying to point out to her daughter’s-in-law), we must persevere and adhere to our initial commitment to forsake the old life and embrace the new life in Christ Jesus. Chapter 1 Verse 18 captures this.

v  Lesson Four: To reap doubly, your input is actually first required.

Ruth will probably not have come across her benefactor Boaz had she not opted to go out and work.

Without prompting, Ruth opted to go out and set about toiling, and that brought her to her place of favor.

To enter into our place of favor, we actually need to take a step – a step of faith you might say.

NOTE

The word enter in itself, is a verb that connotes movement of some sort. So you actually need to start “doing” and stop “idling”.

ü  God rewards us by enabling us eat of the “fruits of our labor”

ü  God is a God of Miracle and not a magician. He has set-out certain laws to govern the earth, and he honors such himself. One of such goes thus; in order to reap you must sow.

What God now does, is to set about multiplying your effort and giving you a bountiful harvest.

v  Lesson Five: Learn to be kind.

Boaz, as depicted in Chapter 2 must have been a kind-hearted fellow, who genuinely cared for the plight of others. It is not a surprise therefore, that they (Ruth and Boaz) happened to be in the family tree of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Christ Jesus as seen in the scripture remained eternally loyal to God. Philippians 2: 6-7 aptly captures this; “who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God

⁷But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

Secondly, there has and never will be a greater Love and sacrifice as that of Christ.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that individuals (Ruth and Boaz) who possessed such key traits as seen in Christ’s ministry happened to be in His bloodline.

Rather than our usual prayer of asking God to grant us favor with men and prayers for people to show us mercy, kindness and Love; why don’t we pray the following prayer for a change:

Father Lord, help me see the needs of those around me and grant me a loving and compassionate heart that I may go out of my way to grant them succor. Grant me the heart of Christ o’ Lord in Jesus name I pray.

Image from: http://www.truli.com/taxonomy/term/1081/en

EQUAL AND OPPOSITE

Sir Isaac Newton was right on so many levels when he stated one of the Laws of motion thus, “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”.

In essence the above implies that you give out in equal (measure) to what you receive! Opposite here implying that though they (action and reaction) are of equal measure, the receiver becomes the source (or giver, if I might put it that way).

Hate received results in hate given out, except a LOVE which supersedes the hate has already been received.

If you doubt the assertion above, I urge you to carefully look into most cases of abuse – child molesters, rapist and the likes. You will quickly realize the perpetrators were once victims of some kind of abuse or traumatic event in time past.

I have often wondered why people who have been cheated on (in relationships) in time past end up doing the same to another partner later on, despite experiencing the hurt that comes from that! It is quite fascinating.

A house struck by lightning will in turn give out the electricity to the detriment and destruction of appliances in the house and possibly residents of the said building.

Flowing from the last paragraph, you will note that a house with a lightning arrestor will simply diffuse the electricity into the ground, thus preserving everything within the building.

When you meet Christ and experience His love, he becomes your LIGHTNING ARRESTOR. His love is infinite so No amount of hate can negate from his Love.

N:B – Mathematically speaking, subtracting any finite number from infinity still gives you infinity. Once you’ve genuinely and truly experienced His love, you become only capable of giving out love.

The scripture says by their fruit we shall know them! (Matthew 7: 15 - 20).

Any believer that gives off anything other than love even to His enemies hasn’t truly experienced the Love of Christ.

No wonder Christ says in Matthew 5:44; “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”. He also says in Mark 12:31; “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

In essence, we can now say that the Love of Christ entrenched in us helps us live above the law of equal and opposite, in the context of subject matter as discussed in this article.

Written on: 25/11/2013

Image gotten from: http://theimentor.com/theiMentor/Blog/Entries/2014/1/18_Cause_and_Effect.html

PICKING A LOCAL CHURCH

Sticking to a particular ministry/denomination at all cost isn’t what is paramount in the Christian race!

God is very interested in us all making heaven. One should not discount from loyalty and obedience as important keys to a successful Christian journey, they are quite important indeed.

In choosing a local church, what we should be on the lookout for is actually the SPIRIT that operates in such a church; irrespective of the denomination it belongs to!

A ministry could have been started under God’s direction, but the leadership of a particular branch could be under the influence of dark forces at a particular time. Does that mean you should stick to the denomination – by going to that branch – just because there is no other branch in sight? That is certainly not the loyalty that God is on the lookout for.

Perception and discernment are very essential and (ultimately) indispensable tools in seeking out a local church, because we need to understand and know the spirit that operates in such a church.

Loyalty to the kingdom is of essence, but sticking to a denomination at all cost even in such a circumstance as mentioned above is actually disloyalty to the kingdom.

Finding a local church that is under the influence of the Holy Spirit should always be foremost in our search for a local church.

PRAY FOR:

1.       The spirit of discernment to know the spirit that operates in the leaders of a church and in that church.

2.       Ask for God’s direction in picking a church.

Written on: 22/12/2013

Image gotten from: http://www.woodhouseclosechurch.org/